Julia Child—the chef, author, and TV personality—was born in Pasadena, Calif., on this day in 1912. Her work with the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (which became the basis for the modern Central Intelligence Agency) was a curious precursor to her later work making French cuisine more accessible to Americans.
After World War II, Child moved with her husband to Paris, where he was posted for work as a cultural attaché for the U.S. Information Service. While there, she attended the Cordon Bleu cooking school for several months. She also met Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, with whom she later wrote the best-selling Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook. “This book brought French cooking and cookery techniques to the American public,” says the National Women’s History Museum. “It also launched Child on her cooking career, which lasted for over 40 years.” Learn about it here.
