WRITER
William Saroyan
1908 - 1981

William Saroyan
William Saroyan (; August 31, 1908 – May 18, 1981) was an Armenian-American novelist, playwright, and short story writer. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940, and in 1943 won the Academy Award for Best Story for the film The Human Comedy. When the studio rejected his original 240-page treatment, he turned it into a novel, The Human Comedy. Saroyan wrote extensively about the Armenian immigrant life in California. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. William Saroyan is the 813th most popular writer (down from 721st in 2019), the 1,138th most popular biography from United States (down from 796th in 2019) and the 85th most popular American Writer.
William Saroyan is most famous for his book, The Human Comedy, which is a collection of short stories about the lives of people in the town of Fresno, California.
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Page views of William Saroyan by language
Among WRITERS
Among writers, William Saroyan ranks 813 out of 7,302. Before him are L. Frank Baum, Zeami Motokiyo, Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle, Cesare Pavese, Joseph of Anchieta, and Robert Ludlum. After him are Masaru Emoto, Alexander Blok, Julius Fučík, Gerard of Cremona, Nikolay Karamzin, and James Jones.
Most Popular Writers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsL. Frank Baum
1856 - 1919
HPI: 69.45
Rank: 807
Zeami Motokiyo
1363 - 1443
HPI: 69.44
Rank: 808
Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle
1657 - 1757
HPI: 69.44
Rank: 809
Cesare Pavese
1908 - 1950
HPI: 69.44
Rank: 810
Joseph of Anchieta
1534 - 1597
HPI: 69.43
Rank: 811
Robert Ludlum
1927 - 2001
HPI: 69.42
Rank: 812
William Saroyan
1908 - 1981
HPI: 69.42
Rank: 813
Masaru Emoto
1943 - 2014
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 814
Alexander Blok
1880 - 1921
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 815
Julius Fučík
1903 - 1943
HPI: 69.40
Rank: 816
Gerard of Cremona
1114 - 1187
HPI: 69.39
Rank: 817
Nikolay Karamzin
1766 - 1826
HPI: 69.37
Rank: 818
James Jones
1921 - 1977
HPI: 69.36
Rank: 819
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1908, William Saroyan ranks 46. Before him are David Lean, Victor Weisskopf, Tameo Ide, Joseph McCarthy, Werner von Haeften, and Cesare Pavese. After him are Carole Lombard, Arthur Adamov, Mercè Rodoreda, Lita Grey, Rex Harrison, and Chivu Stoica. Among people deceased in 1981, William Saroyan ranks 30. Before him are René Clair, Joseph Murphy, Joe Louis, Omar Bradley, Samuel Barber, and Georges Brassens. After him are Miroslav Krleža, Duško Popov, Zarah Leander, Omar Torrijos, Mohammad-Ali Rajai, and Abel Gance.
Others Born in 1908
Go to all RankingsDavid Lean
FILM DIRECTOR
1908 - 1991
HPI: 71.06
Rank: 40
Victor Weisskopf
PHYSICIST
1908 - 2002
HPI: 70.58
Rank: 41
Tameo Ide
SOCCER PLAYER
1908 - 1998
HPI: 70.30
Rank: 42
Joseph McCarthy
POLITICIAN
1908 - 1957
HPI: 70.14
Rank: 43
Werner von Haeften
POLITICIAN
1908 - 1944
HPI: 69.97
Rank: 44
Cesare Pavese
WRITER
1908 - 1950
HPI: 69.44
Rank: 45
William Saroyan
WRITER
1908 - 1981
HPI: 69.42
Rank: 46
Carole Lombard
ACTOR
1908 - 1942
HPI: 69.33
Rank: 47
Arthur Adamov
WRITER
1908 - 1970
HPI: 68.98
Rank: 48
Mercè Rodoreda
WRITER
1908 - 1983
HPI: 68.70
Rank: 49
Lita Grey
ACTOR
1908 - 1995
HPI: 68.65
Rank: 50
Rex Harrison
ACTOR
1908 - 1990
HPI: 68.53
