C.S. Lewis’s father, Albert was born on August 23, 1863, however, his 45th birthday was anything but a celebration.

August 23, 1908 was a sad day in the Lewis household. After struggling with poor health for most of that year, Florence Hamilton Lewis, the mother of C.S. Lewis, died from cancer. Four months prior to this, Richard Lewis, his grandfather had died and less than a month later came the news of his father’s brother’s death.

More changes came for Lewis, as he was soon sent to an English boarding school where his brother, Warnie had already been attending. While neither Lewis or his brother was close to their father, the terrible experience both of them had there didn’t help.