Smash hit

The son of an English farming family, Clarke was born in the seaside town of Minehead, Somerset, England on December 16, 1917.

His father died when he was 13. After attending schools in his home county, Arthur Clarke moved to London in 1936. There he pursued his early interest in space sciences by joining the British Interplanetary Society. He started to contribute to the BIS Bulletin and began to write science fiction.

With the onset of the Second World War he joined the RAF, eventually becoming an officer in charge of the first radar talk-down equipment, the Ground Controlled Approach, during its experimental trials. Later, his only non-science-fiction novel, Glide Path, was based on this work.

In 1945, the UK periodical magazine “Wireless World” published his landmark technical paper "Extra-terrestrial Relays" in which he first set out the principles of satellite communication with satellites in geostationary orbits, a speculation that was realised 25 years later. He was paid £15 for the article.

During the evolution of his discovery, he worked with scientists and engineers in the USA in the development of spacecraft and launch systems, and addressed the United Nations during their deliberations on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

Today, the geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometres above the Equator is named The Clarke Orbit by the International Astronomical Union.

Clarke is best known as a visionary science fiction writer.

The first story he sold professionally was "Rescue Party", written in March 1945 and appearing in "Astounding Science" in May 1946. He went on to become a prolific writer of science fiction, renowned worldwide with his break coming when "The Sentinel", was noticed by Kubrick.

Clarke first visited Colombo, Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) in December 1954. He moved there in 1956 and lived there ever since, pursuing an enthusiasm for underwater exploration along that coast and on the Great Barrier Reef.

His fascination with diving led to him meeting his wife Marilyn Mayfield, whom he divorced ten years later.

In 1998, his lifetime work was recognised when he was honoured with a knighthood – formally conferred by the Prince of Wales in Sri Lanka two years later.

In recent years, he has been largely confined to a wheelchair due to post-polio syndrome, but his output as a writer continued undiminished.

Marking his “90th orbit of the Sun” in December, the author said that he did not feel "a day over 89" and made three birthday wishes: for ET to call, for man to kick his oil habit and for peace in Sri Lanka.

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