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The “Placebo-effect”: Learning the Impact of Positive / Negative Emotion (s) on the Physiology of Human Cells

2017-10-27T11:41:35.7-04:00

When Probable, SWTOR Has got Liberated to Have fun with

2012-08-28T22:00:30.59-04:00

Many months past, I actually probable SWTOR would probably find themselves required to visit liberated to have fun with if perhaps EA plus Bioware didnt obtain their respond along plus organize elements outside. A short while ago, I actually written a short article meals buying and selling websites assume Wow proceeded to go the distance for messing up MMORPG casino (to a contempt for many fanboys) plus it sounds as if Instant messaging just simply score bullseyes in many different places. Hence anywayIts ended up proclaimed this SWTOR might be likely free-to-play the following autumn. Now there it's still reoccuring financial records out there, that could attributes needed battler cartel coins that could permit them to order diverse ornament and various silliness along at the SWTOR save (that rhymes, by way). http://www.swtorcredits.com/ Heres several of the information a SWTOR web-site is required to express in regards to this problem. Covering the approaching many months you'll encounter extra consistent Recreation Posts, like set subject material for instance Flashpoints, Warzones, Experditions, potent in-game incidents and many more in addition to a person's reoccuring. Shenanigans. Theyve ended up announcing the following considering put out they usually just simply eliminated a primary element of a SWTOR dev company. Hence, yeah Plus locations coming soon merchandise. Business: Fright Out of Above Attack silent and invisible disasters to the innovative Gree-controlled environment with Asation just like you get so that you can slowly a escalate of your Anxiety Owners! Warzone: Age-old Hypergate Get regulate of your innovative environment with Asation inside an excellent player-versus-player Warzone which will discusses brand spanking new recreation insides. Innovative Space or room Resist Quests Take a flight a person's mail so that you can wining around 10 tricky innovative Place 50+ Space or room Resist suffers from. Sothis is definitely information theyve ended up appealing to get perfectly, considering always. And already the fact that recreation will almost certainly visit f2p, theyre visiting give? I highly recommend you. Plus whats out there by using liberated to have fun with vs . your reoccuring?. Liberated to have fun with permits reduced admission to nature construction solutions, flashpoints, space or room quests, warzones, a GTN plus go benefits when subcribers receives account precedence (like thatll often be a challenge, amirite? ), admission to experditions (which f2p game enthusiasts won't currently have, while in the beginning), plus 100 % admission to most of the activities featuresPlus, not surprisingly, all those cartel coinsHeres your blurb about this. Cartel Silver coins work

Enjoy the famous Escort services in london

2012-07-20T07:50:25.863-04:00

The bosoms of the busty London escorts are mighty big and you will love to play with them.More : http://vlondonescorts.co.uk/escorts/gallery/busty-escorts-london/1/

2012-07-13T04:51:10.05-04:00

John D. Rockefeller and Standar Oil

2006-12-05T02:00:47-05:00

Entrepreneurship—a bold and risky undertaking—is a multifaceted entity. Throughout our years of schooling we are taught of the “American Dream” and entertained with stories of those who perfected it. The life of John D. Rockefeller, founder of the Standard Oil Company, is a paragon of entrepreneurship. Over a forty-year period, Rockefeller built Standard Oil into the largest company in the world, and for a time reigned as the richest man in the world. John D. Rockefeller was born on his family’s farm at Richford, New York, on July 8, 1939. John was the second of six children of William and Eliza Rockefeller, and they lived in modest conditions. When he was a boy, the family moved to several different locations, before permanently settling in Ohio in 1853. His father was a traveling salesman, who sold products that can most aptly be described as dubious and questionable, such as “cancer cures.” Moreover, he was a philanderer and a bigamist, and he was often gone for extended periods of time. Because of this, John’s mother Eliza persistently struggled to maintain a semblance of stability at home. While pursuing his public education, John and his brother William lived in a house near their school. He joined the Erie Street Baptist Church, becoming a deacon at the age of nineteen and a trustee and the age of twenty-one. Rockefeller had essentially no education. At fifteen, he entered Central High School in Cleveland, but dropped out less than a year later. In 1855, he took a business course at Folsom Mercantile College, completing the six-month course in fewer than three. After completing the business course, he spent six weeks searching for a job. He was eventually employed as an assistant bookkeeper by Hewitt & Tuttle, a small firm of commission merchants and produce shippers. A few months after starting work at Hewitt & Tuttle, he was promoted to the cashier and bookkeeper. In 1859, he had saved enough money to form a partnership in the commission business with another young man, Maurice B. Clark. In that same year, oil was discovered at near Titusville in western Pennsylvania, giving rise to the petroleum industry. The city of Cleveland became a major refining center shortly after, and in 1863 Rockefeller and Clark entered the oil business as refiners. After gaining

define love

2006-08-18T13:14:35-04:00

What is love? That is the only question that I couldn’t answer. Yesterday during lunch, my friends and I were discussing about boys. From my own thinking, why teenagers now a days are so urge and so desperate to have boyfriends and to have sex for those who are desperately want to know what it is like to have someone who don’t have any blood relation with you, cares about you and to say all those sweet and romantic things. It is not like I am against of people having their love at first sight at a very young age, it is just that I don’t think it is necessary to get involved in a relationship that you knew that it will end up sooner or later and you will be married to someone else in the future. Then, my friends thought that it is ‘cool’ if u have boyfriend so that you can show them to your friends, you know, it is just something that you can be proud of, because you are able to tackle a guy or man to get involve in a relationship with you. In the evening, during our English tuition class, we were studying one of William Shakespeare’s master piece, it is the Sonnet 18. then, from discussing about how creative and full of romance William Shakespeare are, we went on to the topic about love and having such an early relationship and so on and so forth. And again, I have to answer the only question that I am not able to answer because before this it was just biology, chemistry, physics plus lots of equations and calculations. But this one is different. The question is to define love. It is something that I am very weak at. What do I know anything about love, I know that all the cartoon princesses live happily ever after with their dream prince and they are very much indeed in love with each other. Finally I did figure out something, love is a feeling base on the dictionary, but my tutor doesn’t want the definition base on the dictionary, he wanted the definition to be from me. then suddenly on the spot, something in the past came across my mind. I had just thought about my first crush. That is towards my own neighbor, his house is just next door.i do not know how did it happened, but

Alexander the Great- Obituary

2006-04-12T10:28:28-04:00

Alexander the Great 356 Ð 323, King of Macedon, Conqueror of most of Asia Born in July in Pella, Macedon in 356, Alexander was born to Phillip of Macedon and the Epirote princess Olympias. Legend has it that Zeus himself actually impregnated Olympias, but thatÕs just an urban myth.

Congressman Jeff Fortenberry

2006-02-07T19:04:53-05:00

“Fortenberry”. Just sounds like an American name, doesn’t it? Jeff Fortenberry- the kind of name that conjures up your old hometown best friend, the one who was always successful, fulfilling his dreams, and is living a happy life. He’s “living the dream”. But who is Jeff Fortenberry? He is none other than the United States congressman representing Nebraska’s first congressional district. Recently elected in November of 2004, Fortenberry is a newcomer or “freshman” member of Congress. He is a strong Republican with big ideas and plans for the state he so obviously cares for. Jeff Fortenberry- though not by name alone- is an exemplary American and a strong leader. Nebraska, as a state, tends not to vary much from district to district. The first district is home to approximately 570,421 people; the total population of Nebraska is 1,711,263 people. Most in the first district (as well as Nebraska as a whole) are white; the first district states that they have only 1.4% black residents and 4.2% Hispanic residents. Over 86% of Nebraskans over the age of 25 have high school degrees, and 24% continued on to get a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Over 67% of people own homes, with the median of the housing values being $88,000. A majority of the people in eastern Nebraska (Fortenberry’s district) are involved in Nebraska’s main business- agriculture. Farming and agriculture is a huge part of Nebraska’s economy. Corn is a main crop, which lead to the area’s as well as Fortenberry’s interest in producing ethanol as an alternative fuel. Other than agriculture, a main interest and concern for Nebraskan congressmen, there are various other businesses. There are many people that work in the retail or education industries, with information services and engineering sciences not far behind. Nebraskans believe that they are ones to “set their own star” and challenge big corporate powers. They would like to create themselves into a player in the international agricultural markets. This proves where there hearts are located- at home, with their fields and farming. Nebraska’s voting trends are often discussed because of their consistent Republican ways that emanate the voting results. The whole state has voted for the Republican candidate in each presidential election since 1972, most likely earlier also. In the 2004 presidential election, the first district voted for Bush in a majority of 59%. There are only seven counties in Nebraska that have more Democrats

Qin Shi Huangdi

2006-01-17T02:56:18-05:00

Qin Shi Huangdi was a complete curse for China because his way of ruling was too rough, and it made people realize that they shouldn’t be treaded any way like this. His way of keeping order in society was through legalism. He would punish and reward to keep the society

Steven Spielberg

2005-09-08T22:31:54-04:00

Steven Spielberg As you may or may not know, Steven Spielberg is a famous director. Some his “best” movies are “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial” The Poltergeist” “Close Encounters of a Third Kind” “Jaws” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. Steven says that “Movies are my life.” Steven first discovered his love for the camera as a very young child. Steven was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on December 18, 1947. One day Steven was cleaning out the families’ garage, when he found his father old film camera. Steven then immediately went outside and started filming the night sky. After that day every time the family went somewhere or went to one of his sister’s dance recital he always had the camera. When Steven moved to California and started to go to one of their high school he wasn’t exactly the most popular kid in school. He was always the object of cruel jokes and the school bullies “human punching bag”. When Steven started to grow up he started to realize that he wanted to be a director. He started to write scripts for short films. As he got better at it he started to write longer scripts. One this movie was” Firelight” A movie that began with a group a scientists who research a bunch of mysterious lights in the sky. Then the lights turn out to be space ships, and the space ships come down and take an entire city from the Earth. When Steven graduated from High School he knew that he wanted to go to college to become a film maker. For film students, the best schools in California were U.C.L.A. and U.S.C. Since Steven didn’t have the right grades to get into those colleges he had to settle for the University of California. Then Steven made a short-film called “Amblin”, it told a simple story about to young people wandering around together. Some studio bosses at Universal Studios saw it and were so impressed that they gave Steven a long-term contract six weeks before his twenty- first birth-day. Steven was the youngest director to ever get such an offer. Steven’s first job for universal was to direct a television movie called “Night Gallery” in the story Steven directed Joan Crawford who played a rich blind women who finds an unusual way to regain her vision. Out of all the movies Steven Spielberg made most people would say that “E.T.” was his best film ever

Leaders and Their Lies

2005-04-10T03:42:36-04:00

Merriam-Webster defines morality as “conformity to ideals of right human conduct”—so what could have raised eyebrows thirty years ago may very well be commonly acceptable today. Scandals are framed in the context of what is socially acceptable behavior. The majority of presidents of the United States have endured or faced some sort of scandal during their terms of office. One recent wrongdoing, however, stands out in the minds of many Americans. William Jefferson Clinton faced what is probably the most notorious presidential offense in recent history. His presidential campaign was tainted when Gennifer Flowers came forward and confessed to having an affair with the then governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton. Clinton was known to have sexual relations with women on a regular basis during his term as governor of Arkansas. In December of 1993, these escapades became public in Troopergate, the scandal that surfaced when “a group of Arkansas state troopers told stories about soliciting women and facilitating extramarital trysts for Clinton while he was governor.” (Isikoff p.4) One of the women involved in the Troopergate scandal was Paula Corbin Jones, a woman whose persistence and persecution later proved vital to the impeachment of President Clinton. Jones worked at the registration desk in the Excelsior Hotel—the location of her first encounter with Clinton. He asked her to accompany him to his room and exposed himself to her. When she went public with these allegations against Clinton, he vehemently denied ever meeting with Jones. Clinton’s denial infuriated Jones, causing her to pursue a civil case against him, but after his denial, her case lost public interest. Perhaps the most infamous of all Clinton’s affairs was his relationship with the young intern, Monica Lewinsky. Her repeated encounters with the President probably would have never surfaced if it weren’t for Linda Tripp. Tripp had become a motherly figure to Lewinsky, consoling her and becoming her confidant. Tripp recorded several phone conversations between the two regarding her relationship with Clinton. These conversations were some of the strongest evidence against Clinton’s denial of his sexual relationship with Ms. Lewinsky. On January 20, 1998 “news [broke] that President Clinton may have had a sexual relationship with a White House intern named Monica Lewinsky” (presidential). Clinton had denied these accusations under oath in the Paula Jones trials, but Tripp had evidence that

A Comparison of Winston Churchill and Julius Ceasar

2004-11-28T23:14:16-05:00

Winston Churchill is one of the most well known and successful leaders of the last century. Churchill had many characteristics that helped him during his rule. Some of these include his charisma, his inspiration, and his decisive actions. These characteristics are analogous to the traits that some characters express in the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. These particular attributes assisted Churchill in his rise to power as well as his rule as Prime Minister. One of the most important characteristics that Winston Churchill expressed was his charisma. Churchill’s charisma can be broken down into three elements: hard work, his understanding of military strategy, and his oratory. Churchill was very hard working, even though he was sixty-six years old when he first became Prime Minister in 1940. His time and devotion to detail left his smart, young assistants stranded for help. In the 1930s he had mastered the most elaborate military information, so he could “out-brief the government ministers he harried so mercilessly in the House of Commons” (Winston Churchill - Schama - the Churchilliad). After becoming Prime Minister, he stated that he had nothing to offer but “blood, toil, tears and sweat" (Sir Winston Churchill - The Churchill Centre). His ability to absorb and analyze was an essential skill. It showed that he always got the job done, and did it right. It also instilled respect for him among people of lower status. The second part of his charisma was his impressive understanding of military strategy. Churchill was without a doubt a better commander than a majority of the other war leaders of his time. His grasp of military strategies meant that he could speak to his generals and other officials easily and easily construct with them, at any moment of the war, a careful order of priorities. The final piece of Winston Churchill’s charisma was his great oratory skills. Many authors and inspiring individuals cite many of his speeches. Churchill could make up speeches at the spur of the moment, and it is clear that his speeches broke the crust of the British social class system and brought together citizens divided by their accent, manners, education and wealth. One of his listeners thought that "every word was like a transfusion of drops of blood” (Winston Churchill - Schama

2004-07-26T06:55:59-04:00

Was the death of Marilyn Monroe: accident, suicide or cold-blooded murder? In order to understand whether or not the death of Marilyn Monroe was an accident, suicide or cold-blooded murder one needs to look in to the life, childhood and career of Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jean Mortenson at nine thirty am on the first day of June 1926. Her last name would later be changed to Baker. She was born to mother Gladys Monroe-Baker and a father who she would never know the true identity of. Gladys who worked as a film cutter for a movie studio suffered from a condition called Paranoid schizophrenia. Which she had an 8 to 18 % chance of passing on to her daughter. If she were to pass this condition on to her daughter than Norma Jean would suffer the symptoms of Confusion, inability to make decisions, hallucinations, unusual perceptions and disorder thinking which leads to talking in nonsense, these symptoms lead to an increased chance of committing suicide. The children of Paranoid schizophrenia sufferers are thirteen times more at risk of suffering from other mental illnesses including, anxiety, depression and substance abuse, which also increases the risk of suicide or an accidental drug overdose. Norma Jean’s child hood was anything but happy “the world around me was kind of grim”. As there were no treatments for Paranoid Schizophrenia Gladys was sent to a mental asylum, leaving Norma Jean to be shipped from one foster home to another (even living in an orphanage for two years). Being shifted from home to home would leave Norma Jean feeling un loved and rejected. A family friend of her mothers named Grace McKee eventually took her in. She lived with the McKee’s until they needed to move for Mr. McKee’s work. They were unable to take Norma Jean with them so she was encouraged to marry the son of a neighbor who she had been dating for only six weeks. The marriage took place just weeks after her sixteenth birthday in 1942. The marriage was neither happy nor sad for the young adolescent. When her husband Jimmy Dougherty, a Merchant Marines officer was sent to war, Norma Jean got a job and an aircraft inspecting plant where she painted planes. During this time she became very lonely and turned to the drink to ease her boredom. This was the beginning of a

Bette Midler: Simply Divine

2004-05-27T22:36:15-04:00

There is only one word to describe Bette Midler: Divine. She is the bold and brassy, fragile and flamboyant, gleeful and glorious star of stage, screen, and television. And in my opinion there is no one that compares to her. She is a one of a kind individual with this enormous amount of talent. From the little insecure Jewish girl who grew up in Hawaii to star of sold out performances at Madison Square Garden. Bette Midler is someone who makes everyone feel nothing is wrong. Her climb to the top is remarkable and that is why she is my idol. Bette Midler was born December 1st, 1945 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The third child of Fred and Ruth Midler. She was named for Bette Davis (her mother thought the last “e” was silent) and her family was the only white Jewish family in an all Japanese, Samoan, and Chinese neighborhood. Growing up, her family was very poor. Her father was a house painter in the navy and her mother stayed home and watched her 3 daughers. Bette never received the attention she needed from her father and it seemed like he was never there. When Bette was 6 years old, her mother had another child, Danny, who was mentally handicapped and that made the relationship between her and her father even more distant. When Bette was 11 years old she realized exactly what she wanted to do. She entered herself in a school talent contest and she sang “Lullaby of Broadway”. She won the 1st prize of 2 dollars and from then on knew she wanted to be a performer because she loved the response form her audience. Then her chance to become a star came when Bette was about 18 years old. The filming for the movie “Hawaii” came to Bette’s homeland and they were looking for extras to be in the film. Bette naturally did all she could to try and get cast, and sure enough she did! With the $1000 she was paid from that experience, she bought a one way ticket to New York City and never looked back. Bette came to New York City in 1967 and had very little money to do anything. She quickly found herself a job working part time as a go-go dancer and part time in the library at Columbia University. With the money she was making from these small

Bette Midler: Simply Divine

2004-05-25T02:30:30-04:00

There is only word to describe Bette Midler: Divine. She is the bold and brassy, fragile and flamboyant, gleeful and glorious star of stage, screen, and television. And in my opinion there is no one that compares to her. She is a one of a kind individual with this enormous amount of talent. From the little insecure Jewish girl who grew up in Hawaii to star of sold out performances at Madison Square Garden. Bette Midler is someone who makes everyone feel nothing is wrong. Her climb to the top is remarkable and that is why she is my idol. Bette Midler was born December 1st, 1945 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The third child of Fred and Ruth Midler. She was named for Bette Davis (her mother thought the last “e” was silent) and her family was the only white Jewish family in an all Japanese, Samoan, and Chinese neighborhood. Growing up, her family was very poor. Her father was a house painter in the navy and her mother stayed home and watched her 3 daughers. Bette never received the attention she needed from her father and it seemed like he was never there. When Bette was 6 years old, her mother had another child, Danny, who was mentally handicapped and that made the relationship between her and her father even more distant. When Bette was 11 years old she realized exactly what she wanted to do. She entered herself in a school talent contest and she sang “Lullaby of Broadway”. She won the 1st prize of 2 dollars and from then on knew she wanted to be a performer because she loved the response form her audience. Then her chance to become a star came when Bette was about 18 years old. The filming for the movie “Hawaii” came to Bette’s homeland and they were looking for extras to be in the film. Bette naturally did all she could to try and get cast, and sure enough she did! With the $1000 she was paid from that experience, she bought a one way ticket to New York City and never looked back. Bette came to New York City in 1967 and had very little money to do anything. She quickly found herself a job working part time as a go-go dancer and part time in the library at Columbia University. With the money she was making from these small jobs

lennon- sbeing

2004-05-05T09:57:00-04:00

He was a poet, a musician, an activist, a father and a husband, the dream weaver and the writer of possibly the most challenging song ever written; but more than anything he was himself, he accepted who he was and what he did. John Lennon was more than just a public figure in his time; he was a portrayal of a fully alive human being. Few people of the twentieth century have left positive impressions on the world like John Lennon did with his lasting music and eternal messages of love and peace. His life began on October 4, 1940, and, while ending just forty years later, it was a full life of purpose and meaning. Lennon spent much of his childhood growing up in Liverpool, under his Aunt Mimi’s roof. John was artistic from a young age, he cared little for toys or games, “his mind was going the hole time” recalled Mimi. John was not a typical child; it was writing poetry, drawing or reading when it came to entertaining himself. To John however, being typical was not what he was looking for in life, as he made clear later in life when he said “I’m not interested in being hip… I’m not going to change the way I look or the way I feel to conform to anything.” Nor did he conform, often making a lot of people angry about what he had to say on social issues that affected many, particularly in his post Beatles, yet still very public life, at the time of the Vietnam War. John wasted no time being anything but himself, he believed that “You don’t need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are. You are what you are.” One of his major beliefs was peace for this world. Much of his time was spent voicing his view on war and politics in a public forum, whether it be through a song, a march or a drawing; He believed in what he had to say, and what he had to say was “we all have Hitler in us, but we also have love and peace. So why not give peace a chance for once.” Not ‘you have to want peace’, or ‘you have to listen to me because I’m right’ and not ‘you are a bad person if you don’t listen’. He simply believed that “…if everyone demanded

Bob Marley

2004-05-02T23:03:20-04:00

A poverty stricken Jamaican child sits on the side of a street in Kingston, drumming on a vegetable bin and singing to the beat. Robert Nesta Marley was only five, but it was clear music was his destiny. You might know him better as Bob Marley and he is without a doubt the most famous figure to emerge from the reggae community. His musical career beginning with his first band was influenced by his unique Rastafarian religious beliefs. It continued with his tumultuous lifestyle where he dealt with assassination attempts, and ending with his tragic death at 36 from cancer. Although Bob Marley died in 1981 he is still recognized as a major musical influence by pop culture. Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945 in the rural areas of Nine Mile, Jamaica. He was the sixth of nine children and was born of a scandal when his Mother had an affair with an older army lieutenant. He was incredibly bright as a child and was sent to the nearest city to live with his aunt and get an education at age five. In the large city he became immersed in the world of music and knew right then that he wanted to be a performer. As he started to mature no one knew the career that Bob had ahead of him and the places it would take him. Bob Marley is synonymous with reggae. He introduced the world to the laid back Jamaican beat. His albums are recognized world wide. The first gold reggae album was “Catch A Fire”. This was also his most successful compilation. His fame peaked following his move to the United States leaving behind his native band, The Wailers. The Wailers originally consisted of Bob, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Junior Braithwaite, Cherry Green and Beverly Kalso and were formed in 1960. The band was discovered at a talent show by Coxsone Dodd who owned a small record company based in Kingston. Later just after signing their first record deal, Junior Braithwaite and Cherry Green quit leaving Bob to be the lead singer. There firs hit was “Simmer Down” that spread throughout Jamaica like a wild fire making the band an instant hit. Bob left the band in 1966 to move to the U.S. where he finally became a Rasta. A

T.S.Eliot

2004-04-19T06:48:13-04:00

Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA. He studied philosophy and literature at Harvard, Sorbonne and Oxford. After WW1 he decided to live in London and in 1927 he became a British subject. In 1915 he married Vivien Haigh-Wood, whose mental instability led to her confinement in institutions from 1930 to her death in 1947. This influenced him much. He worked as bank clerk, teacher and editor in Faber and Gwyer Publisher Company. Later he became the director of this firm, which was renamed to Faber and Faber. In 1927 he joined Church of England. He was awarded the British Order of Merit and the Nobel Prize for literature in 1948 and the American Medal of Freedom in 1964. He died in London on Jan. 4, 1965. He was friends with Ezra Pound. Ezra Pound regarded Eliot as a truly modern poet who had developed an extraordinary original idiom that fused tradition and superior learning with the contemporary and colloquial. He was successful on both sides of the Atlantic. His most famous poem is The Waste Land (1922).

King John

2004-04-19T06:44:43-04:00

There were two brothers. Richard the Lionheart was handsome, kind, brave, clever, romantic, popular man and King of England and a bit of France. John was ugly, cruel, cowardly, clever (as well), unromantic, unpopular man and only got Ireland. King John (the lackland) 1199 – 1216 King John was someone you would not let marry your daughter. He grabbed cash from all his poor downtrodden subjects so that he could live in luxury and defend his French possessions. He was always bad at battles (they did not call him “softsword” for nothing) and lost most of them. He murdered his young nephew Arthur in 1203 because he had a better claim to the throne. In the war that followed he lost nearly all what remained of his French dominions. Later he upset the Church and was excommunicated (not allowed to talk to God). This did not worry him too much

Sir Isaac Newton

2004-04-13T18:52:23-04:00

Sir Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton could easily be considered one of the greatest minds in history. He was an all around genius. He was a mathematician, a natural philosopher, an inventor, and an English physicist. Some of the phenomenal things he did include studying how light reacts to reflection, formulating laws of universal gravitation and motion, and built the first ever reflecting telescope. In 1642 Isaac Newton was born into a very poor farming family inWoolsthorpe, England. When he was very young, his grandma took over and raised him. During this time, he and his grandma lived with a man who took Newton under his wing. There Newton discovered his love for chemical operations. Even thought Newton was terrible at grammar and school in general, (at his school in a nearby town) he excelled when it came to using his hands. He made sundials, model windmills, a water clock, a mechanical carriage, and flew kites with lanterns attached to their tails. At only 14, Newton’s mother had taken him out of school to continue the family farming. Since his father died before he was even born, Newton didn’t have much of a father figure to help teach him how to farm properly. Even though he was great with his hands, he was horrible at farming. His ex-teacher had found him to be a diamond in the ruff. The family was then persuaded to let him go to the University of Cambridge to study to become a preacher. He was accepted into Cambridge in the year of 1161. His studies included arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, astronomy, and optics. One of Newton’s professors was Isaac Barrow. The two of them clicked. Barrow could see Newton’s desire for learning. Thus he challenged him with great passion. When Newton was 23 he had already received his bachelor’s degree. Just that year, 1665, the very deadly bubonic plague a.k.a. the Black Death had hit. Newton was forced to leave Cambridge. He had returned back to his home town of Woolsthorpe. He stayed there for two years to do independent studies. This is what started Newton to study the things he is known for by today. In some sick and twisted way, the Black Death could be considered a good thing. In the sense that if it had never happened, then we might never have laws of gravity. While at home he made great

The Life of Mozart

2004-02-05T02:39:34-05:00

The Life of Mozart In his time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart influenced classical music greatly, astounding many with his remarkable genius. This musical giant composed over 600 sonatas, concertos, sonatinas, minuets, librettos, serenades, oratorios, cantatas, operas and symphonies, and is one of the most remembered and revered musicians of his time. Mozart’s life was one filled with talent, music and suffering. The young maestro displayed a great musical ability at an early age. Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophillus Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27th, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. When he was five, Mozart created his first piece, called Andante in C. His father, a moderately successful vicekapellmeister saw how talented his extraordinary son was and proceeded to display him to all of Europe. Mozart went on tour to Paris and London, visiting many courts along the way. All who listened to little Wolfgang’s music were amazed at his remarkable skills. Among those he performed for were the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, the Bavarian elector, and the French and English royal families. Mozart demonstrated musical genius as a child. Throughout his life, Mozart composed many musical pieces that were praised and a few that were criticized. In 1780, he went to Munich to compose a serious opera. The work, Idomeneo was a tremendous success, partially because Mozart depicted such strong emotions unsurpassed elsewhere in his previous compositions. He created expressive and vividly profound orchestral music to compliment the opera. However, not all of Mozart’s music was well received. In 1782, the opera Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, a German Singspiel, went far beyond the usual expectations of tradition, with long, elaborately written songs. Emperor Joseph II criticized the work by saying,“Too many notes, my dear Mozart.” Mozart created many wonderful works during his life. Although he had great musical ability, Mozart’s lack of a normal childhood caused him much suffering. During his youth, Mozart was constantly in the news and was extravagantly acclaimed by all. He was well aware of his precious talent and developed an arrogant and overly confident demeanor. This attitude often got Mozart fired from jobs that he felt was beneath his capabilities. He had little discipline and maturity outside the subject of music. Mozart frequently went through periods of financial difficulty. Though he made good money according to musician’s standards, he foolishly spent more than was coming in, often forcing the proud man to borrow money. It was Mozart’s lack of

A Turning Point

2003-12-06T04:20:05-05:00

October 22, 2003 “ A Turning Point ” Everybody has in their life one or more situation when they must make some decision, which changes their life. In the same situation, people make different decisions. Some people give up when they face a front of hard problem, while others one fight and solve their problem and become stronger. Exactly in these situations life test us what kind of people are we? Depending on the result of this “life exam” we can say we are a real man or wear “artificial” person. In the chapter, “A Turning Point ” of the book “Marie Curie ” by Ann E. Stelnke the author described one situation from Marie’s life, which redirected her life. This is a meeting with a young Polish aristocrat, Casimir Zorawski, who was her first and strongest love. Maybe for some body this is not an event which can change our life, but we shouldn’t forget she was twenty-two years old, young, ambitious, an educated lady. Her life was only beginning and she did not want to give up. She made decision to become a famous scientist and prove to Casimir, to everybody, but first, she made this challenge to herself – she is a person, her personal property is more expensive than money. She decide to live at the Sorbon, as soon as possible and in a short time graduated with a master degree in two majors. Another decision, which she made, was promise herself never to be in love and never stay in marriage. This indicated how strong her love was, and how big a stress she had after Casimir’s preference for money than her. Why did she prefer to do this? Why didn’t she cry at the time or kill herself? What made her strong? When we learn about her past life, we will find answers to all these questions. --2-- Her suffering started with the death of her mother and oldest sister Sofia. During this time, with was hard for her and her family, the little girl found in her heart a lot of courage and suppressed all tears and complains. Only books were a consolation world for her in this time. When we read about her school time, we didn’t read

Discovery of Marie Curie

2003-12-06T04:16:58-05:00

November 4, 2003 Discovery of Marie Curie “Two things will never cease to amaze us, -- the infinite starlit heaven above our heads, and the infinite spiritual space within us.” All people are talented, all people have a gift from the Lord, but not everybody discovers this talent, not everybody develops it. Paradoxically, but generally just the brightest people at the beginning of their life had more obstacles and sufferings then other people. Maybe the suffering and barriers are just what can allow them to develop their persistence, industriousness, which helps them develop their talent. Marie Curie had had a hard childhood, she experienced poverty, disease and the death of her sister and mother. Later she became lone of parents, she faced rejections by the Polish aristocracy, and by the person whom she loved. For the more, she lost her father. However, all of these unfortunate events made her prove stronger person. She tried to prove all over the world, which ignored her, that she was a person who could be worthy of respect and attention. Somebody in her situation maybe feels despair, depressed, but not Marie. She never gave up affront obstacles on her way. Her life’s creed is shown this quotation : “ Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained. “ In her words we can see her unyielding spirit, her free soul, which she kept all her life. -- 2 -- Marie’s strive for knowledge took originated from her period in her childhood, when she, in surrounded her sisters and brother, all the time crying and boisterous male-roommates, was living in the dining room and every morning had to wake up at six o’clock. In this noisy environment only the world of books was a place of quiet and privacy for her. When Marie was studying at high school, she wrote to her friend Kazia, -- “I like school . . . . I must tell you that I love it.” She was a patriot of her country and she really tried to help the Polish people, but she really tried to help the French people also. This

Coalwood & Homer Hickam, Jr.

2003-12-03T16:55:43-05:00

Homer Hickam, Jr. had a dream too big for his small coalmining town of West Virginia, however, with the collective will of he and close friends, he fulfilled his dream. Coalwood is located in the southern most tip of West Virginia in McDowell County. It was a coalmining town founded by George Lafayette Carter in the early 1900’s. Carter built the model town of his time, “… if a man was willing to come to Coalwood and offer his complete and utter loyalty to the coal company, he would receive in return a sensible paycheck, a sturdy house resistant to the weather, the services of a doctor and a dentist at little or no cost, and a preacher who could be counted on to give a reasonably uncomplicated sermon.” (Sky of Stone, 2) The town was basically the company, everything from the dirt under your feet to the gritty coal dust in the air was owned by the company. Everyone’s wallets and purses were a mix of U.S. currency and company currency, called scrip, which was used in the company store, or, the “Big Store”. Carter also set up schools so the children of coalminers could “…aspire to greatness.” A newspaper article from 1926 sums up the town pretty well; “Mr. Carter owns lock, stock, and barrel the model town of Coalwood—houses, stores, churches, police, clergy, and medical services—all that makes up the life of a miner. It is a town of remarkable contrast to the surrounding villages where squalor and poverty are the world. With houses painted and surrounded by flower gardens and lawns, Coalwood looks more like an Alpine Village than the begrimed coal towns of most of America.” (Sky of Stone, 2) That was then, since 1985 up until a few years ago, Coalwood was barely a town at all. There were no traces of a mine ever being there, the original town buildings were all boarded up, and all of the company shops were closed down. That all changed after Homer Hickam, Jr., the son of a former Coalwood mine superintendent, wrote Rocket Boys, which went on to become an award winning movie, renamed October Sky. The book was about himself and his friends building rockets in Coalwood, and Homer’s dream of one day working with Dr. Wernher Van Braun at Cape Canaveral. Because of the popularity the movie brought, Coalwood became a tourist attraction. “Forty year’s after

Coalwood & Homer Hickam, Jr.

2003-12-03T16:54:37-05:00

Daniel Pearl

2003-12-01T07:09:51-05:00

The United States of America is a “special nation”, with a manifest destiny to become the “protectors of the free world”. And so the ironic battle begins here as we began to realize that the free world is in a paradox of itself. As protectors, this ideological thinking has grown into a foreign policy, and freedom is no longer just a gift but instead every human’s right and a moral of society. Since 1776, when America had declared freedom its almost as if “freedom” became a never-ending battle to fight for. And as if on a crusade the United States has enforced their ethics creating an ideological illusion to be enforced globally by the most powerful individual and in turn protected by the most powerful country in the world. This never-ending war for individual freedom has resulted in an inevitable Yin Yang, conflict of values, a creation of heaven vs. hell, and thus concluded to an ideological battle of Good vs. Evil. This disagreement of Good Vs. Evil is taken upon as a war for individual freedom fought at all costs even if the “ends justify the means” along with the theory that violence outside the law to achieve justice is acceptable. This “above the law” status created by American ideals has sunk into the blood and veins of the people. Other myth such as technology, being the protector and savior of the people, is demonstrated by the status of the United States as a world “super power”. All these myths help to form a culture of individuality and heroic mindsets. These ethics grow out of myths and transform into reality as Americans witness, its government policies leap into international waters to take action, through their “technological savior”: the media. The ideology of America has created a visible paradox making it evident of a glitch in its media, culture, and society. By analyzing the ideology of the American individualistic culture that is appraised in Society and in fact practiced by the American society in its foreign policies of a “holy war” can in fact become hypocritical of itself. Through a Micro Level prospective, a media case study of an Investigative Journalist arouses issues of ethics that make it evident to find the paradox in the so called free world. Long before September 11th Anti American

John William Strutt Rayleigh

2002-11-24T13:00:00-05:00

John Rayleigh was born in 1842 and died in 1919
He was a British mathematician, physicist, and Nobel laureate, known for his research in wave phenomena.
Rayleigh was born in Lanford Grove, near Maldon, England
He went to Cambridge University.
He served as professor of experimental physics and director of the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge from 1879 to 1884
He was also professor of natural philosophy at the Royal Institution, London, from 1887 to 1905.
He became chancellor of Cambridge in 1908.
Rayleigh did research into physical optics, light, colour, and electricity and the dynamics of resonance and vibrations of gas and elastic

Sir Fred Hoyle

2002-11-24T13:00:00-05:00

Fred Hoyle was born in 1915
He was born in Bingley, Yorkshire.
He was English
He was an astronomer and mathematician
He was one of the first to apply relativity equations and modern physics to cosmology
He graduated from

Provincetown Players

2002-09-18T14:00:00-04:00

Provincetown town (township), Barnstable county, eastern Massachusetts, U.S., at the northern tip of Cape Cod. It is located among sand dunes within a fishhook-shaped harbour that was visited by the explorers Bartholomew Gosnold in 1602 and Henry Hudson in 1609. Before the Pilgrims founded Plymouth, they landed there. An event that is now commemorated on Nov. 21. It was on board the Mayflower in Provincetown harbour where the first European child in New England (Peregrine White) was born. The Pilgrim Monument (built in 1907–10) and Provincetown Museum (both on High Pole Hill) commemorate these events. Traders and fishermen settled the site prior to 1700; the community, known as the Precinct of Cape Cod or Province Lands, was part of Truro until it was separately incorporated in 1727 as Provincetown. Exposed to repeated seaborne attacks, it was abandoned during the French and Indian Wars (1754–63) and the American Revolution (1775–83). Its harbour was used by the British as a naval base during the Revolution and during the War of 1812. As an active whaling and fishing port in the 19th century, Provincetown attracted large numbers of Portuguese fishermen, whose descendants still maintain a fleet there. Salt making (by evaporating seawater) was long an important activity. Bounded by the Cape Cod National Seashore, Provincetown is a popular summer resort and noted artists' colony. A longtime resident was Eugene O'Neill, whose first produced play, Bound East for Cardiff, was staged there in 1916 by the Provincetown Players. In the latter part of the 20th century the town also became known for its gay community.

