O. Henry

                                                  

• O. Henry's real name is William Sydney Porter.
• He lived from 1862-1910.
• He is known for his ironic twists in his plots.
• He only attended school until he was 15 years old so he could help his uncle in a drugstore.
• He did not write professionally until he was in his mid-30s. He wrote in a newspaper.
• From 1891-1894 he worked in a bank. He was charged with embezzling money while he worked there which was probably an accountant error.
• He left the bank to live with his wife which died very shortly after.
• He returned to the bank and turned himself in.
• While in prison, he started to write his stories. He was in prison for 3 years. 
• In the next ten years, he became one of the most popular authors.