Today is the 160th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Lange Kielland, one of Norway's most famous 19th century authors. Even though he was born into a family of means, Kielland spent his adult life as a voice for the weak and a critic of society. These roles would find their way into many of his works, including Poison, which attacked the education system in Norway.
Because of his work's profound impact on Norway and Norwegian society, he was considered one of the "De Fire Store" (The Four Greats), along with Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Henrik Ibsen and Jonas Lie.