Stanley Martin Lieber (Primarily known as Stan Lee) was born in Manhattan, New York on December 28th, 1922. Stan Lee's parents were Celia and Jack Lieber, who were Jewish. Stan Lee also had a younger brother named Larry Lieber. 

The Beginning of an Era

Stan Lee's Childhood 

As a child, his mother inspired him to read many books by notorious authors such as Mark Twain and Jules Verne.

Stan Lee graduated Dewitt Clinton High School in 1939 at the age of 16. Stan Lee did not attend college. 

Stan Lee's First Job! 

Before Stan Lee became a comic creator, Lee worked as an obituary writer. 

Stan Lee: His Time with Timely Comics

Stan Lee joined Timely Comics after graduating from high school in 1939. Stan Lee worked as an editorial assistant. 

Stan Lee's First Comic!

Stan Lee's first Marvel comic was introduced in 1941 through Timely Comics. The first Marvel comic was called "Captain America Foils the Traitor's Revenge", and it is the third comic in the Captain America Series. The comic was illustrated by Jack Kirby. Lee and Kirby will go on to produce more comics in the Marvel Universe.

Captain America's first shield is also meant to represent the Timely Comics logo! 

World War II

Stan Lee served in World War II from 1942 to 1945. Lee was assigned to the Signal Corps, and he repaired telegraph wires and communications. The events of Pearl Harbor were the reason why Stan Lee enlisted in World War II. The army noticed Stan Lee's writing abilities, and as a result, Stan Lee was one of the nine men given the playwright military classification. 

Stan Lee and His Family

Stan Lee met and married his wife, Joan in 1947. Later on, Stan and Joan had two children: J.C. (1950) and Jan (1953). Jan died a few days after she was born. Joan and Stan Lee were married for 69 years. Joan Lee passed away in 2017. 

The Fantastic Four!

In 1961, the Fantastic Four were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They were the first team of superheroes to be introduced into the Marvel Universe. The comic company also became named Marvel Comics. 

"With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility"

In 1962,  Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created Spider-Man. Stan Lee is well-known for the creation of Spider-Man. Spider-Man is the most popular character in the Marvel comic universe. 

Hulk Smash!

Later in 1962, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Hulk. The Hulk was supposed to be printed gray in the comics, but the printer was printing the Hulk in different shades of gray on different pages. As a result, the Hulk was changed to be printed green, and the Hulk was printed consistently on each page. 

The X-Men 

In 1963, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the X-Men. The X-Men are a group of mutants who attend an academy under Professor X. The X-Men comics were also created during the civil rights era in history, where people did not want help from the mutants.

Marvel Comics Gets a New Director 

In 1972, Stan Lee becomes the editorial director and publisher of Marvel Comics. 

National Medal of Arts Award 

In 2008, Stan Lee was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President George W. Bush. The National Medal of Arts award is given to individuals who contribute to the arts in the United States. It is also the highest award that an artist can receive from the government.