Douglas Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author and humorist.
He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which was originally a BBC radio comedy in 1978 before developing into a series of books that has sold more than 15 million copies and generated a television series, several stage plays, comics, a computer game, and movie.
Adams was born in Cambridge, England. His parents divorced at the age of 5. As a young child, Adams was abnormally tall standing nearly 6 feet tall by the age of 12. His exceptional writing skills also separated him from the other boys. He attended St. John's College in Cambridge and graduated with a B.A. in English literature.
After leaving university, Adams began his career in the entertainment industry writing for sketches in Monty Python and even acting in a few. Here, Adams' career stalled and he worked several odd jobs including hospital porter, barn builder, bodyguard, and chicken shed cleaner.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is unarguably Adams' best known work and was originally aired as a weekly radio series in the UK. Adams also wrote Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, and co-wrote The Meaning of Liff, The Deeper Meaning of Liff, Last Chance to See , and three stories for the television series Doctor Who.
Adams described himself as a "radical atheist" and was known as an advocate for environmentalism and conservation. Adams showed marked interest in energy conservation and the protection of endangered species.
Adams died of a heart attack on May 11 2001 at the age of 49. A memorial service was held on 17 September 2001 at St.-Martin-in-he-Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, London. This became the first church service ever to be broadcast live on the web by the BBC. Adams's contribution to UK radio is also commemorated in The Radio Academy's Hall of Fame. The Minor Planet Centre space agency named an asteroid 18610 Arthurdent two days before his death. On 25 May 2001, two weeks after Adams's death, his fans organised a tribute known as Towel Day, which has been observed every year since then. Biologist Richard Dawkins dedicated his book The God Delusion to Adams, writing on his death that "Science has lost a friend, literature has lost a luminary, the mountain gorilla and the black rhino have lost a gallant defender."
He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which was originally a BBC radio comedy in 1978 before developing into a series of books that has sold more than 15 million copies and generated a television series, several stage plays, comics, a computer game, and movie.
Adams was born in Cambridge, England. His parents divorced at the age of 5. As a young child, Adams was abnormally tall standing nearly 6 feet tall by the age of 12. His exceptional writing skills also separated him from the other boys. He attended St. John's College in Cambridge and graduated with a B.A. in English literature.
After leaving university, Adams began his career in the entertainment industry writing for sketches in Monty Python and even acting in a few. Here, Adams' career stalled and he worked several odd jobs including hospital porter, barn builder, bodyguard, and chicken shed cleaner.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is unarguably Adams' best known work and was originally aired as a weekly radio series in the UK. Adams also wrote Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, and co-wrote The Meaning of Liff, The Deeper Meaning of Liff, Last Chance to See , and three stories for the television series Doctor Who.
Adams described himself as a "radical atheist" and was known as an advocate for environmentalism and conservation. Adams showed marked interest in energy conservation and the protection of endangered species.
Adams died of a heart attack on May 11 2001 at the age of 49. A memorial service was held on 17 September 2001 at St.-Martin-in-he-Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, London. This became the first church service ever to be broadcast live on the web by the BBC. Adams's contribution to UK radio is also commemorated in The Radio Academy's Hall of Fame. The Minor Planet Centre space agency named an asteroid 18610 Arthurdent two days before his death. On 25 May 2001, two weeks after Adams's death, his fans organised a tribute known as Towel Day, which has been observed every year since then. Biologist Richard Dawkins dedicated his book The God Delusion to Adams, writing on his death that "Science has lost a friend, literature has lost a luminary, the mountain gorilla and the black rhino have lost a gallant defender."