Provincetown Players

In 1915, at their summer home in Provincetown on Cape Cod, Susan Glaspell and George Cram Cook (Glaspell's husband) organized a group of local artists as an amateur theatre group and staged a number of one-act plays in a converted fish warehouse. The next year Eugene O'Neill was introduced to the group, which soon became more formally organized as the Provincetown Players. They began performing in 1915 in Provincetown. The theatre was founded with the common aim of producing new and highly experimental plays. Among the original Provincetowners who staged the first plays in in the Wharf Theater were Mary Heaton Vorse, George Cram Cook, Susan Glaspell, Hutchins Hapgood, Wilbur Steele, and Robert Edmond Jones. In 1916 the group produced in Wharf Theatre, Eugene O'Neill's “Bound East for Cardiff” and “Thirst”, thus launching the career of one of America's distinguished

Reality Or Fantasy, You be the judge

2002-06-26T14:00:00-04:00

The following short story was inspired by: Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s form of — mystical realism esp., A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings The first to drift down from the heavens was of Hispanic origin; he would remain in the tiny country for nearly nine years. Those that followed would also remain for many years; this was how it was in those days. Before it was all over, there would be five hundred and ninety more of these angels, float down from the heavens. They landed in a small Asian country where the people were poor, and couldn’t speak the angel’s language. Some of the more superstitious of them thought the angels should be put to death, for they may be a result of some celestial event. However, the wisest among them chose to keep them alive, with an agenda of interrogation; also, as propaganda tools in order to save their nation. It was soon learned, that extracting information from these angels would be filled with frustration, for the nation that sent them required “silence” as a code of conduct during their basic induction. The angels were kept locked up like pigeons, where they were tortured, and starved; their only nourishment came from a rancid fish they called sturgeons, supplemented at times by cold rat meat, and a brackish venom they called water. The local people were intensely curious and wanted to see the angels brought into the streets; where they could inspect the celestial visitors that had rained death and destruction on their farms and fleets. They threw stones and beat the angel’s unmercifully; trying to exact revenge, for the incredible suffering the angels had brought upon them. Their captors were forced to walk beside them with fixed bayonets, to tame the crowds when they became too belligerent. After several years’ visitors were allowed in their company; who promised them, something would be done to end their misery. Letters and communiqués would be sent, to the powers responsible for their imprisonment; however, no responses were received that the angels were allowed to see, or digest. Their only knowledge of the outside world came from recently fallen angels, and this information was sketchy at best. During those times, angels were given info on a “need to know” basis; in the fear that they too may fall from the heavens, as they flew from their bases. An enormously powerful country sent the angels on their

Thomas Robert Malthus

2002-05-19T14:00:00-04:00

Malthus was an English economist, sociologist, and pioneer in modern population study. In addition, he was an English clergyman and political economist; he was the originator of Malthusian population theory. Broadly stated, Malthusian theory holds that human and other populations will increase until checked by natural limitations, principally to do with food supply. Thomas Robert Malthus was born in 1766 in Dorking, just south of London England to Daniel and Henrietta Malthus. He had seven siblings, one brother (Sydenham) and six sisters (Harriet, Eliza Maria, Anne, Catharine Lucy, Mary Catherine Charlotte, Mary Anne Catherine, and another that is not documented). His father, Daniel Malthus, was a Jacobin and knew Voltaire, Rousseau, and Hume. When Malthus was a young child, Hume brought Rousseau to their home, he was then known as “The Rookery.” Malthus was impressed by their ideas and he was influenced by their presence. As a boy, Malthus was educated privately by Richard Graves. His father took an active role in his education and constantly looked over the teaching methods of his tutors. When Malthus turned eighteen, in 1784, he started attending College at Cambridge. He did well at Cambridge despite having a marked speech impediment. While at College Malthus became a curate, or clergyman in charge of a parish, in the Church of England. In about 1796, he took up his parochial duties at Albury, Surrey, all the while living with his father Daniel. In 1804, twenty years after starting college, Malthus got married. This meant that he had to leave the Cambridge, which had been a safe haven for his early years in life. His marriage was a happy one and he had three children. In 1805, he got a job as a professor at Haileybury College. He taught Political economy in the college which was owned and run by the general education of civil servants of the East India Company. He lived a placid existence as a scholar and teacher at Haileybury College. All of his students called him 'Pop'. Malthus was a political economist who was concerned about, what he saw as, the decline of living conditions in nineteenth century England. He blamed this decline on three elements: the overproduction of young; the inability of resources to keep up with the rising human population; and the irresponsibility of the lower classes. To combat this, Malthus suggested the family size of the lower class ought to

Eleanor Roosevelt

2002-05-15T14:00:00-04:00

Although Eleanor Roosevelt served as first lady from 1932 to 1945, her influence lasted much longer than expected. Eleanor became her husband’s ears and eyes during her husband’s presidency and aided human rights during her entire life. She did what no other First Lady, or woman had dared to do before; she challenged society’s wrong doings. Many respected her; President Truman had called her “the First Lady of the World (Freedman, 168).” Eleanor Roosevelt was an amazing first lady who helped her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt, run the country. Eleanor was born on October 11th 1884 in New York City to Anna and Elliott Roosevelt. Six years later, Elliott was confined to a mental asylum and Anna died of diphtheria. Eleanor’s grandmother followed her mother’s wishes, and enrolled Eleanor at Allenswood School in England when she was 15 and was there until 1902 (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eleanor/). During this time, President McKinley was assassinated and her Uncle, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt became president. When Eleanor finished school, she went back to New York and enmeshed herself into upper class society at the Waldorf- Astoria Hotel in New York City. When she was 19 she became engaged to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, her fifth cousin once removed. In 1903, Eleanor enrolled in the Junior League of New York where she taught calisthenics and dancing to immigrants (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eleanor/). She also became involved in social warfare by joining the Consumers’ League, which investigated working conditions in the garment district. Eleanor and Franklin were married on March 17th 1905, with President Teddy Roosevelt giving the bride away (http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/ar32.html). From 1906 to 1916, Eleanor had 6 children, Anna, James, Franklin Jr., who dies in infancy of influenza, Elliott, another Franklin Jr. and John. In 1913 her husband became Assistant Secretary of the Navy, which enabled Eleanor to spend a great deal of time in Washington getting familiar with the ways of life. With the onset of World War I, Eleanor volunteered for the D.C. Red Cross, the Navy Department, and Navy League to help servicemen. In 1919, she volunteered at St. Elizabeth Hospital to visit World War I veterans, she also volunteered at the International Congress of Working Women. In 1920 Eleanor traveled with her husband on his campaign for the vice presidency and joined the League of Women Voters. Later, Congress passes the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote. When, in 1921 Franklin Roosevelt

Salvador Dali

2002-05-07T14:00:00-04:00

Genius or madman? Salvador Dali has been referred to as both throughout the course of his seventy-eight-year career. One who has seen any of his artwork will uncertainly question the sanity of Salvador Dali. Dali is best known for his surrealist works and many consider him the most brilliant Surrealist of his time. But to understand the enigma that is Salvador Dali, one must take a look back into his childhood, his family, and his inspirations. Salvador Dali was born in Figueras, Spain to father Don Salvador Dali y Cusi and mother Felipa Domenech. The year was 1904. The answering machine had just been invented as well as the first flat-disk phonograph. A remarkable new child’s toy had been created, and dubbed the “Teddy Bear.” In 1907, his sister, Ana Maria, was born. Dali, being the only young male in a female-dominated household, was pampered by his overprotective mother, grandmother, aunt, and nurse. All this attention was not enough for Dali, and he constantly sought ways to seek more. He frequently threw tantrums and would induce coughing fits on himself. He purposely would wet his bed to anger his father. Dali continued this until he reached the age of eight, when he discovered he could anger his father much more intensely by getting himself into trouble at school. By the age of 10, Dali stopped acting out so much, and began to show an interest in art. He produced his first painting. By the time he was 15, he had already set up his own art exhibition. In 1921, a 17-year-old Salvador Dali entered the Madrid Fine Arts School, hoping to fuel his interest in Futurism and Cubism. However, Dali was suspended for a year after urging all students to rebel against the school’s authorities. In 1926, the school decided to expel Dali for similar reasons. In 1929, Salvador Dali developed an interest in Surrealism, and joined the movement. Dali began developing his method, which he eventually would name “Paranoic-critical” and describe as a “spontaneous method of irrational knowledge based on critical and systematic objectivation of delirious associations and interpretations.” In the following years, Dali produced three paintings: in 1929 he produced ‘The Lugubrious Game’; in 1931 he finished work on the painting he is most well known for, ‘The Persistence of Memory’; finally in 1932 he produced ‘Surrealist Objects, Gauges of Instantaneous Memory’. Dali had created his trademark “soft watches” for

Theodore Roosevelt

2002-04-28T14:00:00-04:00

Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 27, 1858. He was the second of the four children by the parents of Theodore and Martha Bulloch Roosevelt. Theodore was a puny kid when he was little and suffered from bad asthma. This kept him from being able to get out and play like other kids(Stefan Lorant 13-17) When Theodore was about 12, his father told him that he would need a strong body to give his mind a chance to develop fully. The next year, while alone on a trip to Maine, Theodore was tormented by two big bully’s. He felt ashamed because he was not strong enough to fight back. Roosevelt's father built a gymnasium in the family home, and Theodore exercised there regularly. He overcame his asthma and built up unusual physical strength. He studied under tutors until he entered Harvard in 1876. He earned good grades, and it was said that Theodore would ask so many questions during class, that the teacher would often have to remind him who the teacher was. The 22 year old Roosevelt started his career as a politician right after finishing his Harvard law degree. He was appointed to the U.S Civil Service Commission in 1889. Cuban rebels had been revolting against their Spanish rulers. Many Americans demanded that the United States help the Cubans. On Feb. 15, 1898, the U.S. battleship Maine blew up in Havana harbor. Roosevelt tried to rush getting prepared for war against Spain. He became impatient with McKinley's attempts to avoid war. In private, Roosevelt complained that the president had "no more backbone than a chocolate eclair." The United States declared war on Spain. Roosevelt immediately resigned as assistant secretary of the Navy so he could fight. Even before resigning, he had started to recruit men for a cavalry regiment. This unit became the First Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. Under Roosevelt's command, they were known as the Rough Riders. Most of the men were former college athletes and Western cowboys. American troops attacked a ring of fortified hills surrounding Santiago, Cuba. Colonel Roosevelt led his men in a charge up Kettle Hill, which flanked the blockhouse on San Juan Hill (Theodore Roosevelt 156-158) He and the Rough Riders became nationally famous. Twenty years later he declared: "San Juan was the great day of my life." Theodore Roosevelt was one of the most well liked Presidents America

Abraham Lincoln Critical Biography - An Icon of Western Civilization

2002-04-23T14:00:00-04:00

Slavery- n. - The state of one bound in servitude as the property of a slaveholder or household; A condition of subjection or submission characterized by lack of freedom of action or of will. (www.dictionary.com) This is one of the most important issues that Abraham Lincoln has to face and overcome during his strenuous presidency. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), sixteenth president of the United States, entered office at a critical period in U. S. history, just before the Civil War, and showed, through the theme of anti-naturalism, the evolution from the country-bumbkin hero living in the lower class society of the South to the President fighting historical battles on the issues of slavery and secession. In his early years, we learn of Abe Lincoln’s childhood, full of poverty, as he was surrounded low-class society. Living in this pioneering family, Abe Lincoln wasn’t given a good opportunity at a healthy education, cultural activities, and communicating with the society around him. However, Abe doesn’t let these restrictions shield him from the true life he wants to lead. Early in life, Abe’s cousin stated, "He’ll never come to much."(Carl Sandburg, Abe Lincoln Grows Up, page34) Abraham proved this statement very wrong when he "outran" his predestination and became a great figure in American history. Abraham grew up quickly under the guidance of his father, Thomas Lincoln, and his two mothers, Nancy Hanks and Sarah Bush Johnston. These three role models, as well as his surroundings, had a great influence on his life. One aspect of Abe that shows his true determination and drive to make a difference in his lifetime, is his yearning for a good education, which he himself provides. Abe matured fast, and made his way into manhood. He took on an active and contemplative lifestyle. He soon took the form of a country-bumbkin hero resembling Paul Bunyan. Abe began working as a ferryman for Offut, and during which uncovered one of the biggest obstacles of his life. It was during Abe’s ferry trip to New Orleans when he saw his first slave-auction. This was a major turning point in Abe’s life due to the fact that it opened up his eyes to the world around him and put that goal for change into his mind. Abe showed his emotions towards slavery when he said, "If I ever get a chance to hit that thing, I'll hit it hard."(Grolier: Encyclopedia Americana) This line proves

Nelle Harper Lee Biography

2002-04-17T14:00:00-04:00

Introduction:

Nelle Harper Lee has published one novel, TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD. There is no doubt that TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD was a emotional story of racial injustice in the South as well as a story about children growing up and learning about life. This book shows how life really was for some but gives a vivid picture to all. The book takes place during the Great Depression. The book seems to come to life as you read it.

Birth/Vital Statistics:

Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28.1926. She was born in Monroe, Alabama . She is the youngest of four children of Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Finch Lee. She also has a brother named Edwin Coleman Lee. Education: Nelle Harper Lee received her early education in the Monroeville public schools. Following this, she entered the University of Alabama to study law, but left in 1950 without having completed the requirements for her law degree. She moved to New York and worked as an airline reservation clerk. Her law studies proved to be good training for a writing career: they promote logical thinking, and legal cases are an excellent source of story ideas. After she came to New York, she approached a literary agent with a manuscript of two essays and three short stories. Miss Lee followed his suggestion that she expand one of the stories into a novel. This eventually became To Kill A Mockingbird.

Growing up:

Nelle Harper Lee’s father practiced as a lawyer and served as a state senator. She grew up as the youngest out of 4 children, and was the only one to pursue a literary career. She was a town boy and liked to do boy things. She was always an intelligent and an observant child. She alaways got into fights. Scout is almost a mirror image of Harper Lee. Harper Lee used Scout as an aspect of herself.

Literary Life:

When Harper Lee was younger she read and wrote a lot. Harper Lee attended Huntingdon College 1944-45, studied law at the University of Alabama 1945-49, and studied one year at Oxford University. In the 1950s she worked as a reservation clerk with Eastern Air Lines and BOAC in New York City. In order to concentrate on writing, Harper Lee gave up her position with the airline and moved into a cold-water apartment with makeshift furniture. Her father's sudden illness forced her to divide her time between New York

Andrew jackson

2002-04-04T14:00:00-04:00

I will go over Andrew Jackson’s presidency, focusing on both the highs and the lows of his two terms in office, from 1829-1837. The issues that I'll focus on are states' rights, the tariff, the spoils system, Indian removal, and banking policies; these controversies brought forth strong rivalry over his years of president. He was known for his iron will and fiery personality, and strong use of the powers of his office that made his years of presidency to be known as the "Age of Jackson." Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767, in a settlement on the border of North and South Carolina. He was orphaned at age 14. After studying law and becoming a member of the Bar in North Carolina later he moved to Nashville Tennessee. There he became a member of a powerful political faction led by William Blount. He was married in 1791 to Rachel Donelson Robards, and later remarried to him due to a legal mistake in her prior divorce in 1794. Jackson served as delegate to Tennessee. in the 1796 Constitutional convention and a congressman for a year (from 1796-97). He was elected senator in 1797, but financial problems forced him to resign and return to Tennessee in less than a year. Later he served as a Tennessee superior court judge for six years starting in 1798. In 1804 he retired from the bench and moved to Nashville and devoted time to business ventures and his plantation. At this time his political career looked over. In 1814 Jackson was a Major General in the Tennessee Militia, here he was ordered to march against the Creek Indians (who were pro-British in the war of 1812). His goal was achieved at Horseshoe Bend in March of 1814. Eventually he forced all Indians from the area. His victories impressed some people in Washington and Jackson was put in command of the defense of New Orleans. This show of American strength made Americans feel proud after a war filled with military defeats. Jackson was given the nickname "Old Hickory", and was treated as a national hero. In 1817 he was ordered against the Seminole Indians. He pushed them back into Spanish Florida and executed two British subjects. His actions helped to acquire the Florida territory, and he became a temporary governor of Florida that same year. In 1822 the Tennessee government nominated him for president and

Lachlan Macquarie

2002-03-23T13:00:00-04:00

Lachlan Macquarie governed N.S.W from January 1810 until november 1821. During this period of eleven years, many changes were observed, with the character of the colony changing considerably. It became ‘less of a gaol,’ the population increased the settlement was extended, a great deal of building took place, and trade and commerce developed further. Despite all of these positive aspects of his administration, he faced much opposition. This was mainly due to the fact that he was ‘an idealist, whose vision for N.S.W had no real chance of success.’ These ideals left ‘an unfortunate legacy of bitterness and division,’ and can be seen be seen unquestionably in his egalitarian views. Primary examples of this can be seen in his policy to emancipists and aboriginals, and also in his land policies. The reason why these ideals ‘had no real chance of success’ was that he lacked support from the british government and there was a succession of quarrels between him and the exclusives of N.S.W. Macquarie strived for a state of equality in his colony. His emancipist policy was a prime example of this. In April 1810, Macquarie wrote to Lord Castlereagh at the colonial office expressing his intention of doing all he could to help ex-convicts who had been emancipated or wjho had worked off their sentences, and had ‘turned over a new leaf and become genuinely reformed.’ He wrote: “Emancipation, when united with Rectitude and long-tried good Conduct, should lead a man back to that rank in society which he had forfeited…” he also wrote to Earl Bathurst of the British government in July 1822. “Even my work of charity, and, as it appeared to me, sound policy, in endeavoring to restore emancipated and reformed convicts to a level with their fellow subjects, a work which, considered either in a religious or political point of view, I shall ever value as the most meritorious part of my administration, has not escaped their animadversion…” Both the courage and the humanity of the governor can be seen by these actions. He continued to treat the emancipists well socially (often inviting the to dine with him) and appointed some to various high positions in society. D’arcy Wentworth, William Redfern, Andrew Thompson and Simeon Lord are all examples of emancipists who were treated well by governor Macquarie. Egalitarian concepts can be seen in Macquaries land policy.he believed that crown land should be divided up evenly between

Elie Wiesel

2002-03-02T13:00:00-05:00

“To hate would be to reduce myself” is what Elie Wiesel told Opera in an interview. After all Wiesel had been through during the holocaust, he could not bring himself to hate. He demonstrates his respect for all human kind through his written work and public speeches; he understands the key interactions needed to make a society run. “Someone who hates one group will end up hating everyone – and, ultimately, hating himself or herself.” By following this statement Elie Wiesel came to terms with the atrocities that were brought down upon him and lives his life with compassion today. Elie Wiesel said, “Thou shalt not stand idly by.” He himself does not stand idly by; he is very active in the international community in places like Africa, where people are being oppressed. Where there is a call for help, Elie Wiesel is there to hear and to aid in stopping it. His personal account of the holocaust “Night” outlines his feelings about good and evil, God and his father during their captivity in the concentration camps. Good usually prevails over evil, or does it? Many gross atrocities were committed against the Jews for no good reason. At the first concentration camp, Buna Elie witnessed babies being thrown into a pit and burned without being knocked out. The German officers just burned the babies, a symbol of complete innocence, in large pits like they were firewood and did not heed to their cries of fear and anguish. Another incident of conflict between good and evil is when Elie sees his kapo with the Polish girl and laughs. The next day Elie is called out and is whipped 10 times, the kapo used Elie as a scapegoat in front of all the other prisoners and humiliated and demoralized him because he had caught the kapo performing an immoral act, since the kapo and Elie already had conflicts with each other. A blatant example of good versus evil exists when the German’s make the prisoners go on an impossible run through the country. The German’s killed anyone who could not keep up, and made the prisoners run without food or water. During this time people had little to keep their moral high and were further demoralized by the Germans. In the end, the Jewish people were liberated, but they went through so much just to prove the statement that good always prevails

Robert Frost: A Man of Many Faces

2002-03-02T13:00:00-05:00

Many individuals have a direct vision on life. Robert Frost, an American poet, was born in San Francisco, California, on March 26, 1874. During his youth he attended respectively, the Universities of Dartmouth and Harvard, but never obtained a degree. In 1912, Frost moved his family to England because of lack of luck in publishing his poetry. It was in England that Frost gained the reputation of being a strong literary poet; but Frost longed to be accepted at home so, in 1915, returned to America, where he was now well renowned. A distinguishing literary characteristic that Frost possesses is, the gift of taking an ordinary experience and transforming it into a meditative moment, for the reader to philosophically muse over. Frost also writes with surface cheerfulness and descriptiveness in his poems, he often presents a dark and sober vision of life. “The Death of the Hired Man”, “Blueberries” and “After Apple-Picking” strongly illustrates Frost’s melancholic outlook on life. “The Death of the Hired Man”, conveys a message of a man’s pitied life, as told by Frost. For instance, a man named Warren comes home to his wife to find that, “Silas is back”. Silas was a past employee that left him at a time of need. Warren feels no compassion towards Silas’ downfall. Lawrence Thompson cited that Warren’s bitter attitude towards Silas was because he left and now “he has come home to die”. Warren mocks his wife’s kind words of Silas and does not forgive and forget the past. Kyle Johnson added that Warren is still very much hurt because of what Silas had done to him. Warren had said, “no, but he hurt my heart the way he lay.” Obviously, Silas and Warren were very close at one, time but Silas betrayed their friendship and Warren could find no sympathy in his heart for his ‘friend’ and help him in his time of need. “The Death of a Hired man” is the story of a man, Silas, who lived his life recklessly, made some bad decisions and in the end was left alone to die by himself, with not a friend in the world. “Blueberries” induces a harsh message that many people realize in their lives. For example, a man asks his friend Loren if he can pick some of his beautiful berries growing in his orchard, Loren agrees, and the man picks the berries recalling what

Rudolph Valentino

2002-02-23T13:00:00-05:00

When the mention of the name Rudolph Valentino happens, it is mostly likely that the response received would be, The Great Lover and The Sheik. Valentino’s jaw-dropping appearance and great looks aside, he was also a very fine comedian, something that very few people realize. It was through Valentino that the now very common concept of “hot actors” such as Tom Cruise came about. (Stiff 2/23/02) Valentino was a fine actor, a film pioneer, and a film icon. (Hill 2/3/02) Born May 6, 1895 in Castellaneta, Italy, to Giovanni and Beatrice Guglielmi, Rudolpho Alfonzo Rafaelo Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d’Antonguolla (Hill 2/3/02) couldn’t have imagined the fame that he would gain after coming to America and becoming Rudolph Valentino. The somewhat bi-lingual and intelligent son of an ex-calvary captain turned veterinarian and the daughter of a French surgeon, Rudolph enjoyed a comfortable middle-class childhood, with instances of mischief. (Stiff 2/23/02) Valentino’s father died when he was only 11, from malaria in connection with his biological research. (Hill 2/3/02) His father’s premature death, however, did not hinder his studies at a nearby agricultural college, and with his mother’s reluctant blessing he set sail for America in 1913. Valentino came to America on the S. S. Cleveland not as the poor immigrant boy of myth, but as an ambitious young man. (Stiff 2/23/02) His arrival in New York City was less than a dream come true. Unable to find work that he wanted to do, he got a job lined up to be a gardener on a Long Island Estate, calling upon his agricultural knowledge. However, that fell through before it even started. (Stiff 2/23/02) Shortly there after an orchestra leader friend of his at Maxim’s got him a job as a dancer at the club. After Valentino’s short-lived dancing success at Maxim’s another friend of his, Bonnie Glass, needed a partner for a Vaudeville dancing specialty and called upon Valentino talent. The dancing duo opened at Rector’s, they were an immediate success, apparently Valentino’s luck had turned. Shortly there after came another dancing success with Joan Sawyer, but Valentino was sick of New York City, it held too many glum days for him. He wanted to head west. (Hill 2/3/02) California brought continued new hope for Valentino, he even took a pay cut from $240 a week to $75 a week to be in John Cort’s production The Masked Model. However, before

James Carter

2002-02-18T13:00:00-05:00

Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.), thirty-ninth president of

William Dudley "Big Bill" Haywood: The Successful Progressive

2002-02-18T13:00:00-05:00

Around the beginning of the 20th century, there were many men and woman who had earned themselves the title of Progressives. These people fought for simple rights and freedoms in the workplace, in society, and in the home. Progressives were positive for the growth in society because of the changes they influenced. There were many Progressives who were successful in their protests for woman’s rights, workers rights, and business rights, but, unfortunately, not all Progressives were successful in changing the ills of society that they fought so strongly against. Due to the great amount of people that had joined the progressive movement, there was a need for leaders; a need for leaders that would not only rally the people together, but leaders who would be able to change things on their own. William Dudley “Big Bill” Haywood was the type of leader the people needed, and he is definitely one of the Progressives that can be said to have been successful. Although people are usually distinguished as being successful by the accomplishments in their lifetime, their success lies, in reality, with their personality and how they handle a situation. If “Big Bill” Haywood had not grown up to develop the type of personality he has become so famous for, he would not be known as one of the successful Progressives of his time. “Big Bill” Haywood had the type of personality that caused him to never stand down when he was challenged for something he believed that would be worth fighting for, which was almost anything. He had even taken a number a beatings in his lifetime, which proves this fact. For example, in April of 1904 in Denver’s Union Station, “Big Bill” Haywood was attempting to make contact with Charles Moyer, who had been seized by the military. After being told that he could not speak to Mr. Moyer at that time, he punched one of the guards in the face. Moments later “…Walter Kinley, one of the husky gunmen hired by the mine owners, knocked him partly down a flight of stairs leading to the basement, while others struck him repeatedly in the face with the barrels of their revolvers.” (Lukas, 202) His strong will for fighting for what he believed had already proved him to be a success among the common men, but it had proved to be an even greater asset during other events in his life. Not

Booker T. Washington

2002-02-15T13:00:00-05:00

Following the smoke of Confederate and Union gunfire emerged the self-reliant and awe-inspiring Booker Taliaferro Washington. As a distinguished black educator, a commanding broker, and an ethical as well as economical constructionist, he stepped up to the podium of civil reform with authority. Life was not easy for young Booker T; from the moment of his delivery on April 5, 1856, he was clamped into bondage. Toiling in the backbreaking salt furnace from the age of ten with his father, whilst partially attending school in Malden, West Virginia was a demanding schedule, which was only alleviated by his acceptance to the Hampton Institute, a school set up by whites to edify newly freed slaves after the Civil War. It was there, he worked as a janitor to support himself and pay his tuition and boarding fee. Completing his regular studies at Hampton in 1875, he was later hired in the fall of 1879 to teach Native Americans youths and direct night classes for black men and women. Evidently, well acquainted with the hardships of the common (black) man, Booker T. Washington was an exemplar of black solidarity and idyllic for the institutionalization of economic reform for the betterment of the Negro community. His revolutionary outlook on the enhancement of African Americans up the slippery social ladder of white supremacy proved to be very effective in post-Civil War America; by the injection of ultramodern reformist thought into the Negro psyche and the restructuring of outdated modes of ‘black behavior’ by means of an economic guise, he propelled blacks irretrievably forward. Booker T. Washington’s beliefs still echo through our society today. The aforementioned Hampton Institute provided Washington with a sturdy foundation for his later achievements. Although the curriculum was centered on industrial arts and moral cultivation rather than intellectual pursuits, he unearthed the goodness in character formation and modeled his behavior accordingly. In 1881, these principles chiseled the infrastructure of his Normal and Industrial Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Erected from a dilapidated shanty and church, came forth the foremost educational institution for blacks, which simultaneously sponsored and built momentum for the “Tuskegee Movement:” an array of policies, views, and tactics that illuminated Booker T. Washington as “the race leader” in dealing with the “Negro Problem” (as his supporters in both the North and South saw it). From his southern small-town nucleus he bejeweled the nation with a network of schools and newspapers, offering

Andrew Johnson

2002-02-15T13:00:00-05:00

The inauguration of Andrew Jackson as the seventh president of the United States launched a new wave of democracy, which revolutionized American politics in an age of national instability. However, in order to comprehend the code of beliefs and the long lasting effects of this presidential pioneer, one must first have some insight into his earlier years. He was of a humble background; born in the west and raised by a single mother, which definitely did not place him among the social elite. Nevertheless, he fought his way to leadership and wealth in frontier society, and his triumph over poverty established a bond between him and the common people that was never broken. Jackson became renowned for his military exploits, being a crucial factor in the Battle of New Orleans and the acquisition of Florida from the Spanish; he earned the nickname “Old Hickory” for his personal toughness. Although Jackson played a fundamental role as part of the armed forces, that aspect of his career was almost entirely eclipsed by his tenures in the White House. Reminiscent with Andrew Jackson’s administration, was his forthright egalitarian principles, which still reverberate through modern American philosophy, both politically and socially. By the time Jackson came to power, the nation had been drastically changed by the Industrial Revolution. The nation was plagued by volatility. The simple, pastoral, agricultural lifestyle was being replaced by the manufacturing world, of industrious cities and insalubrious factories. Politically, the nation was in great turmoil. The incessant debate among men in power, over what should prevail, the rights of the states or the rights of the federal government, never really faded from the political scene. If not for several personal reasons, Jackson would have been a staunch advocator of states rights. The right to vote was still a major issue; the social dichotomy between the middle class and the upper class was becoming increasingly divergent. The middle class felt their voice was being effaced in governmental decisions, whilst the upper class felt endangered by the proliferation of the middleclass involvement in political affairs. Thus, it was Jackson’s responsibility to employ radical new ideas and principles to revamp national unity. Since he himself had very modest roots, he sympathized with the middle and lower classes. The fear that an aristocracy, even though of talent, might limit the chances of the common men through monopolies and hidden measures of control added to

Field Marshal Haig

2002-02-06T13:00:00-05:00

Douglas Haig was born on June 19 1861, the son of a wealthy whiskey distiller, he was educated at Oxford and Sandhurst. Haig participated in the Omdurman campaign (1897 - 1898) and the Boer War (1899 - 1902). His rank remained inspector of general cavalry in India from 1903 until 1906, when he became director of military training at the war office. In 1909 he became chief of staff of the Indian army. At the beginning of World War One in 1914, Haig commanded the first Army Corps. In December of 1915 questions were being raised about how well the war was being fought. On the 10th December a new commander of the British was appointed - Douglas Haig. At 54, he had a long a successful military career behind him. Even with his experience though, trench warfare was a new form of fighting, so he faced a difficult task. In February 1916, Germany began a campaign against the French at Verdun. Five months passed, 700,000 men had become casualties, and the French were only just hanging on. The British decided they had to relieve the pressure on the French. The British high command, led by Haig began a major attack along the line of the river Somme; he hoped to lure the Germans away from Verdun. After another five months the British had captured little land. On the 18 Nov 1916, in the blizzards and snow Haig called a halt to the attack. Haig earned the title 'Butcher of the Somme', after he unnecessarily sent thousands of British troops to their deaths, and because the battle of the Somme was one of the bloodiest of the First World War, more British soldiers had been killed than in any other battle before it. He died in London on January 28th 1928. Haig said many intriguing things during his life, here are some of them: “Success in battle depends mainly on morale and determination." – 1907 “The way to capture machine guns is by grit and determination." – 1915 "The machine gun is a much over rated weapon…" - 1915 “The nation must be taught to bear losses. No amount of skill on the part of the higher commanders, no training, however good, on the part of the officers and men, no superiority of arms and ammunition, however great, will enable victories to be won without the sacrifice of men's lives. The nation must be prepared

Christopher Columbus

2002-01-31T13:00:00-05:00

Perhaps the most famous explorer was Christopher Columbus. Born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451 to a weaver, young Columbus first went to sea at the age of fourteen. As a young man, he settled in Portugal and married a woman of noble background. After his wife's death in 1485, Columbus and his young son, moved to Spain. He theorized that since the earth was a sphere, a ship could eventually reach the Far East from the opposite direction. He thought to establish trade routes to Asia in

Darwin and Science

2002-01-29T13:00:00-05:00

Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) was a British Scientist. He laid the foundation of modern evolutionary theory with his concept of the development of all forms of life through the slow-working process of natural selection. His work had a lot of influence on the life and earth sciences and on modern thought in general. He defines “Natural Selection” as those creatures that have the ability to adapt to the changing environment the ones who will survive the long run. Because of the food supply problem the young born to any species compete for survival. Those young that survive to produce the next generation tend to have favorable natural variations. The process of natural selection is passed on by heredity. Therefore each generation will improve will slightly improve adaptively, and keep on surviving. He didn’t think that human’s were at the center of the

