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Dr. Samuel Johnson, the eminent 18th-century English writer and lexicographer, was born in 1709 in Lichfield, Staffordshire. Renowned for his sharp wit and formidable intellect, Johnson's most enduring and monumental work is A Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1755. This pioneering dictionary was one of the first to comprehensively document the English language and is celebrated for its rich quotations illustrating the usage of words and its clear definitions, setting a standard for later dictionaries. Aside from his lexicographical achievements, Johnson was a prolific essayist, poet, and critic, contributing significantly to English literature through works such as The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets and Rasselas. His literary circle included figures like James Boswell, who famously profiled him in The Life of Samuel Johnson, chronicling his thoughts and conversations and cementing his status as one of the leading figures of the English Enlightenment.
