Sidney Sheldon: Bestselling Novelist and Oscar-Winning Screenwriter Dies

January 30, 2007

Sidney Sheldon was an American writer who succeeded in film, television and fiction. Born on February 11, 1917, in Chicago, he began writing for Hollywood in the 1940s.

He won an Academy Award for the screenplay of The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) and a Tony Award for the musical Redhead. He created the TV series The Patty Duke Show and I Dream of Jeannie. Starting in 1970 he wrote bestselling novels, including The Other Side of Midnight and Rage of Angels.

His books sold over 300 million copies worldwide. Sheldon died of complications of pneumonia in Rancho Mirage, California, on January 30, 2007, at age 89.

Achievements: Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (1948), Tony Award, over 300 million books sold.

Birth: February 11, 1917 - Chicago, Illinois.

Profession: Writer.

Interesting Facts: He was a Guinness-recognized author of the most translated books.