Study Like a Boss
Edgar Allan Poe, son of Actress Eliza Poe and Actor David Poe Jr., born 19th of January 1809, was mostly known for his poems and short tales and his literary criticism. He has been given credit for inventing the detective story and his pshycological thrillers have been infuences for many writers worldwide. Edgar and his … Read more
Poet, writer. Born June 7, 1917, in Topeka, Kansas. Throughout most of the twentieth century, Gwendolyn Brooks was a lyrical chronicler of the black urban experience in America. In 1950, she became the first African-American poet to win the Pulitzer Prize. Brooks grew up on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. She began writing poetry … Read more
There are, literally, thousands of cults in existence throughout the world today. From Christianity and other religious spin-offs to entirely new religions, they are everywhere. And they all have one common goal: a utopia for all of it’s members. A place where the people who are devoted can go and feel at peace with themselves … Read more
Patrick Henry was a great patriot. He never used his fists or guns to fight for his country, but he used a much more powerful weapon at which he held great skill: his words. Possibly the greatest orator of his time, his speeches such as “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” struck a cord … Read more
In The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli presents a view of governing a state that is drastically different from that of humanists of his time. Machiavelli believes the ruling Prince should be the sole authority determining every aspect of the state and put in effect a policy which would serve his best interests. These interests were gaining, … Read more
Jack Welch is one of America’s best known and most highly respected corporate CEO’s of all time. Vadim Kotelnikov’s website Leadership and New Management Secrets discusses how Jack Welch’s vision to restructure General Electric to a “unique learning culture and boundaryless [sic] organization” has help make GE one of the fastest capital growing companies. In … Read more
Gautama Buddha, previously known as Prince Siddhartha (before his enlightenment) founded the religion of Buddhism. Gautama Buddha was born to Queen Maha-Maya at Kapilavastu, Nepal, Indian. Buddha taught and organized the Sangha, monastic orders, until his death at Kusinagara, at the age of 80. There are 308,000,000 Buddhist devotees in the world today. They believe … Read more
Neville Brody is an internationally known British graphic designer and typographer, who is best known for his work on magazines, most notably The Face. This magazine transformed the way in which designers and readers approach typography and layout. In addition to his magazine work, he designed record covers for such independent record companies as Fetish, … Read more
Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston Massachusetts, right around the time Puritanism died, whether he was born to early or Puritanism died to later, is left to bewilderment, however the two overlapped long enough to be aquatinted, whether it was coincidence or faith one will never know, however the mark left on him would never … Read more
Duke Ellington was an American jazz bandleader, composer, and pianist. He is thought of as one the greatest figures in jazz. The French government honored him with their highest award, the Legion of Honor, while the government of the United States awarded him with the highest civil honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He played … Read more
Marcus Antonius otherwise known as Mark Antony was born in 83 B. C. He was the son of Antonius Creticus and Julia who were related to Julius Caesar. Antonius Creticus, Antony’s father was a rather unsuccessful admiral who died early in Antony’s life. His mother Julia, remarried to P. Cornelius Lentulus who raised him for … Read more
The composer of some of the most influential pieces of music ever written, Ludwig van Beethoven created a bridge between the 18th-century classical period and the new beginnings of Romanticism. His greatest breakthroughs in composition came in his instrumental work, including his symphonies. Unlike his predecessor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for whom writing music seemed to … Read more
Immanuel Kant was born on April 22, 1724 in Konigsberg, East Prussia. He was the son of a saddler. At age 8, he entered the Collegium Fredericianum, a Latin school, where he remained for 8 1/2 years and studied the classics. He then entered the University of Konigsberg in 1740 to study philosophy, mathematics, and … Read more
From birth to early childhood, Isaac Newton overcame many personal, social, and mental hardships. It is through these experiences that helped create the person society knows him as in this day and age. The beginning of these obstacles started at birth for Newton. Isaac was born premature on Christmas Day 1642, in the manor house … Read more
Flavius Valerius Constantinus, also known as Constantine the Great, was the first Roman emperor to adopt Christianity. He was educated in the imperial court of Rome and pursued to succeed his father. In 305 A. D. , his father became the emperor of the Western Empire. But, when he died in 306 A. D. , … Read more
Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899 in a small community of Oak Park, Illinois. He was the second child out of six, with four sisters and one brother. The area Ernest grew up in was a very conservative area of Illinois and was raised with values of strong religion, hard work, physical fitness … Read more
