His father was a baker-- a German immigrant-- and his mother was an African American cleaning woman.
Wilson was the only African American student, and felt unchallenged and isolated.
After his teacher accused him of stealing a 20 pg paper on Napoleon, Wilson left school. He hid his decision from his mother, fearing her disappointment.
Wilson committed for three years.
Wilson left the army, and returned to Pittsburgh to do odd jobs.
Instead of his father's surname, Wilson began using his mother's maiden name- -the one he would go on to write under.
Their first play was called "Recycling."
Wilson converted to Islam in order to sustain his marriage to her.
At the urging of a director friend, Claud Purdy, who tipped him off to a job writing educational scripts for a science museum.
One of Wilson's Pittsburgh cycle, this play is one of Wilson's best-known.
The first installment of Wilson's Pittsburgh cycle, "Jitney," did not get as much attention as his later work.
The second of Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle, this play won a Tony.
This play won Wilson a Pulitzer Prize.
St. Paul's mayor, George Latimer, honored August Wilson with a civic holiday.
Wilson's second Pulitzer Prize winner.
The Seattle Repertory Theater would be the only theater company to produce all ten of the plays in his cycle.
Diagnosed earlier that year, Wilson died in Seattle.
The final installment of the Pittsburgh cycle, this play was Wilson's final work, completed the year of his death.