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Quick Facts
- NAME: Julia Child
- OCCUPATION: Chef, Television Personality, Journalist
- BIRTH DATE: August 15, 1912
- DEATH DATE: August 13, 2004
- EDUCATION: Katherine Branson School for Girls, Smith College, Cordon Bleu
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Pasadena, California
- PLACE OF DEATH: Montecito, California
- Maiden Name: Julia Carolyn McWilliams
- Full Name: Julia Child
Best Known For
TV chef and author Julia Child adapted complex French cooking for everyday Americans, with her groundbreaking cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Videos see all videos
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Julia Child - Legacy (1:37)
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Julia Child - Mini Biography (4:11)
Julia Child - Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Author Julie Powell describes the appeal of Julia Child's cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," and shares some of her favorite recipes from the book, including Julia's beef bourguignon.
Julia Child - Kitchen at the Smithsonian
Author Julie Powell talks about Julia Child's kitchen and its exhibition at the Smithsonian, as well as Julia Child's relationship with Paul Child.
Julia Child - Legacy
Author Julie Powell talks about Julia Child's influence as a chef, her legacy as a feminist, and how she helped changed the way americans thought about food.
Julia Child - Mini Biography
A short biography on Julia Child's groundbreaking cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," and her television show, "The French Chef," which changed the face of cooking in America.
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Quiz
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Play NowJulia Child. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 06:27, May 18, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/julia-child-9246767.
Julia Child. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/julia-child-9246767 [Accessed 18 May 2013].
"Julia Child." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 18 2013, 06:27 http://www.biography.com/people/julia-child-9246767.
"Julia Child," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/julia-child-9246767 [accessed May 18, 2013].
"Julia Child," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/julia-child-9246767 (accessed May 18, 2013).
Julia Child [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 18] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/julia-child-9246767.
Julia Child, http://www.biography.com/people/julia-child-9246767 (last visited May 18, 2013).
Julia Child. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/julia-child-9246767. Accessed May 18, 2013.
Synopsis
Popular TV chef and author Julia Child was born on August 15, 1912, in Pasadena, California. In 1948, she moved to France where she developed a penchant for French cuisine. With a goal of adapting sophisticated French cuisine for mainstream Americans, she collaborated on a two-volume cookbook called Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which was considered groundbreaking,
Contents
Quotes
"I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate."
"The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook."
and has since become a standard guide for the culinary community. She also become a television icon with her popular cooking shows such as The French Chef. Julia Child was also the inspiration behind the 2009 film Julie & Julia, which was based on a cooking blog by Julie Powell.
Early Life
Popular TV chef and author. Julia Child was born Julia McWilliams, on August 15, 1912, in Pasadena, California. The eldest of three children, Julia was known by several pet names as a little girl, including "Juke", "Juju" and "Jukies." Her father John McWilliams, Jr., was a Princeton graduate and early investor in California real estate. His wife, Julia Carolyn Weston, was a paper-company heiress whose father served as lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.
The family accumulated significant wealth and, as a result, Child lived a privileged childhood. She was educated at San Francisco's elite Katherine Branson School for Girls, where—at a towering height of 6 feet, 2 inches—she was the tallest student in her class. She was a lively prankster who, as one friend recalled, could be "really, really wild." She was also adventurous and athletic, with particular talent in golf, tennis and small-game hunting.
In 1930, she enrolled at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, with the intention of becoming a writer. "There were some famous women novelists in those days," she said, "and I intended to be one." Although she enjoyed writing short plays and regularly submitted unsolicited manuscripts to the New Yorker, none of her writing was published. Upon graduation she moved to New York, where she worked in the advertising department of the prestigious home furnishings company W&J Sloane. After transferring to the store's Los Angeles branch, however, Child was fired for "gross insubordination."
World War II
In 1941, at the onset of World War II, Julia moved to Washington, D.C., where she volunteered as a research assistant for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a newly formed government intelligence agency. In her position, Julia played a key role in the communication of top-secret documents between U.S. government officials and their intelligence officers. She and her colleagues were sent on assignments around the world, holding posts in Washington, D.C., Kumming, China; and Colombo, Sri Lanka. In 1945, while in Sri Lanka, Child began a relationship with fellow OSS employee Paul Child. In September of 1946, following the end of World War II, Julia and Paul returned to America and were married.
In 1948, when Paul was reassigned to the U.S. Information Service at the American Embassy in Paris, the Childs moved to France.
Read More
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Read more about Julia Child at History.com
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See Julia Child's kitchen exhibit at the Smithsonian.
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Famous Leos 514 people in this group
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Famous Chefs
View groupAs a nation that loves to eat, we hold food, and the people who prepare it, close to our hearts. Though Julia Child was the original celebrity chef and cookbook personality, the boom in reality TV has led to a renewed interest in all the people who turn food into art. From cooking show competitors to chefs to the stars, we love to watch these talented individuals whip up all kinds of delicious dishes. To learn more, sift through this group of Famous Chefs, which includes chocolatier Jacques Torres, classic culinarian Julia Child, gourmet guru Alton Brown, "semi-homemade" cook Sandra Lee, Gordon Ramsay, Rachael Ray and many more.
Famous Chefs 31 people in this group
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Famous Television Personalities
View groupBrowse notable television personalities such as Telly Savalas, Julia Child, and Lou Albano.
Famous Television Personalities 371 people in this group
