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He was awarded military medals for his bravery -

Hemingway served as an ambulance driver in the American Red Cross during World War I in Italy. He was wounded by mortar fire after two months of service but continued to help others.

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He had (at least) 30 concussions during his lifetime -

Hemingway had 30 documented head injuries in his lifetime. These occurred in numerous circumstances, including war, boxing matches, and accidents.

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He survived two plane crashes (in two days) -

The accidents happened in 1954 in Africa. Hemingway was with his wife, Mary Welsh, when the planes crashed. The second one was particularly bad, and severely injured the author.

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He was a spy during World War II -

Hemingway was a spy for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). His spy network, known as the “Crook Factory,” tracked Nazi activity in the Caribbean. He also worked as a spy in Cuba.

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He was in the French capital during the Liberation of Paris -

Ernest Hemingway was present during the liberation of Paris on August 25, 1944. According to legend, he celebrated with champagne at the Ritz Hotel’s bar.

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All of his early writings were lost -

The vast majority of Hemingway’s early writings were lost by his wife, Hadley Richardson, in 1922. She lost a suitcase containing the manuscripts at a train station in Paris.

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He won a Nobel Prize for Literature -

Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954 for his book ‘The Old Man and the Sea.’ Sadly, he was too sick to travel to Sweden to accept it in person. 

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He had a bad case of triskaidekaphobia -

The famous author had an irrational fear of the number 13. Hemingway avoided the number at all costs, from hotel rooms and floors to book chapters!

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The cause of his death is still up for debate -

It’s largely believed that the author took his own life with a gun. There are, however, theories that it was an accident. But his family history shows that the likely cause of death is suicide, as his father, brother, and sister also took their own lives.

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The FBI had a file on him -

Hemingway’s constant travel and background in espionage meant that J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI kept him under surveillance.

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He loved to fight -

Ernest Hemingway loved to fight. So much so that he even participated in amateur boxing matches.

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He loved cats -

The author loved cats and owned several of them. Hemingway was known for owning a breed of cats with six toes, a genetic anomaly known as polydactyl. 

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He went fishing with famous people -

Hemingway was into deep-sea fishing. He’d go on expeditions with famous names, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Fidel Castro.

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He reportedly shot a shark that was trying to steal his catch -

Legend has it that the author shot a shark with a machine gun because it was trying to steal the marlin he caught. 

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He almost died during the Spanish Civil War -

Hemingway traveled to Spain to cover the Spanish Civil War. As a war correspondent, he found himself in danger many times. He accompanied the International Brigades supporting the anti-fascist cause.

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His house in Cuba remains untouched -

The author lived in Finca Vigía before he fled the island in 1960, leaving behind numerous personal items. Today, it’s like traveling back in time. 

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He liked to write while standing -

Ernest Hemingway did sit to write, but he also liked to do so standing up. 

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He loved to drink daiquiris -

The novelist even came up with his own version of the drink, known as the “Hemingway Special,” which has no added sugar.

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He was obsessed with death -

Hemingway showed his fascination with death not only through his writing but through his adventurous lifestyle and interests, which included war and bullfighting. He also tried to take his own life multiple times. 

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He’s the inspiration behind the term “Hemingway Syndrome” -

The term is used to describe men who indulge in self-destructive behavior, including dangerous behavior, excessive drinking, and dominance traits.

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His fishing boat had a machine gun -

The author’s fishing boat was more akin to a war vessel. It actually had a machine gun fitted in.  Its purpose was reportedly to fight Nazi submarines in the Caribbean during World War II, which never happened. 

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He reportedly smuggled guns into Cuba -

Hemingway reportedly sided with the Cuban revolutionaries and is said to have smuggled guns into the country to help them out. 

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He had countless celebrity friends -

Hemingway was known for hanging out with some famous personalities, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, James Joyce, and Noel Coward (pictured), to name a few.

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He was married four times -

The author has a rather turbulent love life. He married four times, and every time, he left his wife for another woman.

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He wrote his debut novel in six weeks -

‘The Sun Also Rises’ was written in just six weeks. Hemingway’s first novel, it was written in 1926 while he was in Spain. 

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His writing style was groundbreaking -

The author changed literature with a minimalist approach to writing. Hemingway’s style went on to influence numerous writers of the 20th century and beyond. 

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He reportedly wrote a novel about his African adventures -

Hemingway allegedly wrote a novel about his safaris and adventures in Africa, which was then lost. Only a few fragments of the manuscript have been found, but the entire work is still shrouded in mystery. 

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His final book was released posthumously -

Ernest Hemingway’s novel, ‘The Garden of Eden,’ was published in 1986, 25 years after his death.

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Unpublished manuscripts? -

It has been speculated that there are still unpublished manuscripts locked away in a safe in his former home in Cuba.

Sources: (History Collection) (Britannica)

See also: Iconic writers who were repeatedly rejected

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