On This Day

Arthur Miller wins a Pulitzer Prize for his play "Death of a Salesman"

Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American actor and writer of plays in the 20th-century American theater.

Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American actor and writer of plays in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are All My Sons (1947), Death of a Salesman (1949), The Crucible (1953), and A View from the Bridge (1955). He wrote several screenplays, including The Misfits (1961). The drama Death of a Salesman is considered one of the best American plays of the 20th century.

Miller was often in the public eye, particularly during the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s. During this time, he received a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee, and married Marilyn Monroe. In 1980, he received the St. Louis Literary Award from the Saint Louis University Library Associates.

Historical Significance

Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American actor and writer of plays in the 20th-century American theater.

Key People

Arthur Miller

playwright and essayist

American playwright and essayist

Events Before

  1. 25 states merge under the Government of Orissa

    25 states merge under the Government of Orissa

  2. Mahatma Gandhi begins his final fast

    Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948 at the age of 78 in the compound of The Birla House (now Gandhi Smriti), a large mansion in central New Delhi.

  3. Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated in the garden of the New Delhi home he is visiting by Hindu extremist Nathuram Godse

    Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated in the garden of the New Delhi home he is visiting by Hindu extremist Nathuram Godse

  4. American comic Dick Van Dyke (22) weds American girlfriend Margerie Willett (20) on the radio show "Bride and Groom" in

    American comic Dick Van Dyke (22) weds American girlfriend Margerie Willett (20) on the radio show "Bride and Groom" in Los Angeles California; divorce in 1984 after a long separation

  5. Iris Apfel (née Barrel) marries Carl Apfel

    Iris Apfel (née Barrel) marries Carl Apfel

Events After

  1. Emil Jannings dies

    Emil Jannings, Swiss-born German actor, known for german actor, died on 1950-01-02. Emil Jannings was a Swiss-born German actor who was popular in Hollywood films in the 1920s.

  2. The Dutch government raises all wages by a maximum of 5%

    The Dutch government raises all wages by a maximum of 5%

  3. Israeli Knesset declares Jerusalem the capital of Israel

    The Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem, known to Israelis as the reunification of Jerusalem, refers to the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War, and its…

  4. US President Harry Truman publicly announces support for the development of a hydrogen bomb

    Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953.

  5. British naturalist and future broadcaster David Attenborough (24) weds British classmate and cook Jane Elizabeth Ebswort

    British naturalist and future broadcaster David Attenborough (24) weds British classmate and cook Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel, until her death in 1997

More from the 1940s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 2, 1949?
Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American actor and writer of plays in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are All My Sons (1947), Death of a Salesman (1949), The Crucible (1953), and A View from the Bridge (1955). He wrote several screenplays, including The Misfits (1961).
Why is Arthur Miller wins a Pulitzer Prize for his play "Death of a Salesman" significant?
Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American actor and writer of plays in the 20th-century American theater.
Who was involved in Arthur Miller wins a Pulitzer Prize for his play "Death of a Salesman"?
Key figures include Arthur Miller (playwright and essayist).

Explore More