Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen (April 2, 1805 -
August 4, 1875) Was a Danish poet and author, famously known for
his fairy tales. His fairy tales have been translated to over
150 different languages and has sold millions of copies. In the
English-speaking world, the stories "The Ugly Duckling", "The
Little Mermaid, "The Emperor's New Clothes", and "The Princess
and the Pea" are cultural universals; everyone knows them,
though not everyone can name the author. They have become part
of our common heritage, and, like the tales of Charles Perrault,
are no longer distinguished from actual folk-tales such as those
of the Brothers Grimm. Born in Denmark, Andersen displayed great
intelligence and imagination, making a toy-theatre and clothes
for his puppets, acting out plays he read where ever he could,
including plays from William Shakespeare and Ludvig Holdberg. He
had been known to have memorized entire plays, his passion for
literature fostered by his parents (and his mother's
superstitions). Aft