Robert Anson Heinlein was born in Butler, Missouri, on July 7, 1907, one of seven children. His family relocated to Kansas City, where he attended public schools. After one year at the University of Missouri, Heinlein was granted an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He preferred the study of engineering to the social aspects of the Navy and was particularly interested in aircraft design. He graduated and was commissioned an ensign in June 1929.

Heinlein's naval career was cut short in 1934 when he contracted tuberculosis. He retired, but not before having experienced shipboard service and the technically demanding duties of a naval officer at sea. He married Leslyn McDonald while he was in the Navy, but this relationship was short-lived.

Heinlein briefly studied mathematics and physics at UCLA, and then held a variety of jobs in Colorado and California. He began his...