O. Henry Biography
O. Henry's real name was William Sidney Porter. He was born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina. At the time he was born, his father was an alcoholic. His mother died of tuberculosis when he was 3 years old, so his aunt began taking care of him. She owned an elementary school, which he later attended. In his spare time, Porter enjoyed reading classic novels. As a teenager, he worked at his uncle's pharmacy and became a licensed pharmacist at the age of 19.
When he was 20 years old, he moved to Texas, hoping that his frequent cough would be cleared up by the drier climate. He became a ranch hand, learning Spanish and German from his coworkers. He began to write stories about the wild west, but figured nobody would like them and then burned them. He later moved to a less rural place; Austin. There, he met his first wife and started work as a bank teller for the First National Bank. He quickly grew tired of his job, so he started his own magazine called The Rolling Stone. He worked on it full time, quitting his job. It ran for a year, slowly gaining popularity throughout Texas. He decided it didn't bring in as much money as he hoped, and subsequently discontinued it.
In 1895, Porter worked at the Houston Daily Post, but was ordered to court in Austin on charges of embezzlement during his employment at First National Bank. The bank kept poor records, so it is still unclear if he actually embezzled or not. Regardless, he fled to Honduras and became good friends with Al Jennings, an infamous train robber. Later, he learned that his wife was very ill, which caused him to return to Texas. He was formally charged with embezzlement, and sentenced to five years in prison. While he was in prison, his wife died.
Porter served his sentence at the Ohio Penitentiary, which was generally known for being harsh. However, he spent most of his time at the prison's hospital, since he was a licensed pharmacist. It's likely he didn't actually spend any time in the prison block. While in prison, he began to write many short stories, including The Gift of the Magi. He wrote them under the name of O. Henry. There is much speculation about the origin of this name, but it is generally agreed that it was the name of one of his jailers. He was released after three years, on account of his good behavior, in 1901.
Finally free to do whatever he liked, Porter moved to New York. He married again, and then moved to Asheville in 1907. Here, he wrote many more stories. He began to drink heavily, which led to liver problems, diabetes, an enlarged heart, and other illnesses. He passed away on June 5, 1910. During his lifetime, his writings were somewhat popular, but most of his fame was gained posthumously.
When he was 20 years old, he moved to Texas, hoping that his frequent cough would be cleared up by the drier climate. He became a ranch hand, learning Spanish and German from his coworkers. He began to write stories about the wild west, but figured nobody would like them and then burned them. He later moved to a less rural place; Austin. There, he met his first wife and started work as a bank teller for the First National Bank. He quickly grew tired of his job, so he started his own magazine called The Rolling Stone. He worked on it full time, quitting his job. It ran for a year, slowly gaining popularity throughout Texas. He decided it didn't bring in as much money as he hoped, and subsequently discontinued it.
In 1895, Porter worked at the Houston Daily Post, but was ordered to court in Austin on charges of embezzlement during his employment at First National Bank. The bank kept poor records, so it is still unclear if he actually embezzled or not. Regardless, he fled to Honduras and became good friends with Al Jennings, an infamous train robber. Later, he learned that his wife was very ill, which caused him to return to Texas. He was formally charged with embezzlement, and sentenced to five years in prison. While he was in prison, his wife died.
Porter served his sentence at the Ohio Penitentiary, which was generally known for being harsh. However, he spent most of his time at the prison's hospital, since he was a licensed pharmacist. It's likely he didn't actually spend any time in the prison block. While in prison, he began to write many short stories, including The Gift of the Magi. He wrote them under the name of O. Henry. There is much speculation about the origin of this name, but it is generally agreed that it was the name of one of his jailers. He was released after three years, on account of his good behavior, in 1901.
Finally free to do whatever he liked, Porter moved to New York. He married again, and then moved to Asheville in 1907. Here, he wrote many more stories. He began to drink heavily, which led to liver problems, diabetes, an enlarged heart, and other illnesses. He passed away on June 5, 1910. During his lifetime, his writings were somewhat popular, but most of his fame was gained posthumously.