Benito Mussolini

2002-01-08T13:00:00-05:00

Who was Benito Mussolini? Benito Mussolini was the Fascist dictator of Italy. He was dictator from 1922 to 1943. Benito was five foot six inches, with black hair and eyes. He centralized all of the power of Italy in himself and on one else as the leader of the Fascist party and tried but failed to create an Italian Empire. Italy would eventually be in an alliance with the all powerful Germany. Mussolini was born in Predappio, near Forli, in Romagna, a poverty stricken district of central Italy. He was born on July 9, 1883. His father was a blacksmith who’s name was Alessandro. His twenty five year old mother, Rosa was a school teacher. He slept on a straw mat with his younger brother, Arnaldo in a cubbyhole in the kitchen. Every Sunday he and his mother went to church in San Cassiano. When he was eight years old he spoke out in mass and was banned from the congregation. In revenge he climbed up a tree and throw rocks at the congregation’s windows. His mother enrolled him in a school conducted by Salesian Fathers in Faenza. He was beaten because of his non belief in God. He resented the system that divided the class into groups according to wealth, which he was at the bottom. These were the worst years of his life. After he threw a inkpot at a teacher, the father decided to expel him, but his mother convince them not too. In the summer of 1894 he stabbed another student with his pocket knife, and was kicked out of the school for good. When he returned his father greeted his eleven year old son as a hero for what he had done. His mother enrolled him a Forli Seculas School, Forlimpopoli Secondary Modern Collage. He was in a brutal fist fight in which he was asked to leave. In 1901, he qualified as an elementary school teacher. In 1902, he emigrated to Switzerland. He was unable to find a permanent job and he was arrested for vagrancy, he was expelled and returned to Italy to do military service. He joined a newspaper in the Austrian town of Trent in 1908 to 1909. At this time he wrote a novel, subsequently translated into English as The Cardinal’s Mistress. Expelled by the Austrians, he became the editor at Foil of a socialist newspaper, La Lotta Di Classe. In 1910,

George Wesley Bellows

2002-01-02T13:00:00-05:00

Have you ever seen a painting of two fighters going at it hot and heavy on a stag night? If you have, then chances are that you have just seen a painting of George Bellows’s from Tom Sharkey’s Athletic Club in New York City. Prizefights were among some of his favorite subjects, although he only did few paintings of them. George Wesley Bellows was an American realist painter in the 20th century. He was thought of as an artist of the Ashcan school, although he wasn’t one of “The Eight,” which included George Henri and other well-known artists who painted images of the city and life there. His career included paintings of urban images as well as landscapes and portraits. Although his career was cut short at an early age, his paintings reflected America and everyday life in it. George Bellows began his painting career in the early 1900s. He painted what was happening in the world at that time and it has been said that there were aspects of Bellows’ work, which were in advance of their time rather than abreast of or behind it. He can be thought of as the true progenitor of the American social realists of the 1930s and 1940s (Lucie-Smith 70). Early in his painting career, his casual scenes of people at leisure shone with the effortless grace that dignified all his work (von Hartz 31). There were many influences on Bellows in his lifetime. The most significant of these influences was from the painter Robert Henri. Bellows was a pupil of Henri’s at the New York School of Art, and Henri was the dominant influence in his early work. They developed a close relationship and Bellows later called Henri, “my father in art” because he was such an influential and charismatic teacher (Hunter Museum 1). Although he never traveled abroad, through international exhibitions and teachers like Henri, Bellows was somewhat influenced by the art of Europe (Wasserman 81). Thomas Eakins was another artist who had a strong influence on him from the very start and continued to be influential throughout Bellows’s life (Lucie-Smith 69). Later in his life, he painted many memorable portraits of middle-aged and elderly women, which was due to his fascination with women (Oates 65). It can be seen that his wife and daughters inspired him also, as he made many paintings of them (Macmillian 19). At the beginning of his

James Finemore Cooper

2001-12-11T13:00:00-05:00

James Fenimore Cooper was born in the year 1789, and lived in New York State until 1803.(1) Since James Fenimore Cooper lived along the frontier, he was able to capture that way of life and accurately portray it in his novels.(2) This is one of the many reasons why he was loved and admired as a writer. James Cooper attended Yale University. (3) After he was expelled his junior year in 1805,(4) he enlisted in the Navy as a common seaman in 1806 and then went on to warrant a midshipman from 1808 until 1810.(5) Since James Fenimore Cooper spent so much time on the sea, he was inspired to write a few sea novels. He retired after the political assassination of his father, married a wealthy English woman, and moved to England in 1811. He was then made head of the entire Cooper clan in 1819 when the last of his five older brothers died. Between that time and 1826 he had published five novels (the first one on a dare), becoming America’s first significant novelist and setting the tone and the scene for many other novels. James Fenimore Cooper is one of the best known writers from the nineteenth century. Cooper struggled so hard to understand his countrymen with persistence and a deepness unequaled by any other American novelist.(6) James Cooper managed more than thirty novels, most of which are almost excessively American. Reenacting with patriotic fervor, the eras of settlement and revolution shaped a new world vision that superseded all the previous mythologies.(7) James Fenimore Cooper is best known for his Leatherstocking series: The Pioneers, The Last of the Mohicans, The Prairie, The Pathfinder, and The Deerslayer.(8) James Cooper said that his favorite novel in the Leatherstocking series was The Pioneers, but the most famous of this series is The Last of the Mohicans. The Last ot the Mohican focused on the expanding fringe of American civilization.(9) While living in England, Cooper wrote many novels. On one trip back to the United States he was brought to an unpleasant realization that he was not as popular as he once thought. He wrote a few books the Americans had found offensive.(10) One of these books was, Notions of the Americans. This move refuted what Cooper considered to be false accounts of Americans by European travelers. His novel was ridiculed by American journalists and was reviewed with hostility by Europeans.(11) He was

Alexander Hamilton

2001-12-09T13:00:00-05:00

Alexander Hamilton was brilliant businessman who came into the Treasury department with many ideas on how to stabilize the struggling American economy. He was a thirty-four year old native of the West Indies, who was a crucial part of President Washington's cabinet. His ideas and philosophies helped to pave th4e way for the Bank of America and the Treasury. As one of his first acts as Secretary of Treasury, Hamilton was determined to reverse the financial problems that plagued the government and country under the recently revised Articles of Confederation. His plan involved favoring the wealthier members of society, who would in turn give money and moral support to the government. The government would then prosper and the benefits would be reaped by all. Hamilton was also dead set on sustaining the national credit. He needed the support of the masses in order to advance his economic plans. His plan of action in this case was "funding at par," which involved the federal government paying off its debts at face value, plus accumulated interest, which came to a total of fifty-four million dollars, a very substantial amount of money at that time. While still backing his national debt plans, Hamilton also suggested that Congress pay the debts of the individual states, equaling some twenty-one million dollars. This idea of "assumption" was believed by Hamilton to be an obligation of Congress because the debts occurred during the country's fight for independence. Hamilton also believed that paying off the State's debts would create more unity in among the States. With the government trying to pay both national, and local state debts, they shortly fell into a seventy-five million dollar overall debt. Hamilton did not see this as a problem, but more of an advantage to the growing American economy. His philosophy was that the more countries that America owed money, the more people who had a personal stake in the prosperity of the United States. Hamilton also strongly urged for a Bank of the United States. Modeled after the Bank of England, Hamilton wanted a powerful private institution where the government would be the prime shareholder and in which the Treasury would deposit its excess money. In addition, the bank would print paper money that was in great demand at the time. Hamilton did succumb to obstacles by Thomas Jefferson, who believed that the bank was unconstitutional and not necessary. Hamilton overcame these obstacles by proclaiming

Andrew Jackson

2001-12-06T13:00:00-05:00

Andrew was born at a settlement on the banks of Crawford’s Branch of Waxhaw Creek in South Carolina on March 15, 1767, the third son of immigrant parents from northern Ireland. His father died 2 days before he was born. He lost 3 siblings at an early age. Some of Andrew’s early influences were the American Revolution in which he served as a mounted courier at the age of 13. Both Andrew and his brother were captured by the British. Because Jackson refused to polish the boots of the British officer, he was struck across the arm and face with a saber. The two boys were put in a British prison S.C., where a epidemic of small pox broke out. Mrs. Jackson got the boys release but Andrew’s brother soon died. Andrew’s mom caught the disease and soon died herself. So Andrew at the age of 15 was without no immediate family. Major Accomplishments In 1787, Andrew became a lawyer and he set up his office in McLeanville, N.C. He soon moved his office to Nashville where he met and fell in love with Mrs. Rachel Donelson Robarb. Believing that Mr. Robarb’s had obtained a divorce, they were married in 1791. Two years later they found that this was not true and that the divorce had just then become final. A second wedding was performed. This event would effect Jackson for the rest of his life. In 1796, Jackson was elected into the House of Representatives, representing Tennessee. He soon allied with the Jeffersonian Party criticizing Washington and his administration. After one year in the House, he moved to the Senate. He served in the Senate from September 1797 to April 1798 and then retired to private life. In 1815, Andrew led an army of state militiamen against Britain in the Battle of New Orleans. Jackson received a lot of fame from this battle. Also that year, Jackson became commander of the South District Army. Two years later, in 1817, Andrew was ordered to “quiet” the Seminole Indian tribe who were raiding settlements in Georgia and hiding in Florida. In 1818, Jackson pursued with a force march and captured a post at Saint Marks. He executed two British subjects because of their involvement with the Indians. The Spanish and the British were outraged over all of this. Many congressmen wished for Andrew to be reprimanded for his actions. But Secretary of State John

Alexander the Great

2001-11-05T13:00:00-05:00

He was the ruler of Greece in the fourth century B.C. He was one of the greatest military geniuses of all time. He was born in Macedonia, the son of Phillip II, King of Macedonia. He received his military education from his father and was tutored by Aristotle, the great philosopher, and other great teachers of his time. By the time he was sixteen Alexander was left in charge of the kingdom when his father was away for any extended period of time and once led the army to put down a rebellion in one of the colonies of Macedonia. His father was assassinated when he was twenty and he ascended to the throne. The Macedonian kingdom was in disorder when he came to power and he responded by ruthlessly executing his enemies and crushing rebellions. However, he could never be the dominate force in Asia Minor unless he conquered the Persian empire, which he did after a series of battles, in 332 B.C. In a period five years he had conquered the entire eastern Mediterranean coastline, including Gaza, Egypt, Afganistan, and Western Turkistan due to his brilliance as a military tactician and leader. Part of the greatness of Alexander was that while he started out as an avenging warrior he became a man of vision as well and took as his goal to spread the institution of Greek Democratic thought and ways of life throughout his empire. He founded towns planned on the Greek pattern with market squares, schools, offices, shops, temples, theaters, gymnasiums, and introduced Macedonian methods of farming and military tactics to thenative inhabitants of the conquered regions. He instituted new methods of government, military, and financial administration, and adopted Greek as the universal language throughout the empire which made financial and business transactions possible between countries thereby creating a growth in trade and commerce throughout the region. He envisioned vast building projects - dockyards, harbors, irrigation systems, lighthouses, and the founding of new cities, and he cherished a dream for uniting the East and the West into a "world brotherhood of all men". This dream fed into his ambition of further conquest to increase the extent of his empire further yet. In 326 B.C. he and his troops crossed the Indus River into India and continued to the banks of the Hyphasis River, where his troops rebelled and refused to go any further. He then constructed

Wright Brothers

2001-10-23T14:00:00-04:00

The nineteenth and twentieth centuries have brought about many innovations that have changed the course of history. Upgrades in transportation have always been very important to the way societies function. Wilbur and Orville Wright were two of the many great inventors of the past two centuries. The Wright brothers left their mark on the world with when they completed the first successful flight with their airplane. Wilbur and Orville Wright were the sons of Milton and Susan Wright. They had two older brothers by the names of Reuchlin and Lorin, and a younger sister named Katharine. Their father was a minister with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and their mother was a homemaker. The Wright family moved from Ohio to Iowa in 1878 when their father became a bishop for the church. (“The Wright Brothers” 1) Wilbur and Orville’s family moved back to Dayton Ohio in 1885. They became interested in flying when they received a toy from their father which worked in the same manner as a helicopter. Wilbur did very well in school but dropped out when his family moved during his senior year. Orville performed on an average level in school and frequently got into trouble for his behavior. Like his older brother, Orville dropped out of school during his senior year. (“The Wright Brothers” 1) At the ages of 22 and 18, Wilbur and Orville began a printing business. They started printing their own newspaper and often printed up things for people throughout their town. The printing press they used was one they made with an old tombstone and old buggy parts. Soon after the brothers purchased their own bicycles, they started repairing bicycles for their friends. In 1893, it wasn’t too long before the brothers opened a shop where they sold and repaired bicycles. (“The Wright Brothers” 2) In 1896 Orville became ill with typhoid fever. While caring for his brother, Wilbur again became interested in flying and began researching aeronautical information. Wilbur tested the idea of “wing warping,” which was where a wing was moved to correspond to the direction of the wing. This created a way for a pilot to control an aircraft. They built their first glider in 1900, and a second in 1901. Both of the gliders were shipped to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina because of the windy nature of the area. In 1902 the Wright brothers built another glider which

A little about Bonaparte

2001-10-22T14:00:00-04:00

Napoleon Bonaparte, also known as the "little Corsican", was born on August 15,1769 in Ajaccio, Corsica. He was the greatest hero of France. His family had moved there from Italy in the 16th century. His original name was Napoleone and his original nationality was Corsican-Italian. Him in REALITY despised the French. He thought they kept his country down by severe and unjust use of force. His father was a lawyer, and was also anti-French. One reason Napoleon may have been such a great leader and revolutionary because he was raised in a family of radicals. When Napoleon was nine, his father sent him to Brienne, a French military government school in Paris. For one year Napoleon attended the Ecole Militaire in Paris. It was there that he received his military training. He studied to be an artilleryman and an officer. He finished his training and he joined the French army when he was just 16 years old. Napoleon was assigned to work in Paris in 1792. After the French monarchy was overthrown in August 1792, he was promoted to captain. In 1793 he was chosen to direct the artillery against the siege in Toulon. Very soon after Toulon fell and Napoleon was promoted to brigadier general. He was made commander of the French army in Italy and defeated many Austrian Generals. Soon after this Austria and France made peace, and Napoleon was released from his command, he was suspected of treason. In 1795 he broke up a revolt and saved the French government. He had earned back respect and he was once again given command of the French Army in Italy. He came up with a plan that worked very well (All of his plans worked very well). “He would cut the enemy's army in to two parts, then attack one side of them before the other side could help them”. After this Napoleon was almost impossible to stop. He made an unsuccessful attempt to invade Egypt, in 1799 he returned to France to find the Directory (the French Government) a mess. He overthrew the Directory, and created a new government, in which there were three consuls, and he was the most important one. At this time, everyone in France loved Napoleon, and his power increased. In 1802 France signed a peace treaty with England and Germany, and was now not at war with anyone. He re-established the University of France,

Nelle Harper Lee

2001-10-20T14:00:00-04:00

Miss. Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926, in Moroeville Alabama, where her father practiced as a lawyer and served as a state senator. She grew up as the youngest out of 4 children, and was the only one to pursue a literary career. She received her early education in public schools, and from 1945-1949 she attended University of Alabama, studying law. She moved to New York, without carrying out the requirements for her degree in law, and there worked as an airline reservation clerk. Shortly after, she left her clerk position to concentrate her efforts on her first novel. To Kill a Mockingbird went through various stages of revision, over a two and a half year period, before hitting the shelves in 1960. The book was an instant success, selling more than two and a half million copies in its first year. It was published in various countries overseas and was chosen by three well-known American book clubs. On May 1, 1961 Miss. Lee’s hard work and determination paid off tremendously. She was honoured to find out that she was the first woman since 1942 to have a fiction book awarded the Pulitzer Prize. (Very prestigious awards established by Joseph Pulitzer and conferred annually for accomplishment in various fields of American journalism, literature, and music.) Harper Lee is credited greatly for her ability to captivate the reader by presenting opinions, views of life and its common roadblocks, through eyes of a child. Scout, an intelligent and observant child, narrates the story from start to finish, maturing along with the other characters in the book. Like Harper Lee, Scout is the youngest of her family, and is forced to work her way through the trials of adolescence. Scout seems almost a mirror image of Miss. Lee herself. Much like the way Scout resembles Lee, it seems other characters in the book have been drawn from Lee’s relations and acquaintances. For instance, she has integrated the fine qualities of her own father, Amasa Coleman Lee, into Atticus Finch, the father of Scout and Jem. Both were intelligent and fair men, who raised children accordingly, and both started with petty jobs and later went on to study and practice law in small communities, to support their families. It was said that Mr. Lee even autographed childrens’ books as “Atticus Finch” instead of Amasa Lee. Truman Capote, a childhood friend of Harper Lee’s, was

Galieo: A look at the math in his life

2001-10-05T14:00:00-04:00

Galileo was born in the city of Pisa, on the day Michelangelo died. His parents determined the first, significant, event in his life. At the age of seventeen he was sent to the University of Pisa to study medicine. It is reported that Galileo's interest in science and mathematics was roused by this problem and then further stimulated by the chance attendance at a lecture on geometry at the university. The result was that he asked for and secured, parental permission to abandon medicine and to devote himself to science and mathematics instead, fields in which he possessed strong natural talent. When Galileo was 25, he was appointed professor of mathematics at the University of Pisa, and while holding this appointment is said to have performed public experiments with falling bodies. According to the story, before a crowd of students, faculty, and priests he dropped two pieces of metal, one ten times the weight of the other from the top of the leaning tower of Pisa. The two pieces of metal struck the ground at practically the same moment, thus contradicting Aristotle, who said that a heavier body falls faster than a lighter one. Galileo arrived at the law that the distance a body a falls is proportional to the square of the time of falling, in accordance with the familiar formula s = gt2/2. Even the visual evidence of Galileo's experiments however did not shake the faith of the other professors at the university in the teaching of Aristotle. The authorities at the university were so shocked at Galileo's sacrilegious insolence in contradicting Aristotle that they made life unpleasant for him there with the result that he resigned his professorship in1591. The following year he accepted a professorship at the University of Padua, where there was an atmosphere friendlier to scientific pursuits. Here, for nearly eighteen years, Galileo continued his experiments and his teaching and won widespread fame. All his life Galileo was a religious man and a devout Catholic. Accordingly, it distressed him to find the views to which he was irresistibly led by his observations and reasoning’s as a scientist condemned as contradicting the scriptures of the Church, of which he considered himself a loyal member. He therefore felt compelled to reason for himself the relation between science and scripture. Many scientists have, from time to time, found themselves in this position. It occurred, for example, in the

James Jarome Hill

2001-09-25T14:00:00-04:00

James Jarome Hill was born near Rockwood, Ontario in 1838. A boyhood accident that blinded him in one eye dashed his early dreams of becoming a doctor. He was forced to go to work at an early age due to the death of his father. At the age of 16, Hill went to

Edward Norton – Sinuous Talent, Unyielding Determination

2001-09-22T14:00:00-04:00

The son of a Carter Administration, federal prosecutor and an English teacher, as well as the grandson of famed developer James Rouse, Edward Norton was born in Boston on August 18, 1969. He was raised in the planned community of Columbia, Maryland, and from an early age was known as an extremely bright and somewhat serious person. His interest in acting began at the age of five when his baby sitter, Betsy True (who went on to become an actress on stage and screen), took him to a musical adaptation of Cinderella. Shortly after that, Norton enrolled at Orenstein's Columbia School for Theatrical Arts, making his stage debut at the age of eight in a local production of Annie Get Your Gun. Although young, Norton already exhibited an unusual amount of professionalism, and took his subsequent roles seriously. After high school, he studied astronomy, history, and Japanese at Yale, and was also active in the university's theatrical productions. Edward attained almost instant stardom with his film debut in the 1996 Primal Fear. For his thoroughly chilling breakthrough performance as a Kentucky altar boy accused of murder, Norton was credited with saving an otherwise mediocre film, and further rewarded with Golden Globe and Oscar nominations. Remarkably disconnected from all of the hype that is usually associated with fresh talent, Norton has gone on to further prove his worth in such films as American History X, The People vs. Larry Flynt, and Fight Club. After earning a history degree, Norton spent a few months in Japan and then moved to New York, where he worked for the Enterprise Foundation, a group devoted to stopping urban decay. Again, Norton continued acting at every opportunity, and eventually decided to become a full-time actor. In 1994, he appeared in Edward Albee's Fragments after deeply impressing the distinguished playwright during an audition. Norton then joined the New York Signature Theatre Company, which frequently premieres Albee's plays. With a number of off-Broadway credits to his name, Norton won his role in Primal Fear after being chosen out of 2,100 hopefuls. He nabbed the part after telling casting directors in a flawless drawl that he was a native of eastern Kentucky, the same area where the character came from; legend has it that the actor watched Coal Miner's Daughter to learn the accent. The intensity of Norton's screen test readings stunned almost all who saw them, and the

Victor Chang - A Eulogy - The life of a great man

2001-08-27T14:00:00-04:00

Good morning friends, family and all those of you who are here today to celebrate the life of a great man, Victor Chang. Before I begin, I would like to offer my deepest sympathies to the Chang family for their unfortunate loss. This was a senseless and wasteful murder of such an innocent man. When I remember Victor, three words come to mind; Compassion, talent and persistence. Victor Chang, born on the 25 November 1936 in Shanghai, China was a very talented and naturally gifted person. Victor moved to Hong Kong at a young age from his hometown where he attended primary school and completed part of his secondary education. When Victor was only 15 years old he came to here to Australia and finished his secondary education at the Christian Brothers School in Lewisham, Sydney. Even from a young age I recall how Victor was always receiving awards for his academic achievements. He constantly excelled at whatever was put forth in front of him. After securing his leaving certificate Victor had chosen a course in medicine. This decision was greatly influenced by the tragic passing of his beloved mother from cancer. He was destined to save lives. Victor started his degree in medicine at the University of Sydney in 1956 where he studied undeterred and focussed soley on building his career. Victor never lost sight of his goal and in 1962 he completed his course and was now known as Dr. Victor Chang. Victor commenced work at the St Vincent’s hospital in Sydney where he took a real interest in cardiothoracic (heart and chest) surgery. This area of medicine was, and is still today, one of the most complex to perform. I guess this is why Victor was so suited to it – being a complex thinker he was more than qualified in every aspect to meet the challenge. Later on in his career, it was evident that most of dynamic cardiothoracic research was taking place overseas. Persistent in always increasing his expertise, Victor moved to the UK in 1965 where he undertook his training and met his wife, Anne. After 5 years of intense work Victor again moved overseas, to the USA in 1970, where once again he sought after more education. One year later Victor moved back to Australia where his career in heart surgery was to reach great heights. One of the peek moments in Victors career was when

Desiderius Erasmus - "Prince of the Humanists"

2001-08-12T14:00:00-04:00

A date that may have little connotation in the minds of history students everywhere was, in fact, the date that gave birth to a man more brave than any comic book could ever illustrate. On October 28, 1466, Desiderius Erasmus was born the illegitimate son of Margaretha Rogers and Gerard in Rotterdam, Holland. Despite such a dull and seemingly trite birth, Erasmus would grow to be a great influence in the Renaissance era. Through the questioning of established people and institutions, such as modern theologians and education systems, Erasmus became known as the “Prince of the Humanists” and a great revolutionary known throughout the world. Erasmus was raised by his mother through boyhood and, at the age of nine, attended the school of the famous humanist Hegius at Deventer. At the age of 13, his mother died; soon after, his father followed in her footsteps. Left orphaned, the boy’s guardians sent him to the monastery school of Hertogenbosch for two years. As a youth, he demonstrated anticipation in the learning of Latin, theology, and elegant writing styles, though he later called his time at Hertogenbosch “two wasted years.” In 1486, Erasmus continued his schooling at monasteries at Emmaus, where he devoted his studies to the ancient classics. He also had religious training while studying at Saint Jerome and Lorenzo Valla. His devotion to studies resulted in the opportunity of a lifetime. In 1491, the Bishop of Cambrai chose Erasmus to accompany him as both his secretary and traveling companion. In 1492, he ordained priesthood, but this still was not enough to fulfill him. Erasmus had a desire to continue his education. In 1496, the bishop sent Erasmus to continue his studies at the University of Paris. It was here that he befriended the humanists Colet and Thomas Moore. Disappointed by the educational techniques that he found in Paris, the aspiring prodigy of humanism learned only to abandon the scholastic method and study the scriptures. The remainder of his travels took hi to places like Italy. Here, he occupied himself by viewing sacred sites, visiting libraries, learning Greek, and meeting scholars. While in Italy, he stayed with a printer named Aldo Manuzio. Erasmus found himself disappointed by the morality of the papal establishment and the common people’s overwhelming superstitions. He once went as far as to state that life rewards absurdity at the expense of reason. He questioned the shrines and miracles

Francis Parkman

2001-06-27T14:00:00-04:00

Many people regarded nature and the world with their eyes only. However, some perceived the world through all their senses. They stopped and listened to what appeared before them, and then they experienced their surroundings. One person who looked beyond his first impression was Francis Parkman. Parkman’s love for history and nature drove him to overcome his physical weaknesses. He pursued his passion with the diligence of a soldier and brought a different perspective to nineteenth century history. Francis Parkman traveled across North America and obtained firsthand experiences about nature, hardships, and the unknown. He developed his quest for knowledge as a child on the Hall Farm in Quincy, Massachusetts. Parkman battled the degenerating loss of his health, the loss of only son, and the loss of his wife. He compiled his wisdom in letters, journals, articles, and books; and Parkman left a legacy unmatched by historians of his time. On September 16, 1823, the union of Reverend Francis Parkman and Caroline Hall Parkman produced a son, Francis Parkman, Jr. The Reverend and Mrs. Parkman, his second wife, resided in Somerset Place, Boston, and the family tree consisted of ministers, merchants, philanthropists, and brave Indian fighters. The Parkman family spent winters in Boston and summers at the Hall farm in Quincy, Massachusetts. The farm in Quincy provided Parkman with a vast area of rocks and forestry to explore, since it happened to be located adjacent to the Five Mile Woods, later renamed the Middlesex Fells. He encountered many illnesses in Boston, and his parents decided to leave him in his grandparents’ care on the farm. On the farm he collected rocks, trapped animals, shot arrows at birds, and conducted experiments. He wrote about himself and his experiments in the third person just as his peer, Henry Adams, regularly did. Parkman returned home to his parents at age thirteen to begin private schooling. Parkman attended Gideon Thayer’s famous private school, Chauncey Hall, in order to prepare for college at Harvard. He entered Harvard in August 1940, and he excelled academically, physically, and socially. In addition to his regular studies, Parkman joined several school clubs and helped found another one. In July 19, 1841, during summer break from Harvard, he and Daniel Denison Slade took a trip to explore the White Mountains located in New Hampshire and Maine. Parkman, aware of an avalanche that killed nine in 1826, eagerly climbed the unstable flume close

Minister Louis Farakan

2001-06-26T14:00:00-04:00

In today's society it does not take much to bring about a change in the way we as a people think. In the prompt, choosing a living man or woman who has influenced the way we think, Minister Louis Farakan comes to mind. In his efforts to unite the men of

Bill Gates

2001-06-02T14:00:00-04:00

New Learning – “A Life Worth Knowing About” William Henry Gates, also known as “Bill”, has established himself as the richest man in the world. He is the youngest self made billionaire, and perhaps the best businessman in the world. As you read along, you will learn what Bill Gates’ accomplishments were, what his beliefs were, and why this topic is so important. Bill Gates is important because not only did he change the computer technology in America, he also became the biggest, strongest, richest and the most powerful company in the world. Bill, was born October 28, 1955, his parents, Mary and Bill Jr., have one other daughter, a daughter, Kristi. His father, Bill Gates Jr. was born in Bremerton, Washington. He was accepted on the University of Washington. After he had taken the education of being a lawyer, he went back to Bremerton and became assistant for the district attorney. His mother, Mary Maxwell, was born in 1929 - Seattle, Washington, grew up between prominent families, in the northeast of the US. She became a teacher. Gates began his career in PC software, programming computers at age 13. In education, he attended a well-known private school in Seattle, Washington called Lakeside. At Lakeside, he met his future business partner Paul Allen. Bill Gates entered Harvard in 1973. He created the programming language BASIC. Gates attended Harvard University as a freshman. After a few years, Gates and his business partner Paul Allen dropped out of Harvard to begin the Microsoft Corp. in 1975. Throughout his life, Gates had many experiences with business. Allen and Gates started a small company called Traf-O-Data. They sold a small computer outfitted with their program that could count traffic for the city. Gates also worked as a Congressional Page and at a programming company called 'TRW'. After all his minor jobs, Gates and Allen founded Microsoft in 1975, the largest computer based company in the world. Gates is the Chief Executive officer and Paul Allen is VP. They are both very wealthy due to this business. Microsoft's wealth and power just grew and grew. Microsoft became so rich that could buy out an entire years production of his 99 nearest competitors, burn it, and still be worth more than Hugh Hefner and Michael Jordan. Microsoft's $25 billion market value tops that of Ford, General Motors, 3M, Boeing, General Mills, or Anheuser-Busch. With size comes power.

Jackie Robinson

2001-06-02T14:00:00-04:00

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born January 31, 1919. He was born in Cairo, Georgia and was the youngest of five children. He had a grandfather that was a slave, Jackie’s dad was a sharecropper and Mallie, Jackie’s mother, was a maid. His dad ran away from the family when Jackie was only an infant. Jackie fought racism in his California childhood, at collage and throughout his whole life. During his childhood at California he was always picked on at school. Kids taunted him so much and so badly that he developed a hot temper. When Jackie was growing up, whenever he would sense or be involved in legal injustice he would get really mad and there would be nothing he could of done about it. At the University of California in Los Angeles, Jackie met his future wife, Rachel Islam. Jackie starred in four sports. Some have said that Jackie was the greatest American athlete, arguing that he was better at track & field, football and basketball than baseball. Later after college he joined the Negro Leagues to play professional baseball. If Blacks wanted to play professional baseball in 1946, they had to do so in the segregated Negro Leagues. Negro leagues started in 1920. They created these leagues because whites didn’t want blacks to play with them. They wanted the MLB to be clean white. Jackie Robinson was drafted into the army in 1942. He had a series of many conflicts as he rose to the rank of lieutenant. The worst one was when Jackie was sitting in the front seats of a military bus. The front seats were the white people seats, and Jackie was arrested and was almost dishonorably discharged and perhaps never heard from again. There is nothing worse than being dishonorably discharged in the 1940’s. Back then if you were dishonorably discharged from the army, everyone knew you for it, it would be your entire reputation. Everyone would know you and tease you for what you did wrong to become dishonorably discharged from the Army. It’s a good thing that Jackie Robinson wasn’t dishonorably discharged, but he was acquitted instead. He wouldn’t have been playing in the MLB if he was dishonorably discharged because Branch Rickey would of picked someone else for his first black player. But it 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first black player to play in the MLB for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie Robinson was

Woodrow Wilson

2001-05-29T14:00:00-04:00

THOMAS WOODROW WILSON was the 28th president of the United States. Born on the 28th of December 1856, he was an American scholar and statesman who was best remembered for his high-minded and leading the United States into World War I. Wilson was born to religious and well-educated people, mainly of Scottish background. Wilson's father, Joseph Ruggles Wilson, studied for the clergy at the Presbyterian directed Princeton University. He married Janet Woodrow, and early in the 1850s the Wilsons moved to Virginia, where he became minister of a church in Staunton. There, in 1856 Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born, the first son and third child. Apparently dyslexic from childhood, Wilson did not learn to read until he was 10 and never became a rapid reader. Nevertheless, he developed passionate interests in literature and especially politics. He attended Davidson College North Carolina, for a year before entering Princeton University in 1875. At Princeton he blossomed intellectually, reading widely, engaging in debate, and editing the college newspaper. After graduation from Princeton in 1879, Wilson studied law at the University of Virginia, with the hope that it would lead to politics. However, he became inpatient with the fine points of law and only reluctantly mastered them. Although his work was outstanding, he found public speaking and political history more satisfying. Despite intermittent illness, he received his law degree and in 1882 settled in Atlanta, Georgia, where he opened a law practice. In 1883 he became tired of the firm and abandoned his law career for graduate study in government and history at Johns Hopkins University, where in 1886 he received a Ph.D. Wilson's doctoral thesis was also his first book, Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics (1885), which further developed his comparison between the American and parliamentary government and suggested reforms that would make the American system more efficient and more answerable to public opinion. Accepted and published early in 1885, it sold well. Influential reviewers found Wilson's attitude toward American democracy novel and stimulating. Wilson had been engaged for several years to Ellen Louise Axson, and they were married in June 1885. Proficient and lively, Ellen proved the perfect mate for her husband. She gave him unqualified support and helped free his mind from everyday pressures. The couple had three daughters. Wilson was the only professional academic to become president. He began his career teaching history and political science at Bryn Mawr College in

Malcom X

2001-05-26T14:00:00-04:00

They were black men who had a dream, but never lived to see it fulfilled. One was a man who spoke out to all humanity, but the world was not yet ready for his peaceful words, " I have a dream, a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of it's creed… that all men are created equal." (Martin Luther King). The other, a man who spoke of a violent revolution, which would bring about radical change for the black race. " Anything you can think of that you want to change right now, the only way you can do it is with a ballot or a bullet. And if you're not ready to get involved with either only of those, you are satisfied with the status quo. That means we'll have to change." (Malcolm X) While Martin Luther King promoted non-violence, Civil Rights, and the end to racial segregation, a man of the name Malcom X dreamed of a separate nation. Malcom Little was born on May 19, 1925 and came from an underprivileged home. He was a self-taught man who received little schooling and rose to greatness on his own intelligence and determination. The early background of Malcolm X was a large factor responsible for the distinct different responses to American racism. During his childhood, He was raised in a harsh atmosphere consisting of fear and anger where the seeds of bitterness were planted resulting in his attitude effecting his decisions later in live. Malcolm X suffered not only from abuse by whites, but also from domestic violence. His father beat his mother and both of them abused their children. His mother was forced to raise 8 children during the depression. After his mother had a nervous breakdown his family was spilt up. The children were all placed in foster homes. And the burning of his house by the Klu Klux Klan resulted in the murder of his father. Malcolm's resentment was increased as he suffered through these hardships, and he was haunted by this early nightmare for most of his life. From then on, he was driven by hatred and desire for revenge. Malcolm was first sent to a foster home and then to a reform school. After the 8th grade, Malcolm moved to Boston where he worked various jobs and eventually became involved in criminal activity. (Malcolm X, pg.1) In

Galileo

2001-05-17T14:00:00-04:00

In this project I will be explaining about Galileo’s life & what he contributed to our world. If you never actually knew exactly who was Galileo, then you should really read this project. In brief he was a great person who lived during the renaissance, and was a great follower of Copernicus. He was mostly an astronomer. Have you ever wondered when looking from a telescope, knowing that it was invented during the renaissance, who invented such a great thing at that time, think about it, what a great invention, I mean in that time to be able to see the stars which are so far away was something extremely amazing, today you think “wow, big deal” but at that time it really was a “big deal”!!! I hope that I will learn a lot from this project. Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa on the 18th of February in 1564. His father, Vincenzo Galilei, belonged to a noble family and had gained some distinction as a musician and a mathematician. At an early age, Galileo wanted to learn both mathematical and mechanical types of things, but his parents, wishing to turn him aside from studies, which promised no important return, steered him toward some sort of medical profession. But this had no effect on Galileo. During his youth he was allowed to follow the path that he wished to. Although in the popular mind Galileo is remembered chiefly as an astronomer, however, the science of mechanics and dynamics pretty much owe their existence to his findings. Before he was twenty, observation of the swinging lamp in the cathedral of Pisa led him to the discovery of the isochronism of the pendulum, which theory he took advantage of fifty years later in the construction of an astronomical clock. In 1588, an essay on the center of gravity in solids achieved for him the title of the “Archimedes” of his time, and secured him a teaching spot in the University of Pisa. During the years immediately following, taking advantage of the celebrated leaning tower, he laid the foundation experimentally of the theory of falling bodies and demonstrated the fakeness of the peripatetic maxim, which is that an object’s rate of descent is proportional to its weight. When he challenged this, it made all of the followers of Aristotle extremely angry, they would not accept the fact that their leader could have been wrong.

