Jack Kerouac was born in Lowell, Mass. in 1922 to French-Canadian parents, and didn't learn to speak English until age 6. He was a star athlete in track and football, and won a football scholarship to play at Columbia University. But a broken leg and conflict with his coach led him to drop out of school and pursue writing.

While in New York, he met many of the other figures who would form what Kerouac would later dub the Beat Generation, including Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady and William S. Burroughs. He served in the U.S. Merchant Marines and joined the Navy during World War II, but was honorably discharged on psychiatric grounds.

During the late 1940s and early '50s, Kerouac traveled extensively, often with Cassady. Kerouac kept extensive journals that formed the basis for "On the Road," which he famously wrote in a three-week period in April-May of 1951. Publishers were put off by its inclusion of drug use and sexuality.

Finally, Viking Press agreed to publish the book after requiring some revisions, including changing the names of all the Beat figures. Kerouac was living in Orlando, Fla., when "On the Road" was published in summer 1957. It was instantly hailed as a masterpiece and became a best-seller.

Other notable Kerouac books include "The Dharma Bums," "Big Sur" and "Visions of Cody."

In 1969, Kerouac, who had never grown comfortable with his celebrity, was rushed to a hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., with severe intestinal pain. He died at age 47 of cirrhosis of the liver, brought on by a lifetime of heavy drinking. He was married three times and had one daughter.