Og Mandino
Born 1923 · Age 102
American self‑help author best known for The Greatest Salesman in the World; former president of Success Unlimited magazine; inducted into the National Speakers Association (CPAE) Speaker Hall of Fame. His books sold tens of millions of copies and were translated into many languages.
Compare Your Trajectory
See how your career milestones stack up against Og Mandino and other industry leaders.
Life & Career Timeline
Birth (Augustine Mandino II)
Born Augustine "Og" Mandino II in Massachusetts; named for his Italian paternal grandfather.
Editor of high‑school paper
Served as editor of his high school newspaper; planned to attend University of Missouri's journalism school before family tragedy intervened.
Mother's death
His mother died of a massive heart attack in the summer of 1940 — a pivotal personal event that altered his plans.
Worked in paper factory
After his mother's death he chose to work in a paper factory rather than immediately attending college; worked there until 1942.
Joined U.S. Army Air Corps
Enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps; trained as an officer and bombardier during World War II.
Assigned as B‑24 bombardier
Served aboard B‑24 Liberator bombers as a bombardier during WWII.
Flew with actor James Stewart
During World War II he flew missions that included flying at times with James Stewart (the film star who was also a military airman).
Completed ~30 bombing missions over Germany
Completed roughly thirty bombing missions over Germany as a WWII bombardier aboard a B‑24.
Became an insurance salesman
After military service he entered civilian life and worked as an insurance salesman — a job that involved travel, irregular commissions and stress.
Marital separation and heavy alcoholism
During his post‑war years he developed alcoholism; his wife left him and took their child. He later described being near‑suicide during this period.
Contemplated suicide in Cleveland
On a wintry November morning in Cleveland he contemplated suicide — a turning point that led to seeking help via reading.
Discovered self‑help books in a library
Visited a library and discovered self‑help and success literature (including authors such as W. Clement Stone and Napoleon Hill), beginning a multi‑year period of intense reading that helped him overcome alcoholism.
Found W. Clement Stone's book in Concord Library
Specifically found Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude by W. Clement Stone in a Concord, New Hampshire library — a book he credited with changing his life.
Began serious writing and speaking career (approx.)
Following recovery he moved into professional speaking and writing, influenced by the Bible, Napoleon Hill, Stone and Emmet Fox (approximate multi‑year transition into authorship/speaking).
Published The Greatest Salesman in the World
Released The Greatest Salesman in the World — the bestselling and signature work that framed 'ten scrolls' of success philosophy.
The Ten Scrolls concept popularized
The book introduced the Ten Ancient Scrolls (Scrolls I–X) as practical daily disciplines — a central element of Mandino's philosophy and continuing teaching material.
Presidency at Success Unlimited (tenure ongoing)
Served as president of Success Unlimited magazine during the era leading up to his stepping down in 1976 (start year approximate; he was president until 1976).
Left presidency of Success Unlimited magazine
Stepped down as president of Success Unlimited magazine in 1976 (end of tenure noted in biographical sources).
Published The Christ Commission
Published the speculative fiction novel The Christ Commission (listed in bibliographies, 1980).
Published University of Success (compilation)
University of Success — a compilation from other works — is listed with a 1980s publication date in bibliographies (compilation year often given as 1980).
Published The Choice
Released The Choice: A Surprising New Message of Hope (1984) — one of Mandino's well‑known later works.
Published Mission: Success! and related works
Mission: Success! (1986) and other compilations/works were published during the mid‑1980s (several collections and reissues appeared in this period).
Published The Greatest Salesman in the World Part II: The End of the Story
Published a follow‑up/Part II titled The End of the Story (listed in bibliographies with late‑1980s date).
A Better Way to Live hits NYT Best‑Seller list
A Better Way to Live appeared on The New York Times Best Sellers list (NYT Best Sellers reference dated February 25, 1990).
Published The Return of the Ragpicker
Published The Return of the Ragpicker (1992) — part of his continuing output in the early 1990s.
Published The Twelfth Angel
Published The Twelfth Angel (1993), another late‑career novel from Mandino.
Lifetime sales milestone recorded (~50 million copies)
By the end of his life or in later biographies his works were credited with selling over 50 million copies and being translated into over 25 languages (cumulative career milestone).
Translations milestone (~25 languages)
By this period his books had been translated into over 25 languages (cumulative, noted in multiple biographical summaries).
Death in Antrim, New Hampshire
Died on September 3, 1996 in Antrim, New Hampshire at age 72 (sources list age 72 due to birth/death month specifics).
Posthumous: The Greatest Mystery in the World published
The Greatest Mystery in the World was published posthumously in 1997 (listed in bibliographies as a 1997 title).
Inductee recognition maintained: CPAE/National Speakers Association Hall of Fame
Biographies and National Speakers Association records list Mandino as an inductee of the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame (induction date not consistently reported; recognition persists in the 2000s).
Og Mandino legacy: wide translation and ongoing sales
Numerous later summaries and publisher notes continue to record his influence: tens of millions of books sold, translations, and continued publication of his works.
Og Mandino official site & Leadership Institute operations noted
OgMandino.com and the Og Mandino Leadership Institute continued to promote his books, workshops and speaking engagements (site archival references circa 2016).
Biographical retrospectives and articles
Contemporary articles and retrospectives (e.g., 2024 pieces) recount his recovery story (library saved his life) and summarize the continued influence and sales of his books.
Kiddle / public encyclopedia entries updated
Children's and public encyclopedia entries (Kiddle, etc.) continue to summarize his life and note sales/translation milestones (Kiddle revision timestamp 21 June 2025 is cited in source snippet).
Key Achievement Ages
Explore what Og Mandino and others achieved at these notable ages:
Similar Trajectories
Noam Chomsky
Born 1928 · Age 97
American linguist, cognitive scientist, philosopher, and political activist; major figure in modern linguistics and a leading public intellectual.
Tom Lehrer
Born 1928 · Age 97
American mathematician, satirist and singer‑songwriter known for darkly comic and topical songs in the 1950s–60s; later an academic teaching mathematics and musical theatre.
Seymour Papert
Born 1928 · Age 97
South African–born mathematician, computer scientist, and educator; pioneer of artificial intelligence and constructionist learning; co-inventor of Logo; longtime MIT researcher and founding faculty member of the MIT Media Lab.
Li Ka-shing
Born 1928 · Age 97
Hong Kong business magnate, investor and philanthropist; founder of Cheung Kong (now part of CK Hutchison / CK Asset), founder of Li Ka Shing Foundation, diversified investor across real estate, ports, retail, utilities and technology.
T. Boone Pickens
Born 1928 · Age 97
American oilman, corporate raider, hedge-fund manager and philanthropist; founder of Mesa Petroleum, BP Capital Management and the Pickens Plan advocate for natural gas and wind power.
Hiroshi Yamauchi
Born 1927 · Age 98
Japanese businessman; third president of Nintendo (1949–2002) who transformed the company from a hanafuda playing-card maker into a global video-game giant; owner of the Seattle Mariners (1992–2013).