William I

2001-05-15T14:00:00-04:00

Early Life William was born in 1027 in Falaise, France. His parents were Duke Robert I of Normandy and Arletta, a tanner’s daughter. William was illegitimate, he was also called “William the Bastard” and because of this he was an outcast. His father went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and left William as his successor with twelve barons to advise and take care of young William. When the news reached Normandy that his father was killed, violence broke out in the country. In 1047 William gained control of Normandy. He dealt with rebellion inside Normandy and became a very experienced and ruthless military commander. The people of Normandy liked to fight, when at peace William had to find a new place to conquer. William married Mathilda, daughter of Count Baldwin V of Flanders. William had three reasons to be king of England: he was promised by Edward the Confessor, he was the closest relative to Harold II, and promised by Edwards brother in-law, Harold Goodwin, on his deathbed. But Harold became King of England. Battle of Hastings When William did not get the throne of England he held a council of war. He had a fleet of ships built in the port of Dives, building the boats took seven months. William was not the only person invading England, Norway had landed in northern England and Harold had rushed to defeat them. On September 28, 1066 William landed in Pevensey with no opposition except for the townspeople because Harold was in the north. Harold quickly moved his troops to the south of England The armies matched in size and Harold had the battlefield advantage but William had skillfully co-ordinate his armies, which Harold had not. The first assault by the Normans failed and a rumor had started that William had died. “ The battle was close-fought: a chronicler described the Norman counter-attacks and the Saxon defense as 'one side attacking with all mobility, the other withstanding as though rooted to the soil'.” Harold died in The Battle of Hastings and lost the battle by and arrow shot through his eye. Historians say the reasons he lost are the battle were: “he was weaker because of perjury and moral lapses, his soldiers were tired from walk from London, they spent the night carousing instead of prayer, the solders were armed with stones and bill-hooks, and he needed horsemen and archers.” The Battle of Hasting became

General Muhammed Zia-ul-Haq - Pakistan History

2001-05-08T14:00:00-04:00

Q. Discuss in detail the Islamization programme of General Muhammed Zia-ul-Haq as the president of Pakistan. A. Islamization Programme of General Muhammed Zia-ul-Haq: - Background: - General Muhammed Zia-ul-Haq proclaimed Martial Law in 1977 and assumed the office of the President of the country. The then government had to issue several martial law regulations to effectively control the aggravating situation in the country. There is one strong opinion which has effectively prevailed over the years and that is hat the process of Islamization, in fact, began the day the Qadianis were declared as non-Muslims on their negation of the finality of Prophethood in 1974. The opinion seems to carry some weight as the action of the Government of Mr. Z.A. Bhutto, declaring the Qadianis as non-Muslims, was understood as a step to have been taken for the safeguard of the basic tenents of Islam. However, it was the martial law regime under General Muhammed Zia-ul-Haq which took practical steps for the process of Islamization. The Islamization Programme: - The Islamization programme of General Muhammed Zia-ul-Haq contained the following steps. 1. Hadood Ordinance. 2. Qazaf Ordinance. 3. Nizaam-e-Salaat Committees. 4. Zakat Ordinance. 5. Ushr Ordinance. (a). Central Zakat Council. (b). Provincial Zakat Council. (c). District Zakat Committee. (d). Tehsil Zakat Committee. 6. Establishment of Federal Shariat Court. 7. Interest Free Banking. 8. Compulsory teaching of Pakistan Studies and Islamiat. 9. Ordinance for the sanctity of Ramzan-ul-Mubarak. 10. Ban of Nudity. 11. Arabic News. 12. Use of Dopatta. 13.Majlis-e-Shoora. in contravention to this Ordinance was liable to three yeas imprisonment and a fine of RS. 500/-. However, hospitals, railway stations, seaports, bus stands, trains and airports were exempted from this Ordinance. The Government in order to make Pakistan a real Islamic State strived hard to introduce Islamic System in the country. The Government for this reason needed staunch support and cooperation from the masses. Pakistan at that time was passing through the transitory stage towards the ultimate goal of achieving an Islamic society. A very long span was required to mould Pakistan into an Islamic State. 10. Ban of Nudity: - The Government imposed a strict ban on the display of nude posters particularly on portraying women as publicity symbols. Display of nude scenes and moving films with nudity were also banned ob the television. 11. Arabic News: - Everyday, five minutes were reserved for Arabic news on the television. This act is still in practice. Arabic was also introduced as a

Benjamin Franklin - American Hero

2001-05-08T14:00:00-04:00
Throughout history icons emerge in each era that define that time, men who define the thinking, technology, culture, religion, and every other aspect of that time period. From the time of ancient Greece which possessed such prodigies as Socrates, and Aristotle men who were not only brilliant philosophers but also historians, mathematicians, and astronomers. To the Revolutionary period of America, which held such courageous enlightened men such as Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and Benjamin Franklin. Men who greatly helped shape America’s independence. A man who stands out among these names is “ The First American”, Benjamin Franklin who goes beyond being simply an icon of America’s conquest for freedom, but is truly an American hero. Benjamin Franklin’s heroism exists in his numerous achievements in politics, his scientific inventions, and his accomplishment of truly being “The First American”. Franklin’s contributions to the world of inventions, and science prove his ideal heroism. Some of Franklin’s contributions include his improvements on Franklin’s stove, he invented the Pennsylvania fireplace, which retained and dispersed heat evenly in a room. Franklin shaped perhaps the first idea of electricity; he also helped improved city’s pavements, street lighting, sanitations, fire companies, and police. These are a small amount of Franklin’s more material accomplishments, but they are also some of his strongest. Franklin is considered an American hero because although he was a politician, he felt the need to go above and beyond his regular duties. Franklin strived for perfection and had a strong to desire to help his fellow man. Whether it was improving the quality of his community by looking at such common aspects like city pavement, or street lights, or by making a large technological breakthrough and creating something like the musical armonica. Although Ben Franklin’s heroism was never symbolized in any battle, it was largely seen with his constant attempts in the world of science and innovation. Benjamin Franklin used an expressed his high level of intelligence for others to learn and prosper from him. Although Franklin’s use and discoveries in science and innovation are well-rounded accomplishments, he is most credited for his actions in political office. Benjamin Franklin’s ethical right mind helped shape our nation today. Franklin believed that America had to separate itself from its control under Great Britain. Perhaps Franklin’s most heroic act is the work he contributed to help make America the free nation it is today. It is interesting to think

Samuel Sewall

2001-05-08T14:00:00-04:00
Samuel Sewall born in 1652 in England. He was taken as a child to Newbury, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard in 1671. He became a minister but gave up the role to take management of a printing press in Boston and entered upon a public career. He was elected in 1683 to the general court and was a member of the council. As one of the judges who tried the Salem witchcraft cases in 1692, he shared the responsibility for the conviction of nineteen persons. However, he became convinced of the error of these convictions and in 1697 in Old South Church, Boston, publicly accepted the “blame and shame” for them. Sewall served for thirty-seven years as judge of the superior court of the colony, being chief justice during the last ten years of his service. Sewall was also a well-known author and his most famous work was his three-volume diary, which is very revealing of Samuel Sewall and the period he lived in. Sewall was a respected figure of his time and shared relations with other prominent icons of the colonial era. When Sewall entered Harvard he shared a home for two years with Edward Taylor, a famous American poet who became a lifelong friend of Sewall’s. Also in the year of the Salem witch Trials Samuel Sewall was appointed as one of nine judges by Govenor Phips, another fellow judge on this board was Cotton Mather. A famous individual of colonial times he was a minister of Boston’s Old North Church and was a true believer in witchcraft. Sewall and Mather were both puritans, authors, and shared similar views. Samuel Sewall died in Boston, Massachusetts in 1730, January 1st. Samuel Sewall’s writing was of a traditional Puritan style. His work often concentrated on religion, politics, business life, and good living. But unlike Puritans of his time Sewall’s many writings addressed specific concerns about the rights of Native Americans and of African-Americans brought as slaves to the colonies. Sewall wrote the first Puritan anti-slaveholding tract The Selling of Joseph. The literary work that Sewall is most famous for is his Diary; it consists of a minute record of his daily life, reflecting his interest in living piously and well. He notes little purchases of sweets for a woman he was courting, and their disagreements over whether he should affect upper class and expensive ways such as wearing a wig and

F. Scott Fitzgerald: His Beautiful and Damned World

2001-05-05T14:00:00-04:00
F. Scott Fitzgerald was born into a Catholic family in St. Paul, Minnesota, on September 24, 1896. Educated in private prep schools and then at Princeton until 1917, when he enlisted in the army because he feared he wouldn’t graduate , he was a middle-class, Midwestern boy who coveted the wonders of the East. When he married Zelda Sayre, a southern, upper-class daughter of a wealthy Alabama Supreme Court judge , Fitzgerald thought he had it all. The couple lived the high life, moving back and forth between Paris, the Riviera, and New York, but after a while Fitzgerald became an old name and his money dwindled. After Zelda had her first mental breakdown in April 1930, Fitzgerald’s life went spiraling downhill. Trying to become a star in Hollywood, Fitzgerald failed, as he thought he had done in everything else in life. All the fame that he has today has come to him post-mortem, but undeservedly so. Although The Great Gatsby was not a hit when it was first published, it is now recognized as one of the great American novels. F. Scott Fitzgerald “epitomized the mood and manners of the 1920’s” as well as the writers living in the Jazz Age. Fitgerald’s parents were of contrasting backgrounds. His father’s family was rich in Southern traditions and was from Maryland, while his mother was the daughter of a wealthy Irish immigrant. When Edward, his father, moved to upstate New York, after failing in the wicker business in St. Paul, Scott became home-schooled. However, in 1908, when Scott was twelve, the family moved back to St. Paul and Fitzgerald enrolled in the St. Paul Academy. The family moved again in late 1911 and Scott went to the Newman School in New Jersey, until 1913. After graduating high school, Fitzgerald was accepted to the Princeton class of 1917, but he didn’t graduate, and enlisted in the army instead. While in Europe, Fitzgerald came to terms with the fact that he was going to die in the war, so to leave a living legacy, he wrote a scanty novel entitled, “The Romantic Egotist”. Although the novel was praised for its originality, it was rejected and asked to be resubmitted when revised. This tumultuous way of life and Fitzgerald’s constant movement is a classic example of life in the 1920’s, where everything was alive but nothing was stable. The world was moving on a

Osama Bin Laden

2001-04-30T14:00:00-04:00
Why do people resort to such violent acts as bombing, assassinations, and hi-jacking? How do individuals and organizations justify these acts of terror? These acts can be described as terrorist actions. Terrorism is a growing international problem. During the last twenty years, new terrorist groups have sprung up al lover the world. Governments have had little success in their attempts to resolve issues in which terrorism is used. A major problem in discussing terrorism is establishing a generally accepted definition. Terrorism can be described as the unlawful use of fear or force to achieve certain political, economical, or social aims. Because it is so hard to define, organizations like the United Nations have had great difficulty drawing up policies against terrorism. Within the recent century, the subject of terrorism has risen as a major problem for all major countries. The United States is a nation that is not exempt from terrorism but actually a key target for many terrorist groups. A single individual, a certain group, or even governments may commit terrorist actions. Most terrorists, unlike criminals, claim to be dedicated to higher causes, and do not believe in personal gain. The methods used in terrorism include threats, bombings, the destruction of property, kidnapping, the taking of hostages, executions, and assassinations. There are many reasons why political groups attempt to bring about radical change through terrorism. People are often frustrated with their position in society. They may in some way feel persecuted or oppressed because or their race, religion, or they feel exploited by a government. Any group that uses terrorist actions have very complex and powerful reasons to engage in those activities. The radicals of Islam believe that our nation, he United States of America, is responsible for polluting the minds of their youth and having them stray from Islam. This belief causes the Islamic fundamentalist to pronounce the United States as the devil’s nation and the root source for all Western evils. One individual who enthusiastically believes this is Osama Bin Laden. Osama bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Laden was born in Riyadh in 1957. He is the 17th of 52 children sired by Muhammad Bin Laden who was Saudi Arabia's wealthiest construction industrialist. During the entire period that the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, Bin Laden started forming camps of soldiers of whom he commanded himself and was reported to actually set up six camps in total as

Frederich Neitzche

2001-04-15T14:00:00-04:00
Neitzche once wrote “He who strays from tradition becomes a sacrifice to the extraordinary.” It might be said that this was a reflection of himself. Obviously a true romantic, his love for nature and humanity, even the sheer disgust he had for Christianity. All of his essays and writings represent his strong feelings about Romanticism. Frederich Neitzche was best known for his observations of humankind and their nature. It was commendable that he was passionate about his philosophical writings and his pre-Socratic thinking. Neitzche wrote about everything from life to death, and everything he wrote held a special importance to him. As a young boy, Frederich suffered a lot more than an average child although he was brilliant. He had a very sad and lonely childhood, because of the hardships he experienced. Many of which inspired him to his later writings. At a tender age of seven, Neitzche’s father, a pastor, passed away. After being sick for several year with painful dizzy spells, he died. This event both traumatized and stimulated the young Neitzche. He became obsessed with death and its related theories; such as: suffering, disintegration of the brain, death, burial, and graves. As he grew up Neitzche realized he had inherited his father’s ailment, he became physically weak though this did not deplete his strong will. But Frederich was drafted into the army, he was sent off to the war between Germany and France. While in war, he fell off his horse, and was discharged from the army because of injury. This was relieving. Neitzche then began to lose control in his life. he began to drink, to go to parties and to go out all the time. But it became to intense for him and his illness could not stand it. After a few months of this he left his debauchery, renounced life, wandered into a corner and resumed his solitary seat he had held most of his life. Furthermore, he despised himself greatly. He went to the mountains and began to think about the events of the war. He asked questions like: what is the meaning of all this suffering? Where was the “eternal glory” of existence as preached by the prophets? He could find no answers and eventually came up with the theory “God is dead”, or Atheism. After thinking and developing his philosophies he compiled it and wrote several essays, one of which is The Anti-Christ,

Mein Kampf and the Formation of Hitler's Ideas

2001-04-13T14:00:00-04:00
The dominant political figure of German history in the twentieth century, Adolf Hitler, was born in a lower middle class family in the provincial Austrian town of Braunau am Inn on 20 April 1889. In 1907 Hitler applied to enter the Vienna Academy of Art but his application was rejected. After the death of his mother Klara, Hitler decided to move to Vienna. He drifted from job to job, often selling sketches or painting scenes of Old Vienna and it was a period that he himself later called the most miserable period of his life. Many of Hitler’s views of the world were shaped by his experiences on the streets of Vienna and it is probable that his violent anti-Semitism dates from this time. In 1924 Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison for his part in the Munich Putsch. During this time in prison Hitler began work on his book entitled Mein Kamph (My Struggle). The book outlines some of Hitler’s political ideas and his views on race and Germany’s future role in world affairs. Hitler had a racist view of world history and the dominant theme running through Mein Kamph was his concept of race. In Hitler’s view, civilization and nations decline when the fail to maintain the purity of the race. “Mixing blood and lowering of racial quality” according to Hitler is the “sole cause for the decline of all culture, for humans do not perish from lost wars but from the loss of that power of resistance that is characteristic only of pure blood”*. The fundamental duty of the government in Hitler’s mind was to preserve the racial purity of state for only this way can the superior race maintains it dominance over inferior races. To Hitler, the Aryan (an earlier Indo-European race from which the Germans were descended) was the master race and the other races were inferior. To Hitler the Jew represented the absolute contrast to the Aryan. The Aryans were the creators of culture and civilization, where else the Jew was the destroyer for they had no nation or culture of their own. They were “a parasite in the body of other nations”* contaminating the purity of the blood, exploiting and corrupting the nation. Hitler saw a Jewish world conspiracy and held absolute conviction that the Jews were responsible for all the evils that had befallen Germany – defeat of in war, revolution, economic

Aleksis Kivi

2001-04-11T14:00:00-04:00
1. Who actually was Aleksis kivi? 2. What did he write? 3. What was the book about? 1. Alekesis Kivi was a play writer, poet & novelist. He was the first Finn to write a book, it was a novel. He was born in 1834 in Nurmijarvi, Finland. He had a sister who died when she was 16. His old last name was Stenvall, it was a Swedish name but he changed it to Kivi afterwards. He died when he was 38 in 1872, two years after he wrote his novel. His two last words were “I’m alive”. 2. He wrote a novel in 1870 which wasn’t really successful because people didn’t think a novel was useful enough, they thought it would have been better to write something more educational. The book’s name is seitseman veljesta (seven brothers). 3. The book was about seven brothers, the oldest: Juhani and the youngest: Euro. Those seven brothers didn’t really know how to read so they found it really hard because they were too old to start learning how to read (except for Euro). They hated their teachers and

Lucille Ball - A Role Model to All

2001-04-09T14:00:00-04:00
There are so many role models throughout the

Kim Campbell: Descriptive Biography

2001-03-27T14:00:00-04:00
In a democracy, government isn't something that a group of people do TO everybody else, it's not even something they do FOR every body else, it should be something they do WITH everybody else. "Kim Campbell, March 25th, 1993 Avril Phaendra Douglas Campbell was born in Port Albeni, B.C. SHortly after her birth her parents moved to Vancouver where her father was studying law. Her family life didn't turn out to be succesful, so her parents divorced when she was 12. By the age of 13 she changed her name to Kim. She was always on top in her Prince Of Wales Secondary school and she marked the begining of her political career by being the first female student president. In 1964, Kim went to the University Of British Columbia where she topped in Political Science. There again she was elected to be the first female freshman president. After graduation, she took some graduate courses at The Institute of International Relations, before she got a scholarship to London School Of Economics. She returned to Vancouver in 1973 and began lecturing at Simon Fraser University and Vancouver Community College. In 1980 she returned to University of British Columbia to study law, at the same time she got involved in local politics. Later in 1983 she got elected into Vancouver School Board as a chairsperson. Her status caught the attension of the governing at that time Social Credit party and they asked her to run as a candidate in 1984 provincial elections. Even though she lost she was offered a job as a policy advisor to B.C. Premier Bill Bennett. When Bennett resigned in 1989, Kim ran for a provincial leader Bill Vander Zalm. In the electionthat year she won a seat in legislature. Here she made herself recognized for opposing premier's views on abortion. By 1988 Campbell was praised by the Conservative party. Conservative''''';;'"??/???s cabinet minister Pat Carney was about to retire, therefore he needed replacement. Kim campbell ran and won the 1988 election. She was offered a positiion as a Minister of State for Indian and Northern Affairs. In 1989 she became the first female Minister of Justice. She prooved herself again as a politician. She introduced a bill overlooking gun laws. The 1989 Montreal massive killing forced her to propose more strict gun laws. Kim Campbell was also praised when Bill C(49) was drafted after the Supreme Court announced the 1983 "'rape sheild' law as

Robert Hayden

2001-03-26T14:00:00-04:00
American poet, Robert Earl Hayden, born in Detroit, MI on August 4, 1913 had a reputation for finely crafted and powerfully meditative poems. He was raised in a poor neighborhood in Detroit. He was shuttled between the home of his parents and that of a foster family, who lived next door for most of his childhood. Because of impaired vision, he was unable to participate in sports, but was able to spend his time reading. In 1932 he graduated from high school and, with the help of a scholarship, attended Detroit City College (later Wayne State University). Hayden published his first book of poems, Heart Shape in the Dust, in 1940. He enrolled in a graduate English Literature program at the University of Michigan where he studied with W.H. Auden. Auden became an influential critical guide in the development of Hayden’s writing. He had an interest in African-American history and explored his concerns about

Al Capone

2001-03-25T14:00:00-04:00
The Rise and Fall of Al Capone 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 on the streets of New York. He had a clever mind when it came to knowing his environment. Capone was not very bright when it came to school. Capone was an illiterate. He came from a poor neighborhood in Brooklyn, so education was not a priority. At about the age of eleven Capone became a member of a juvenile gang in his neighborhood. Al Capone's philosophy was that laws only applied to people who had enough money to live by them. The name of the gang Capone became a member of was called the “Bim Booms” gang. In this gang, Capone was taught how to defend himself with a knife, and with a gun. By the time Capone reached the sixth grade he had already become a street brawler. Capone never responded well to authority and for this very reason his schooling would soon come to an end. While attending school, Capone was responsible for beating a female teacher and knocking her to the ground. The principal of the school rushed in and punished young Capone and for this very reason he would never return to school again. (Sifakis 603) After dropping out of school, Capone took up jobs such as working as a pin-setter at a bowling alley, and working behind the counter at a candy store. Capone was terrific at pool, winning every eightball tournament held in Brooklyn. He also became an expert knife fighter. Although the “Bim Booms” gang was the first gang Capone ever entered, he was quickly picked up by the “Five Pointers”. The “Five Pointers” was the most powerful gang in New York city. The gang was headed by Johnny Torrio, and was made up of over 1,500 thugs who specialized in burglary, extortion, robbery, assault, and murder. While working as a strong arm enforcer under Torrio, Capone learned all the lethal tricks that would help him reach a pinnacle point in organized crime. Capone was very grateful to Torrio. Torrio first set Capone out to do all of his “dirty work”. Capone was

Grant HIll

2001-03-11T13:00:00-04:00
In someway grant was a typical boy. He was energetic and playful. He liked to ride his dirt bike around the neighborhood. And, of course, he liked sports, especially soccer and basketball. For a while, he even had more soccer trophies then basketball. But, as he grew, he realized he had a better chance to excel on the basketball court. One sport Grant never played was football. Not because he didn’t want to, but because his father forbade him to play untill he was in high school. “ I didn’t want him dealing with pressures of comparison,” said Calvin, his father. Even though he didn’t play football, Grant still had to deal with comparison. He was a shy and quiet child who never liked the idea of being special. He wanted to fade in the background, just be one of the gang. But that really wasn’t possible, everyone knew that Grant’s father was Calvin Hill, the greatest football player. Calvin was the NFL rookie of the year in 1969. “I’ve always wanted to blend in and be like everybody else,” Grant says. “I didn’t want anybody, especially my friends, thinking I was better then them. I just wanted to be a down-to-earth guy and have my own identity.” Like most other kids, Grant played pickup games with his friends. He worked on his moves in the driveway. Sometimes he’d fantasize about winning a big game with the last-second shot. He would video tape games, just so he could play them over and over again. He would sit in front of the television set and analyze the game. Grant would not only watch the ball but also watch the floor. He would notice if a player set a nice screen way from action, or worked particularly hard on defense. He became a true student of the game. When grant went to high school he was asked to play on the varsity team, but he was devastated, he told the coach he much rather play on the junior varsity team. Calvin had gotten a call from one of the assistant coaches about the decision to elevate grant to the varsity team. It was an unusual move – Grant was barely 14 years old. But Calvin felt his son could handle it. But suprisingly when Calvin told him the news he burst into tears. Grant did not want to be above his friends. Grant average 11

Pierre Curie

2001-03-05T13:00:00-05:00
Born in 1859 in Paris, Pierre Curie was a French physicist who spent a great deal of his life dealing in the fields of chemistry and physics. During his lifetime, he was known for his work in radioactivity, magnetism, piezoelectric effect, and his work and studies with his wife Marie Curie in discovering new elements on the periodic table. Pierre discovered many new things and helped advance the field of chemistry with his discoveries. Studying physics at the University of Paris, Pierre got a bachelor’s degree in 1875 and became an assistant

Dr. Stephen Hawking; Man of Mystery

2001-03-04T13:00:00-05:00
Dr. Stephen Hawking has been considered to be more brilliant then Einstein. Dr. Hawking was born on January 8 1942 in Oxford, England on the 300th anniversary of Galileo’s death. Is this a coincidence? After his studies at St. Albans School, he attended University College, Oxford. He wanted to study Mathematics, but because it was unavailable at Oxford, he concentrated on Physics and earned a degree in Natural Science three years later. Stephen went on to Cambridge to do research in Cosmology. After attaining his Ph.D., he became a Professorial Fellow at Gonville and Caius College. He left the Institute of Astronomy to become a professor at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge. He has held the post of Lacasian Professor of Mathematics since 1979. In the early 1960’s, Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with the dreadful disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (A.L.S.), an incurable degenerative neuromuscular disease, also known as Lou Gerhig’s Disease. He has been paralyzed unable to use every muscle in his body. The only muscles he has use of are those around his eyes. This explains why Hawking has become a theoretician rather than a “hands-on” scientist. He spends hour after hour in his wheelchair pondering complex ideas and formulating mind bobbling equations in his head. Dr. Hawking’s work is primarily in the field of general relativity and in particular on the physics of black holes. He uses his theory on the origin of black holes to help explain the creation of the universe. In 1971 he suggested the formation (following the big bang), of numerous objects containing as much as 1,000,000,000 tons of mass but occupying only the space of a proton. These objects, called mini- black holes, are unique in that because of their immense mass and gravity, they are ruled by the laws if relativity, while their minute size requires that the laws of quantum mechanics apply to them also. In 1974, Hawking proposed that, in accordance with the predications of quantum theory, black holes emit subatomic particles until they exhaust all their energy and finally explode. Hawking’s work spurred efforts to theoretically delineate the properties of black holes. It was previously thought that nothing could be learned about black holes. Now we know that each black hole starts out as a star about ten times the size of the sun. Over time, the star burns all its nuclear fuel and

George Washington Carver

2001-03-04T13:00:00-05:00
George Washington Carver was a African American scientist who showed many intriguing thoughts of nature throughout his life span of being one of the most dedicated scientist. George was born in Diamond Missouri, but his exact date of birth is not known by people. Never the less, one of the most remarkable inventors was born. Many people speculate that he was born sometime in January in 1964, while others believe he was born in June. George was born as a small and weak baby, and he had his first challenge of overcoming various obstacles as a baby. Possibly one of his biggest goals that he had to overcome was growing up without having any parents. His father was killed in an accident while he was just a baby. George lived in a small cabin with his mother and brother James. Everything was going fine for George until one night when a raiding group of people came breaking into there home. They kidnapped George, along with his mother, while James went in the woods for a place to hide so he won’t be captured. James would be leaded by his owner’s Moses and Susan Carver. Eventually George would escape from the people who capture him, and join his brother again as they would be guided by there owners. As being a black slave, they never adopted the last name from there parents. Only after the end of the Civil War, both James and George picked Carver to be their last name. George would stay with his owner’s that took care of him, and he would help out with the chores to show his appreciation. He became very fond of plants and at a early age George would plant and maintain the garden on the farm. He became so good at planting and gardening, his owner’s would give him the name “The Plant Doctor.” The Carver’s taught George many of the basic things that every child should know at the ealy age. George learned how to read and write with no problems. Many people thought and knew that George had an excellent future ahead of himself due to the fact that he has a quick ability to pick up on new traits that he learns. At first things didn’t look to bright for Carver’s future, he tried to enlist into the school in Diamond Grove, but was turned down because of racism. They told

Hitler's Rise to Power

2001-03-03T13:00:00-05:00
Adolf hitler was born in brannau, austria on the 20th of april 1889. His parents belonged to the settled middle class and his father led a thrifty but successful life. At aged 18, hitler moved to vienna where he settled for five years. He described that period of time as the worst years of his life. As a struggling artist, he tried to gain entry into the vienna academy of fine arts but was refused admission. It was in vienna that hitler was influenced by lanz von libenfels and developed very strong nationalist and anti-semitic views. In may 1913, he left for munich. During ww1 in august 1914, he enlisted in the army. he fought on the western front for 4yrs and was awarded the iron cross for bravery. he remained in the army and was given the job of spying on newly developing political parties. One such party was the german workers party founded by anton drexler in 1919. hitler was so impressed at the first meeting by what he saw and heard that he decided to join the organisation. by 1920, he was leader of this party and changed the name to the national socialist workers party, commonly known as the nazi party. The nazis forme their own small army called the SA(sturm abteilung). they were easily recognised by the brown coloured shirts they wore. the SA were used to protect the nazis at any meetings or conferences that were held. hitler made the swastika the emblem of this party. early recruits included ernst rohm, rudolf hess, heinrich himmler and josef goebbels. With the weimar government facing economic and ploitical crisis in 1923, hitler decided to make a bid for power. this came in the form a the munich putsch. On 8th november 1923, nazi's took over a beer hall in munich. many people were killed. hitler was arrested two days later and was sentenced to 5yrs in landsberg castle. he only served 9months of this sentence. while in prison, hitler wrote his famous book 'mein kampf'- my struggle. this book was a long boring insight into the mind of hitler and his anti-semitic views. During his time in prison the nazi party had disintegrated , and its members had become divided. hitler had to spend the next 4yrs rebuilding the party and giving it a solid organisational base. Hitler believed in a true german race devoid of impurity which could be achieved

Bill Gates

2001-03-03T13:00:00-05:00
William Henry Gates III - The remarkable man with the remarkable bank account. Early Life William Henry Gates, also known as “Bill”, has established himself as the richest man in the world. He is the youngest self made billionaire, and perhaps the best businessman in the world. Bill, was born October 28, 1955, his parents, Mary and Bill Jr., have one other daughter, a daughter, Kristi. His father, Bill Gates Jr. was born in Bremerton, Washington. He was accepted on the University of Washington. After he had taken the education of being a lawyer, he went back to Bremerton and became assistant for the district attorney. His mother, Mary Maxwell, was born in 1929 - Seattle, Washington, grew up between prominent families, in the northeast of the US. She became a teacher. Gates began his career in PC software, programming computers at age 13. Education He attended a well-known private school in Seattle, Washington called Lakeside. At Lakeside, he met his future business partner Paul Allen. Bill Gates entered Harvard in 1973. He created the programming language BASIC. Gates attended Harvard University as a freshman. After a few years, Gates and his business partner Paul Allen dropped out of Harvard to begin the Microsoft Corporation in 1975. Business Throughout his life, Gates had many experiences with business. Allen and himself started a small company called Traf-O-Data, they sold a small computer outfitted with their program that could count traffic for the city. Gates also worked as a Congressional Page and at a programming company called 'TRW'. After all his minor jobs, Gates and Allen founded Microsoft in 1975, the largest computer based company in the world. Gates is the Chief Executive officer and Paul Allen is VP. They are both very wealthy due to this business. Microsoft What would a Bill Gates essay be without a Microsoft section? Microsoft's wealth and power just grow and grow, asserts Fortune magazine. CEO Bill Gates could buy out an entire years production of his 99 nearest competitors, burn it, and still be worth more than Hugh Hefner and Michael Jordan. Microsoft's $25 billion market value tops that of Ford, General Motors, 3M, Boeing, General Mills, or Anheuser-Busch. With size comes power. Microsoft dominates the PC market with its MS-DOS operating system, the basic software that lets the computer understand your commands and carry them out. MS-DOS runs on 90 percent of the worlds IBM and IBM-clone computers. Microsoft has extended

J.R.R. Tolkien

2001-02-27T13:00:00-05:00
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, creator of a world. When someone who knows Tolkien is asked about his works, one thought comes to mind, Middle Earth. This was the playground in his mind that such vivid descriptions of fantasylands came from. It is the base of his most well known stories, where dreams are just the norm. J.R.R. may owe much of his success to his diverse beginnings. On April 16, 1891, Mabel Suffield and Arthur Reuel Tolkien were married in Bloemfontein, South Africa. They soon gave birth to John Ronald Reuel Tolkien on January 3, 1892, who was christened later that month. In April of 1895 Mabel took J.R.R. and his younger brother to Birmingham England. Arthur, their father, was supposed to follow them in a few months, however never does, as he dies shortly before his trip. This causes a struggling early life for John, moving constantly. At age 7 he took the entrance exam for King Edwards School, failed, but gained acceptance a year later and move closer to the school. The Tolkiens move several more times, and end up near the Grammar School of St. Philips, where John’s mother enrolls him to save money. J.R.R. won a scholarship, however, and returned to King Edwards to continue his studies. On September 14, 1904, Mabel Tolkien, John’s mother, dies after a diabetic coma. After the death of his mother, the guardianship of his brother and him was taken over by Father Francis Xavier Morgan, a priest of the Birmingham Oratory. In 1908, J.R.R. started his first term at Oxford, and in 1915 he was awarded First Honours degree in English Language and Literature. The following year, March 22, 1916, John Tolkien married Edith Bratt. Between the years of 1917 and 1929, the couple had four children together, John, Michael, Christopher, and Priscilla. Tolkien’s children had a great impact on his writings. One of the best instances of this is in his book Roverandom. In 1925, while on vacation with his family on the Yorkshire coast, four-year-old Michael Tolkien lost his favorite toy, a little lead dog he was reluctant to put down even to play on the beach. To console and distract him J. R. R. improvised a story, the story of Rover, a real dog magically transformed into a toy. After many fantastic adventures in search of the wizard who wronged him, at last he wins back his doggy life. This charming

Margaret (Peggy) Timberlake Eaton

2001-02-26T13:00:00-05:00
Margaret (Peggy) O’Neal (who preffered to be called Margaret) was born in 1799 in Washington DC. She was the daughter of William O’Neal, who owned a thriving boarding house and tavern called the Franklin House in that same town. It was frequented by senators, congressmen, and all politicians. She was the oldest of six children, growing up in the midst of our nation’s emerging political scene. She was always a favorite of the visitors to the Franklin House. She was sent to one of the best schools in Washington DC, where she studied English and French grammar, needlework and music. She also had quite a talent for dance, and was sent to private lessons, becoming a very good dancer. At the age of twelve, she danced for the First Lady Dolley Madison. Visitors of the Franklin House also commented on her piano playing skills. During Margaret’s teenage years, there were many rumors circulating about her romances. The stories included one of a suitor who swallowed poison after she refused to return his affections, one of her being briefly linked to the son of President Jefferson’s treasury secretary, and one of her botched elopement to a young aide of General Winfield Scott. As the story goes, she accidentally kicked over a flowerpot during her climb down from a bedroom window, which woke her father, who promptly dragged her back inside. When Jackson first met Margaret at the age of 24, he took an immediate liking to her. The tavern had been recommended to him by his close friend John Henry Eaton, who would later marry Miss O’Neal and cause quite a scandal. Jackson’s wife, when meeting Margaret a year later, was equally taken with her. Margaret married a navy purser named John Bowie Timberlake. They had three children together, one whom died while still an infant. When John was gone at sea, John Eaton entered the picture again, escorting Margaret on drives and to parties. The rumors flew around town of Margaret and Eaton’s supposed affair, and of her husband’s drunkenness. The people around town were all saying that the reason Timberlake kept sailing was to avoid his wife’s obvious philandering. Timberlake was soon reassigned to the Mediterranean squadron. The Mediterranean was very hot and contained few friendly ports in those days, making it a less than pleasant assignment. Timberlake died while in the Mediterranean, the official cause was pulmonary disease. It

