Jack London (1876-1916) was an American novelist and journalist. Dropping out at age twenty-one for personal reasons, London was a temporary student at the University of California, Berkley. Later London attributed his intelligence and talent to be mostly self-taught. He humored several trades before settling as an author, including joining a fishing boat and the California Gold Rush. London later became one of the first American authors to gain celebrity and a fortune primarily from his writing career; his prolific works still inspire adaptations today.