British writer Aldous Huxley might have become a scientist were it not for the development of severe vision problems that left him nearly sightless. He was born in Godalming, Surrey, England on uly 26, 1894

He was a member of a distinguished family that included Darwinian theorist Thomas Huxley and biologist Julian Huxley. Aldous Huxley made his mark in literature writing novels such as Brave New World (1932), Eyeless in Gaza (1936) and Island (1962), among other works. He moved to the United States in 1938, making his home in California where he experimented with hallucinogenic drugs and wrote of his experiences.