The literary icon is an author, playwright and poet known for hundreds of works, including drama, novels, essays and poetry.

As Soyinka marks his day today, here are 7 things you should know about him.

1. Born on the 13th-day of the month of July 1984, Akinwande Oluwole “Wole” Babatunde Soyinka is the second of six children

2. Even though he was born into a Christian home with his father, an Anglican minister and Headmaster of St. Peters School, Abeokuta while his mother was a strong member of the Anglican church, Soyinka is an atheist.

3. Soyinka's cousins include legendary music icon, Fela Kuti, human rights activist Beko Ransome-Kuti, politician Olikoye Ransome-Kuti and activist Yemisi Ransome-Kuti. His mother was the daughter of Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti.

4. Speaking of his marriage, Soyinka has been married three times and divorced twice with children from all three marriages. His first marriage to the late British writer, Barbara Dixon, mother of his first son, Olaokun was in 1958. His second marriage was to Olaide Idowu with whom he had three daughters, Moremi, Iyetade (deceased), Peyibomi, and a son, Ilemakin. In 1989, Soyinka married Folake Doherty, who is still his current wife.

5. He is the first African to be awarded a Nobel Prize for Literature, as far back as 1986.

6. Soyinka has been a strong critic of Nigerian governments and was a very vocal critic. This actually got him into trouble and he was once declared wanted by the government and twice went on self-imposed exile.

7. He was imprisoned for 22 months as civil war ensued between the federal government and the Biafrans.