200th anniversary of Charles Dickens

Charles John Huffam Dickens (February 7, 1812 - June 9, 1870)was an English novelist who started his career more as a popular entertainer than a serious author. 

His masterful prose soon won praise by critics and his ability to create memorable characters solidified his position in the ranks of must-read authors. 

The fact that none of his works have ever gone out of print attests to the popularity of his novels and short stories. His position as a great writer can be verified by simply saying his last name "Dickens" and having people immediately understand to whom it is you are referring. 

Dickens married married Catherine Hogarth on 2 April 1836, and ended up having ten children with her. They separated in 1858, but since divorce was nearly unthinkable in his day, he kept her in a separate house and supported her financially until her death. 

Charles Dickens died on June 9, 1870 after suffering a stroke. He was buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. The inscription on his tomb reads: "He was a sympathiser to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world."

Works: Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield

"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else."