Irish playwright and novelist George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) was born on this day in Dublin.A master of language and lover of debate, Shaw wielded his pen like a rapier—slashing through pomposity with wit, irony, and an eye on a better world.

“I often quote myself,” he admitted cheerfully. “It adds spice to my conversation.”

A rebel from the start, G.B.S. (he wasn’t fond of the name “George”) was self-taught because he found formal education a bit too formal. He began as a London theatre critic, using reviews as target practice before turning to fiction and the stage. His first novel? A literary critique disguised as a scolding.

You don't learn to hold your own in the world by standing on guard,” he said, “but by attacking and getting well-hammered yourself.” In other words, get messy. Live boldly.

His 52+ plays and pamphlets, including Candida (1898), Pygmalion (1912), and Saint Joan (1923), revealed his genius for marrying truth with comedy. “If you are going to tell people the truth, you'd better make them laugh. Otherwise they'll kill you.”

Known for tossing barbs with precision, Shaw joked, “A drama critic is a man who leaves no turn unstoned.” Yet even at his most sardonic, he was driven by optimism and an unshakable belief in human potential

In 1925, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, praised for his “rollicking gaiety” and work “marked by both idealism and humanity.” He declined the money—but not the spotlight.

To those who labeled him cynical, he replied, “The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.”