Portrait of James Bond

Birthday profile

James Bond

American ornithologist and inspiration for the name of the fictional spy (1900-1989)

Born
January 4, 1900
Died
February 14, 1989
Zodiac sign
Capricorn
Birth year
1900

About James Bond

James Bond was an American ornithologist and expert on the birds of the Caribbean, having written the definitive book on the subject: Birds of the West Indies, first published in 1936. He served as a curator of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. He is the namesake of the fictional British spy of the same name by writer Ian Fleming, and references to him permeate the resulting media franchise. In 1964, Fleming gave Bond a first edition copy of You Only Live Twice signed, "To the real James Bond, from the thief of his identity". Bond won the Institute of Jamaica's Musgrave Medal in 1952; the Brewster Medal of the American Ornithologists' Union in 1954; and the Leidy Award of the Academy of Natural Sciences in 1975. Bond's most enduring work was his guide to the Birds of the West Indies which was first published in 1936 and went into 11 editions during his lifetime. James Bond (January 4, 1900 – February 14, 1989) was an American ornithologist and expert on the birds of the Caribbean, having written the definitive book on the subject: Birds of the West Indies, first published in 1936.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

James Bond timeline

  1. James Bond (January 4, 1900 – February 14, 1989) was an American ornithologist and expert on the birds of the Caribbean, having written the definitive book on the subject: Birds of the West Indies, first published in 1936.
  2. Bond's most enduring work was his guide to the Birds of the West Indies which was first published in 1936 and went into 11 editions during his lifetime.
  3. Bond won the Institute of Jamaica's Musgrave Medal in 1952; the Brewster Medal of the American Ornithologists' Union in 1954; and the Leidy Award of the Academy of Natural Sciences in 1975.
  4. In 1964, Fleming gave Bond a first edition copy of You Only Live Twice signed, "To the real James Bond, from the thief of his identity".

The world when James Bond was born

James Bond was born in 1900. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1900

  • Best-selling book"To Have and to Hold" – Mary Johnston

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentFirst Davis Cup tennis tournament
  • Top headlineGalveston Hurricane kills 8,000+ — deadliest US disaster
  • Technology milestoneFirst zeppelin flight
  • World population~1.6B

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderWilliam McKinley
  • U.S. population76.2M

1900 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in James Bond's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19002026
Average income$438$67,500
Postage stamp$0.02$0.73
Population76.2M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Library of Congress. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.