Born on Feb. 7 1812 in Landport, England, Charles John Huffam Dickens grew up in tough, working-class conditions. At age 12, after his father was thrown into a debtors’ prison, he was forced to work at a blacking factory.
This experience later influenced many of his famous novels, including Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and Great Expectations.
Starting his career as a journalist, Dickens eventually started writing literary prose, which was published in monthly installments before being released as books.
His realistic portray of England's lower-class life made him one of the greatest Victorian novelists and one of the most recognizable names in literature.
Dickens was also a philanthropist; together with Angela Burdett Coutts he founded the Urania Cottage, a home for "fallen" women, helping them learn to read and write.
Dickens died from the consequences of a stroke in his home on June 8, 1870. His last words were, reportedly, "Be natural my children. For the writer that is natural has fulfilled all the rules of art."
Bonus Gallery: Top 10 animated Google Doodles: