The Da Vinci code - Dan Brown

Dan Brown was born in Exeter, New Hampshire on June 22, 1964. He was a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he spent time as an English teacher before turning his efforts to writing. In 1996, his interest in code-breaking and covert government agencies led him to write his first novel, Digital Fortress, which quickly became a #1 national bestselling eBook. In its first week on sale, The Da Vinci Code debuted at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller list, simultaneously topping bestseller lists at The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and San Francisco Chronicle. Later, the book hit #1 on every major bestseller list in the country. The book was adapted for film by Columbia Pictures. His other works include Deception Point; Angels and Demons, which was also adapted into a film; and The Lost Symbol. His novels have been translated and published in more than 50 languages around the world. He married Blythe Newlon in 1997. They reside in his home town in New Hampshire. Brown is an English teacher at his alma mater, The Phillips Exeter Academy. In 2004 he and his siblings donated $2.2 million to the school in memory of their father to set up the Richard G. Brown Technology Endowment to help "provide computers and high-tech equipment for students in need.