On January 2, 1920, near Smolensk, Russia, Isaac Asimov was born to a Jewish family. His father was a miller there, but when the family emigrated to the United States three years later, Judah Asimov opened a general store. Isaac took advantage of his time working in the store to read the science fiction magazines his father sold. By doing so, he taught himself to read at the age of five, and was writing stories by age eleven. He finished high school at age sixteen, and promptly enrolled at Columbia University. After earning a Ph.D. from Columbia in 1948 and spending some time in the military, Asimov became a biochemistry professor at Boston University. After 1958, he did not teach and instead focused his full attention on writing.

Asimov married Gertrude Blugerman on July 26, 1942, and the couple had two children: David and Robyn Joan. The marriage did not last, however, and in 1973 Gertrude and Isaac divorced; Asimov quickly married again later that year, to Janet Jeppson. Ten years later, Asimov underwent heart bypass surgery and contracted HIV from an infected blood transfusion. He died nine years later, on April 6, 1992, from complications due to AIDS.

Fun Facts about Isaac Asimov:

He was a member of Mensa.

Asteriod 5020 Asimov is named after Isaac.

Asimov suffered from claustrophobia.

He was afraid of flying.

He never learned to swim or ride a bicycle.

Asimov was a Humanist.

For an interview with Isaac Asimov, click here.

For more complete biographical information, visit Wikipedia’s page on Isaac Asimov.