Martha Washington

2001-02-24T13:00:00-05:00
In 1633, the Reverend Rowland Jones came from England to the colony of Virginia. He had graduated from Oxford University and in Williamsburg had served as minister for fourteen years. Two generations later Martha Dandridge, his great-granddaughter, was born on June 2, 1731 on a plantation near Williamsburg. She grew up in the Dandridge home, Chestnut Grove. She enjoyed riding horses, gardening, sewing, playing the “spinet” and dancing. Her father made sure that she got a fair education in basic math, reading and writing...something girls didn’t receive at the time. At the age of eighteen, Martha married to Daniel Parke Custis. He was wealthy, handsome and twenty years older than her. Martha set up housekeeping on his plantation, while her husband managed the estate, which covered over 17,000 acres. Her husband adored his young, pretty bride and pampered her with the finest clothes and gifts imported all the way from England. They had four children, two who died before their first birthday. Their two surviving children John Parke, called "Jacky" and Martha, called "Patsy". In 1757, when Martha was twenty-six, Daniel Custis died after a brief illness. Jacky was three and Patsy was less than a year old. Dying without a will, Martha was left with the duties of running the household, the estate and raising her children. (Fatherless children were usually "raised" under the care of a guardian, even if the mother survived--which meant that another male, primarily a relative, took care of the estates of the children). Her early education proved very helpful in the task. Her husband’s former business manager stayed to help with the operation of the plantation and she consulted with lawyers when she felt she needed it. Sometime later, Martha met a young colonel (several months younger than her) in the Virginia Militia at a cotillion in Williamsburg. His name was George Washington. Martha fell in love and George found her quite attractive. (That she had a good disposition and inherited wealth was an added bonus to the relationship). Martha married George on January 6, 1759. The marriage changed George from an ordinary planter to a substantially wealthy landowner. He had resigned his commission in the militia and so, George, Martha, Jacky who was 4, and Patsy who was about 2 moved into the remodeled Mt. Vernon. Martha was careful in running her home, although she and her husband did not pinch pennies when

David Livingstone

2001-02-24T13:00:00-05:00
David Livingstone is a Scottish missionary and physician. He spent most of his life exploring Africa. He helped Europeans learn a lot about the continent of Africa. Livingstone was born in Scotland. His parents were really religious so David followed his dad’s footsteps. David is a really hard working person, the reason why he would want to go to Africa was because he knew that there weren’t a lot of Christians there; he also knew that not many people there knew about Christ. At age ten he began working in the local cotton mill, he had to work long hours and he got too little pay for what he was doing. When he didn’t work, he would just stay at home to study, and in 1836 he entered Anderson's College in Glasgow. He was mainly interested in theology and medicine. In 1838 the London Missionary Society accepted him as a candidate, and two years later he received a medical degree from the University of Glasgow. The First War between Britain and China ruined his hopes of becoming a medical missionary to China, but the missionary society arranged a new placement for him in southern Africa. He was supposed to be preaching in the southern part of Africa; however, due to the fact that he wasn’t successful, he went to the north. While he was there, he worked with an individual named, Robert Moffat. Later on he married his daughter, Mary Moffat. For the next 15 years, Livingstone was constantly moving into the African interior. He was strengthening his missionary determination he was also responding entirely to the delights of geographical discovery; he was building for himself a Christian, a courageous explorer, and a fervent antislavery advocate. As a missionary, David Livingstone quickly believed that what he was supposed to do is to not remain in one spot, preaching the gospel to the few local people willing to listen. Instead, he should keep on moving, reaching new groups and extending to them to be more familiar with what God wanted them to do with Christianity. Eventually he would expand this idea into a belief that his role was to open up Africa's interior to broader influences from Western civilization. Once that occurred, he would work hand in hand to end slave trading and uplift African peoples. Such motives drove Livingstone. He worked really hard as a missionary but he still had

Father Solanus Casey

2001-02-10T13:00:00-05:00
Father Solanus Casey played an important role in many people's lives, just like Jesus. He believed that living a good life meant living a life of service, love, prayer, sacrifice, and worship. He also believed that self sacrifice was imperative to a good relationship with God. His dedication to God leads to the assumption of many similarities between him and Jesus. Father Solanus believed in a life of heavy worship. From the time he was a little boy to the time he died he prayed more than once daily. He held the belief that he would be sustained throughout his life by rosary devotion to Mary. Sometimes, during his life at the monastery, Fr. Solanus would fall asleep on the chapel floor while praying. Fr. Solanus believed praying helped him realize God's wonderful gifts and everlasting plans for us. Father Solanus did his best to help build the reign of God. He preached to Catholics and non-Catholics alike about God and Jesus. He invited all people to join the reign of God by loving God and loving their neighbors. Fr. Solanus worked hard to preach the good news of the gospel to everyone. He also worked hard trying to feed the poor and heal the sick, just as Jesus did. Fr. Solanus's whole life was devoted to helping the reign of God, just like Jesus' was. Father Solanus reflected the paschal mystery in many ways. His death, like Jesus' death on the cross, was slow and painful. He also prayed in his last moments. His death was a very sorrowful event to his followers, just as Jesus' was. After Fr. Solanus was dead, he continued to help and heal people, just as Jesus did. When Jesus washed his disciples' feet he was showing his love a devotion to them, even though he knew that they would betray him in his most desperate hour of need. Father Solanus tried to show this same love and compassion to all the people whose lives he touched. When Father Solanus helped people and healed people he knew some of them were sinners. When he helped people he knew some of them were not catholic. When he advised people he knew that they had previously made bad decisions. But none of these things mattered to Father Solanus, because he loved all of God's children, just as Jesus did. Father Solanus left many models of how to live life correctly

Alexander Calder

2001-01-31T13:00:00-05:00
Alexander Calder was one of the most innovative and original American artists of the twentieth century. In 1926, Calder arrived in Paris and devoted himself to a project called the Circus that occupied him for over five years. This contains characters and animals made out of wire, scraps of cloth, wood, cork, labels, bits of scrap metal and pieces of rubber. Calder transported his little theater in suitcases and performed it for his friends. During his performances, Calder invented ways to simulate the flight of birds: “These are little bits of white paper, with a hole and slight weight on each one, which flutter down several variously coiled thin steel wires which I jiggle so that they flutter down like doves…” (Alexander Calder, An Autobiography with Pictures [New York: Pantheon, 1966], p.92) The Circus is the laboratory of Calder’s work; in it he experimented with new formulas and techniques. "By 1930," sculptor historian Wayne Craven has written, Calder's "Circus had become one of the real successes of the art world of Montparnasse, as well as among the Paris intellectuals. Jean Cocteau, Fernand Leger, Joan Miro, Piet Mondrian, Jean Arp... and others were captivated by it, whereas none of them paid much attention to Calder's wood carvings. Such encouragement undoubtedly led him to try more serious experiments in wire sculptures." During this same period he developed wire figures such as Josephine Baker, The Negress, and the Portrait of Edgar Varese, while continuing to draw and to create circus scenes. Next he worked in wood, creating The Horse, The Cow, female nudes, and Old Bull, between 1928 and 1930, eventually becoming interested in the movement of objects, some with motors. Calder discovered what he wanted: “to paint and work in the abstract” (Calder, p.133). He created relief paintings such as White Panel (1934) and applied himself thereafter to creating sculptures based on the plastic dynamics of asymmetry. Calder discovered the leaders of avant-garde, the Abstraction-Creation group. Under their influence, Calder began to look into Boccioni and Moholy-Nagy’s theories, using sculptures in motion. In 1933, Calder completed Object with Red Discs, a sculpture he described as a “two-meter rod with one heavy sphere, suspended from the apex of a wire. This gives quite a cantilever effect. Five thin aluminum discs project at right angels from five wires, held in position by a wooden sphere counterweight” (Calder, p.149). Thus the idea of the mobile was

Hitler - A Great Leader

2001-01-28T13:00:00-05:00
In my opinion, being a good leader firstly he should be able to take full advantage of favorable circumstance, able to rule the country under a chaotic situation. Besides he made attractive promises to gain popular support, skilled in using of propaganda, amoral. Moreover he should have the organizational ability and has the ambition to make his country powerful in the world. In addition, he could use his words to twist and manipulate the minds of people into believing that what he was saying. Using this power, he could get people to do anything for him, which prove his amorality. He should be skillful in carry out successful policy to bring the country to economic prospect, since economy is very important to a country. I think Adolf Hitler is the one. Adolf Hitler was one of the 20th century’s most powerful dictators. He was responsible for World War II and the death of millions. Hitler saw a nation in despair and used this as an opportunity to gain political power. He saw a nation of unemployed and hungry citizens and promised them economic prosperity in return for absolute power. Someone once said “The Nazis rose to power on the empty stomachs of the German people”. Although he did not live a very long life, during his time he caused such a great deal of death and destruction that his actions still have an effect on the world nearly 50 years later. I am sure that he is a great leader. Adolf Hitler joined a small political party in 1919 and rose to leadership through his emotional and captivating speeches. He encouraged national pride, militarism, and a commitment to the Volk and a racially "pure" Germany. Hitler condemned the Jews, exploiting anti-Semitic feelings that had prevailed in Europe for centuries. He changed the name of the party to the National Socialist German Workers' Party, called for short, the Nazi Party. By the end of 1920, the Nazi Party had about 3,000 members. A year later Hitler became its official leader Führer. From this, we can see his potential of being a leader and his development in his propaganda. In about 1923 Adolf Hitler's attempt at an armed overthrow of local authorities in Munich, known as the Beer Hall Putsch, failed miserably. Hitler, were subsequently jailed and charged with high treason. However, Hitler used the courtroom at his public trial as a propaganda platform,

George Washington's Life

2001-01-19T13:00:00-05:00
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. George Washington inherited much more than a good mind and a strong body. He belonged to an old colonial family that believed in hard work, public service and in worshiping God. Washington's father, Augustine Washington was born in 1694 and died in 1743. He had four children with his first wife, Jane Butler Washington. She died in 1729. In March 1731, Augustine married Mary Ball. She was George's mother. Mary was born in 1709 and died in 1789. Some people think of George Washington as a young boy who chopped down a cherry tree. Some also think he could throw coins across the Rappahannock River. Many people laugh when they think of his false teeth. Almost everybody believes that he was the first president of our country. Only one of these facts are true. Washington did have false teeth. His false teeth were made of whale bone and deer antlers. He never chopped down a cherry tree, and unless his pitching arm was better than that of any professional baseball player, he could have never thrown anything across the river. The most startling fact is that he wasn't even the first president. Our first president was John Hanson. He was elected president of the thirteen states in the Confederation. After Hanson, there were more before Washington. There was Elias Boudinot, Thomas Mifflin, Richard Henery and Cyrus Griffin. At the age of 17, Washington began traveling across rivers, mountains and Indian trails to remote parts of Virginia. He learned to survive in the wilderness. When Washington was 20, his brother Lawrence died and Washington became the owner of Mount Vernon. At the age of 21, he fought heroically in the French and Indian War which raged in Canada. He began his military career in late 1752 as an adjutant for the Virginia Military. After that he became a British officer in the French Indian War. In 1775, he was almost killed while serving as an aide to General Edward Braddock. Three years later, Washington was elected to the Virginia House of Burgeses. He then served as Justice of the Peace for Fairfay County. He resigned from the military with the rank of Colonel. As a young man, Washington was a romantic. He fell in love many times. He was rejected twice before he met the woman he finally married. He married Martha

Terry Fox

2001-01-17T13:00:00-05:00
Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, a community near Vancouver on Canada's west coast. As an active teenager involved in many sports, in 1977 Terry was only

Adolf Hitler and the Nazis Rise to Power

2001-01-16T13:00:00-05:00
Adolf Hitler was one of the 20th century’s most powerful dictators. He was responsible for World War II and the death of millions. Hitler saw a nation in despair and used this as an opportunity to gain political power. He saw a nation of unemployed and hungry citizens and promised them economic prosperity in return for absolute power. Someone once said “The Nazis rose to power on the empty stomachs of the German people”. Hitler was born in Austria-Hungary in 1889. His father, Alois Hitler, worked in Austrian customs service. Hitler had a relatively comfortable childhood. Although he was an above average student he was more interested in art than in academics. Like most German speaking citizens of Austria-Hungary, Hitler considered himself German and developed a strong sense of German nationalism. By 1908 both Hitler’s parents had died. Hitler pretended to continue his studies in order to receive an orphan’s pension. In 1913, Hitler went to Munich to escape Austrian authorities who were after him because he failed to register for the draft. Hitler volunteered for the German army.When Germany was defeated in 1918, he blamed the Jews and decided he would go into politics to save the country. After the war, Hitler returned to Munich. He was selected to be a political speaker by the local army headquarters. He was given special training in public speaking. Later in life Hitler used his skill in motivational speaking to gain the support of the German people for the Nazi party. Hitler was selected as an observer of political groups in the Munich area. During this time period he was introduced to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, better known as the Nazi Party. The Nazis shared his dislike of the liberal democracy of the Weimar Republic as well as his violent racial nationalism and anti-Semitism. In 1921 he was named the absolute leader of the Nazi Party. After its defeat in World War I, Germany was forced to give up land, demilitarize and pay war reparations. When Germany refused to pay all that was demanded, France and Belgium occupied the coal mines in the Ruhr industrial area. The German government ordered the workers to strike as a form of passive resistance. To compensate these workers the German government printed huge amounts of new money. This led to inflation. German currency rapidly lost value. Many people were unemployed and on the brink of starvation. Hitler felt

Muhammad Ali

2001-01-13T13:00:00-05:00

Aristotle

2001-01-10T13:00:00-05:00
Aristotle (384 BC -322 BC) was a Greek philosopher, logician, and scientist. Along with his teacher Plato (author of The Republic), Aristotle is generally regarded as one of the most influential ancient thinkers in a number of philosophical fields, including political theory. Aristotle’s’ writing reflects his time, background, and beliefs. Aristotle was born in Stagira, Macedonia. His father, Nichomacus, was the personal physician to the King of Macedonia, Amyntas. At the age of seventeen, Aristotle left for Athens to study at Plato’s Academy. He studied at Plato’s Academy for about twenty years, up until Plato’s death. Soon thereafter, Aristotle went to a city in Asia Minor, called Assos, where his friend, Hermias was ruler (Encyclopaedia Britannica). It was in Assos where Aristotle met Pythias, who is described as either a niece or daughter of Hermias. Aristotle married Pythias after the murder of Hermias by the Persians. Aristotle then went to Pella, the capitol of Macedonia, where he became the tutor for the king’s son, Alexander, who later became Alexander the Great. When Alexander became King, Aristotle went to Athens where he began to lecture at the Lyceum. Aristotle lectured while walking about in one of the Lyceum’s covered walkways, which earned him the nickname “Peripatetic”, which means walking about. Aristotle lectured and directed the Lyceum for twelve years, producing many the lecture notes, which now form his work. Only a small amount of Aristotle’s work has survived. Some of Aristotle’s writings which did survive are: “Metaphysics” which were his writings on the Nature, Scope, and Properties of Being; and “Physics” his writings on Astronomy, Meteorology, Plants, and Animals. These writings have changed the way the modern world thinks and lives. Aristotle’s works encompassed all the major areas of thought, which are Logic, Science, Metaphysics, Ethics, and Politics. He developed a new, non-Platonic theory of form, created a system of deductive reasoning for universal and existential statements, produced a theory of the Cosmos, matter, life, and mind, and theorized about the relationship between ethics and politics and the nature of good life (The World Book Encyclopedia). His system rivaled Plato’s for the next 2000 years. Aristotle was a firm believer that philosophy came from wonder, and that knowledge came from experience. He had a wealth of knowledge, from his many varied experiences; if he was correct about philosophy coming from wonder, he would have had to wonder quite a bit. Aristotle was a genius

Adam Sandler

2001-01-05T13:00:00-05:00
It seems you either love him or hate him - but there's no avoiding him. Adam Sandler has risen to the top, and he has his loyal fans to thank for it. While most actors fight their way to the top while relying mainly on hype, for Sandler this was actually against him. No one thought he would succeed, but the fans made it happen, carrying him to the top of the box office. Sandler grew up in Brooklyn, New York and was born on September 9th, 1966. While this probably doesn't come as a surprise, Adam was the class clown throughout high school. What was surprising is that Adam never realized how useful his sense of humor would be. He got his start in stand-up comedy one night when he got and started performing at a Boston bar he frequently went to. Although Sandler is often dismissed as Immature, he has a University education with a degree in Fine Arts from New York University. He relied on the money that he earned in stand-up and from a recurring role on the hit Cosby Show as Theo Huxtable's dim-witted buddy. He spent some time doing stand-up in L.A., where former Saturday Night Live star Dennis Miller caught his act. Miller spoke to producer Lorne Michaels about him, and Adam Sandler was soon working for SNL. At first, he was mainly a writer who appeared on the show occasionally. However, his appearances were so popular (ie: Operaman, Canteen Boy) that his status soon changed to that of a regular player. During the early 90s, he was by far the most popular and entertaining cast member and the one credited with keeping the show going, despite falling ratings and criticism that SNL had passed its prime. Sandler began releasing audio tapes of his comedy routines and they were very successful. His first, They're all gonna laugh at you! earned a Grammy nomination and spent over 100 weeks on Billboard charts. Although dismissed by many as tasteless, they were a huge success. After a series of disappointing big screen roles, Sandler finally had some luck. He co-scripted the movie "Billy Madison" and starred in it as a young man forced to repeat grades 1 through 12 in six months in order to earn his inheritance. The film was widely accepted and did fairly well. Sandler soon quit SNL in order to concentrate on movies. Happy Gilmore provided the break

Harriet Tubman

2001-01-01T13:00:00-05:00
Harriet Ross Tubman was an African American who escaped slavery and then showed runaway slaves the way to freedom in the North for longer than a decade before the American Civil War. During the war she was as a scout, spy, and nurse for the United States Army. After that she kept working for rights for blacks and women. Harriet Tubman was originally named Araminta Ross. She was one of 11 children born to Harriet Greene and Benjamin Ross on a plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland. She later took her mother's first name. Harriet was working at the age of five. She was a maid and a children's nurse before she worked in the field when she was 12. A year later, a white guy either her watcher or her master smacked her on the head with a really heavy weight. The hit was so hard it left her with permanent neurological damage. In result of the hit she had sudden blackouts during the rest of her life. In 1844 she got permission from her master to marry John Tubman, a free black man. For the next five years Harriet Tubman was a semi-slave. She was still legally a slave, but her master let her live with her husband. In 1847 her master died. Followed by the death of his recipient and young son in 1849. That made Harriet’s status uncertain. In the middle of rumors that the family's slaves were being sold to clear the estate, Harriet Tubman went to the North and freedom. Her husband stayed in Maryland. In 1849 Harriet Tubman moved to Pennsylvania. She returned to Maryland two years later hoping to get her husband to come to The North with her. John Tubman had remarried by then. Harriet did not marry again until after John Tubman died. In Pennsylvania, Harriet Tubman became an abolitionist. She worked to end slavery. She decided to become a conductor on the Underground Railroad (a network of antislavery activists who helped slaves escape from the South). On her first trip in 1850, Harriet Tubman brought her sister and her sister's two children out of slavery in Maryland. In 1851 she rescued her brother, and in 1857 Harriet Tubman returned to Maryland and brought her parents to freedom. Over a time period of ten years Harriet Tubman made an estimated 19 trips into the South and brought about 300 slaves to the

Charles Darwin

2000-12-31T13:00:00-05:00
Feb.12, 1809-April 19,1882 Charles Darwin was born in the city of Shrewsbbury, England and was raised as a fifth child by a wealthy family. (His father was a physician and son of Erasmus Darwin, a poet, philosopher and naturalist. His mother Susannah Wedgewood, died when Charles was eight.) In 1825, Darwin graduated from the elite school at shrewdsbury. He then attended the University of Edinburgh to study medicine. In 1927 he dropped out and entered the University of Cambridge in order to become a clergyman for the Church of England. There he met Adam Sedgwick and John Stevens Henslow. The two figures taught Darwin to become an observer of natural phenomenon and a collector of specimens. After graduating from Cambridge in 1831, he was brought aboard the English survey ship HMS Beagle as an unpaid naturalist on a scientific expedition around the world. At the time, most geologists believed in the catastrophist theory. In which all creation was wiped out by certain catastrophes e.g. Noah’s flood. Darwin had some proof of this, but found some fossils and species didn’t fit this theory. He found fossils of extinct animals were closely related to live animals of the same geographical area. He also found that every island had it’s own form of tortoise, mocking bird, and finch. Though, each with slight differences. After returning from his voyage in 1836, Darwin began investigating works of other scientists with similar findings. One in particular was Thomas Robert Malthus. He believed that population was balanced by natural limitations such as famine and war. Darwin took his idea and applied it to plants and animals. Giving him the theories of evolution and natural selection. Since Darwin was independently wealthy he spent the next twenty years working on his theory without bringing in an income. In 1839, he married his first cousin and moved into a small estate. His wife thereafter gave birth to ten children, three of whom died in infancy. In 1858, The Origin of Species was published. This book presented Darwin’s whole theory. What the book basically said was that there was a “survival to the fittest” among all species. He also provided support that the Earth is not static, but revolving. The book sold out on the first day of publications. Some scientists believed Darwin’s hypothesis could not be proven. Others argued he couldn’t explain the origin of variations or how they were passed

Elizabeth Blackwell

2000-12-29T13:00:00-05:00
Blackwell, Elizabeth (1821-1910) Elizabeth Blackwell was born on Feb. 3 1821,in Bristol New York. She was one of the nine children of Samuel Blackwell. Samuel Blackwell was a prosperous sugar refiner. Elizabeth Blackwell and her family moved to N.Y.C. When she was eleven. After her fathers business was destroyed by a fire. Her father died in 1838. Later Elizabeth, her mother and sisters opened a private school. But she was bored with teaching so she decided to pursue a career in medicine. In 1848 Geneva College in west central New York accepted her as a student. At the Philadelphia Hospital in Pennsylvania allowed her to practice medicine for the first time. At 1849 she was graduation at the head of her class. Dr. Blackwell journeyed to Paris. But Paris doctors proved as intolerant as their American colleagues. They would not permit her to study as a doctor. She was forced to enter a large maternity Hospital as a student

Ludwig Van Beethoven

2000-12-13T13:00:00-05:00
Ludwig van Beethoven, a German composer, generally considered one of the greatest composers in the Western tradition. Born in Bonn, Beethoven was reared in to the capricious discipline of his father, a singer in the court chapel. In1789, because of his father's alcoholism, the young Beethoven became a court musician in order to support his family. His early compositions under the tutelage of German composer Christian Gottlob Neefe, particularly the funeral on the death of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph || in1790, signaled an important talent, and it was planned that Beethoven study in Vienna, Australia, with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Although Mozart's death in 1791 prevented this, Beethoven went to Vienna in 1792, and he became a pupil of an Australian composer named Joseph Haydn. In Vienna, Beethoven dazzled the aristocracy with his piano improvisations. Meanwhile, he entered into increasingly favorable arrangements with Viennese music publishers. In composition he steered a middle course between the stylistic extravagance of German composer Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach and what the public had perceived as the overrefinement of Mozart. The broadening market for published music, enabled Beethoven to succeed as a freelance composer, a path that Mozart, a decade earlier, had found full of frustration. In the first decade of the 19th century, Beethoven renounced the sectional, loosely constructed style of works such as the popular Septet op. 20, for strings and winds, and turned to a fresh expansion of the musical language bequeathed by Haydn and Mozart. Despite his exaggerated claim that he had never learned anything from Haydn, he had gone so far as to seek additional instruction from German composer, Johann Georg Albrechtsberger. Beethoven soon revealed his complete assimilation of the Viennese classical style in every major instrumental genre. The majority of the works for which he is most readily remembered for today, were composed during the decade bounded by the Symphony no. 3, a period known as his heroic decade. Beethoven's fame reached it's zenith during these years, but the steadily worsening hearing impairment that he had first noted in 1798 led to an increasing sense of social isolation. Gradually, Beethoven settled into a pattern of shifting residences, spending summers in the Viennese suburbs, and moving back to the city each autumn. In 1802 in his celebrated "Heiligenstadt Testament" a quasi-legal letter to his two brothers, he expressed his agony over his growing deafness. After 1805, accounts of Beethoven's eccentricities multiplied. He performed in

Michelangelo

2000-12-11T13:00:00-05:00
Michelangelo was an optimist in his artwork and his sculptures. Michelangelo’s artwork consisted of paintings that showed humanity in its natural state. Michelangelo’s showed optimism in every figure he sculpted. Michelangelo’s sculpture brought out his true feelings of the world and how he viewed it. Michelangelo was optimistic in completing “The Tomb of Pope Julius II” and persevered it through its many revisions trying to complete his vision. Sculpting was Michelangelo’s main goal and the love of his life. Since his art portrayed optimism, Michelangelo was in touch with his positive to the fullest. Showing that he had a great and stable personality. “Michelangelo’s artwork consisted of paintings and sculptures that showed humanity in it’s natural state (Munz 35)”. Michelangelo was called to Rome in 1505 by Pope Julius II to create a monumental tomb for him. “We have no clear sense of what the tomb was to look like, since over the years it went through at least five abstract revisions (Muhlberger 22)”. The tomb was to have three levels; the bottom level was to have sculpted figures representing Victory and . The second level was to have statues of Moses and Saint Paul as well as symbolic figures of the active and contemplative life- representative of the human striving for, and reception of, knowledge. The third level, it is assumed, was to have an “effigy of the deceased pope (Muhlberger 25)”. The tomb of Pope Julius II was never finished. What was finished of the tomb represents a twenty-year span of frustrating delays and revised schemes. Michelangelo had hardly begun work on the pope’s tomb when Julius commanded him to fresco the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to complete the work done in the previous century. The mural overall consists of four large triangles at the corner; eight triangular spaces on the outer border; an intermediate series of figures; and nine central panels, all bound together with architectural patterns and nude male figures. The corner triangles depict heroic action in the Old Testament, while the other eight triangles depict the biblical ancestors of Jesus. Michelangelo conceived and executed this huge work as a single unit. It’s overall meaning is a problem. The issue has engaged historians of art for generations without satisfactory resolution. The paintings that were done by Michelangelo had been painted with the brightest colors that just bloomed the whole ceiling as one entered to look.

Michael Jackson

2000-12-08T13:00:00-05:00
Michael Jackson is one of my favorite singers. He is very famous, so most of all people in the world know him, at least his name. I began to listen to his songs because I was recommended them by my friend, and I was really attracted by them. I have two reasons why I like him. One of my reasons is that I like his voice and performance as well as his songs, as both "Michael Jackson" and "Jackson Five". Michael Jackson sings songs very well in his particular high-pitched tone as it can be proved by the big hits of his songs, for example, "THRILLER", " BILLIE JEAN" and "MOTOWN 25" etc, and by the many prizes he got, for instance, the first prize of male pop vocalists, of records and of R&B singers on Grammy in 1984. Besides, he entertains us with his sharp dance great performance like " moonwalk". When I listen to his songs in the morning before I go out, I can feel cheerful and powerful. I am a fan of Jackson Five as well. Before he began to sing by himself, he was the main vocalist of Jackson Five. When Michael was eleven years old, their first single CD, "I Want You Back", was released, and it was a very big hit all over the world. Michael was still little and cute, but his voice was very vigorous and rhythmical. His songs make me happy and energetic. Another reasons why I like him is that I am interested in his behaviors. There are always some topics around him. For example, he was under suspicion he treated a little boy cruelly, who was ten years old and Michael's best friend. Michael insisted on his innocence, but he paid 26 million dollars for reconciliation finally. Though he asserted he paid just to settle the commotion, people said he admitted he was guilty. Moreover, it is said that Michael has the longing to be a white, though he said in a TV program he suffered from the disease that pigment in his skin decolorized. When I saw these news, I considered the problems about child-abuse and human race. How does child-abuse hurt the child's heart? His or her hurt will not disappear forever. Which human race is inferior or superior? It is not impossible to judge a man by his or her appearance and race. When a famous person

Bruce Lee

2000-12-07T13:00:00-05:00
Bruce Lee, being the best martial artist in the world was the result for what he did to get there, yet his death was widely misunderstood. Bruce Lee was born in the year of the dragon in San Francisco November 27 1940. Throughout life, the reputation he gained was not just by routine training; rather, he took his own form of workout to a whole new level. As good things don’t last forever, Bruce Lee, unfortunately, suffered a sudden death on July 20, 1973. As his misinterpreted death spread worldwide only the true story was seldom heard. Essentially, Bruce Lee’s interpretation of keeping in shape is constant daily workouts. Bruce Lee’s workout consisted of three categories: martial arts sparring, weight training, and extensive AB training. The workout first consists of hours upon hours of highly defined martial arts sparring. Secondly, a series of accelerated heavy weight training of his main muscles. Finally, is his extensive workout towards his ABs. Bruce Lee’s favorite muscle was his ABs and whenever he had time, such as watching TV, he would do sit-ups or crunches. Bruce Lee had what most people called “washboard ABs” and was not afraid to show it, you can see this in almost every fight scene he had in his films. Undeniably, Bruce Lee’s sudden death shocked the world but the story on his death was never fully understood at that time. Yet to this day not even everyone knows the true story. Rumors were spread that wounds received in a fight caused Bruce Lee’s death. Another rumor was that his death was caused by a fatal gunshot wound to the head during the making of one of his movies. When in fact Bruce Lee’s death (according to medical authorities) was caused by Bruce Lee falling into a coma from what was known as a cerebral edema (a swelling of the brain caused by a congestion of brain fluid). To the recollection of Bruce Lee’s wife (Linda Lee) on the afternoon of July 20, 1973 Bruce Lee began complaining of a headache he has been having that day. Later on that night Bruce Lee took “Equagesic”- a type of super aspirin, given to him by a friend and soon laid down for a nap. Later that night friends tried to wake him up but couldn’t. In conclusion, Bruce Lee was best known as the best martial artist who has ever lived. What

Eminem's Life

2000-12-06T13:00:00-05:00
Eminem, born as Marshall Mathers, has proven that with a lot of desire, drive and dedication, anybody can accomplish even their greatest of goals. Eminem was raised in the ghettos of East Detroit. He was bullied and victimized by other students in school. He worked to achieve his goal, against the odds. As a result, what he has become is one of America's most popular and successful music artists. Marshall "Eminem" Mathers was born on October 17, 1974, in Detroit, Michigan. After moving to Kansas, he and his family returned to Detroit and settled in a Black neighborhood. Records show that Marshall, while in school, was attacked and beaten by school bullies, on numerous occasions. On two occasions, Marshall was beaten into unconsciousness. Eminem's rap song "Brain Damage" is a true story of when a bully hit Marshall on the head and knocked him unconscious on the school playground. His ear began bleeding and he was hospitalized. It was discovered that he had a brain hemorrhage. He was in and out of consciousness for five days. (Rolling Stone) For Marshall, the road to success was long and hard. Marshall began rapping in 1990 at the "Hip Hop Shop" where he would participate in rap battles. On December 25, 1995 Eminem's girl friend, now wife, Kimberly Scott gave birth to his daughter, Haile. Eminem continued rapping and worked at a family restaurant in Detroit. Eminem, Kim and Haile lived in a crack-infested neighborhood where stray bullets and residential burglaries occurred often. In 1997 Eminem became unemployed, had no high school diploma and couldn't afford to support his family. He was tired of not having a record deal. He considered giving up rap. He decided to record the "Slim Shady EP" as his last hope to make it. His last attempt landed him a deal with Interscope Records and the next year, in 1998, with Dr. Dre's Aftermath label. On February 23, 1999 Eminem's "The Slim Shady LP" was released. The LP went triple platinum. Later he went on to win two Grammies. One for best rap solo performance ("My Name Is"), and another for best rap album ("The Slim Shady LP"). On May 23, 2000 Eminem released his second full-length album, "The Marshall Mathers LP". The second LP sold 1.76 million copies in its first week out, making a new record for the biggest one-week sales of any artist. Eminem recently featured in Dr.

