William Makepeace Thackeray

William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist, satirist, and essayist born on July 18, 1811, in Calcutta, India. His father, Richmond Thackeray, was an official with the East India Company, and his mother, Anne Becher, was the daughter of a prominent civil servant in India. Thackeray was sent to England at the age of five to be educated, and he attended various schools before enrolling at Cambridge University. After leaving Cambridge without a degree, Thackeray traveled extensively in Europe and began writing for various magazines and newspapers. He published his first book, a collection of humorous sketches called "The Yellowplush Papers," in 1837. This was followed by "The Fitz-Boodle Papers" (1842) and "The Snob Papers" (1846), which established his reputation as a satirist and humorist. Thackeray's most famous work is the novel "Vanity Fair" (1847-48), a sprawling satire of English society that follows the fortunes of the scheming Becky Sharp. The novel is known for its sharp wit, vivid characters,