July 24, 1900

Born on July 24, 1900 in Montgomery, Alabama, Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald helped establish an image of the free-spirited woman in the 1920s. She was dubbed by her husband, novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, as “the first American flapper.” She is the presumed inspiration for many of his characters, including Daisy Buchanan in “The Great Gatsby.” In 1932, she completed her only novel, “Save Me the Waltz.” Later in life, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The home she and her husband lived at in Montgomery is now the F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Zelda Sayre, posing in a dance costume, at about 18 years old. (Sally Cline, Wikipedia)

Portrait of Zelda Fitzgerald, 1919. (Nancy Milford, Wikipedia)

Zelda Fitzgerald (1900-1948), from the cover of her book, “The Last Waltz.” Zelda Sayre was born in Montgomery and was married to one of America’s best-known authors, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Although she never achieved fame like her husband, Zelda was an accomplished painter, writer and dancer. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum board of directors)

The Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum is housed in a former residence of the famous literary couple in the Old Cloverdale neighborhood of Montgomery. The house was built in 1904 as a private residence. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum)

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.