Ice Cube

2000-12-06T13:00:00-05:00
O’Shea Jackson, also know as Ice Cube was born in 1969. He was growing up in South Central Los Angeles. Ice Cube’s interest for

FDR

2000-12-02T13:00:00-05:00
FDR truly tried to help the people and wanted to make a change. He was mostly successful with his New Deal Program. Each Program helped a different part of the

John Dillinger

2000-11-29T13:00:00-05:00
On June 22, 1903 a man named John Dillinger was born. He grew up in the Oak Hill Section of Indianapolis. When John was three years old his mother died, and when his fatehr remarried six years later, John resented hes stepmother. When John was a teenager he was frequently in trouble. He finally quit school and got a job in a machine shop in Indianapolis. He was very intelligent and a good worker, but he soon got bored and often stayed out all night. His father began to think that the city was corrupting his son, so he sold his property in Indianapolis and moved his family to a farm near Mooresville, Indiana. John reacted no better to rural life than he had to that in the city and soon began to run wild again. At the age of 21 he attempted his first robbery, robbing a grocery store, in his home town. He was caught and imprisoned for nine years until 1933. Soon after he was released, Dillinger robbed a bank in Bluffton, Ohio and was arrested by the Dayton police. He was put in Lima county jail to wait for his trial. The Lima police found a document on John which seemed to be a plan for a prison break, but he denied everything. Four days later, using the same plans, eight of Dillinger's friends escaped from the Indiana State Prison, using shotguns and rifles which had been smuggled into their cells. During their escape, they killed two guards. On October 12, three of the escaped prisoners and a parolee from the same prison showed up at the Lima jail where Dillinger was. They told the sheriff that they had come to return Dillinger to the Indiana State Prison for violation of his parole. When the sheriff asked to see their credentials, one of the men pulled a gun, shot the sheriff and beat him into unconsciousness. They took the keys, freed Dillinger, locked the sheriff's wife and a deputy in the cell, and left. Leaving the sheriff to die on the floor. These four mens fingerprint cards were pulled, indicating that they were wanted. Meanwhile, Dillinger and his gang pulled several bank robberies. They also stole several machine guns, rifles, and revolvers, a quantity of ammunition, and several bulletproof vests. By mid-1934, Dillinger had been involveed in at least ten bank robberies in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, and South Dakota. He was hiding

John Lennon

2000-11-29T13:00:00-05:00
I like music. Whenever I listen to my favorite music, I feel good. My favorite musician is John Lennon. I

River Phoenix - My Favorite Famous Person

2000-11-29T13:00:00-05:00
Do you like to see the movies? Do you know the most handsome boy in Hollywood? Though the handsome boy that everyone thinks can be different , I think that River Phoenix is the movie star who is just the right man who sparkled in Hollywood even if he doesn’t exist in this world and there are a large number of actors and they appear in the future. Why he is famous is because of his too early death and because he played brilliant roles in many movies for his short life. When I saw his movie for the first time, I’ve got crush on him. I think that he had something special which appeal to us. At first, his background is interesting. He was born on August 23, 1970 in a small house in Oregon. He was firstborn child of five children. During his childhood, his parents joined a cult known as the children of God and traveled extensively until when they heard disturbing news about the leader. Since then, as they weren’t protected by the church any more and were in a desperate struggle to make ends meet, River, at age five, often sang and played music in the streets to earn the money. In the early morning of October 31, 1993, River took a lethal dose of a mix of drugs and died on the sidewalk outside. He was only 23 years old. Second, he achieved success in many movies and received many awards. At the age of 10, he started to play on TV shows and his first appearing in film is “Explorers” in 1985. The next movie which is most famous of his movies and led him to be a star is “Stand By Me”. The story is about four boys’ journey to find the body missing. He was cast as Chris Chambers. He got a lot of acclaim for his acting and the movie was the hit of the year. Through this movie, everyone knew that he would be one of the best actors of his generation. In closing, I believe that he is still one of the best actors and the most attractive actor because he left the fabulous movies and there are many fans who are fascinated with him. His death is a great loss to us. Why did he take much of drugs? What made him take drugs? I will never understand why he

George Carlin

2000-11-28T13:00:00-05:00
Carlin, George 1938 -- Comedian, actor, writer. Born May 12, 1937, in the Bronx, New York. Carlin and his younger brother, Pat, were primarily raised by their mother in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights section. Mary Carlin, a devout Irish Catholic, worked as a secretary to support her children after the death of her husband in 1940. Carlin attended parochial school and much of his negative religious sentiment stems from his experience as a Roman Catholic altar boy. Carlin completed two years of high school before dropping out. At age 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a computer mechanic and was stationed at Shreveport, Louisiana. Over the next three years, Carlin earned his high school equivalency and moonlighted as a disc jockey at a local Louisiana radio station. In 1959, Carlin teamed up with Texas newscaster, Jack Burns. The pair collaborated on a morning radio show in Fort Worth before relocating to Hollywood, where they attracted the attention of the legendary Lenny Bruce. Bruce helped Burns and Carlin secure appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Burns and Carlin eventually split up, and over the next few years Carlin continued to make numerous appearances on The Tonight Show, as well as, The Merv Griffin Show. In the early 1960s, Carlin got his start as a stand-up comic by performing on the Las Vegas circuit and entertaining TV audiences. Carlin enjoyed moderate success until the mid-70s when he re-invented his image and adopted a less conventional, somewhat vulgar comedy routine. Carlin’s scripted monologues began to represent his disillusioned attitude toward the world in which explored the highly sensitive issues of Vietnam and the right to free speech. In July of 1972, Carlin was arrested for violating obscenity laws after his infamous routine “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television.” As a self-professed atheist and avid cocaine user, his adversaries deemed him anti-religious and disrespectful of society. However, the comedian’s new material brought him success from the younger counterculture. Carlin illustrated his anti-establishment views by being the first host of the risque TV show Saturday Night Live. In 1990, Carlin compiled a multi-CD set that highlighted his work from the 70s, titled George Carlin: The Little David Years (1971-77) (1990). The collection included the albums: FM & AM, Class Clown, Occupation: Foole, Toledo Window Box, An Evening With Wally Londo Featuring Slaszo, and On the Road. Carlin received two Grammy Awards for FM

Sylvia Plath

2000-11-24T13:00:00-05:00
Sylvia Plath was a remarkable twentieth century American poet. Her poetry focused on depression, aspects on suicide, death, savage imagery, self-destruction and painful feelings of women. Plath attempts to exorcise the oppressive male figures that haunted her life served as one of the fundamental themes in her poetry. Her poetry is a good example on how “suffering and transformation could be within traditional poetic contexts” (Initiation p.142). She also believed that a poem “must give an expression to the poet’s own anguish because suffering has become the central fact of historical and personal existence” (Initiation p.143). This is what she believed and how she dealt with her problems by expressing her feelings through poetry. Though what was expressed in her poems also portrayed her fate in suicide. Sylvia Plath was born on October 27, 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts to Otto and Aurelia Plath. Her father, Otto Plath was a German biology professor at Boston University. Her mother, Aurelia, was a high school English teacher, until she married and became a homemaker. When Sylvia was only eight, her father died from complications of undiagnosed diabetes, which also scarred her for life. At this same age she started her career as writer she published her first couplet in the Boston Sunday Herald, and since then has persistently worked on poetry and her writings. In high school, she was a remarkably intelligent, popular, student. She was the typical “Straight A’s” girl. As a member of the National Honors Society, she received a scholarship to attend Smith College in 1950. While studying creative writing and graphic arts in her third year of college, she was a guest editor in Mademoiselle Magazine. Shortly after that, on August 24, 1953, because of extreme depression, she attempted to commit suicide for the first time by taking a large dose of sleeping pills. She was later treated with intense psychotherapy and electroshock therapy in a private hospital. After a long recovery, she returned to Smith College and graduated in 1954. This incident is well described in the Bell Jar, her second published novel. By now her career as a poet and writer was not going well, after forty-five rejections from newspapers and magazines, Seventeen magazine agreed to have one of her stories to be published. Later, it was announced that she had received third place in Seventeen Magazine’s writing contest. Many more of her works were beening published is other periodicals

Mother Teresa

2000-11-20T13:00:00-05:00
Biography Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born August 26, 1910 in Skopje, in Macedonia. Her childhood was comfortable and prosperous due to her father’s success. Her father encouraged his children to be generous and compassionate to those less fortunate. Her mother was very religious and she took the children to morning mass. Agnes often helped her mother deliver parcels of food and money to the poor and prayed with the whole family every evening. The family’s life changed dramatically after their father’s death, when Agnes was 9. Although now poor themselves, they continued to help those less fortunate. Christianity became increasingly important in Agnes’ life. From the age of 12, she was aware of a desire to devote her life to God. As Agnes thought about what she could do for Christ, she started to feel a call for God. In the two years she decided to become a nun. Agnes spent longer periods of time going on retreats and received guidance from her Father Confessor. At the age of 17, she made the decision to become a nun, because she had been taught that chastity is a special and pure grace. This was an important moment for Agnes as she chose a life of self-sacrifice. Agnes was just 18 when she decided to join the Sisters of Our Lady of Loreto, who were very active in India. On December 1, 1928 the crossing to India started. In the beginning of 1929 they reached Colombo, then Madres and finally Calcutta. The journey continued to Darjeeling, where she completed her training. Agnes was trained in prayer, scriptures, theology, and the spirituality and history of her Order. She started to learn Hindi and Bengali and to improve her English. She taught at the local school and worked in a small medical station. On May 24, 1931, Agnes took her first vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as a sister of Loreto. She chose her name in religious life as St. Theresa of Lisieux. Soon after she went to Calcutta to begin her teaching career. She went to Loreto and for the next 19 years she lived the life of a Loreto nun and an educator of girls in a form of semi-enclosure. Her main subject was geography until she became head mistress. Whenever she left the compound to teach at another school, she would see the slums. Calcutta was a deeply troubled city due

The Life of Socrates

2000-11-15T13:00:00-05:00
I. Socrates The most interesting and influential thinker in the fifth century was Socrates, whose dedication to careful reasoning transformed the entire enterprise. Since he sought genuine knowledge rather than mere victory over an opponent, He familiarized himself with the rhetoric and dialectics of the Sophists, the speculations of the Lonian philosophers, and the general culture of Periclean Athens. Socrates employed the same logical tricks developed by the Sophists to a new purpose, the pursuit of truth. Thus, his willingness to call everything into question and his determination to accept nothing less than an adequate account of the nature of things make him the first clear exponent of critical philosophy. Although he was well known during his own time for his conversational skills and public teaching, Socrates wrote nothing, so we are dependent upon his students (especially Kenophon and Plato) for any detailed knowledge of his methods and results. The trouble is that Plato was himself a philosopher who often injected his own theories into the dialogues he presented to the world as discussions between Socrates and other famous figures of the day. Nevertheless, it is usually assumed that at least the early dialogues of Plato provide a (fairly) accurate representation of Socrates himself. Socrates profoundly affected Western philosophy through his influence on Plato. Born in Athens, the son of Sophroniscus, a sculptor, and Phaenarete, a midwife, he received the regular elementary education in literature, music, and gymnastics. Initially, Socrates followed the craft of his father; according to a former tradition, he executed a statue group of the three Graces, which stood at the entrance to the Acropolis until the 2nd century AD. In the Peloponnesian War with Sparta he served as an infantryman with conspicuous bravery at the battles of Potidaea in 432-430BC, Delium in 424BC, and Amphipolis in 422BC. Socrates believed in the superiority of argument over writing and therefore spent the greater part of his mature life in the marketplace and public places of Athens, engaging in dialogue and argument with anyone who would listen or who would submit to interrogation. Socrates was reportedly unattractive in appearance and short of stature but was also extremely hardy and self-controlled. He enjoyed life immensely and achieved social popularity because of his ready wit and a keen sense of humor that was completely devoid of satire or cynicism. II. Attitude Toward Politics Socrates attitude toward politics was obedient, but generally steered clear of politics,

George Washington

2000-11-13T13:00:00-05:00
Washington, George (1732-99), commander in chief of the Continental army during the American Revolution, and later the first president of the United States. He symbolized qualities of discipline, aristocratic duty, military orthodoxy, and persistence in adversity that his contemporaries particularly valued as marks of mature political leadership. Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia, the eldest son of Augustine Washington, a Virginia planter, and Mary Ball Washington. Although Washington had little or no formal schooling, his early notebooks indicate that he read in geography, military history, agriculture, deportment, and composition and that he showed some aptitude in surveying and simple mathematics. In later life he developed a style of speech and writing that, although not always polished, was marked by clarity and force. Tall, strong, and fond of action, he was a superb horseman and enjoyed the robust sports and social occasions of the Virginia planter society. At the age of 16 he was invited to join a party to survey lands owned by the Fairfax family (to which he was related by marriage) west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. His journey led him to take a lifelong interest in the development of western lands. In the summer of 1749 he was appointed official surveyor for Culpeper County, and during the next two years he made many surveys for landowners on the Virginia frontier. In 1753 he was appointed adjutant of one of the districts into which Virginia was divided, with the rank of major. Early Military Experience Washington played an important role in the struggles preceding the outbreak of the French and Indian War. He was chosen by Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie of Virginia to deliver an ultimatum calling on French forces to cease their encroachment in the Ohio River valley. The young messenger was also instructed to observe the strength of French forces, the location of their forts, and the routes by which they might be reinforced from Canada. After successfully completing this mission, Washington, then a lieutenant colonel, was ordered to lead a militia force for the protection of workers who were building a fort at the Forks of the Ohio River. Having learned that the French had ousted the work party and renamed the site Fort Duquesne, he entrenched his forces at a camp named Fort Necessity and awaited reinforcements. A successful French assault obliged him to accept articles of surrender, and he departed

Ron Howard

2000-11-12T13:00:00-05:00
Ronald William Howard was born March 1st, 1954 in Duncan, Oklahoma. He is the older of two brothers. His parents, Rance Howard his father was an actor, director and writer, his mother Jean Howard was an actress, in 1959 his family relocated to Hollywood. Young Ron quickly joined the family business and his first television role was on an episode of “Playhouse 90” and was followed by an appearance on “The Red Skelton Show.” He also was in four episodes of “Denis the Menace” and five shows of “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.” (Encarta) Ron has the face that refused to age. No matter how much of his hair he looses, or how much of a beard he grows, he continues to have a boyish charm. For some viewers he is always remembered as Opie Taylor and to others as Richie Cunningham, while the more populated group of the confused he is know as Opie Cunningham. (sitcomsonline) The television producer Sheldon Leonard, who had seen Howard’s performance in Barnaby and Mr. O’Mally, cast the actor in the “Andy Griffith Show” which began its eight years on CBS on October 3, 1960. The gentle and subtle comedy of the show was set in the sleepy town of Mayberry, North Carolina, and was centered on the daily lives of sheriff Andy Taylor (Griffith), his young son, Opie (Howard), Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier), who was the live in housekeeper and Opei’s surrogate mother, and Barney Fife (Don Knotts), Andy’s deputy. The scenes between Andy and Opie were sensitively written by Ron’s father with similarities of their relationship, some of Opeis lines were also written by his father. Howard’s parents intervened in certain ways in his life since he was a child star like making sure certain aspects of contracts said didn’t say that he had to do promotional tours. When he was not working he was enrolled in public schools so he could interact with other kids his age. “In school I was a novelty at first,” Howard told Edwin Miller. “People got very jazzed up about the idea of having a kid actor in class. That would blow over in a couple of weeks, and then I was able to blend right in.” Howard later made the basketball team at Burroughs High School in Burbank; Howard then had to turn down acting assignments so he wouldn’t miss any basketball games. “I didn’t work

Gloria Estefan's Successful Life

2000-11-09T13:00:00-05:00
"There's no growth with out a lot of hard work and little risk." (http://members.xcom.com./_xmcm/troycities/gebio.htm) This statement is a reflection of what Gloria stands for. However there is more to Gloria, than concerts and videos, her personal life. Which

Shakira, the Singer

2000-11-09T13:00:00-05:00
There are many famous people around the world, and some of them are the singers. The singers are very important for the people thanks to their music. One of the persons that most people like because of her own style of music is the Latin girl Shakira. Thanks to all the things she did as a child, and to all the things she is going to do, she has become a star that we, the people who know her, love. Shakira has done a lot of things since she was a child to become the famous person she is now. She was born in Barranquilla, Colombia on February second, 1977. At the age of 8, she wrote her first song, and by 13 she signed a record deal with Sony Music in Colombia, which resulted in her first album, “Magia” (Magic). She wrote all the songs for this album and all the songs for Peligro (Danger); her next album that was recorded when she was 15. But that is not all; the surprise came on 1996 when she released her third album, “Pies Descalzos” (Bare Feet). Thanks to this album, she gained international fame since her two first albums were just sold in Colombia. Later, after a year, she released her fourth album, “The Remixes,” which include some songs from “Pies Descalzos” in remix style. On 1998, she began to work with the Cuban producer, Emilio Estefan. While working with him, she recorded another album called “¿Donde Estan Los Ladrones?”(Where Are the Thieves?) Because of this album, she was called the “Latin Queen of Rock and Pop.” Later on 2000, she recorded the “Unplugged Album” which was a mix of songs (sung in a mini live concert) from “¿Donde estan Los Ladrones?” and “Pies Descalzos” And this is all the work she has done to become a star. Shakira has planned to do many things for the future. “Right now, she is taking a break, but her next logical step is crossover the English Market” (www.geocities.com/ donde_ esta_ shakira/Menu/index.html). The singer Gloria Estefan, Emilio’s wife, is helping Shakira to translate some of her best songs to the English language. She is planning to take over the American people, and I know that she will because of her great talent and own style. Another plan she has, according to the people who knows her, is to get married. Since the day she

Emily DIckinson

2000-11-06T13:00:00-05:00
Emily Dickinson, recognized as one of the greatest American poets of the nineteenth century, was born December 10, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts (Benfey, 1). Dickinson’s greatness and accomplishments were not always recognized. In her time, women were not recognized as serious writers and her talents were often ignored. Only seven of her 1800 poems were ever published. Dickinson’s life was relatively simple, but behind the scenes she worked as a creative and talented poet. Her work was influenced by poets of the seventeenth century in England, and by her puritan upbringing. Dickinson was an obsessively private writer. Dickinson withdrew herself from the social contract around the age of thirty and devoted herself, in secret, to writing. She never married, finding in her poetry, reading, gardening, and close friendships, a rich and fulfilling life. Emily grew up with a privileged childhood. She was the eldest daughter of Edward Dickinson, a successful lawyer, member of congress, and for many years treasurer of Amherst College. Her father gave here the time, and literary education, as well as confidence to try her hand at free verse. Emily’s mother, Emily Norcross Dickinson, was a submissive, timid housewife dedicated to her husband, children, and household chores. The Dickinson’s only son, William Austin, also a lawyer, succeeded his father as treasurer of the college. Their youngest child, Lavina, was the chief housekeeper and, like her sister, Emily, remained a home, unmarried, all her life. A sixth member who was added to the family in 1856 was Susan Gilbert, a schoolmate of Emily’s, who married Austin and moved into the house next door the Dickinson home which they called Homestead. Emily and Susan were very close friends and confidantes, until Susan and Austin’s marriage. It was at this time that Susan stopped responding to the notes and poems that were often exchanged between the two ( ). Emily’s letters to Susan have contained lines that have proved to be controversial when interpreted. “Susie, will you indeed come home next Saturday, and be my own again, and kiss me like you used to?”- Emily Dickinson Some historians describe Emily’s letters to Susan Gilbert as representative of the writing style during the Victorian era. Others, including Dickinson’s biographer Rebecca Patterson, saw

Daniel Webster

2000-11-02T13:00:00-04:00
Daniel Webster was the ninth born son of Ebenezer Webster, who was a farmer and tavern-keeper. He was born in Salisbury, New Hampshire on January 18th in 1782. He was nicknamed “Black Dan.” When he was a child he was mostly bedridden, many thought he wouldn’t make it. He was forced to read. He fell in love with books. When he was just fifteen he entered Dartmouth College. After he graduated he taught for a little while before working in a law office in Boston. He made over

Andrew Jackson

2000-10-31T13:00:00-04:00
Andrew Jackson was born in 1767 and died in 1845. He was also the seventh president of the United States. As Encarta Encyclopedia states, Jackson fought his way to leadership and wealth in a frontier society, and his success established a bond between him and the common people that was never broken. Small farmers, laborers, mechanics, and many other Americans struggling to better themselves looked to Jackson for leadership (1). Jackson moved his way up the chain of the military before becoming president. From an idea in Encarta Encyclopedia, Jackson was a Democrat that was also a hermit. The Democrats considered the opposing party, the National Republicans, later known as the Whigs, aristocrats (1). As McDuffie, Piggrem, and Woodworth stated, Andrew Jackson set many principles such as the spoils system, and the expansion of the electorate. He helped spread the electorate system to the west, and expanded it so not only white property owners could vote, but so whites that didn’t own property. All blacks could not vote and were excluded at all costs. (53). Although blacks and women were still left out of the picture, it helped set the basic properties for later on. The way he did it was not the best for common people, but he was still considered a great president by most people. As in Encarta Encyclopedia, three years before Andrew Jackson was born, his Scotch-Irish parents, emigrated to America from Northern Ireland. They had two sons at the time. Andrew’s Father took up farming, and died three days before Andrew was born. The widow Jackson moved her family into the home of a nearby relative, where Andrew spent his days growing up. He learned how to read, and was often called upon by the community to read the Philadelphia Newspaper. (3) Andrew Jackson held many military and other job positions while working his way up through the government chain. As in Encarta Encyclopedia, he started off by studying under Spruce Macay who was a lawyer in Salisbury, North Carolina. He started his own practice in 1787. He then was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. After one year in the House, Jackson was elected to fill out an unexpected term in the U.S. Senate. He served for over a year and then retired to his private life (3). As Robert S. Summers posted, in Tennessee, Jackson was appointed to judge of the state superior

Ferdinand Magellan

2000-10-25T14:00:00-04:00
Ferdinand Magellan was born circa 1480 in Sabrosa, Portugal. His father was Dom Ruy Magellan, a nobleman and sheriff. He was married to Donha Alda De Mesquite. He was born Fernão de Magalhães, but changed it later. Ferdinand Magellan had 2 siblings: a sister named Isabel and a brother named Diago De Souse. This aspiring explorer and adventurer spent his childhood as a page at the Portuguese court doing errands and chores. He also went to school at a monastery. When he was only 10 years old, Magellan’s parents died. About 5 years later, the King of Portugal died, and Magellan’s brother-in-law, Duke Manuel (sometimes called Emanuel), was made the king. In 1506, Magellan went to the East Indies, taking part in many exploratory and military expeditions in the Spice Islands. By 1510 he had been promoted to the rank of captain. However, his military glory ended after he secretly sailed a ship east without permission. Because of that, Magellan lost his command and had to return to Portugal. Magellan was expecting a decent job when he returned, but was in for a surprise. He only managed to get a lowly job at court, much like the one he spent in his childhood. Magellan asked the king for a higher paying and more respected job, but the king refused. From that experience, Magellan concluded that the King of Portugal didn’t like him one bit. It seems that Magellan got his plan for his famous exploration from his voyages in 1506 to the Spice Islands. It must have sparked the idea that maybe there was a west route to the Spice Islands, instead of the already-proven east route. Magellan proposed this idea to the Portuguese king, but funding from Portugal was refused. Magellan, fed up with refusals from Portugal, moved to nearby Spain and became a citizen there. It was here that Magellan changed his name from Fernão de Magalhães to Fernando de Magallanes. He married a woman named Barbosa there. Magellan, determined, brought his plan to King Charles, the king of Spain, in 1517. The King approved of it and provided Magellan with funding! On September 20th, 1519, Magellan set out from Sanlucar de Barrameda with 250 men and 5 ships: the Trinidad, San Antonio, Victoria, Conceptio, and the Santiago. They started by sailing down the west coast of Africa, until they got to the equator. Then Magellan’s fleet turned west, to cross the

Anne Frank

2000-10-15T14:00:00-04:00
On June 12, 1929, at 7:30 A.M. a baby girl was born in Frankfurt, Germany. No one realized that this infant, who was Jewish, was destined to become one of the world’s most famous victims of World War II. Her name was Anne Frank, and her parents were Edith Frank Hollandar and Otto Frank. She had one sister, Margot, who was three years older than she was. Anne led a happy and normal childhood, and on her 13th birthday she received a diary from her parents. It became special to her as years went by. It is through this diary that much about World War II and Anne’s life has been learned. In 1933, her and her family left Frankfurt, a large Jewish community, and settled in Amsterdam. Her father foresaw that Hitler’s power boded disaster for the Jews. In May 1940, the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands took place, which cast a shadow on Anne’s happy childhood. The situation became worse with the restrictions placed on the Jews. One restriction was that Jewish children were only allowed at Jewish schools. Anne went to the Jewish school called The Jewish Lyceum. In July 1942, Anne’s family went into hiding in the Prinsengracht building. Anne’s family called it the “Secret Annex”. During these times people they knew like, Miep and Jan Gies and many others, brought the family’s food. You would have to be very brave to take on a job like that because, if you got caught you could be killed. Life in the Annex was not easy at all. Anne had to wake up at 6:45 A.M. every morning. Nobody could go outside. No one could turn on lights at night. Anne mostly read books or wrote stories. Much of Anne’s diary was written while in hiding. Most of the families got separated, but Anne’s family never was. For this, they were lucky. In 1944, their hiding place was revealed, and they were taken into custody. The day after their arrest they were transferred to the Huis Van Bewaring, a prison on Weteringschans. On Aug. 8, they were transported from the main railroad station in Amsterdam to the Westerbork detention camp. For a month, the Franks were kept in the “disciplinary barracks”, not as ordinary prisoners, but inmates convicted of a crime. The crime was hiding. On September 3, 1944, aboard the last transport to leave the Netherlands, Anne’s family and those who were with

Muhammad Ali - Cassius Clay

2000-10-13T14:00:00-04:00
I consider a hero someone that has done great things. Some of the things that I consider great are, accomplished hard goals, stood up for their own rights, done things that would be hard for me to do, and done things that are extraordinary. Muhammad Ali-Cassius Clay is someone that fills my standards of a hero. Muhammad Ali has accomplished hard goals by getting medals in the Olympics. Muhammad Ali had to stand up for his rights when he started to box. He has accomplished things in his life that would be very hard for me to accomplish. Muhammad Ali has done things that I think are very magnificent. The thing Muhammad Ali has done makes him a hero to me. At first Muhammad Ali had no intension of boxing. After his bike was stolen, in the month of October 1954, when he was twelve, his whole life destiny changed in an instant. Upon finding out that there was a police officer in the basement of a gym, Ali went down in a horrendous state of mind exclaiming a “state wide bike hunt (http://www.planetpapers.com/jump.cgi?ID=182.html),” and said he was going to beat up the person that sole his bike. The way his life changed was that the police officer asked him if he knew how to fight and he said “no.” The policeman offered Ali lessons in how to box so that he could seek on the bike thief. This was the starting point in Muhammad Ali’s boxing career. In the late fifties, Cassius Clay rules Golden Gloves And the AAU national champion. A quick fight at the Rome Olympics in 1960, Cassius Clay a teenager knocks beats a Polish fighter by the name of Zbigniew Pietrzykowski to a “bloody pulp.” Muhammad Ali took home the gold. In 1962 Muhammad Ali states that he will knock out Archie More in the forth round. His prediction came true. In 1964, Muhammad Ali became world heavy weight champing by beating Sonny Listen. Although he did not knock him out, Sonny would not enter the seventh round making Muhammad Ali world champion. After knocking out Zora Folley, he did not fight for three and a half years. During this time he was standing up for his rights during the Vietnam War. He said, “I have no Quarrel with Viet Cong (www.usatoday.com).” He did not want to fight because the more troops we sent in, the

Richard Feynman

2000-10-11T14:00:00-04:00
Richard Philip Feynman was born in New York City on May 11th 1918 to a middle class family that lived on the Southern tip of Manhattan. He grew up in a household where both of his parents poured into him their best qualities. His mother, Lucille, instilled in Richard a powerful sense of humor, which would be essential in forming his magnetic personality and eccentric lecturing style. His father, Melville, decided before Richard was born that if he were a boy, he would grow up to be a scientist, something that Melville himself had always wanted to be. And so guided subtly by his father, and given the power to laugh by his mother, Richard was set on a course that would eventually lead him to become a legend. At a young age it was apparent that he was scientifically inclined. In school, he was interested in all things scientific and loved math. At one point he even gave thought to becoming a mathematician. After high school, he went to MIT to study physics, and after four years of that he went to Princeton as a graduate student. During this time in his life, he became engaged to his high school sweetie, Arline Greenbaum. Halfway into his education at Princeton, Arline was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and was not given many years to live. So Richard married her and put his doctoral thesis on hold. Shortly after their marriage, a friend of Richard, Robert Wilson, came to Richard and told him that the government of America was looking for the finest physicists to help construct the atomic bomb. Otherwise known as the Manhattan project. At first Richard said no, but eventually his patriotism won over and he agreed to join the project. Upon agreeing to join the project, he moved to Los Alamos, where the research facility was located and Arline could move to a hospital in Albuquerque. In July 1945, Arline, the love of Richards life, finally succumbed to the dreaded tuberculosis she had been fighting all of this time. To escape the pain, he immersed himself in his work and the 1st atomic bomb ever was ready for detonation very quickly. With his work at Los Alamos done, Richard took a teaching position at Cornell University where he became depressed and believed that his life's work was behind him. But as he was stewing in his own depression, more and more

Henry II of England

2000-10-11T14:00:00-04:00
I. Early life A. Birth B. Family C. Education D. Marriage II. Reign A. Early difficulty B. King’s personality C. Government policies D. Thomas Becket III. Death A. Achievements B. Sons revolt C. Successor Henry II Henry II was the first of eight Plantagenet kings. He neither ignored his island kingdom nor dragged it into continental trouble. Along with Alfred, Edward I, and Elizabeth I, Henry II ranks as one of the best British monarchs. Henry II was born in Le Mans, France in 1133. Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, and Matilda, daughter of Henry I, were his parents. Henry’s younger brothers were Geoffrey and William (Bingham 22; Tabuteau 185). Henry’s father gave Henry the best education possible at that time. Peter of Saintes, who was a well-known poet, was Henry’s first tutor. Adelard of Bath also taught Henry. William of Conches and Henry’s other previous tutors instilled in Henry the appreciation for literature. Soon after Henry II’s education, he became Duke of Normandy. With the death of his father, Henry II became the Count of Anjou at age eighteen. Once he became Count of Anjou, Henry married Eleanor of Aquitaine on May 18, 1152, in the Cathedral of Poitiers. Their children were William, Henry, Matilda, Richard, Geoffrey, Eleanor, Joan, and John (Bingham 22; “Henry” 835-836; Tabuteau 185). Once Stephen, who was a well-known king, died, Henry II became lord of all land between the Pyrenees and Scotland (“Henry” 835). Henry had to deal with problems as soon as he became king. Once the Danish kingdoms established themselves in Ireland, the Danish colonists were at war with Irish people and the Irish people were at war with themselves. King Henry II realized he needed to stop all the chaos with a conquest of Ireland. In a few months, every part of Ireland except Connaught was under King Henry II’s control. The regions that the British controlled slowly dwindled away and soon vanished (Larned 114-115). Even though Henry II was a king, he did not resemble a king. He had a freckled face, gray eyes, and tawny hair. He also had a very short temper. At times, King Henry II would be as ruthless as a savage (“Henry” 835). In 1166, Henry instructed all the sheriffs to make lists of known or suspected criminals. The accused person did not go through trial by jury; instead, he or she went through trial by ordeal. The accused person had their hands and feet tied together and then dropped in a lake. A person who sank was considered innocent, and a person who floated was

Cleopatra

2000-10-09T14:00:00-04:00
Cleopatra Vll was born in 69 BC, in Alexandria, Egypt. Despite what people say today, that she was glamorous and beautiful, she was far from it. She is shown on ancient coins with a long hooked nose and masculine features. Although she was not beautiful she was clearly a very seductive woman, and she used this to further Egypt politically. She had a beautiful musical voice. It is also said that she was highly intelligent. She spoke nine different languages, and she was the first Ptolemy pharaoh who could actually spoke Egyptian. She ascended the Egyptian throne after her father, Ptolemy Xll Auletes died in 51 BC. Cleopatra which was seventeen at the time and her brother Ptolemy Xlll, which was twelve, were married because of the terms of her fathers will. They then ruled Egypt together. In the third year of their reign Ptolemy’s advisers told him that he should rule Egypt by himself. So, because of this he drove Cleopatra into exile. Cleopatra then escaped to Syria. She then returned with an army. Ptolemy sent an army to meet with her. At this point, Julius Caesar of Rome arrived in pursuit of an enemy, who was seeking help from Ptolemy. Cleopatra had to roll herself up in a rug so that she wouldn’t get killed while entering Egypt. If she hadn’t hidden herself she would have been killed. When she unrolled herself in front of Caesar he fell in love with her right away.Caesar had to choose which of the Egyptian rulers to help keep the throne. Of course he chose Cleopatra. He then became Cleopatra’s lover. In 47 BC Ptolemy Xlll drowned in the Nile while trying to escape, and Caesar then restored Cleopatra to her throne. After her older brother Ptolemy Xlll was died, Cleopatra was then forced by custom to marry her youngest brother Ptolemy XlV, which was about eleven at the time. After Cleopatra and Ptolemy XlV were settled on their joint government basis, she and Caesar went on a two-month cruise on the Nile. It is said that it was then she became pregnant, and she later gave birth to a son. His name was officially Ptolemy XV Caesar, but he was popularly called Caesarion, which means “Little Caesar”. People say that Caesar was not really the father of Caesarion. Although the child strongly resembled Caesar, and so Caesar acknowledged him as his son.

