Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born on January 16, 1860, in Taganrog, Russia, the third of six children. Chekhov's father, a grocer, was intense, religious, and demanding of his family. Chekhov's paternal grandfather was a serf who managed to buy his freedom, enabling his descendants to lead better lives.

Chekhov was a good student whose interests included writing, journalism, and drama. His mother's storytelling ability is often credited as the source of Chekhov's talent. When his father's grocery store failed in 1876, the family moved to Moscow, but Chekhov stayed behind alone to finish school. Upon graduating, he received a scholarship to attend medical school at the University of Moscow. While in medical school, he supported his impoverished family by writing for humor magazines. In 1884, he began practicing medicine and also saw the publication of the first collection of his writing.

In 1901, Chekhov married Olga Knipper, a well-known actress in...