Kurt Vonnegut: Author of Slaughterhouse-Five Dies at 84

Kurt Vonnegut was an American author known for darkly comic, humane science fiction. Born on November 11, 1922, in Indianapolis, he was taken prisoner in World War II and survived the firebombing of Dresden as a prisoner of war.

His novels include Cat's Cradle (1963), Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), Breakfast of Champions and Sirens of Titan. Slaughterhouse-Five, based on his Dresden experience, made him a counterculture hero.

Vonnegut died in Manhattan on April 11, 2007, at age 84, of brain injuries from a fall at his home a few weeks earlier. He was married twice and had seven children, including three he adopted from his sister's family.

Achievements: Author of Slaughterhouse-Five (1969) and Cat's Cradle (1963).

Birth: November 11, 1922 - Indianapolis, Indiana.

Profession: Novelist.

Interesting Facts: He survived the bombing of Dresden in a meat locker.