Galileo Galilei

2000-09-29T14:00:00-04:00
Galileo was an Italian mathematician, astronomer, and physicist. He was born in Pisa, Italy on February 15, 1564. In the mid 1570’s, he and his family moved to Florence and he started his formal education in a local monastery. He was sent to the University of Pisa in 1581. While there, he studied medicine and the philosophy of Aristotle until 1585. During these years at the university, he realized that he never really had any interest in medicine but that he had a talent for math. It was in 1585 that he convinced his father to let him leave the university and come home to Florence. Back in Florence, he spent his time as a tutor and began to doubt the Aristotle’s philosophy. In 1589, he was made professor of mathematics at the University of Pisa where he attended school. His position also required him to teach astronomy based on Ptolemy’s theory that all planets and the sun revolved around the earth. In 1592, he left the University of Pisa and went to the University of Padua to become professor of mathematics. During his time there, he constructed a clumsy thermometer which would have work if he had taken into consideration atmospheric pressure but it still has a significance in history as being one of the first measuring instruments in science. He taught he for 18 years and during that time, became convinced that there was truth in the theory of Nicolaus Copernicus a Polish astronomer who believed that all planets including earth revolved around the sun. While still at Padua, in 1609, he built the first astronomical telescope. When he used it to look at the sky, he easily found that most of Aristotle’s and Ptolemy’s theories were wrong. His most important discovery was when he discovered the four moons of Jupiter in 1610. Later that year Cosimo de Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, named Galileo his personal mathematician. This brought him back to Florence once again here he continued his studies in astronomy. Galileo also studied motion, especially that of freely falling objects. While watching swinging lamps in church one day, he noticed that it takes the same time between swings no matter how big or small the arc is. This observation led to his invention of the pendulum clock. He also discovered, before Newton, that two objects of different weights fell at the same speed. For instance,

Oskar Schindler: A Hero Study

2000-09-12T14:00:00-04:00
CONFLICT AND RELEVANT BACKGROUND Oskar Schindler faced many conflicts in his life. The main conflict he faced was overcoming the Nazis and saving over one thousand Jewish People. Schindler, with out a job at the time, joined the Nazi Party and followed on the heels of the SS when the Germans invaded Poland. This is when Schindler took over two previously Jewish owned companies that dealt with the manufacture and sales of enamel kitchenware products and opened up his own enamel shop right outside of Krakow near the Jewish ghetto. There, he employed mostly Jewish workers, which saved them from being deported to labor camps. Though twice the Gestapo arrested him, he got released because of his many connections and with many bribes. Most importantly, he helped save an entire race of human beings. CHRONICLER AND MEDIA We know of Oskar Schindler through many different types of the media. We know of him through the television, newspapers, books, and by word of mouth through the Jewish people he had saved. There was even a movie based on Oskar Schindler called Schindler’s List. There are several books about him, many were even written by some of the Jews he saved themselves. EPIC HERO ELEMENTS IN THE LIFE OF OSCAR SCHINDLER Oskar Schindler was born on April 28, 1908 in Zwitlau, which is now part of the present day Czech Republic, to his father and mother, Hans and Louisa Schindler. They were a deeply religious family, which resulted in a strong catholic household for Oskar and his younger sister Elfriede. The Schindler family was one of the richest and most prominent in Zwitlau and elsewhere. Mostly due to the success of their family owned machinery business. Oskar Schindler wasn’t necessarily born of noble birth. He was basically an ordinary guy, especially when his father lost his business, who did extraordinary deeds for people who he has never even met. One can also see how Schindler was a hero in is character traits. Schindler was always thoughtful and humane in dealing with Jews. He saved the most Jewish people during World War II. The society at that point of time was going downhill and almost came to a big crash. Hitler could have destroyed a whole race of people if it wasn’t for the help of Oskar Schindler. Although he did join the Nazi’s, Schindler still had a heart and a mind to know what Adolf Hitler was

Andrew Carnegie

2000-07-02T14:00:00-04:00
A man of Scotland, a distinguished citizen of the United States, and a philanthropist devoted to the betterment of the world around him, Andrew Carnegie became famous at the turn of the twentieth century and became a real life rags to riches story. Born in Dunfermline, Scotland, on November 25, 1835, Andrew Carnegie entered the world in poverty. The son of a hand weaver, Carnegie received his only formal education during the short time between his birth and his move to the United States. When steam machinery for weaving came into use, Carnegie’s father sold his looms and household goods, sailing to America with his wife and two sons. At this time, Andrew was twelve, and his brother, Thomas, was five. Arriving into New York on August 14, 1848, aboard the Wiscasset from Glasgow, the Carnegies wasted little time settling in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, where relatives already existed and were there to provide help. Allegheny City provided Carnegie’s first job, as a bobbin boy in a cotton factory, working for $1.20 a week. His father also worked there while his mother bound shoes at home, making a miniscule amount of money. Although the Carnegies lacked in money, they abounded in ideals and training for their children. At age 15, Carnegie became a telegraph messenger boy in Pittsburgh. He learned to send and decipher telegraphic messages and became a telegraph operator at the age of 17. Carnegie’s next job was as a railroad clerk, working for the Pennsylvania Railroad. He worked his way up the ladder, through his dedication and honest desire to succeed, to become train dispatcher and then division manager. At this time, young Carnegie, age 24, had already made some small investments that laid the foundations of his what would be tremendous fortune. One of these investments was the purchase of stock in the Woodruff Sleeping Car Company. In 1864, Carnegie entered the iron business, but did not begin to make steel until years later. In 1873, he built the Edgar Thomson works in Braddock, Pennsylvania, to make Bessemer steel. He established many other steel plants, and in 1892, he merged all of his interests into the Carnegie Steel Company. This act from Carnegie is fitting with one of his most famous quotations, “Put all of your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket.” This firm became one of the greatest industrial enterprises in

William Faulkner

2000-06-30T14:00:00-04:00
William Faulkner is viewed by many as America's greatest writer of prose fiction. He was born in New Albany, Mississippi, where he lived a life filled with good times as well as bad. However, despite bad times he would become known as a poet, a short story writer, and finally one of the greatest contemporary novelists of his time. William Faulkner's accomplishments resulted not only from his love and devotion to writing, but also from family, friends, and certain uncontrollable events. William Faulkner's life is an astonishing accomplishment; however, it is crucial to explore his life prior to his fixated writing career (Mack 1794-1798). In 1905, Faulkner entered the first grade at the tender age of eight, and immediately showed signs of talent. He not only drew an explicitly detailed drawing of a locomotive, but he soon became an honor-roll student. Throughout his early education, he would work conscientiously at reading, spelling, writing, and arithmetic. However, he especially enjoyed drawing. When Faulkner got promoted to the third grade, skipping the second grade, he was asked by his teacher what he wanted to be when he grew up. He replied, "I want to be a writer just like my great granddaddy"(Minter 18). Faulkner took interest in poetry around 1910, but no one in Oxford, Mississippi, could tell him hat to do with his poems. Faulkner, who was very talkative, would always entertain Estelle Oldham by telling her vividly imaginary stories. Eventually, Faulkner grew very fond of Estelle. She became the sole inspirer and recipient of Faulkner's earlier poems. Not long after Faulkner began seeing Estelle regularly, he met a man named Phil Stone who was dating one of Estelle's friends, Katrina. Katrina had told Stone about Faulkner and his poetry. So one afternoon, Stone went to Faulkner's house to get to know him better, and during his visit he received several written verses from Faulkner's poetry. Stone not only became a very close friend of Faulkner's, but also a mentor to the young writer at the beginning of his career. Stone immediately gave the potential poet encouragement, advice, and models for his study of literature (Minter 29). As Faulkner grew older he began to lose interest in his schoolwork and turned his attention to athletics, such as football and baseball, which caused his grades to start to fall. Eventually, he quit both athletics and school altogether. In 1919, his first literary

William Faulkner

2000-06-28T14:00:00-04:00
William Faulkner is viewed by many as America's greatest writer of prose fiction. He was born in New Albany, Mississippi, where he lived a life filled with good times as well as bad. However, despite bad times he would become known as a poet, a short story writer, and finally one of the greatest contemporary novelists of his time. William Faulkner's accomplishments resulted not only from his love and devotion to writing, but also from family, friends, and certain uncontrollable events. William Faulkner's life is an astonishing accomplishment; however, it is crucial to explore his life prior to his fixated writing career (Mack 1794-1798). In 1905, Faulkner entered the first grade at the tender age of eight, and immediately showed signs of talent. He not only drew an explicitly detailed drawing of a locomotive, but he soon became an honor-roll student. Throughout his early education, he would work conscientiously at reading, spelling, writing, and arithmetic. However, he especially enjoyed drawing. When Faulkner got promoted to the third grade, skipping the second grade, he was asked by his teacher what he wanted to be when he grew up. He replied, "I want to be a writer just like my great granddaddy"(Minter 18). Faulkner took interest in poetry around 1910, but no one in Oxford, Mississippi, could tell him hat to do with his poems. Faulkner, who was very talkative, would always entertain Estelle Oldham by telling her vividly imaginary stories. Eventually, Faulkner grew very fond of Estelle. She became the sole inspirer and recipient of Faulkner's earlier poems. Not long after Faulkner began seeing Estelle regularly, he met a man named Phil Stone who was dating one of Estelle's friends, Katrina. Katrina had told Stone about Faulkner and his poetry. So one afternoon, Stone went to Faulkner's house to get to know him better, and during his visit he received several written verses from Faulkner's poetry. Stone not only became a very close friend of Faulkner's, but also a mentor to the young writer at the beginning of his career. Stone immediately gave the potential poet encouragement, advice, and models for his study of literature (Minter 29). As Faulkner grew older he began to lose interest in his schoolwork and turned his attention to athletics, such as football and baseball, which caused his grades to start to fall. Eventually, he quit both athletics and school altogether. In 1919, his first literary

Archimedes

2000-06-22T14:00:00-04:00
Archimedes was a Greek mathematician and scientist. He was born in Syracuse, Sicily in the year 287 B.C. He was educated in Alexandria, Egypt. Due to the lack of information about Greek mathematics, many Greek mathematicians and their works are hardly known. Archimedes is the exception. Archimedes was very preoccupied with mathematics. For instance, he often forgot to eat and bathe because of his always wanted to solve problems. He found areas and volumes of spheres, cylinders and plain shapes. He showed that the volume of a sphere is two-thirds of the volume of the smallest cylinder that can contain the sphere. Archimedes was so proud of this concept that he requested that a cylinder enclosed a sphere, with an explanation of this concept, be engraved on his grave. Archimedes also gave a method for approximating pi. He was able to estimate the value of pi between 3 10/71 and 3 1/7. Math wasn’t as sophisticated enough to find out the exact pi (3.14). Archimedes was finding square roots and he found a method based on the Greek myriad for representing numbers as large as 1 followed by 80 million billion zeros. One of Archimedes accomplishments was his creation of the lever and pulley system. Archimedes proved his theory of the lever and pulley to the king by moving a ship, of the royal fleet, back into the ocean. Then, Archimedes moved the ship into the sea with only a few movements of his hand, which caused a lever and pulley device to move the ship. This story has become famous because Archimedes said, "Give me a place to stand on and I will move the earth. Another invention he invented was the Archimedean screw. This machine was built for raising water to highland areas in Egypt that could not receive water directly from the Nile River. This device is still used today for irrigation purposes even is some countries today. The most famous story of Archimedes life involves the discovery of Archimedes' Principle. The story begins when King Hieron asking a goldsmith to construct a gold wreath to the immortal gods. After some time, the king came to suspect that the wreath was not pure gold but rather filled with silver. In order to end his suspicion, the king asked Archimedes to determine whether the wreath was pure gold or filled with gold without destroying it. Archimedes agreed to try

Terry Fox

2000-06-20T14:00:00-04:00
In Canadian history there are many famous people. In my mind one really stands out among the rest. His name is Terry Fox and he is one of the greatest athlete to run on the face of this planet. Terry discovered he had cancer and then decided to run across Canada. He was a brave man who would take what the world through at him. Running across Canada was his way to show the world that he was not going out with out a fight. Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg Manitoba on July 28 1958 Terry was raised in port Coquintlam, British Columbia. He was very athletic from a young age. When he was in grade eight Terry was rated nineteen out of nineteen on his basketball team. For that first season he was on the court for approximately one minute. This did not affect Terry and did not let it get to him, fore just two years later Terry was the starring player on his team. By the time he graduated he became one of two athletes to receive the schools highest athletic award. Terry knew that aches and pains are common in athlete’s lives. At the end of his first year of university there was a new pain in his knee. One morning Terry woke up to see that he could no longer stand up. A week later Terry found out that it was not just an ache he had a malignant tumor; his leg would have to be cut off six inches above the knee. Terry’s doctor told him that he had a chance of living but the odds were fifty to seventy percent. He also said that he should be glad it happened now fore just 2 years ago the chance of living was fifteen percent. The night before his operation a former coach brought Terry a magazine featuring a man who ran a marathon after a similar operation. Terry didn’t want to do something small if he was going to do something he was going to do it big. “I am competitive” Terry said, “I’m a dreamer. I like challenges. I don’t give up. When I decided to do it, I knew it was going to be all out. There was no in between Terry’s sixteen month follow up he saw all the young people suffering and getting weak by the disease. He never forgot what

Bill Gates

2000-06-11T14:00:00-04:00
Bill Gates, cofounder of the Microsoft corporation, holds 30.7 percent of its stock making him one of the richest people in the United States. He was the marketing and sales strategist behind many of Microsoft's software deals. Their software became the industry standard in the early 1980s and has just increased in distribution as the company has grown, so much that the Federal government is suggesting that Microsoft has violated Sherman and Clayton antitrust acts. Bill Gates' first interest in computers began at Lakeside, a private school in Seattle that Gates attended. There he wrote his "first software program when I was thirteen years old. It was for playing tic-tac-toe"(Gates 1). It was at Lakeside that Gates met Paul Allen, who later became cofounder with Gates of Microsoft. There they became friends and "began to mess around with the computer"(Gates 2). Back in the sixties and early seventies computer time was expensive. "This is what drove me to the commercial side of the software business"(Gates 12). Gates, Allen and a few others from Lakeside got entry-level software programming jobs. One of Gates early programs that he likes to brag about was written at this time. It was a program that scheduled classes for students. "I surreptitiously added a few instructions and found myself nearly the only guy in a class full of girls"(Gates 12). In 1972 Intel released their first microprocessor chip: the 8008. Gates attempted to write a version of BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) for the new Intel chip, but the chip did not contain enough transistors to handle it. Gates and Allen found a way to use the 8008 and "started Traf-O-Data, a computer traffic analysis company"(Clayton 452) It worked well however, marketing their new machine proved to be impossible. "No one actually wanted to buy the machine, at least not from a couple teenagers"(Gates 14). Gates and Allen had more less successful endeavors in starting a software company. In 1974 Intel announced their new chip: the 8080. The two college students sent off letters "to all the big computer companies, offering to write them a version of BASIC for the new Intel chip. We got no takers"(Gates 15). While at Harvard, the cool thing to do was to slack off on classes for most of the semester and try and see how well the student could do at the end. Steve Ballmer and Gates "took a tough graduate-

Cyrano de Bergerac - Was he happy?

2000-06-09T14:00:00-04:00
While reading Cyrano de Bergerac, I found myself often wondering whether or not Cyrano had led a happy life. Actually, I never once wondered that, but that is irrelevant, because Cyrano’s happiness is the focus of this essay. Was he happy? Truth be told, I cannot say for sure. If we look upon his life, it would seem that he was a bit of a martyr, always sacrificing his happiness for the sake of others. This is probably the case, but I do not believe that he led his life with his happiness as any sort of goal. That will be a defining case in my argument. What I really believe is that he simply did not care about his happiness. In that sense, he did not so much sacrifice it, as he annexed and divided it when he saw fit. To a further extent, this apathy towards himself probably came from a low self-worth, almost certainly spawned not from his elephantine nose, but the fair maiden Roxanne. Finally, the nose itself, the very icon of de Bergerac, was probably not the problem that Cyrano believed it to be. All of this, however obscure it may seem, is crucial to the question posed of me now. Cyrano’s happiness was not viewed by him with either a favor or a goal. I cannot believe that Cyrano cared about his own happiness whatsoever. Really, that apathy would probably be the only way that he could emotionally accept his dangerously selfless undertakings. Case in point, his giving of Roxanne to the incredibly undeserving Christian. No real happiness in that action. Roxanne and Christian’s, maybe, but certainly not his own, and he loved Roxanne. Had Cyrano actually wanted to be happy, the pangs of grief that he would feel as he gave her away would certainly have ripped him apart. But if Cyrano convinced himself that he did not care about his own happiness, then it would at least take the edge off of those bitter emotions that surely plagued his soul whenever he saw his love’s face. This triggered diffidence, with all the sacrifice that Cyrano made, may have been the only defense mechanism that he had. Continuing on from Cyrano’s carelessness for his happiness, we may easily make a jump to his sense of self-worth. Any man who would sacrifice his own love, thus, his entire world, for the sake of his rival cannot

Alexander The Great

2000-06-07T14:00:00-04:00
Alexander The Great was one of the greatest emperors and leaders of the world. In fact, he was the only emperor to be called, "The Great." He had studied under a great Greek Philosopher, Aristotle, who taught Alexander literature, science, medicine, philosophy and to speak and write well. Alexander was the son of Philip of Macedonia. Philip became king of Macedonia in 359 B.C., but died in 336 B.C. He left his kingdom to Alexander. Alexander ruled for only thirteen years but he succeeded far beyond what his father had planned. After his father's death in 336 B.C., Alexander became king of Macedonia. He strengthened his claim of king by quickly stopping revolts by Athens, which tried to break away from Macedonia, by destroying the city of Thebes, and by defeating neighboring lands for breaking away from his rule. Alexander united Greece. In 334 B.C. Alexander led his army into Persia and, after defeating an army of Persians and Greeks, he captured territories in Asia Minor. In 332 B.C., Alexander first conquered Tyre, Gaza and then Egypt in 327 B.C. In 331 B.C. Alexander defeated the main Persian army in Masopotamia. When the Persian king, Darius, was killed by his own soldiers, Alexander declared himself king of Persia Alexander was determined to conquer the whole world. In 327 B.C., Alexander led his armies into India. Soon after that, the Macedonians refused to go further and wanted to return to their homes and families because they had been fighting for six years. Reluctantly, Alexander agreed to turn back. He arrived in Babylon in 323 B.C. but shortly caught a fever and died. He was not yet 33 years old. Alexander the Great admired Athens and the Greek culture so he brought many Greek ideas to the non-Greek people of his empire. He spread Greek civilization throughout wester Asia, and opened the east to Greek trade. Alexander had a very open mind. He adopted ideas and customs from the people he had conquered. He married a Persian princess and Persians served in his army. Wherever he conquered lands, he made new cities. The most famous city he named Alexandria, in Egypt. Greek civilization, after Alexander's death, is called the Hellenistic age. Hellenistic means "Greek-speaking" or "acting like a Greek." The Hellenistic world spread far beyond the Greek mainland and the Aegean Islands. After Alexander's death, the center of the Hellenistic world shifted from Greece to Alexandria. This happened

Upton Sinclair

2000-06-07T14:00:00-04:00
Upton Sinclair was an American writer whose works reflects not only the inside but also the socialists view on things. Upton sinclair was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He was born into a family which held to it’s Southern aristocracy in every thing that was done. When Sinclair was ten years old, the family packed up and moved to New York City ( Where there were more opportunities to succeed ). Upton Beall Sinclair began writing when he was 15 years old. He mostly wrote ethnic jokes and fiction for a fun magazine. He wrote these silly stories and jokes in order for the magazine to pay for his studies at New York City College. After he was done at New York City College, in 1897, he enrolled at Columbia University. By this time, Upton was putting out many novels and respected works. He was already being realized as one of the greatest writers of his time. Upton was putting out up to two novels per week. This was unheard of at this point in time. During these years he wrote Clif Faraday stories such as "Ensign Clarke Fitch." He was also writing Mark Mallory Stories like "Lieutenant Frederick Garrison" for boys’ weekly magazine. His writing was on the right track, but he still didn’t have that one book to put him over the top. In 1900 Sinclair married his first wife. This was a start of a whole new era of writing for him. By 1904 Sinclair was moving toward a realistic fiction type of writing. He had become a regular reader of the "Appeal to Reason", which was a popular socialist-populist weekly magazine at that time. Upton’s big break came in 1906 when he published a book called, " The Jungle." As a writer this is where Sinclair gained most of his fame. This book gave him not only fame, but it also led to the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. This book had the deepest impact since Harriet Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The books popularity enabled Sinclair to establish and support the socialistic Helicon Home Colony in Englewood, N.J. However the popularity of his type of writing fell away after that year. After " The Jungle" was written it set off many similar studies of a group, and industry. or a region. Among some of them were: "The Metropolis" (1908) which was a exploration of New

Robert Schumann

2000-06-05T14:00:00-04:00
Robert Alexander Schumann was born in the small riverside town of Zwickau, Saxony, in 1810.The youngest of five children, Robert Schumann was brought up in comfortable, middle-class respectability. As a child, he apparently exhibited no remarkable abilities. At the age of six, Robert was sent to the local preparatory school, run by Archdeacon Dohner. He had in fact already begun his education, with the young tutor who gave lessons in exchange for board and lodging at the Schumann home. At the age of seven Robert received his first piano lessons, from Johann Gottfried Kuntzsch, organist at St. Mary's Church, and schoolmaster at the Zwickau Lyceum. Kuntzsch was a kindly, conservative musician of limited abilities; his knowledge stemmed from leisure-time study. Nevertheless, Robert was soon improvising, and even composing a set of dances for the piano. Robert's musical talent was recognized by his father. He bought an expensive Streicher grand piano for his son, and soon four-handed arrangements of the classics were heard in the Schumann home. With a friend named Friedrich Piltzing, another pupil of Kuntzch's, Robert started to explore Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. As a child, Schumann took part in several concerts at the Zwickau Lyceum. He once played Moscheles' Alexander March variations, which demanded considerable dexterity. At the public Lyceum Robert was active as both pianist and public speaker. When he was fourteen, Kuntzsch decided that his pupil had progressed beyond the point where he could give further help, and declined to teach him anymore. Shortly before leaving the Lyceum, Schumann collaborated with his brother Karl in preparing a new edition of Forcellini's Latin dictionary, Lexicon Totius Latinatinis. Although now very busy as a composer, Robert yearned for affection. He soon fell for seventeen-year-old Ernestine von Fricken, who came to Leipzig in April 1834 to live in at the Wiecks', and to study with Clara's father. She had grown up in the little town of Asch with her father, Baron von Fricken, and was the illegitimate daughter of Countess Zedtwitz. At the beginning of September 1835 Robert and Ernestine were secretly engaged. Within days, Baron von Fricken heard that something was afoot, arrived in Leipzig, and took Ernestine back to Asch. After secret discussions, the engagement was broken off by mutual agreement. Possibly Robert had been kept in the dark about Ernestine's origins. In any event, the affair had a catalytic effect on Robert's music. He had the idea of writing a series of

Albert Einstein: One of the Smartest People to Live

2000-06-01T14:00:00-04:00
One of the smartest people ever to live, Albert Einstein, changed our society's development forever with his views, theories, and developments. Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1879. He was the only son of Hermann and Pauline Kech Einstein. He spent his youth in Munich, where his family owned a small electrical equipment plant. He did not talk until the age of three and by the age of nine, was still not fluent in his native language. (Discovering World History) His parents were actually concerned the he might be somewhat mentally retarded. His parent's concerns aside, even as a youth Einstein showed a brilliant curiosity about nature and an ability to understand difficult mathematical concepts. At the age of 12 he taught himself Euclidian Geometry. Einstein hated the dull regimental and unimaginative spirit of school in Munich. (Albert Einstein's Early Life) His parents wisely thought to transfer him out of that environment. Although Einstein's family was Jewish, he was sent to a Catholic elementary school from 1884 to 1889. He was then enrolled at the Luitpold Gymnasium in Munich. In 1894, Hermann Einstein's business failed and the family moved to Pavia, near Milan, Italy. Einstein was left behind in Munich to allow him to finish school. Such was not to be the case, however, since he left the gymnasium after only six more months. Einstein's biographer, Philip Frank, explains that Einstein so thoroughly despised formal schooling that he devised a scheme by which he received a medical excuse from school on the basis of a potential nervous breakdown. He then convinced a mathematics teacher to certify that he was adequately prepared to begin his college studies without a high school diploma. Other biographies, however, state that Einstein was expelled from the gymnasium on the grounds that he was a disruptive influence at the school. (Discovering World History) In 1895, Einstein thought himself ready to take the entrance examination for the Eldgenossiche Technische Hochschule (ETH: Swiss Federal Polytechnic School, or Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), where he planned to major in electrical engineering. When he failed that examination, Einstein enrolled at a Swiss cantonal high school in Aarau. He found the more democratic style of instruction at Aarau much more enjoyable than his experience in Munich and soon began to make rapid progress. He took the entrance examination for ETH a second time in 1896, passed, and was admitted to

John Calhoun

2000-05-29T14:00:00-04:00
A boy of Scotch-Irish descent, whose ancestors had settled in Pennsylvania before travelling through mountains to resettle in southern territory, he was born in 1782 in the Abbeville district of South Carolina on March 18. His family was not rich, nor were they poor; they owned slaves and were regarded not as a part of the ostentation associated with slave-holding at the time but rather as a simple, farm family. His father had an interest in politics and participated locally, something that ultimately catapulted this boy into his future profession. Sent at the age of 12 to live with a Presbyterian minister for a basic education, he was eventually trained at Yale beginning his junior year and graduated with "distinction," a prerequisite to the next few years in which he would study law in Charlestown. In 1807 he became a certified lawyer and began practice in his home district of Abbeville. Thereafter, he entered politics: 1808, 1809 he was a member of the S.C. legislature; 1811 to 1817 he was a House Representative of his state. In 1811, the year he began in Congress, he married a rich cousin whose assets included vast plantations and large populations of black slaves. This marriage marked his entrance into the Charlestown southern elite, a position that would act to catalyst his pro-slavery sentiments for which he is now renown. Amicable relations developed between this person, and Clay when he entered Congress; Clay placed him on his foreign affairs committee because, like Clay, he advocated war with England. The two are considered the most powerful members of Congress who pushed these measures toward war at this time; the House eventually accepted their arguments. As a politician, he advocated protection of American markets when European competition was at its best, internal improvements, though he strongly opposed nationalism and would later champion both the rise of sectionalism and slavery. In 1817, he was appointed Secretary of War to Monroe; in 1824 and again in 1828, he was the vice-president of the U.S, but in 1832 resigned over a controversy concerning nullification. He switched gears, and gained a seat in the Senate where he was a constant advocate of "State’s Rights" to slave-holding southern states that banked on the perpetuation of their tradition. He attempted to gain the presidency at least three times, each ending in defeat and a mysterious "Slavery is, instead of an evil, a good, a

Millard Fillmore

2000-05-26T14:00:00-04:00
Fillmore, Millard (1800-1874), 13th president of the United States (1850-1853) and the second vice president to finish the term of a deceased president. He succeeded Zachary Taylor at a critical moment in United States history. The Mexican War (1846-1848) had renewed the conflict between the Northern and Southern states over slavery, since it had added new territories to the United States. The debate over whether these territories should be admitted as free or slave states precipitated a crisis that threatened civil war. Much to the relief of Northern and Southern politicians, Fillmore pursued a moderate and conciliatory policy. He signed into law the Compromise of 1850, which admitted one territory as a free state and allowed slave owners to settle in the others. This compromise did not solve the basic problem of slavery but did preserve peace for nearly eleven years. During that time the North gained the industrial power that enabled it to defeat the South when civil war eventually came. Fillmore was born in upstate New York in 1800. He was the second child and eldest son in a family of nine. His parents, Nathaniel and Phoebe Millard Fillmore, had moved from Vermont to New York several years before his birth. Young Fillmore did chores on his father's farm, worked as an apprentice in the clothier's trade, and attended local schools irregularly until he was 17. Although the only books in his home were the Bible, an almanac, and a hymnbook, Fillmore managed to educate himself with the help of a village schoolteacher, Abigail Powers. When he was 19, Fillmore began to study law with Judge Walter Wood of Cayuga County. He supported himself by teaching school. When his family moved to East Aurora, near Buffalo, New York, Fillmore continued his study of law and his teaching. In 1823 he opened a law office in East Aurora. Three years later he married Abigail Powers. The couple had two children, Mary Abigail and Millard Powers. In the early years of their marriage, Mrs. Fillmore continued to teach school and to help her husband with his law studies. In 1826, the year Fillmore was married, an incident in western New York set him on the road to the presidency. When William Morgan, a former member of the Masonic fraternal order who had written a book that claimed to expose the order's secrets, disappeared, the rumor spread that he had been murdered by avenging

James Hutton

2000-05-23T14:00:00-04:00
"The Present is the Key to the Past" James Hutton was born in 1726, a geographer, was named "the father of

Alfred Wegener

2000-05-23T14:00:00-04:00
Alfred Wegener was an explorer and meteorologist, born in Berlin, who first came up with the "Continental Drift Theory" or the "Wegener Theory." This theory stated that all of the continents came from one super continent, also known as Pangea, which spread apart gradually moving into their current positions on Earth. The evidence for this theory includes fossils of the same type oceans apart, similarities between climatic patterns, similarities between

Henry Thoreau

2000-05-16T14:00:00-04:00
Born in 1817, in Concord, Henry David Thoreau became one of the greatest writers among the American Renaissance. Thoreau based his whole philosophy on the fact that man needed to get rid of material things in order to be an individual. An exquisitely educated man, Thoreau went to Harvard, which placed heavy emphasis on the classics. Thoreau studied a curriculum that included grammar and composition, mathematics, English, history, and various philosophies. He also spoke fluently in Italian, French, German, and Spanish. After his graduation in 1837, Thoreau became a teacher. He and his brother John, however, closed the school in 1841, for Thoreau knew writing was his passion. He kept a journal beginning in 1837, and most think he wrote way before that time. Thoreau’s love for writing pushed him to make it a driving force in his life. Thoreau was also a big part of the Transcendentalist’s Movement. The Transcendentalists assumed that the soul and nature were the two essential parts of the universe. "Transcendentalism started as a radical religious movement, opposed to the rationalist, conservative institution that Unitarianism had become." Unitarians had expressed the need for and conviction of a more personal and intuitive experience of the divine. "If a man does not keep pace with his companion, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer." Individuality was a big part of Thoreau’s life; he believed that independent, well-thought action arose naturally from a curious mind. Although many people visited him at Walden Pond, Thoreau preferred to be alone. "I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude." Thoreau liked solitude, a time when he wrote from his soul and was truly alone. Thoreau’s love for nature was one of the most powerful aspects evident in Walden. Considered by some to be the father of the environmental movement, Thoreau referred back to nature in everything he wrote from essays to political speeches. As a simple man, Thoreau did not own many material things. For he believed that to own material objects were an obstacle, rather than an advantage. He saw that most people measured self-worth in terms of what they owned, rather than their spiritual and intellectual gifts. Thoreau proposed to live as simply as possible and determine what he needed for basic human survival. "My greatest skill is to want but little." He grew his own food, cleaned his own cabin, and often arranged his

Hitler

2000-05-15T14:00:00-04:00
Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 in the small town of Branau, Austria. He was the son a Customs official Alois Hitler, and his father’s third wife Klara. As a boy, Adolf attended church regularly. One day he carved a symbol into the bench which resembled the Swastika he later used as the symbol of the Nazi party. He was a good student. He received good marks in most of his classes. However in his last year of school he failed German and Mathematics, and only succeeded in Gym and Drawing. He dropped out of school at the age of 16, spending a total of 10 years in school. From childhood, it was his dream to become an artist or architect. He was not a bad artist. To fulfill his dream, he moved to Vienna, the capital of Austria where the Academy of the Arts was located. He failed the first time he tried to get admission and in the next year, 1907, he tried again and was very sure of success. To his surprise, he failed again. In fact the Dean of the Academy was not very impressed with his performance, and gave him a hard time and said to him, "You will never be painter." The rejection made him reach a dead end. He could not apply to the school of architecture, as he had no high-school diploma. While living in Vienna, Hitler made his living by drawing small pictures of famous landmarks, which he sold as post cards. However, he was always poor. He was also a regular reader of a small newspaper that suggested that the Arian race was the superior race. The paper blamed Communists and Jews for all their economic problems and Hitler agreed with those views. He continued to live a poor life in Vienna and in 1913 decided to move to Munich. Being Austrian by birth, Hitler showed more loyalty to the Germany. His life in Munich was not better then before and he continued to be poor. Then in 1914, World War I broke out and Hitler saw this as a great opportunity to show his loyalty to the "fatherland" by volunteering for the German Imperial army. He did not want to fight in the Austrian Army. In 1918, Germany surrendered and Hitler was very upset about the loss. He believed that it was the Jews and the Communists

Salman Rushdie

2000-05-11T14:00:00-04:00
There have been very few writers who have been dogged by controversy throughout their careers. Some have been persecuted in less enlightened times such as Mark Twain, and some have been ridiculed by the press like Edgar Allan Poe. Yet, Salman Rushdie was the first author in the free world to have been pursued from across continents and forced into hiding because of a death sentence by a foreign government. To say Salman Rushdie is a very controversial writer in today’s society would be a gross understatement. Rushdie in fact could be considered the ideal poster boy for absolute freedom of the press. It is not that Rushdie prides himself on being rebellious, he simply presents his ideas bluntly and it just so happens that his ideas address extremely volatile topics such as the Islam religion. Rushdie’s philosophy was eloquently put when he wrote, “What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.” Contrary to many great authors, Rushdie did not endure a traumatic childhood, suffer from alcohol addiction, or live with chronic depression. Instead, Rushdie actually had what many would view as a close to perfect upbringing. Rushdie was born in 1947 to a middle-class Moslem family in the great city of Bombay, India. His paternal grandfather was an Urdu poet, and his father a Cambridge educated businessman. At the age of fourteen, Rushdie was sent to Rugby School in England where he excelled in his studies. Rushdie went on to continue his studies at King's College, Cambridge, where he studied history. After graduating in 1968 he worked for a time with television in Pakistan as an actor with the theatre group at Oval House in Kennington. Then, from 1971 to 1981 Rushdie earned his living by working intermittently as a freelance advertising copywriter for Ogilvy and Mather and Charles Barker. Rushdie eventually began his literary career in 1975 when he made his debut with Grimus, a sort of fantastical science fiction novel based on the twelfth century Sufi poem “The Conference of Birds”. Grimus however received little fame and Rushdie truly broke into the literary world with his second novel Midnight’s Children, in 1981, which won him the Booker prize and international fame. This novel began his controversial persona as well. The novel is a comic allegory of Indian history that revolves around the life of its narrator, Saleem Sinai, and the one thousand

Amelia Earhart

2000-04-30T14:00:00-04:00
"Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace. The soul that knows it not, knows no release from little things. Knows not the vivid loneliness of fear nor mountain heights where bitter joy can hear the sound of wings. How can life grant us boon of living, compensate for dull gray ugliness and pregnant hate, unless we dare the souls dominion? Each time we make a choice, we pay with courage to behold the restless day and count it fair." Those were the words of Amelia Earhart in a poem she wrote, entitled "Courage." Amelia Earhart knew a lot about courage. Even when faced with impossible odds, she always had the courage to try and overcome them. She had a never give up attitude that made her so attractive to the public and took the science community by surprise. Without that attitude, she would never have been invited to make her first flight across the Atlantic ocean on June 3rd 1928. Because she had the courage to be one of the only women pilots at the time, she was invited by her future husband, George Putnam, to make the 20 hour 14 minute journey across the Atlantic. Although she was just a passenger on the flight, she was still promoted to celebrity status for being the first woman to cross the Atlantic by plane. Although her fame was set with her first flight, she wanted to promote aviation in women. In 1929, she organized a cross-country air race for women pilots named "the Power Puff Derby." She also formed "the Ninety Nines" a now famous women pilots organization. In addition to forming organizations for women pilots, she occupied her four year break from flying with writing her first book, "20 hours, 40 minutes" on her first flight, became assistant to the general traffic manager of TWA and served as vice president for public relations of the New York, Washington, and Philadelphia Airways. Amelia enjoyed public relations, but missed flying greatly during her four year sabatical. In 1932, no one else had ever flown solo over the Atlantic since Charles Lindberg, and Amelia set out to change that. On May 20th, 1932, exactly five years after Lindbergs flight, she set off for her 2nd journey across the Atlantic. She sucessfully completed her flight, breaking several records. She was the first woman to fly the Atlantic and the only person

Copernicus

2000-04-29T14:00:00-04:00
Copernicus has been named one of the most influential people this millennia by Time Magazine; in part for his movements in though during the scientific revolution; creating a basis for modern astronomy and challenging the Church (of the 15th century) to lead the way to a reform in thinking. He did so by disproving (mathematically) a theory of the heavens that had existed for almost 14 centuries, established by a man named Charles Ptolemy in 250 AD. Copernicus revolutionized astronomy by creating a solid basis for it to stand on, discovering that "The Earth was not the centre of the cosmos, but rather one celestial body among many, as it became subject to mathematical description." He compiled a manuscript of his theories, including the retrogressive behaviour of the planets, cause by the Earth's daily rotation on its axis and yearly revolution around the sun. Much of Copernicus' influence was rooted in the minds of men for years, perhaps because his theories were not fully understood or appreciated until many years after his death in 1543. Finally, Nicolaus Copernicus had a theory published (anonymously) that went against Catholic Church authority, a very bold step for someone in that era. The Church relented, and allowed the circulation of the manuscript. The Ptolemic System, up until the 1510s was the only way of thinking about the solar system as they knew it. The Church firmly believed the Earth was the centre of the universe, and as far as the community in that era was concerned, the Church's way of thinking was the correct way of thinking. For a great many years, the Ptolemic System had ruled the minds of astronomers; the Earth was the centre of the universe, and that Mercury, Venus, our Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Sun all revolved around the Earth. As Copernicus recorded the movements of Mars, he noticed a peculiar pattern in its movements. Every night, its position differed slightly, mostly travelling west, then for a few days east again, then continuing west. He called the phenomenon retrograde motion, and it seemed to explain a rotation of the Earth. During his years as a student in universities (1491-1503), he found the first defects in the Ptolemic System, and after much concentration, he developed a manuscript with his theories of the Heaven in 1514, De revoltionibus orbium coelestium, libri (English Translation: On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres). With

Thomas Edison

2000-04-15T14:00:00-04:00
Thomas Alva Edison is considered one of the greatest inventors in history. He was born in Milan, Ohio on February 11, 1847 and died in 1931. During his life he patented 1,093 inventions. Many of these inventions are in use today and changed the world forever. Some of his inventions include telegraphy, phonography, electric lighting and photography. His most famous inventions were the phonograph and the incandescent light bulb. Edison did some of his greatest work at Menlo Park. While experimenting on an underwater cable for the automatic telegraph, he found that the electrical resistance and conductivity of carbon varied accordingly to the pressure it was under. This was a major theoretical discovery, which enabled Edison to invent a “pressure relay” using carbon rather than magnets, which was the usual way to vary and balance electrical currents. In February of 1877 Edison began experiments designed to produce a pressure relay that would amplify and improve the audibility of the telephone, a device that Edison and others had studied but which Alexander Graham Bell was the first to patent, in 1876. By the end of 1877 Edison had developed the carbon-button transmitter that is still used today in telephone speakers and microphones. Many of Thomas Edison’s inventions including the carbon transmitter were in response to demands for new products and improvements. In 1877, he achieved his most unique discovery, the phonograph. During the summer of 1877 Edison was attempting to devise for the automatic telegraph a machine that would transcribe a signals as they were received into a form of the human voice so that they could then be delivered as telegraph messages. Some researchers had theorized that each sound, if it could be graphically recorded, would produce a distinct shape resembling short hand, or phonography, as it was known then. Edison hoped to make this concept real by employing a stylus-tipped carbon transmitter to make impressions on a strip of paraffined paper. To his amazement, the barley visible indentations generated a vague sound when the paper was pulled back beneath the stylus. In December 1877 Edison unveiled the tinfoil phonograph, which replaced the strip of paper wrapped in tinfoil. Many people would not believe what they were hearing including a leading French scientist who declared it to be a trick device of a ventriloquist. The public’s amazement was quickly followed by universal approval. Edison became famous all around the world and was

