On this day in 1996, “A Game of Thrones,” an epic fantasy novel by George R.R. Martin, is released. The book was the first in Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, about feuding medieval noble families on an imaginary continent called Westeros. Although not initially a best-seller, “A Game of Thrones” gained a loyal following, and the “Song of Ice and Fire” series eventually became a huge hit, selling millions of books.
Martin, who was born in 1948 and raised in Bayonne, New Jersey, graduated from Northwestern University in 1970 and earned a master’s degree in journalism from the school the following year. He went on to teach journalism, direct chess tournaments and publish fantasy and science-fiction short stories and novels, although none achieved the success of his “Song of Ice and Fire” series. From the mid-1980s to mid-1990s, Martin worked as a writer-producer in Hollywood, contributing to such TV series as “The Twilight Zone” and “Beauty and the Beast.” He penned scripts that were often deemed too complicated and expensive to produce, an experience that influenced how he developed the “Song of Ice and Fire” saga. As Martin told The New York Times: “When I returned to prose, which had been my first love, in the 90s, I said I’m going to do something that is just as big as I want to do. I can have all the special effects I want. I can have a cast of characters that numbers in the hundreds. I can have giant battle scenes. Everything you can’t do in television and film, of course you can do in prose because you’re everything there. You’re the director, you’re the special effects coordinator, you’re the costume department, and you don’t have to worry about a budget.”
Martin originally intended “A Game of Thrones” as the first title in a trilogy; however, his plan expanded into a seven-volume series that so far also includes “A Clash of Kings” (1999, in the U.S.),“A Storm of Swords” (2000), “A Feast for Crows” (2005) and “A Dance with Dragons” (2011). The novels are known for their elaborate plots and large casts of morally complex characters. (Martin also has a reputation for killing off main characters.) In 2005, Time magazine dubbed him “the American Tolkien,” a reference to Britain’s J.R.R. Tolkien, author of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.” Today, crowds of fans flock to Martin’s public appearances, and in 2011, a TV adaptation of “Game of Thrones” premiered on HBO.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- American bomber drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima, 1945
- American Revolution
- General Nicholas Herkimer falls at the Battle of Oriskany, 1777
- Automotive
- Peugeot says au revoir to U.S. car market, 1991
- Civil War
- Confederate ship blown up by crew, 1862
- Cold War
- Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, 1945
- Crime
- Dutch Schultz is born, 1902
- Joseph Force Crater becomes the missingest man in New York, 1930
- Disaster
- Planes crashes in Guam jungle, 1997
- General Interest
- First draft of Constitution debated, 1787
- First execution by electric chair, 1890
- Andy Warhol is born, 1928
- Hollywood
- Lucille Ball born, 1911
- “Breakfast Club” director John Hughes dies, 2009
- Literary
- George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones debuts, 1996
- Music
- Isaac Hayes is born, 1942
- Old West
- Belle Starr's first husband slain, 1874
- Presidential
- Johnson signs Voting Rights Act, 1965
- Sports
- Gertrude Ederle becomes first woman to swim English Channel, 1926
- Vietnam War
- Johnson Administration officials argue for resolution, 1964
- Green Berets are charged with murder, 1969
- First U.S. Army troops deployed to Vietnam stand-down for withdrawal, 1971
- World War I
- Allies land at Suvla Bay, 1915
- World War II
- Atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima, 1945
Aug 6, 1996:
George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones debuts
Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!
This Week in History, Aug 6 - Aug 12
- Aug 06, 1996
- George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones debuts
- Aug 07, 1754
- Henry Fielding leaves London for Lisbon
- Aug 08, 1818
- Keats returns from walking tour
- Aug 09, 1949
- Mystery writer Jonathan Kellerman born
- Aug 10, 1912
- Virginia and Leonard Woolf marry
- Aug 11, 1921
- Alex Haley's birthday
- Aug 12, 1774
- English poet laureate Robert Southey is born
What Happened on Your Birthday?
Pick a DateEditor’s Picks
-
Ultimate History Quiz
Play solo or challenge your friends.
-
Grand Canyon
Get the facts on this geological wonder of the world.
-
Civil War 150
Explore the people, events and technology that shaped America's bloodiest conflict.
-
History Lists: Ridiculous Wars
Discover six of history's most preposterous conflicts.
Bio.com
-
On This Day
Read about notable birthdays and celebrity deaths at On This Day.
