# Samuel Johnson

## Biography

Samuel Johnson, born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, in 1709, rose to become one of the most significant literary figures of 18th-century England. Despite enduring lifelong struggles with poverty and ill health, he achieved remarkable success as a critic, biographer, essayist, poet, and lexicographer. Johnson’s monumental accomplishment, A Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1755 after years of dedicated effort, established a new standard for lexicography for over a century and solidified his reputation as "Doctor Johnson." His literary contributions were extensive and varied, including the influential series of essays known as The Rambler, the novella Rasselas, and his final great work, Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets. A man of formidable intellect and conversation, he was a central figure in London's literary circles, and his life was famously chronicled by James Boswell. Johnson passed away in London in 1784, leaving an enduring legacy on English literature and language.

## Books

- [Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia](https://samolit.com/books/96752)