Mary Ann Evans, known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, and translator. She was born in 1819 in Warwickshire, England. Eliot is best known for her novels, including 'Middlemarch,' 'The Mill on the Floss,' and 'Silas Marner,' which are celebrated for their psychological insight, realism, and moral depth. She challenged the social norms of her time by addressing complex themes such as gender relations, religion, and morality in her works.