David Gaub McCullough (/ m ə ˈ k ʌ l ə /; July 7, 1933 – August 7, 2022) was an American popular historian.He was a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.In 2006, he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian award.. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, McCullough earned a degree in English literature from Yale University.