Born: August 15, 1912, Pasadena, California, U.S.
Died: August 13, 2004, Santa Barbara
Julia Child was an American cooking expert, author and television personality. Born in Pasadena, California, she graduated from Smith College and served with the Office of Strategic Services in East Asia during World War II. After the war, she married diplomat Paul Child and lived for six years in Paris, where she attended the Cordon Bleu cooking school and acquired a wide knowledge of French cuisine. She earned critical acclaim with her classic cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking (with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle; 2 volumes, 1961, 1970), which helped to popularize this cuisine in the United States. Beginning in 1963, she hosted several award-winning cooking series on the PBS television network, where she became known for her exuberant personality and flamboyant style in preparing food. Child also released a video cassette and served as a newspaper and magazine columnist. She wrote a number of other cookbooks, including The French Chef Cookbook (1968) and The Way to Cook (1989).
