J.D. Salinger was an American writer known for his iconic novel "The Catcher in the Rye." Born in New York City in 1919, Salinger served in World War II before becoming a writer. He gained fame with the publication of "The Catcher in the Rye" in 1951 and went on to write several other works of fiction before retreating from public life in the 1960s. Salinger died in 2010, but his work continues to be celebrated and analyzed for its exploration of adolescent alienation and disillusionment.