Helen “Nellie” Laetitia Mooney was born October 20, 1873 in a log cabin on Garafraxa Road, two kilometers from Chatsworth, Ontario. She and her family moved to Manitoba when she was six years old. One of Nellie’s best influences was her mother. Her family’s influence was no doubt the reason she became an activist. Her … Read more
Through Edgar Allan Poe’s magnificent style of writing, he provided the world with some of the most mystifying poems and short stories. Although not appreciated during his time, Poe has gained considerable recognition after his death. James Russel Lowell stated, in a book by Louis Broussard, “He combines in a very remarkable manner two faculties … Read more
The tennis player Stefan Edberg is nowadays a legend in his sport. I met him myself in France in 1987. I was 8 years old. He and the other members of the Swedish Daviscup team were playing the Daviscup against France. However, before the training I met them in the lobby of their hotel in … Read more
Cults have existed throughout history since the beginning of time. A cult is defined in Webster’s dictionary as a “system of religious worship with a devoted attachment to a person, principle, etc. ” Over the past thirty years numerous religious cults have caused “ tens of thousands to abandon their families, friends, education’s, and careers … Read more
When Charlie Chaplin was a little boy, a sheep escaped on its way to a slaughterhouse near where he lived. Charlie and other youngsters chased the sheep around, laughing and having fun. But when it was taken away, Charlie realized the sad finality of death and cried to his mother. That incident paved the way … Read more
Jonathan Edwards and Patrick Henrys biographies and speeches showed a lot of similar characteristics, but also many differences, Their speeches both contained incredible power and impact. Yet the effects and results were hardly on the same subject. Jonathan Edwards was a powerful speaker. He made his audience feel the words that he spoke. An example … Read more
Maya Angelou is one of the most influential and talented African American writers of our modern day. Those who read Angelous works should not pass the thought of where her influence came from. Maya Angelou’s work has been heavily affected by the era in which she began to write. The fifties and sixties were a … Read more
Gandhi, lived from 1869-1948 and was also known as Mahatma Gandhi, was born in Porbandar, in the modern state of Gujarat, on October 2, 1869, into a Hindu family, Both his father and grandfather having been prime ministers of two adjacent and tiny states. After a modest career at school, he went to London in … Read more
Farai Chideya has accomplished many things at 28 years old that many journalists can only hope to achieve. She began her career as an intern at Newsweek while studying at Harvard. After her graduation, she was hired at Newsweek as a reporter and stayed on from 1990-1994. Chideya covered news in Newsweek’s New York and … Read more
Her life was never easy. From the time she was born, Maya Angelou was subjected to racism, rape, grief and dehumanization. She beared enough emotional stress in a time frame that most people don’t experience in a lifetime. Yet she prevailed. She forced herself to become stronger. And in doing so, she produced writings, which … Read more
The Rise of Big Business Andrew Carnegie was born in Dumferline, Scotland, in November of 1935. His parents were Will and Margaret Carnegie. He also had a brother, Tom. The main income for the geographic location where he grew up was weaving linen. The people who engaged in this type of employment considered this an … Read more
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg in Austria, the son of Leopold, Kapellmeister to the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. By the age of three he could play the piano, and he was composing by the time he was five; minuets from this period show remarkable understanding of form. Mozart’s elder sister Maria Anna (best known … Read more
Alphonse Capone was born in New York City by two parents Gabriel and Teresa Capone. Capone’s parents immigrated to the United States in 1893 from Naples, Italy. Capone came from a large family and was the fourth oldest of nine children. (Kobler 10). As a child, Capone was very wise when it came to living … Read more
Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. He was born in Salem, Massachusetts and died in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Hawthorne’s father was a sea captain and descendant of John Hathorne, one of the judges who oversaw the Salem Witch Trials. Hawthorne’s father died … Read more
An unlikely candidate to dispute the unfair, misogynistic treatment of women by men and society, Christine de Pizan successfully challenged the accepted negative views that were being expressed about women by the all-male literary world of her era. Part of Christine’s uniqueness stems from the time in which she lived, the middle to late 1300’s. … Read more
Jimi Hendrix, the greatest guitarist in rock history, revolutionized the sound of rock. In 1967, the Jimi Hendrix Experience rocked the nation with their first album, Are You Experienced?. Hendrix’s life was cut short by the tragedy of drugs in 1970, when he was only twenty seven years old. In these three years the sound … Read more
From the early 19th century, Percy Bysshe Shelley is recognized as one of the most influential writers of the Romantic Period whose work is characterized by his use of imagery and symbolism. Such examples can be found in his poems such as Ode to the West Wind, Hymn to Intellectual Beauty, and Ozymandias. In Shelleys … Read more
