Eugene O'Neill (1888 – 1953) was an American playwright, widely regarded as one of the greatest dramatists in U.S. history. His works, deeply influenced by realism, brought psychological depth to American theater, earning him four Pulitzer Prizes and the Nobel Prize in Literature (1936).
Born in New York City, he was the son of Irish actor James O’Neill. His early life was marked by family struggles, including his father’s alcoholism and his mother’s morphine addiction. After Princeton University, he spent time at sea, which inspired many of his plays.
His first major success, Beyond the Horizon (1920), won a Pulitzer Prize. Later works like The Iceman Cometh (1946) and Long Day’s Journey into Night (posthumously staged in 1956) cemented his reputation. His plays, including Mourning Becomes Electra (1931), often explored themes of family dysfunction, fate, and existential despair.
In his later years, he suffered from a neurological disease, preventing him from writing. He died in 1953, leaving a legacy that transformed American drama. His impact endures through his plays and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.