On October 2, 2005, the world lost the iconic playwright, August Wilson. He was 60 years old. Wilson was born Frederick August Kittel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 27, 1945. He was an American playwright whose work included an impressive 10-volume series known as The Pittsburgh Cycle. These plays focused on the African-American experience in each decade of the 20th century. Wilson was an incredibly influential figure in the world of theater. His works have been celebrated in what The New York Times calls a “cultural landmark achievement,” with two of his 10 Cycle plays—Fences and The Piano Lesson—winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in addition to being honored with Tony Awards. Other works of Wilson include Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Seven Guitars, and Joe Turner's Come and Gone. He was also regarded for his uses of African-American vernacular, and was highly praised for his efforts to elevate the stories of African-American individuals to the world stage. August Wilson will be remembered for his dedication to telling powerful stories of neglected people and providing unique and powerful insight on humanity. He was posthumously inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2007 and will continue to influence theater for many more years to come.