American author and social critic (died 2003)

Neil Postman

Neil Postman was an American author, educator, media theorist, and cultural critic who eschewed digital technology, including personal computers and mobile devices, and was critical of the use of personal computers in schools. He is best known for 20 books about technology and education, including Teaching as a Subversive Activity (1970), The Disappearance of Childhood (1982), Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985), Conscientious Objections (1988), Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology (1992) and The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School (1995).

Born

1931

March 8

Died

Living

Era

1930s

Country

—

About

Neil, in brief

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Life timeline

Key dates

1931 Born

Also on March 8

What else happened on this day, through history

1010 Ferdowsi completes his epic poem Shahnameh.
1126 Following the death of his mother, queen Urraca of León, Alfonso VII is proclaimed king of León.
1262 Battle of Hausbergen between bourgeois militias and the army of the bishop of Strasbourg.
1558 The city of Pori (Swedish: Björneborg) is founded by Duke John on the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia.

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The world in 1931

When Neil arrived

april 14 The Second Spanish Republic is proclaimed and King Alfonso XIII goes into exile. Meanwhile, in Barcelona, Francesc Macià proclaims the Catalan Republic.
april 17 After negotiations between Catalan and Spanish provisional governments, the Catalan Republic proclaimed in April 14 becomes the Generalitat de Catalunya, the autonomous government of Catalonia within the Spanish Republic.
august 24 Resignation of the United Kingdom's Second Labour Government. Formation of the UK National Government.
august 5 Judge and Nazi Party member Werner Best drews the Boxheim Documents, which described a violent takeover of the government by the NSDAP.

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Same-day contemporaries

Also born on March 8

Aidan Quinn 1959– American actor Freddie Prinze Jr. 1976– American actor, producer, and screenwriter Jonathan Sacks 1948–2020 English rabbi, philosopher, and scholar (died 2020) Juvénal Habyarimana 1937–1994 Rwandan banker and politician, 3rd President of Rwanda (born 1937) Ross Taylor 1984– New Zealand cricketer Wilhelm Bleek 1827–1875 German linguist and anthropologist (born 1827)

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Same-year contemporaries

Also born in 1931

Albert DeSalvo 1931– American serial killer known as the Boston Strangler (died 1973) Alex Delvecchio 1931–2025 Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (died 2025) Allen Klein 1931–2009 American businessman and music publisher (died 2009) Bernard Francis Law 1931– Mexican-American cardinal (died 2017) Bob Johnson 1931–1991 American ice hockey player and coach (died 1991) Buddy Ryan 1931–2016 American football coach (died 2016) Cardiss Collins 1931–2013 American politician (born 1931) Cecil Parkinson 1931–2016 English politician (born 1931) Chalmers Johnson 1931–2010 American scholar and author (died 2010)

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Keep going

More to explore

Neil's birthday March 8 Neil's zodiac Pisces When Neil arrived 1931