July 7: Birthday of David McCullough
Prayer Idea
Pray for people who learn about and write about history to educate others.
History Note
David McCullough was born on July 7, 1933, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He studied English literature at Yale and worked as a journalist for several years. He researched and wrote The Johnstown Flood about an 1889 disaster in western Pennsylvania. The success of this book led him to focus full-time on writing nonfiction books.
Over the next 50 years, McCullough published books about, among other things, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Panama Canal, Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Adams, and the pivotal year of 1776. He won two Pulitzer Prizes and two National Book Awards. President George W. Bush presented McCullough with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006.
In addition to writing books about history, McCullough helped to found the Heinz History Center in his hometown of Pittsburgh. He also loved to paint.
David McCullough and his wife, Rosalee, were married from 1954 until her death in 2022. They had five children. David McCullough also died in 2022 at the age of 89.
This 2011 photo shows David McCullough speaking about his book The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris. Photo by Glynnis Jones / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
This clip discusses the death of David McCullough in 2022 and includes a portion of a 2011 interview with him.
Find other resources at Homeschool History.
