Famous For: The world's most well-known English-language poet from Wales

Trivia: It is still widely believed that Bob Dylan named himself after Dylan Thomas - his real name is Robert Zimmerman.

Biography:

One of the world's most famous poets, whose writings have been recorded countless times and inspired artists, musicians and others across the globe. His larger than life personality and bohemian lifestyle has continued to fascinate people.

Filmmakers focused on the relationship between Dylan, his wife Caitlin MacNamara and his childhood sweetheart Vera Phillips in the film 'The Edge of Love' released in June 2008.

Born to David John Thomas and Florence Hannah Williams, Dylan's father was an English teacher at Swansea Grammar School. Prior to their marriage, his mother was a seamstress.

Many of Dylan's childhood summers were spent at his aunt's farm in Carmarthenshire, a time which would later inspire him to write the poem 'Fern Hill'.

Having shown his appetite for writing poetry before the age of eleven, he attended Swansea Grammar School from 1925 to 1931 and on leaving become a reporter on the South Wales Evening Post. After years of writing for himself, his poetry finally began being published in 1933. He also succeeded in having one of his poems broadcast on the BBC.

In 1934 he moved to London and his first volume of poetry, 'Eighteen Poems', was published.

In 1936 he met Caitlin Macnamara - where else, but in a pub. From the outset alcohol figured largely in their tempestuous relationship and it was to be a recurring problem for both of them. Married in 1937 at Penzance Registry Office they opted for a gipsy lifestyle, which surprised few due to their friendship with the Welsh lynchpin of Bohemian style Augustus John. They would go on to have three children - Llewelyn, Aeronwy, and Colm.

In May 2007 Dylan's life story would bring Hollywood to New Quay (a favourite location of Dylan's where he once lived in a small cottage overlooking Cardigan Bay), to film scenes for a movie charting the alledged relationship between Dylan, Caitlin and mutual friend Vera Killick. Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller could be seen ambling along the beach on a windy May weekend filming "The Best Time Of Our Lives". The film sees Welsh actor-turned Hollywood star Matthew Rhys take up the task of playing Dylan.

Dylan Thomas spent much of the Second World War living and working in London, where he wrote film and documentary scripts, and in 1940 his work 'Portrait of The Artist As A Young Dog' was published. It was in this same year he failed his army medical at Llandeilo.

Three years later, Dylan's career in radio broadcasting began, and in 1946 he found substantial success with the publication of 'Deaths and Entrances'.

Dylan and Caitlin had always had a love affair with Laugharne and it was a patron of Dylan's who lent them The Boat House. It was the accompanying shed, that has become so central to the iconography of the Dylan legend, that was converted into his studio. It would be here that Dylan Thomas spent much time writing. When not putting pen to paper he would spend much of his time drinking in Brown's Hotel. The Boat House is now the site of a museum dedicated to the man and his work.

Dylan completed his play 'Under Milk Wood' in 1953, shortly before his death. It was inspired by Laugharne (and according to some, New Quay); with his daily visits to the pub said to have provided him with such a wealth of material.

In November 1953 during a lecture tour in America, he collapsed at The Chelsea Hotel in New York. He died later in St Vincent's Hospital, aged just 39. He left several works unfinished, including the novel 'Adventures in the Skin Trade' which was later published.

Caitlin brought her husband's body home to Wales and he was buried in Laugharne. Caitlin herself died aged 81 in 1994. She had re-married after Dylan's death, had a child when she was 49 and lived for many years in Italy. She is buried next to Dylan in Laugharne.