Photo: Michael Hughes / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Douglas Adams was born on March 11, 1952 in Cambridge, United Kingdom and was credited as a playwright, screenwriter and novelist. Douglas Adams died on May 11, 2001, aged 49. Schooling on record includes St John's College. Listed accolades include Inkpot Award (1983) and Ditmar Award for Best International Fiction (1980). The listed height was 196 cm.
My Take
Douglas Adams turned cosmic meaninglessness into the funniest, most humane comedy in science fiction, and I will defend The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to anyone. Born 1952 in Cambridge, he started it as a 1978 radio series and grew it into a five-book trilogy that sold over 14 million copies in his lifetime, plus TV, a video game and a film. That single joke, that the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42, lodged itself permanently in nerd culture. He died far too young at 49 in 2001. The blend of biting satire and genuine affection for absurdity has never quite been matched. A one-of-a-kind voice.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Douglas Adams
- Name (Japanese)
- ダグラス・アダムズ
- Reading
- だぐらす・あだむず
- Born
- March 11, 1952 – May 11, 2001
- Origin
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Height
- 196 cm
- Occupation
- playwright / screenwriter / novelist / children's writer / science fiction writer
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Dragon
2. Background
- University
- St John's College
Awards & achievements
- 1983 Inkpot Award
- 1980 Ditmar Award for Best International Fiction
3. Works & records
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title |
|---|---|
| Notable work | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |
| Notable work | Dirk Gently series |
| Notable work | The Private Life of Genghis Khan |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://douglasadams.com
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas%20Adams
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%80%E3%82%B0%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B9%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A2%E3%83%80%E3%83%A0%E3%82%BA
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q42
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Douglas Adams born?
Douglas Adams was born on March 11, 1952.
When did Douglas Adams die?
Douglas Adams died on May 11, 2001, aged 49.
Where was Douglas Adams from?
Douglas Adams was from Cambridge, United Kingdom.
What did Douglas Adams do?
Douglas Adams worked as playwright, screenwriter, novelist, children's writer, science fiction writer.
How tall was Douglas Adams?
Douglas Adams was 196 cm tall.
Where did Douglas Adams study?
Douglas Adams attended St John's College.
What was Douglas Adams known for?
Douglas Adams's notable works include The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dirk Gently series.
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