Alexander Murray Palmer "Alex" Haley (August 11, 1921February 10, 1992) was an American writer known as the author of the 1976 book . The book was adapted by ABC as a TV mini-series of the same name and aired in 1977 to a record-breaking 130 million viewers. It had great influence on awareness in the United States of African-American history and inspired a broad interest in genealogy and family history.