Anne Frank (Ah-na Frahnk) was born June 12,
1929 in Frankfurt-am-Maim,
Germany.
Her family—father Otto, mother Edith (Ay-deth), and sister Margot, along with the Van Pels (Van Daans) and their son Peter (Pay-ter)—moved into the "secret annex" in 1942, upon Margot's call-up notice to report for deportation to a labor camp. Later on, they were joined by Fritz Pfeffer, a dentist.
In the annex, Anne kept her world-famous diary, writing in it her dreams and thoughts, most notably what she'd like to do after the war. This was a glimpse into a normal girl's life, lived out in the worst of times. It is a depressing yet poignant piece of literature. Anne was most definitely wise beyond her years.
Her diary, saved during the war by one of the family’s helpers, Miep Gies, was first published in 1947. Today, her diary has been translated into 67 languages and is one of the most widely read books in the world.
Countless books have been written about Anne, and in 1955, The Diary of Anne Frank, a play based on Anne's diary, written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, opened on Broadway.