query: When was Richard Adams born?
passage: Richard Adams
Richard George Adams (9 May 1920 – 24 December 2016)[2] was an English novelist and writer of the books Watership Down, Shardik and The Plague Dogs. He studied modern history at university before serving in the British Army during World War II. Afterwards, he completed his studies, and then joined the British Civil Service. In 1974, two years after Watership Down was published, Adams became a full-time author.[3][4]
passage: Boots Adams
Kenneth Stanley Adams was born August 31, 1899 in Horton, Kansas; the son of John V. and Lavella Adams (née Stanley). His father was an engineer for the Rock Island Railroad. In 1902 the family provided room and board to many families affected by a flood, including some of John's co-workers. One of the male guests noticed that Kenneth had a pair of boots he wore even to bed. The man began calling him "Boots". From then on, Kenneth Adams adopted "Boots" as his nickname.