While not very known during her lifetime, Jane Austen has become one of the most well-respected authors of the 19th century. With novels such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, Austen marries romance and realism. / The seventh of eight children, Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 in Hampshire, England. As a child, Jane was extremely interested in stories. She began writing in a notebook at a very young age. As a teenager, she began writing her own novels, including Love and Friendship. The year after, she wrote a 34-page parody of historical writing titled The History of England. These journal's are now called Jane's Juvenilia. / Something interesting about Jane Austen's novels is that for the most part, they didn't start out with the current title the have now. Sense and Sensibility was originally titled Elinor and Marianne, First Impressions turned out to be Pride and Prejudice, and Northanger Abbey was originally Susan. In Austen's thirties, she began anonymously publishing her works. In the span of 5 years, 4 of her novels were introduced to the world. / At 41 years old, Jane developed Addison's disease. Though she attempted to keep writing, she had no choice but to stop. She died on July 18, 1817. / Since her death, she has received awards upon awards for her work. In 2002, the British public voted Austen number 70 on the "100 most famous Britons of all time." She has her own fan following; they call themselves the Janeites. There have been countless TV adaptations of her writings, including Emma. / Today, Austen is considered one of the greatest writers in English history, both by academics and the general public