Raymond Thornton Chandler was born on July 23, 1888 in Chicago, Illinois. In 1895 his parents divorced and he moved to London, England with his mother. From 1900 to 1905, Chandler attended Dulwich College. After graduation he spent a year in France studying French, followed by a year in Germany studying German.  He later worked as a reporter for the London Daily News before returning to the United States in 1912. He studied bookkeeping at night school and began working as an accountant at the LA Creamery.  During World War I, he enlisted in the Canadian Army. In 1919, Chandler began an affair with Crissy Pascal; they were married in 1924 after her divorce became final.

Raymond Chandler’s first poem, The Unknown Love, was published in 1908 in the Chambers Journal.  In the 30’s he had many of his short stories featuring private eye Phillip Marlowe were published in pulp magazines such as Black Musk. Chandler’s first novel, The Big Sleep , was published in 1939.  It was the first novel featuring Marlowe; it was later made into a film starring Humphrey Bogart. His next novel, Farewell, My Lovely, was published in 1940. In 1943, Chandler co-wrote the screenplay for the movie Double Indemnity with Billy Wilder. His last novel, Playback, was published in 1958.

Raymond Chandler died on March 26, 1959.

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