Thornton Wilder was born on April 17, 1897 in Madison, Wisconsin. Wilder’s parents, Amos and Isabelle Wilder, were highly educated individuals. Wilder’s parents instilled their children with a love for classics and this fueled Wilder to later become a famous play writer. Wilder and his family lived in Hong Kong in 1906, but quickly returned to the United States due to political instability in China. Upon returning to high school in the United States, Wilder began to express an interest in theater and writing. When Wilder graduated college, he attended Oberlin College and later transferred to Yale University. When the United States became involved with World War I, Wilder volunteered for the First Coast Artillery in Rhode Island. After war, Wilder published his first play, The Trumpet Shall Sound. Outside of play writing, Wilder taught French and English and advanced in several languages including Italian and German. This skill allowed Wilder to translate plays, such as Lucrece and A Doll’s House, into English. In 1938, Wilder rose to fame when he wrote Our Town. The use of a bare stage setting and narrative impressed the audience. Many of Wilder’s plays were on Broadway.In his later years, Wilder rewrote The Matchmaker in 1955 and wrote Hello Dolly in 1964. Thornton Wilder died at age 78 in his sleep on December 7, 1975. His death was caused by a sudden and apparent heart attack. Before his death, Wilder won the Pulitzer Prize for The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth.