- 1605 - Thomas Browne, English writer born
- 1682 - Thomas Browne, English writer died
- 1745 - Jonathan Swift, Irish author died
- 1899 - Miguel Ángel Asturias, Guatemalan writer born
- 1913 - Vinicius de Moraes, Brazilian poet born
- 1931 - John le Carré, English novelist born
- 1936 - Lu Xun, Chinese writer died
- 1946 - Philip Pullman, English writer born
- 1950 - Edna St. Vincent Millay, American poet died
- 1999 - Nathalie Sarraute, Russian-born French writer died
