Rod Serling was among the most prolific television writers of the 20th century. The mastermind behind the cult classic anthology series, The Twilight Zone (1959-64), he was known for incorporating his own experiences into the show’s scripts. Much of what he included traced back to his time in the US Army during the Second World War – in particular, his service as a paratrooper in the Pacific Theater.

Rod Serling’s early passion for writing

Rod Serling was born on December 25, 1924 in Syracuse, New York to a Jewish family. Just under two years later, they moved to Binghamton, where the future television writer spent the majority of his childhood.

While in elementary school, Serling was dismissed by his teachers, who saw him as a lost cause. It wasn’t until seventh grade that his teacher, Helen Foley, encouraged him to sign up for a public speaking extracurricular. This led him to join the debate team and, later, his high school’s student newspaper. Through the latter, he’s said to have “established a reputation as a social activist.”

Ever since he was a child, Serling had shown an interest in writing and radio. According to his older brother, Robert, the younger Serling would spend hours in the basement, acting out movie and pulp magazine dialogue on a makeshift stage their father had built. He also spent a lot of time listening to horror,…