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Today is the birthday of the man who created James Bond, 007. Ian Lancaster Fleming grew up the member of a rare class of Englishmen for whom all options are open. As a world traveler and gambler with a fondness for fast cars, Fleming’s own life was often tied to the fictional adventures of James Bond.
- 1908: Ian Fleming was Born on May 28 in London, England, UK
- 1917: Fleming?s father died in WWI a day before Ian?s 9th Birthday
- 1929-1933: Fleming worked as a journalist in Moscow
- 1935-1939: Fleming worked as a banker and stock-broker in London. In 1939 he started working with Naval Intelligence
- WWII: Fleming was a high ranking naval officer in the British intelligence. He was a personal assistant to Admiral John H. Godfrey, who served as the model for James Bond’s commanding officer, “M”.
- 1952: he married Anne, Lady Rothmere on March 24, in Jamaica, where most of the
Bond books were written and where his estate, GoldenEye, is located. - 1953: His James Bond novel, Casino Royale was published. It was partly based on Fleming’s less fortunate gambling experience in Lisbon during the war.
- 1954: His James Bond novel, Live and Let Die was published. During a WWII training exercise Fleming had to swim underwater and attach a mine to a tanker — This act became material for the climax of Live And Let Die. Also an adaptation of Casino Royale in the CBS television series ‘Climax!’ offered the first dramatization of a Bond story, Barry Nelson starred as the notorious Jimmy Bond and Peter Lorre was LeChiffre.
- 1955: His James Bond Novel, Moonraker was published.
- 1956: His Bond novel, Diamonds Are Forever was published. Ian Fleming also started selling his novels to be adapted for a comic strip. He was asked to contribute to a series of articles for London’s Sunday Times on diamond smuggling. The articles appeared in book form in 1957.
- 1957: His James Bond novel, From Russia, With Love was published. It broke the formula: 007 appeared in the eleventh chapter. President John F. Kennedy listed it in 1961 as one of his favorite books.
- 1958: His James Bond novel, Dr. No was published. Fleming combined elements of science fiction in the story.
- 1959: His James Bond novel, Goldfinger was published. Ian Fleming quit his job (which he?d had since the end of the war) of foreign manager at the Kermsley Newspapers when it changed to the Thomson Newspapers.
- 1960: His James Bond short stories, For Your Eyes Only, were published.
- 1961: His James Bond novel, Thunderball was published. This was the first Fleming novel where Blofeld appeared.
- 1962: The film version of Doctor No was released! Ian Fleming’s Bond novel, The Spy Who Loved Me was published.
- 1963: His James Bond novel, On Her Majesty?s Secret Service was published (limited edition of 250). This was the second Fleming novel where Blofeld appeared. Fleming also published his non-fiction travel book, Thrilling Cities — It was based on articles published in Sunday Times in 1959-60. From Russia, with Love also made it into the cinema.
- 1964: He was consulted during production of the tv series, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. His James Bond novel, You Only Live Twice was published. This was the last Fleming novel where Blofeld appears. The character of Dikko Henderson was based on Richard Hughes, the Sunday Times correspondent in the Far East. He also published Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, a successful children’s book about a magical car. Fleming wrote the book for his son, Caspar, who committed suicide at the age of 23 in 1975. This same year, in 1964, Ian Fleming suffered a heart attack at Royal St. George’s Sandwich golf course and passed away on Aug 12 (his son?s birthday) in Canterbury, Kent England, UK. Fleming missed the release of the film Goldfinger which came out the same year as his passing
- 1965: His James Bond novel, The Man With The Golden Gun was published
- 1966 & 1967: Ian Flemings short stories were published to form the book Octopussy and The Living Daylights
- 1968: Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang was adapted into a musical film.
?and the James Bond novels and films keep coming. Thank you Ian Fleming…