Rank: 51
Chivu Stoica
POLITICIAN
1908 - 1975
HPI: 68.44
Rank: 52
Others Deceased in 1981
Go to all RankingsRené Clair
FILM DIRECTOR
1898 - 1981
HPI: 70.96
Rank: 24
Joseph Murphy
WRITER
1898 - 1981
HPI: 70.78
Rank: 25
Joe Louis
BOXER
1914 - 1981
HPI: 70.75
Rank: 26
Omar Bradley
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1893 - 1981
HPI: 70.31
Rank: 27
Samuel Barber
COMPOSER
1910 - 1981
HPI: 69.97
Rank: 28
Georges Brassens
SINGER
1921 - 1981
HPI: 69.58
Rank: 29
William Saroyan
WRITER
1908 - 1981
HPI: 69.42
Rank: 30
Miroslav Krleža
WRITER
1893 - 1981
HPI: 69.25
Rank: 31
Duško Popov
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1912 - 1981
HPI: 68.97
Rank: 32
Zarah Leander
SINGER
1907 - 1981
HPI: 68.77
Rank: 33
Omar Torrijos
POLITICIAN
1929 - 1981
HPI: 68.76
Rank: 34
Mohammad-Ali Rajai
POLITICIAN
1933 - 1981
HPI: 68.50
Rank: 35
Abel Gance
FILM DIRECTOR
1889 - 1981
HPI: 68.48
Rank: 36
In United States
Among people born in United States, William Saroyan ranks 1,138 out of 20,380. Before him are Lewis Strauss (1896), William Kaelin Jr. (1957), William D. Leahy (1875), Frank B. Kellogg (1856), Adam Sandler (1966), and Robert Ludlum (1927). After him are John Franklin Enders (1897), Lenny Kravitz (1964), William Perry (1927), Julian Schwinger (1918), Philip Johnson (1906), and Phylicia Rashad (1948).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsLewis Strauss
POLITICIAN
1896 - 1974
HPI: 69.45
Rank: 1,132
William Kaelin Jr.
PHYSICIAN
1957 - Present
HPI: 69.45
Rank: 1,133
William D. Leahy
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1875 - 1959
HPI: 69.44
Rank: 1,134
Frank B. Kellogg
POLITICIAN
1856 - 1937
HPI: 69.43
Rank: 1,135
Adam Sandler
COMEDIAN
1966 - Present
HPI: 69.43
Rank: 1,136
Robert Ludlum
WRITER
1927 - 2001
HPI: 69.42
Rank: 1,137
William Saroyan
WRITER
1908 - 1981
HPI: 69.42
Rank: 1,138
John Franklin Enders
BIOLOGIST
1897 - 1985
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 1,139
Lenny Kravitz
MUSICIAN
1964 - Present
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 1,140
William Perry
POLITICIAN
1927 - Present
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 1,141
Julian Schwinger
PHYSICIST
1918 - 1994
HPI: 69.40
Rank: 1,142
Philip Johnson
ARCHITECT
1906 - 2005
HPI: 69.40
Rank: 1,143
Phylicia Rashad
ACTOR
1948 - Present
HPI: 69.40
Rank: 1,144
Among WRITERS In United States
Among writers born in United States, William Saroyan ranks 85. Before him are Neal Cassady (1926), H. L. Mencken (1880), Marilyn vos Savant (1946), Dashiell Hammett (1894), L. Frank Baum (1856), and Robert Ludlum (1927). After him are James Jones (1921), Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867), John Dos Passos (1896), L. Ron Hubbard (1911), Daniel Goleman (1946), and Michael Crichton (1942).
Neal Cassady
1926 - 1968
HPI: 69.94
Rank: 79
H. L. Mencken
1880 - 1956
HPI: 69.80
Rank: 80
Marilyn vos Savant
1946 - Present
HPI: 69.58
Rank: 81
Dashiell Hammett
1894 - 1961
HPI: 69.48
Rank: 82
L. Frank Baum
1856 - 1919
HPI: 69.45
Rank: 83
Robert Ludlum
1927 - 2001
HPI: 69.42
Rank: 84
William Saroyan
1908 - 1981
HPI: 69.42
Rank: 85
James Jones
1921 - 1977
HPI: 69.36
Rank: 86
Laura Ingalls Wilder
1867 - 1957
HPI: 69.36
Rank: 87
John Dos Passos
1896 - 1970
HPI: 69.27
Rank: 88
L. Ron Hubbard
1911 - 1986
HPI: 69.26
Rank: 89
Daniel Goleman
1946 - Present
HPI: 69.20
Rank: 90
Michael Crichton
1942 - 2008
HPI: 69.14
Rank: 91