Famed thriller author, Robert Ludlum died on this day, March 12, 2001. From The Scarlatti Inheritance and The Osterman Weekend, to the Bourne Supremacy, movies, digital games, and 41 other novels in-between, Ludlum will always be a hard act for any author to follow. The number of copies of Ludlum’s books in print is estimated up to 500 million: and his books have been published in 33 languages and 40 countries.

Perhaps less known, is that his life—as well as his death may parallel that of his most famous protagonist, Jason Bourne.

Robert Ludlum led a fascinating life.

Ludlum was born in New York City, the adopted son of Margaret Wadsworth and George Hartford Ludlum. He never found who his birth parents were.

As an adopted child, Robert Ludlum explored the limits of reasonable behavior and parental tolerance. After a seemingly endless period of rowdy behavior, this future superstar settled down at the famed Connecticut prep-school, Cheshire Academy, and began to establish himself as...