Ion Luca Caragiale was born on january 30-th, 1852 in the Haimanale village, today Caragiale, near Ploiesti. His father's brothers, Costache and Iorgu, were known actors. In Caragiale's family there was a tradition of love for the theatre. The future playwright attended the elementary school in Ploiesti. He never attended high school.

At the age of 21 Caragiale started to work as a contributor for the “The Capon”, “The Capon's Calendar” and “The Thorn” humurous magazines. Working for this magazines trained Caragiale for his future activity as a playwright and a prose writer.

He met Mihai Eminescu during this years. He appreciated the young poet from the first moment. He would write at a latter date some articles filled with indignation against those responsible for Eminescu's misery (Irony, Two notes). Caragiale and Eminescu were colleagues at the “The Time” conservative newspaper, where Ioan Slavici worked as well.

The period between 1878 and 1890 represents the time of Caragiale's great drama creations. Starting with 1877 Caragiale published drama reviews that showed his care for the development of the romanian theatre. Caragiale criticized the blamable manners of the artists (bad acting from the actors).

In 1878 Caragiale released his first big creation, the “A Tempestuous Night” comedy. The play hit the theatres in january 1879. It was a great succes.

On november the 13-th, 1884, the “A lost letter” comedy, peak of Caragiale's drama creation and of our national drama, hits the National Theatre's stage. After this masterpiece Caragiale wrote another comedy, “D-ale carnavalului” (1885) and the “The Calamity” drama (1890). He left the “The Time” newspaper in 1881.

In 1885 he was a teacher at the “Sf. Gheorghe” private high school. In 1888 he managed to become the director of the Bucharest National Theatre.

In 1892 he published two short stories: “Sin” and “A Easter Torch”. This two writings show his great talent as a prose writer.

He unexpectedly died in june 1912, as a result of a heart attack. He was buried at the “Bellu” cemetery.