On August 14, 1851 in Griffin, Georgia, John Henry Holliday was born to Henry Burroughs and Alice Jane Holliday. Their first child, Martha Eleanora, had died on June 12, 1850 at six months of age. When he married Alice Jane McKay on January 8, 1849, Henry Burroughs was a druggist by trade and, later became … Read more
Adolf Hitler was responsible for more evil and suffering than any other man in modern history. There were many occurrences during his lifetime that triggered the outcome of what would happen later in history. Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau Am Inn, Austria, on April 20, 1889. As a child he did very poorly in … Read more
Attila the Hun is known as one of the most ferocious leaders of ancient times. He was given the nickname “Scourge God” because of his ferocity. During the twentieth century, “Hun” was one of the worst name you could call a person, due to Attila. The Huns were a barbaric and savage group of people, … Read more
Livin’ on Country is the complete story of Alan Jackson’s journey from small-town Georgia to big time success. Alan represents the simple truths and homespun values that are the heart of country music. With songs that are personal yet universal, his music speaks to fans around the world. Alan has sold millions of albums, records … Read more
Michelangelo was pessimistic in his poetry and an optimist in his artwork. Michelangelo’s artwork consisted of paintings and sculptures that showed humanity in it’s natural state. Michelangelo’s poetry was pessimistic in his response to Strazzi even though he was complementing him. Michelangelo’s sculpture brought out his optimism. Michelangelo was optimistic in completing The Tomb of … Read more
Franklin Pierce, one of eight children of Benjamin and Anna Kendrick Pierce, was born in Hillsborough, N. H. , on Nov. 23, 1804. His father had served in the American Revolution and later became governor of New Hampshire. Pierce was educated at Hillsborough Center, Hancock Academy, and Bowdoin College, from which he graduated in 1824 … Read more
Jacob is the father of Israel, for his twelve children each gave life to an entire tribe of Israelites. He wasnt always pious, sometimes being even blasphemous, but apparently, he always walked with god, and all who came in his way either prospered or were conquered. Jacob and Esau were born to Rebekah and Isaac. … Read more
Since 1943, Aaron Copland and Vivian Perlis give a detailed account of the life of one of America’s most influential composers. The books are arranged similarly to the Shostakovich biography that our class reviewed earlier this semester. That is, through personal accounts by Copland himself along with accounts of Copland’s friends and acquaintances, the authors … Read more
“I am not beautiful. My mother once called me an ugly duckling. But, listed separately I have a few good features. “(Woodward 45). Who would have thought this “ugly duckling” would blossom into such a beautiful and talented actress. Audrey Hepburn took a difficult childhood and effortlessly turned it into a gilded fairytale. Early in … Read more
If literature is a game, then Fyodor Dostoevsky is one of literature’s most talented and respected players. All of Dostoevsky’s works are not only highly regarded by his readers, but also scholars of literature. Sigmund Freud stated that Dostoevsky’s place in literature is “… not far behind Shakespeare” (Freud 972). The novel most commonly referred … Read more
English philosopher, who founded the school of empiricism. Locke was born in the village of Wrington, Somerset, on August 29, 1632. He was educated at the University of Oxford and lectured on Greek, rhetoric, and moral philosophy at Oxford from 1661 to 1664. In 1667 Locke began his association with the English statesman Anthony Ashley … Read more
Jim Morrison is often thought of as a drunk musician. He is also portrayed to many as an addict and another ‘doped up’ rock star. These negative opinions project a large shadow on the many positive aspects of this great poet. Jim’s music was influenced heavily by many famous authors. You must cast aside your … Read more
Michael Jordan is an American Professional Basketball Player . I picked Michael for my biography because I consider him to be the best basketball player in the NBA . Michael is recognized for his spectacular ball handling skills and for his outrageous dunks . He is also the leading scorer in the NBA , and … Read more
In the time of the Renaissance there were many artists but one really stood out to me, he was Michelangelo. He stood out the most to me because he had some of the most beautiful work I have ever seen. He painted some of the most beautiful building that is still around today. One of … Read more
Best known for his poems and short fiction, Edgar Allan Poe, born in Boston on Jan. 19, 1809, deserves more credit than any other writer for the transformation of the short story from tale to art. He for the most part created the detective story and perfected the psychological thriller. He also produced some of … Read more
Katherine Mansfield, who lived from 1888 to 1923, is considered to be one of the most remarkable short story writers of her time. Using her life experiences as an inspiration for her short stories, Mansfield sculpted her ideas into masterful pieces of literary work. Mansfield’s life was full of interesting experiences that shaped her outlook … Read more
Abraham (Bram) Stoker was born November 8, 1847 at 15 The Crescent, Clontarf, North of Dublin, the third of seven children. For the first 7 years of his life Stoker was bedridden with a myriad of childhood diseases which afforded him much time to reading. By the time he went to college, Stoker had somehow … Read more