Author and playwright Anton Chekhov was born on January 29,1860 in the Russian town of Taganrog. He was the third of six children who managed to survive in a difficult time. His father, Pavel, ran a grocery store and was the director of a parish choir – plus an abusive man who beat his children and his wife regularly. Chekhov’s mother, conversely, excelled in storytelling and excited her children with tales from every corner of Russia.

Despite being Russian Chekhov, attended a school intended for Greek boys, and later moved on to the Taganrog gymnasium, which actually kept him back a year when he failed a Greek exam. He didn't have a happy childhood, as he and his siblings feared the tyranny of his father – so much so that when his brother Alexander later ill-treated his wife, Chekhov berated him with reminders that their father had acted similarly.

In 1876 Chekhov’s father found himself bankrupt after trying to build a new house beyond his means, and he fled to Moscow to avoid debtor’s prison. Chekhov himself was left behind to complete his education and sell what was left of their possessions in Taganrog. He stayed there for three years, paying for board and education through tutoring and other odd jobs. In this time he discovered his gift for writing, as well; but by 1879 he’d rejoined his family in Moscow, and gained admission to medical school.

To pay for his family and himself Chekhov wrote daily, biting, humorous sketches about Russian life on the streets, earning him quite a reputation. Soon enough, despite his status as a qualified physician as of 1884, Chekhov was making most of his money from writing (he usually treated patients for free, especially the poor). By 1885 and 1886, however, Chekhov found himself the victim of tuberculosis, which he was forced to hide from his family.

His fame grew. Chekhov found himself writing for more and more prestigious papers and periodicals, allowing him to better fund his family and move up in the world. His short stories were drawing real attention from the literary world, and he began to travel – not only to inspire himself and see the world, but to help recuperate from his recurring tuberculosis, which would also claim his brother Nikolai.

By 1892 Chekhov had purchased an estate south of Moscow , and spent much of his time either writing or improving the surrounding area by erecting schools, a clinic and a fire station for the inhabitants. He continued to treat patients despite his own tuberculosis. But by 1897 he suffered a hemorrhage in his lungs and, forced to enter a clinic, was officially diagnosed with tuberculosis. He erected a new villa to live in after his father died in 1899 and moved there, cutting down on his patients and focusing more on writing.

But his writing did not come as easily as it had before. What’s more, Chekhov – a notorious bachelor – found himself married in 1901 to Olga Knipper. They lived apart, as Chekhov had no great love of marriages.

By 1904 Chekhov was dangerously ill, and he died in July of the same year while in the German town of Badenweiler . He was only 44 years old.