John Ernst Steinbeck Jr., an American novelist and Nobel Prize winner, was a literary colossus whose works have become a staple in the American literary canon. Born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California, Steinbeck passed away on December 20, 1968, in New York City. His stories of the human struggle against hardship have touched countless lives and continue to be read and studied to this day.

Steinbeck's early life in the fertile agricultural region of California's Salinas Valley deeply influenced his worldview and later works. His most famous novel, "The Grapes of Wrath," delves into the lives of the Joad family as they travel from Oklahoma to California in search of a better life during the Great Depression. The book won the Pulitzer Prize and was cited when Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.

In addition to "The Grapes of Wrath," Steinbeck's other well-known works include "Of Mice and Men," a novella that explores the friendship between two displaced ranch workers, and "East of Eden," a multi-generational saga based in part on his own family history. Steinbeck had the ability to capture the essence of the human experience in simple, yet profound ways, often using the backdrop of the American landscape to tell his stories.

During World War II, Steinbeck served as a war correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune. His experiences led him to write "Once There Was a War," a collection of news articles that depicted the everyday lives of soldiers rather than the strategic aspects of the war. His perspectives during this time influenced his later anti-war stances.

Steinbeck was an avid naturalist, often incorporating elements of nature into his stories. His love for the environment led him to pen "The Sea of Cortez," detailing a marine expedition he undertook with marine biologist Ed Ricketts. His interests were diverse, extending to politics and social issues, which often reflected in his works and public statements.

An interesting fact about Steinbeck is that he was under FBI surveillance for his supposed communist sympathies, although he identified himself as a "democratic socialist." Despite this, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964. Another lesser-known fact is his close friendship with marine biologist Ed Ricketts, which deeply influenced his philosophical and environmental views.

John Steinbeck's enduring legacy is that of a writer who could articulate the complexities of the human condition in the simplest terms. His works provide a window into the lives of people struggling against societal and natural forces, making him a timeless figure in American literature.