Harper Lee

2000-04-03T14:00:00-04:00
Nelle Harper Lee was born on the 28th day of April in 1926, in southwest Alabama in a small town called Monroeville. Monroeville has a population of 7,000 people. Harper Lee is the youngest of four children of Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Lee. Harper Lee went to Huntingdon College from 1944-45, from 1945-49 she studied law at the University of Alabama, and attended one year at Oxford University. In the 1950’s she worked as a reservation clerk with BOAC in New York City and with Eastern Air Lines. In 1957 Harper Lee handed in the manuscript of her novel to the

Louise Brooks and The Flapper Era

2000-03-29T14:00:00-04:00
The flapper era was the time of the worship of youth (pandorasbox/flapper). Flappers were women of the Jazz Age. They had measurements of pre-adolescent boys, with no waistline, no bust, and no butt. Flappers had short hair worn no longer than chin length, called bobs. Their hair was often dyed and waved into flat, head-hugging curls and accessorized with wide, soft headbands. It was a new and most original style for women. A lot of make-up was worn by flappers that they even put on in public which was once unheard of and considered something done only by actresses and whores. Flappers wore short, straight dresses often covered with beads and fringes, and they were usually worn without pantyhose. Young flappers were known to be very rebellious against their parents, and society blamed their waywardness partially on the media, movies, and film stars like Louise Brooks (Szabo). Louise Brooks was a big part of the Jazz Age and had a lot of influence on the women of the 1920’s. Being a film star with a great, original personality she is known for being one of the most extraordinary women to set forth the Flapper era. Her sleek and smooth looks with her signature bob helped define the flapper look (pandorasbox/flapper). On November 14, 1906, in Cherryvale, Kansas, Mary Louise Brooks was born. She had two brothers, one sister, and parents, Leonard and Myra Brooks, who was a costume maker and pianist. In 1910, Brooks performed in her first stage role as Tom Thumb’s bride in a Cherryvale church benefit. Over the next few years she danced at men’s and women’s clubs, fairs, and various other gatherings in southeastern Kansas. At ten years old she was already a serious dancer and very much interested in it. In 1920, Brook’s family moved to Wichita, Kansas, and at 13 years old she began studying dance (pandorasbox/chron). Louise Brooks had a typical education and family life. She was very interested in reading and the arts, so in 1922 she traveled to New York City and joined the Denishawn Dance Company. This was the leading modern dance company in America at the time. In 1923, Brooks toured the United States and Canada with Denishawn by train and played a different town nearly every night, but one year later she leaves Denishawn and moves back to New York City. Not too long after her return, she gets a

Benito Mussolini

2000-03-25T13:00:00-04:00
Benito Mussolini was born on July 29, 1883 outside the village of Dovia di Predappio in the Northeastern Italian province of Forli. He had one sister and one brother. They always fought and argued over little petty things with each other. His sister name was Edvige and his brother’s name was Armaldo. His mother Rosa Malteni was a well respect and appreciated schoolteacher. His father Allesandro Mussolini was both a blacksmith and a committee socialist. He received his name “Benito” from the Mexican Revolutionary Juarez. Benito grew up as a delinquent, disobedient, and did not have any manners. He was a bully to the other children around him. He would get into numerous of fights with other children. Benito Mussolini was brought up in one the poorest regions in Northeastern Italy. When he was in school, he always kept to himself and very quiet. He wasn’t a class clown, never cried or rarely laughed. He always sat in the back of the classroom and read a book. He rather do that than play with the other children in his class. He got kicked out his first boarding school. When he was growing up he was surrounded by many political philosophies. There was anarchism, socialism, and others. Both Benito and his father Allesandro had very bad violent tempers. When Benito grew up, he became a teacher in an elementary school in his nearby town; he spread the party of doctrine. He was an editor, Fascist leader, laborer, soldier, politician, and revolutionary. He also became a socialist. He graduated at a teacher training school in Forli, Italy. Then he moved to Switzerland to find a better place to work. When he was in Switzerland, he got in trouble with the law for fighting and vagrancy. So he decided to move back to Italy but in Trent. When he returned he worked for a Social Newspaper Company and wrote several literacy works. The newspaper was called “La Lotta di Classe (The Class Struggle). The towns’ people loved his newspaper. He made the editor of “Avanti” (forward); it was published in Milan. When Benito wrote some ignorant and cruel suggestions and ideas in the newspaper. So the he was fired. He then decided to created his own newspaper. He called it, “Li Popolo d’ Italia” (The People of Italy). He hoped the war between Italy and Turkey might lead to collapse of society that might

Mackenzie King" The Greatest Prime Minister of Canada

2000-03-23T13:00:00-04:00
The greatest Prime Minister of Canada was? Mackenzie King our 10thPrime Minister of Canada and by far one of our greatest. William Lyon Mackenzie King accomplished a lot in his twenty-0ne years of ministering our Country Canada! "It is what we prevent, rather than what we do that counts most in Government." (Mackenzie King august 26, 1936) This statement sums up the best secrets of Mackenzie King's success as prime minister, and perhaps, the key to governing Canada effectively. King's record of prime minister is sometimes difficult to judge. He had no uninteresting images, he gave no repetitive speeches, and he champions no drastic stage. He is remembered for his easygoing, passive compromise and conciliation (Gregory, page 267). Yet Mackenzie King led Canada for a total of twenty-two years, through half the Depression and all of the Second World War. Like every other prime minister, he had to possess ambition, endurance and determination to become prime minister and, in spite if appearances, his accomplishments in that role required political acuity, decisiveness and faultless judgment. William Lyon Mackenzie King was born in Berlin (later renamed Kitchener), Ontario in 1874. His father was a lawyer and his maternal grandfather was William Lyon Mackenzie, leader of the 1837 Rebellion in Upper Canada. From an early age, King identified with his grandfather, an association that influenced him throughout his political life. King studied economics and law at the University of Toronto also, the University of Chicago. After graduating with an M.A. in 1897, he pursued his studies at Harvard. In 1900, he entered the civil service and became Deputy Minister of the new Department of Labor. King joined the Liberal party and won a seat in the 1908 election. The following year he was chosen Minister of Labor in Prime Minister Sir Wilfred Laurier's Cabinet. After he lost his seat in the 1911 election, King worked as a labor advisor for the Rockefeller Foundation in the United States. He ran and lost again in the 1917 election. "Parliament will decide, he liked to say when pressed to act". Unlike most English-speaking Liberals, he stood by Laurier in opposition to conscription (Johnson, page 134). In 1919, King was elected leader of the Liberal party in the first leadership convention held in Canada. The party was still unpleasantly divided, with some Liberals in the Union government and some in Opposition. King stood on conscription two years before it

Hernan Cortes

2000-03-20T13:00:00-04:00
Hernan Cortes was born in 1485 in a town called Medellin in Extremadura. It talks about little of his child hood and little about his young life except that he studied law at the University of Salamanca. His law school years were cut short in 1501 when he decided to try his luck in the New World. He sailed from Santo Domingo in the Spring of 1504. After he had got there in 1511 he joined he Spanish Soldier and Administrator Diego Velasquez in the conquest of Cuba, and there he became alcalde or mayor of Santiago de Cuba. In 1518 he persuaded Velasquez to give him command to the expedition of Mexico. Juan de Grijalva, nephew of Velasquez, had discovered the mainland the year before by the Spanish soldier and explorer Fernandez de Cobia and. On February 19, 1519 Cortes set sail west from Cuba even though Velasquez cancelled his pay because of suspicion that Cortes would find himself independent and refuse to take order. Cortes took with him about 600 men, less than 20 horses, and 10 field pieces. Cortes sailed along the east coast of Yucatan and in March 1519 landed in Mexico. Cortes neutralized the town of Tabasco. The artillery, the ships, and especially the horses awed the natives. From these people of Tabasco Cortes learned about the Aztecs and their ruler Montezuma II. Cortes took lots of captives one of which they baptized and renamed Marina. She became his lover and out of loyalty to him became his interpreter, Translator, Guide, and Counselor. Finding a better harbor a little North of San Juan they established a town called La Villa Rica De La Vera Cruz, which literally translates to The Rich Village Of The Vera Cruz. This was later called just Varacruz. Cortes did what Velasquez that he would do, and abandoned the authority of everybody except the king and queen. Cortes was a strategical thinker and destroyed his group of vessels in order to prevent small forces from opposing him and returning to Cuba to tell Velasquez. At about this time Cortes started his famous march inland even after negotiations with Montezuma. Montezuma tried to persuade Cortes not to enter the capital city of Tenochtitlan but Cortes was good at not following directions. Cortes overcame the native tribe Tlascalans. This tribe quickly became an alliance to the Spanish because they were enemies to the Aztecs. As the

Drew Barrymore

2000-03-17T13:00:00-04:00
Drew Barrymore is a 23 year old actress, born on February 22,1975. She was born in Los Angeles into a family known for both its thespian talent and personal life difficulties. When Drew was an infant, her parents were told numerous times, she should “get into commercials.” Drew was a very talented little girl. The movie she first appeared in was a minor role in the movie “The Protagonist’s Daughter.” Her main acting career began in 1982 when she was cast as “Gertie” in Steven Spielberg’s science-fiction movie “E.T.: The Extraterrestrial.” This movie was one of the most popular films of all time. This great achievement pushed Barrymore to stardom and was now known as a “Child Star”. Throughout the 80’s she worked steadily, appearing in more films and T.V movies. This young star grew up in a very tough Hollywood lifestyle. She attended many late night parties, publicity events, and clubs. She also was known as “E.T.’s pal, Gertie, parties ‘till 3.” Soon Drew started smoking, sneaking sips of her older friends’ drinks, and experimenting with drugs. As her drug use and drinking grew more addicting, she could hardly hide it from the outside world. Drew first started using cocaine when she was 13 years old, at the time she didn’t think she would become addicted to the drug. But she was mistaken, before long she found herself using increasingly large quantities of the drug. Drew’s mother became concerned and dragged Drew to a Family Treatment Center, in Van Nuys, California. Drew attended many therapy sessions with other patients her own age. She spent only 12 days in the hospital and proved she was satisfied with the program. She left the hospital early, due to a prior commitment for a shoot in Nevada. This shoot had to travel to New York City, where, after more than 2 months of sobriety; Drew craved for cocaine and immediately fell back into her terrible habits. Her mother hired two private agents to track down Drew, they found her and a friend and returned them in handcuffs to the hospital. Drew finally thought to make her recovery her top priority, and she was forced to admit she had hit rock bottom. After 3 months stay she had made much progress and was discharged. Barrymore was threatened to tell her story world wide by doing this it influenced her to want to help other troubled young

Pocahontas

2000-03-10T13:00:00-05:00
Who really was Pocahontas? Was she like the Indian girl in the Disney movie, who saved her reservation? Yes and no. She was an Indian of the Algonquian Indians. Her father was Powhatan, the chief. Her original name, however was in fact, Matoaka. But Pocahontas mean “playful, frolicsome little girl” and so they nicknamed her that. The meeting and capturing of her acquaintance, and possible first love, John Smith, was in fact true. But, the saving of him may be as made up and make believe as the movie. Many people speculate the authenticity of the “execution and salvation” story, told by Smith. Supposedly, Smith’s Englishmen team landed in Jamestown, 12 miles from the Indian reservation. John Smith was captured and forced to stretch on two flat stones, then out of nowhere, and little Indian girl cam up and put herself on his body as to say, “Kill me instead”. Weather this is true or not, it doesn’t change the rest of her story. After the “saved’ him, Smith and the Indians became friendly for the following year. Smith stayed in Jamestown, and Pocahontas visited him frequently. She carried messages from her father, and other Indians carried food, fur, and then traded hatchets and trinkets. After a while, Smith’s relationship with the Powhatas worsened. Pocahontas’s visits started to lessen, and in 1806, Smith was injured, and had to go back to England. Pocahontas went on with her life though, she married an Indian “Pryvate Captyne” named Kocoum in 1610. Although in 1614, she fell in love with an Englishman, John Rolfe. They married and she got baptized. They went to London with a man named Sir Thomas Dale, and a dozen other Indians. She was presented to King James I, and all of the royal family. John Smith, the man who she had not seen in eight years, was also in London at the time. They met, and talked about the past, but at first she couldn’t speak, she was overcome with emotion. This was their last meeting. After 6 months, Ralf and his family wanted to go back to Virginia, but unfortunately, Pocahontas didn’t make it. She was ill from pneumonia. Pocahontas affected society, she was a compassionate girl, and saw to it that the colonists got food. She was also known to have saved lives of certain colonists. John Smith wrote that Pocohontas was “ the instrument to pursurve

Guy Fawkes

2000-03-10T13:00:00-05:00
Fawkes Guy, was one of the greatest conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot. Fawkes, pronounced fawks Guy, English conspirator, born in York. A protestant by birth, he became a Roman Catholic after the marriage of his widowed mother to a man of Catholic background and sympathies(Miller 578). In 1593 he enlisted in the Spanish Army in Flanders and in 1596 participated in the capture of the city of Calais by the Spanish in their war with Henry IV of France. He became implicated with Thomas Winter and others in the Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament as protest against the anti-Roman Catholic laws. This paper will demonstrate the life of Guy Fawkes. Guy Fawkes was born on 13th April, 1570. Guy Fawkes was the only son of Edward Fawkes of York and his wife Edith Blake of Cambridge. Followed by Guy Fawkes’ birth, Edith had given birth to daughter Anne Fawkes on 3rd October 1568, but the infant lived a mere seven weeks, being buried on 14th November of the same year. Two other sisters were born followed by Anne, another Anne, who later married Henry Kilburns in Scotton on 12th October1572, and Elizabeth, who later married William Dickenson also in Scotton on 27th May 1594. Edward Fawkes who was advocate of the consistory court of the Archbishop of York. On his mother’s side, he was descended from the Harrington family who were eminent merchants and Alderman of York. In 1605, Guy Fawkes(also known as Guido), and a group of conspirators attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament to kill the King, James I and the entire Parliament. The conspirators were angered because King James had been exiling Jesuits from England. The plotters wanted to wrest power away from the king and return the country to the Catholic faith. Today, they would be known as extremists. However, in an attempt to protect a friend in the House of Lords, one of the group members sent an anonymous letter warning his friend to stay away from the parliament. The warning letter reached the king, and the conspirators were caught, tortured and executed. Guy Fawkes and his friends had rolled 36 barrels of gunpowder into the cellar and covered them with faggots under the House of parliament(Encyclopedia Americana 91). These days Guy Fawkes Day is also known as Bonfire Night. The event is commemorated every year with fireworks and burning an effigy of Guy Fawkes

Jasper Daniel AKA Jack Daniel

2000-03-08T13:00:00-05:00
Jasper Newton Daniel was born in 1848 as the tenth child of thirteen. At the age of 12 Jack Daniel started a career that would last him a lifetime. He was hired out to work for a man by the name of Dan Call, a preacher at a Lutheran church. At Mr. Call’s distillery he learned the trait of making whiskey. Three years later he and Mr. Call were full partners in the whiskey making business. Mr. Call was a dedicated Lutheran. Just after the civil war his family and church told him to make a decision between the church and his business of making whiskey. Mr. Call decided to go with the church. So Jack bought out his share of the business. Jack had found a perfect cave spring and bought 500 acres around it. Jack then moved his distillery to this location and over 130 years later the distillery stands here today. In the rolling hills of southern middle Tennessee lies the city of Lynchburg where Jack was born and lived all of his life. This is the county seat of Moore County, which is Tennessee’s smallest county. This town, like most other small towns in middle Tennessee has a square for the hub of the town. One of the major structures here is the Courthouse. Back in 1885 people of Lynchburg built this structure with bricks made in the town. Now, my favorite item of historic relevance in Moore County is the Jack Daniel Distillery. This is at the same site Jack decided on in 1866. This is a National Historic site that has had its license since 1866. The quality Tennessee Whiskey goes through the same processes that it did when founded by Mr. Jack Daniel. To this day they are sticking by Mr. Jack’s motto: “Each day we make it, we will make it the best we can.” To help Mr. Daniel hold down the fort in Lynchburg he introduced the business to his nephew Lem Motlow. Mr. Motlow and Mr. Daniel kept the whiskey business going in high gear until the death of Mr. Daniel in 1911.He died from blood poisoning after he had kicked his safe when it didn’t open correctly six years ago. Lem Motlow then became the second head distiller. He kept the process the old fashioned way as his mentor had showed him in previous years. He was also a very

Julius Caesar

2000-03-06T13:00:00-05:00
Julius Caesar was born on the thirteenth day of the month Quintilis in the year of 100 BC. His full name was Gaius Julius Caesar, the same as his father’s. Gaius was his given name and Julius was his surname. He was a strong political and military leader who changed the history of the Greco-Roman world. This paper will answer the following questions: What happened during his early political career? How did he become a strong dictator of the Roman Empire? What events led up to the making of the first triumvirate? What happened during his reign as dictator of Rome? What events led up to his assassination? Julius Caesar is probably the most famous leader in history. (Grant, table of dates p.1, and foreword p.xxi) When he was young, Caesar lived through one of the worst decades in the history of Rome. The city was assaulted and captured by Roman armies twice. First, in eighty-seven BC by the leaders of the populares. (Caesar’s aunt and uncle, Marius and Cinna.) Cinna was killed the year that Caesar married Cornelia. The second attack against the city happened in eighty-two BC. Marius’ enemy Sulla, leader of the optimates, carried out the attack. On each occasion the massacre of political opponents was followed by the confiscation of their property. (Fowler, p.24) Caesar knew that his public speaking needed improvement, he therefore announced that he was leaving to study on the island of Rhodes. His professor was the famous Greek rhetorician, Apollonius Molon. When he was off the coast of Anatolia pirates kidnapped him. They demanded a large ransom for his return. Caesar broke free from the pirates and captured a large number of them. He then returned to Rome to engage in a normal political career. (Grant, p.9-11) In the Roman political world Pompey and Crassus challenged the dominance of the optimates. Quintus Latatius Catulus and Lucius Licinius Lucullus led the optimates. Sulla was responsible for creating their careers. Caesar married Pompeia after Cornelia’s death. Then, in sixty-five BC he was appointed aedile. The aedile was in charge of the programs of the city such as games, spectacles, and shows. As aedile, Caesar gained claim to the leadership of the populares. (Grant, p.12) Before leaving Rome to govern Spain for a year, Caesar divorced his wife because of an allegation that she had been involved in the offense of Publis Clodius. Clodius was awaiting trial for breaking

Washington

2000-03-06T13:00:00-05:00
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Here he received little formal education. Historians have speculated that he attended a school in Fredericksburg, or may have been tutored by an indentured servant. Washington lived with his mother until the age of 16. At the age of 15, Washington took a job as an assistant land surveyor. In 1748, he joined a surveying team that was sent to the Shanandoah Valley to help survey the land holdings of Lord Fairfax. By 1749, he established a good reputation as a land surveyor and was appointed to the official land surveyor of Culpeper County. Washington’s father owned several farms. When his father died in 1743, his stepbrother Lawrence received the Mount Vernon Estate. Lawrence Washington died nine years later. His will stated that if his daughter, Sarah, died without baring children the Mount Vernon Estate would go to George Washington. Sarah Washington died two years later without baring children. Washington began his military career on February 1,1753, when he was sworn into the Virginia militia. He started as an adjutant for the southern part of the colony. Next, he set out to Fort Le Beouf on Lake Erie. He sent a message stating for the French to leave the land alone. The French denied his message. Four months later, they promoted him to lieutenant colonel. After defeating some French scouting party in southern Pennsylvania, they promoted him to colonel in charge of all the Virginian troops. Colonel Washington led an attack at Fort Necessity, Pennsylvania, where he and 400 troops surrendered to the French and Indians. In October Washington resigned as colonel and returned to Mount Vernon. Governor Dinwidde begged and pleaded for his return. He denied at first, but decided to regain control. Washington remained colonel for the rest of the war. After the French and Indian War Washington again stepped down. He retired to Mount Vernon as a planter and a legislator. On January 6,1759, he married Martha Dandridge Custis. She was a wealthy widow and mother of two children. The couple had no children together, but he raised those of his wife as his own. During 1759-74, he managed his plantations and sat in the Virginia House of Burgesses. By the 1770s, the relationship between Britain and the colonies became strained. Washington represented Virginia at the First and Second Continental Congresses. When Patrick Henry was asked to name

Nicholas: The Last Tsar

2000-02-28T13:00:00-05:00
In his book, The Last Tsar, Edvard Radzinsky describes a very interesting viewpoint of the life and death of Nicholas Alexandrovich, the last Russian Tsar. Radzinsky's illustration of this ill-fated monarch follows the diaries of Nicholas from their beginning on March 1, 1881, to the final entry on July 16, 1918.1 Radzinsky mainly goes over pre-marital relationship between Nicholas and Alexandra, the medical condition of Nicholas' son, Alexei, and the imprisonment and execution of Nicholas and his family. The relationship between Nicholas II and Alexandra began in 1884. Alexandra, the daughter of Louis IV, the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt, a tiny state in Germany, was born in 1872.2 Her grandmother was Queen Victoria of England, her oldest sister married an English prince, her second sister married a Russian Grand Duke and her third sister married a German prince. Nicholas and Alexandra met during the wedding of her second sister, Ella, to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. Alexandra was only twelve and Nicholas was only sixteen, but he stated in his diary that he fell in love with her a first sight. Nicholas' father, Tsar Alexander III, did not approve of Alexandra, because of the fact that she was the granddaughter of the English Queen. Instead, he suggested that Nicholas marry a princess from the House of Orleans. His decision was basely mainly on politics, as he was striving for an alliance between Russia and France. Alexander's suggestion did not have any effect on Nicholas, as he seemed certain to marry his childhood sweetheart, Alexandra. That day came in 1894, when Alexander was on his deathbed, suffering from a kidney disease that he had contracted in a train wreck six years earlier. On April 8, 1894, at the wedding of Alexandra's brother, her and Nicholas were engaged.3 On November 14, 1894, a month after the death of his father Nicholas married Alexandra and officially became the tsar of Russia. Alexei Nikolaevich, the first son of Nicholas and Alexandra was born on July 30, 1904, following the births of four daughters. The problem of who would rule Russia in case of an accident to Nicholas was solved. However, there was a new problem, as Alexei was diagnosed with hemophilia. Hemophilia is a disease that weakened the walls of the arteries so that "any blow or intense pressure can cause the blood vessels to burst and can mean the end."4 Rumours of a holy man,

John D. Rockefeller

2000-02-26T13:00:00-05:00
John Davison Rockefeller (July 8, 1839 - May 23, 1937) was the guiding force behind the creation and development of the Standard Oil Company, which grew to dominate the oil industry and became one of the first big trusts in the United States, thus engendering much controversy and opposition regarding its business practices and form of organization. Rockefeller also was one of the first major philanthropists in the U.S., establishing several important foundations and donating a total of $540 million to charitable purposes. Rockefeller was born on farm at Richford, in Tioga County, New York, on July 8, 1839, the second of the six children of William A. and Eliza (Davison) Rockefeller. The family lived in modest circumstances. When he was a boy, the family moved to Moravia and later to Owego, New York, before going west to Ohio in 1853. The Rockefellers bought a house in Strongsville, near Cleveland, and John entered Central High School in Cleveland. While he was a student he rented a room in the city and joined the Erie Street Baptist Church, this later became the Euclid Avenue Baptist Church. Active in its affairs, he became a trustee of the church at the age of 21. He left high school in 1855 to take a business course at Folsom Mercantile College. He completed the six-month course in three months and, after looking for a job for six weeks, was employed as assistant bookkeeper by Hewitt & Tuttle, a small firm of commission merchants and produce shippers. Rockefeller was not paid until after he had worked there three months, when Hewitt gave him $50 ($3.57 a week) and told him that his salary was being increased to $25 a month. A few months later he became the cashier and bookkeeper. In 1859, with $1,000 he had saved and another $1,000 borrowed from his father. Rockefeller formed a partnership in the commission business with another young man, Maurice B. Clark. In that same year the first oil well was drilled at Titusville in western Pennsylvania, giving rise to the petroleum industry. Cleveland soon became a major refining center of the booming new industry, and in 1863 Rockefeller and Clark entered the oil business as refiners. Together with a new partner, Samuel Andrews, who had some refining experience, they built and operated an oil refinery under the company name of Andrews, Clark & Co. The firm also continued

Attila the Hun

2000-02-26T13:00:00-05:00
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, and Attila, their leader, was no exception. He was the stereotypical sacker of cities and killer of babies. The Huns lasted long after their disappearance in mythology and folklore, as the bad guy. Generally, they were not fun people to be around. Priscus saw Attila the Hun at a banquet in 448. Priscus described him as being a short, squat man with a large head and deep-set eyes. He also had a flat nose and a thin beard. Historians say that his general personality was irritable, blustering, and truculent. He was said to be a persistent negotiator, and not at al pitiless. While Priscus was at the banquet in 448, he observed a few other details about Attila. All of Attila’s chief lieutenants were served dainties on silver platters, but he was served only meat on wooden plates. No other real qualities of Attila as a general really survived through time, but he is thought to have been an outstanding commander from his accomplishments as a barbarian. Huns themselves were mysterious and feared people. They first appeared in the Fourth Century around the Roman Empire. They rode their warhorses around and cause the Germanic barbarians and Romans alike to fear them. Yet, it was said that they were very uncivilized. It was said that they made no use of fire, and just ate the roots of plants they found in fields. They were also said to have eaten the almost raw meat of animals. The only reason the meat was “almost raw” was because they were said to have “cooked” it by placing it between their thighs and the backs of their horses to give it warmth. The Huns sometimes engaged in regular battle. They would attack in an order of columns, and scream very disorderly and savage cries. Most of the time, though, the Huns just fought in a very random way. They would scream and run about and then all come together in a large group. They would then, as a group, approach the camp or town of the people they were attacking,

Andy Warhol

2000-02-20T13:00:00-05:00
Andy Warhol, the American painter, printmaker, illustrator, and film maker was born in Pittsburgh on August 6, 1928, shortly afterwards settling in New York. The only son of immigrant, Czech parents, Andy finished high school and went on to the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, graduating in 1949 with hopes of becoming an art teacher in the public schools. While in Pittsburgh, he worked for a department store arranging window displays, and often was asked to simply look for ideas in fashion magazines . While recognizing the job as a waste of time, he recalls later that the fashion magazines “gave me a sense of style and other career opportunities.” Upon graduating, Warhol moved to New York and began his artistic career as a commercial artist and illustrator for magazines and newspapers. Although extremely shy and clad in old jeans and sneakers, Warhol attempted to intermingle with anyone at all who might be able to assist him in the art world. His portfolio secure in a brown paper bag, Warhol introduced himself and showed his work to anyone that could help him out. Eventually, he got a job with Glamour magazine, doing illustrations for an article called “Success is a Job in New York,” along with doing a spread showing women’s shoes. Proving his reliability and skills, he acquired other such jobs, illustrating adds for Harpers Bazaar, Millers Shoes, contributing to other large corporate image-building campaigns, doing designs for the Upjohn Company, the National Broadcasting Company and others. In these early drawings, Warhol used a device that would prove beneficial throughout his commercial art period of the 1950’s-a tentative, blotted ink line produced by a simple monotype process. First he drew in black ink on glazed, nonabsorbent paper. Then he would press the design against an absorbent sheet. As droplets of ink spread, gaps in the line filled in-or didn’t, in which case they created a look of spontaneity. Warhol mastered thighs method, and art directors of the 1950’s found in adaptable to nearly any purpose. This method functioned provided him with a hand-scale equivalent of a printing press, showing his interest in mechanical reproduction that dominates much of his future work. Such techniques used for almost all of his works derived from his beginning in the commercial arts. His pattern of aesthetic and artistic innovation, to “expect the unexpected,” began with his advertising art in the 1950’s. Much

2000-02-20T13:00:00-05:00

Chuck Close

2000-02-16T13:00:00-05:00
Chuck Close (born 1940) is an American photorealist specializing in close-up portraits and self-portraits. Close is one of the very few modern realists or photorealists who focus on the human face. In 1988, in mid-career, Close was paralyzed due to a blood clot in his spinal column. He regained partial use of his arms, and was able to return to painting after developing techniques which allowed him to work from a wheelchair. All of Close’s works are based on photographs he takes himself. Close always follows the same guidelines in planning a painting. The source photograph is a tightly cropped head and shoulder shot. The subject is a family member or friend. The finished work is always titled by the subject’s first name alone (with the exception of “Self-Portrait”). This decision was intended to project an aura of anonymity, allowing viewers to approach the work without preconceived ideas about the sitter. Close’s working method is extremely labor-intensive. He begins by dividing his source photograph into a grid and creating a corresponding grid on the canvas. He then meticulously transcribes the image onto the canvas square by square, proceeding from the top left to the bottom right. Some of the largest canvases contain thousands of squares; Close completes all of his paintings by hand. Given the painstaking nature of this work, some of the earlier large-scale paintings took up to fourteen months to complete. Close's work falls into two periods, the early and the middle, in which he is now fruitfully engaged. It is easy to divide the two periods on either side of Close's 1988 stroke that left him unable to hold a brush. (He paints with his brush tied to his hand by a metal and Velcro device.) Close started to work with bolder, more expressive and colorful marks before his great physical trauma. The new work is both the same; they're recognizable as works by Close and could be by no one else He still uses the grid and he still paints heads. Although the amount of information the new pictures carry is less than the old, the characters depicted seem warmer, more immediate, and more exuberant. Close's repertory of marks has changed dramatically. In place of the discreet dots and miniature strokes of his early work, not to mention the pictures constructed of fingerprints he made in the early'80s, each of the enlarged squares in the new grids contains colorful, painterly

Cassius Clay - Muhammad Ali

2000-01-17T13:00:00-05:00
Cassius Clay better known as Muhammad Ali is by far the greatest boxer of all time. "King of the World" by David Reminick is a very detailed biography of Muhammad and good documentation how boxing used to be. The book takes you on a journey behind the scenes of Alli’s rise to the top and boxing run in with La Costra Nostra. On an October afternoon in 1954 when Cassius was 12 he left his 60 dollar red Schwinn outside the Columbia Auditorium to visit a bazaar. When he and his friends left he realizes that his new bike was stolen. Cassius was in a tearing rage and someone said that there was a police officer in the basement of a boxing gym. He went in demanding a statewide bike hunt and threatening to beat the hell out of whoever had stolen it. The officer Joe Martin asked Cassius if he could fight, and Cassius said no, so Martin invited him to come to the gym and learn how to box, so he could get pay back on the bicycle thief. This is the story of how Cassius first got interested and determined to become a great boxer. He also showed determinations when he brought home and Olympic gold medal. He trained very hard for our country and did a really good job. Even back then he ran his trashed talked his opponents, like in his first match he fought he one by a spit decision, after he found out he had one he shouted he would soon be "the greatest of all time". Know one knew at the time that his boasts would soon be the truth. Cassius mouth has gotten him a lot of key matches in his career. He gained his first title shot form Sonny Liston this way. One of his famous quotes was "I’m so mean I make medicine sick." He ran his mouth so often that people thought he ran his mouth just to psyche him self-out for the matches. That is said to be how he one all of his matches. Before the Liston fight he charted a bus around with signs that read "We all love Cassius Clay", "Without Cassius the game is dead! "March on Liston’s camp." "BEAR HUNTIN’." Cassius first heavy weight title shot was against Sonny Liston a very big man who would give Mike Tyson a good run for his money. There was

Julia Margaret Cameron

2000-01-08T13:00:00-05:00
Juliet Margaret Cameron was a Pioneer Victorian photographer during the nineteenth century. She took up photography later in life at the age forty-eight when her daughter presented her with a camera. This simple gift sparked enthusiasm in Cameron and led her to become one of the most colorful personalities in photography. Cameron was born in Calcutta in 1815 to a well to do British Family. After being educated in Europe, she returned to the Cape of Good Hope in 1836. While she was there she met Charles Hay Cameron, whom she married in 1838. On Charles’ retirement in 1848, they moved to London, the Isle of Wright, where Julia Margaret became part of Kensington’s artistic community. In 1863, Rejlander, a photographer, came to the Isle of Wright to photograph her neighbor Tennyson, a poet, and it was most likely then that Julia Margaret learned her basic technique from him. Also inspired by the Pre-Raphaelite painters, Cameron’s photographs were frequently allegorical, containing religious, antique, and literary themes. Her subject matter consisted of portraits of the cream of Victorian Society, family, friends, and even passersby. Secure in her beliefs as a high Church Anglican, Cameron’s photographs also contained strong religious themes. Cameron thought that religious art was far from dead and could be revived in photography. She also made strikingly bold photographs of children, including a series of large-scale heads. Julia Margaret created some of the most intimate and powerful portraits produced in any medium. Ambitious from the start, she considered herself an artist who made photographs rather than a photographer. Cameron was more interested in capturing the essence of the subject than mastering perfect camera technique. Her photographs are notable for the extreme intimacy and psychological intensity of effect achieved by the use of close up perspective, suppression of detail (sometimes accompanied by peripheral blurring) large scale, and dramatic lighting. In her photographs, Cameron tried to achieve an effect called “plasticity” which created an expression of feeling rather than fact. Julia Margaret made it her duty to show her subjects in the light of their potential immorality and it shows beautifully in her work. Julia Margaret Cameron was an English woman with a remarkable talent for photography and who created brilliant photographs that captured moments of emotional intensity. She rejected the meticulously observed and highly defined detail of the artisan photographers, yet there was nothing eccentric or amateur in her approach. The financial condition

Ben Franklin

1999-12-15T13:00:00-05:00
There was a man named Josiah Franklin. He owned a candle and soap shop in Boston, Massachusetts. The sign for the shop was shaped like a blue ball. Josiah had children, but there were often not living at home. Josiah invited guests to his home to talk and teach his children, but the guests were not aware that they were invited to teach the Franklin children. Both Josiah and his wife felt strongly about educating their children; they took their childrens' education very seriously. Benjamin, one of their children, always listened to the guests; he was a very bright child. Benjamin taught himself to read when he was only five years old. His parents wished that they could send Ben to school, but they were very poor. Once three very important men visited Josiah and told him of a new law which said that children must attend school. Josiah sent Ben to the Boston Latin School because the only expenses were books and fire wood. At the Latin School all the children were expected to learn fables by heart. The fables had lessons which the school master thought was an important part of learning. Ben's best friend's name was Nathan. Ben helped Nathan learn the fable "The Wolf and the Kid", while Ben learned "The Dog and his Shadow". At the time of the recital of the fables the school master said, "and Ben will recite "The Wolf and the Kid", which was Nathan's fable. Ben thought, "If I say that it is Nathan's fable, then the school master will get into trouble. If I recite the fable, then Nathan will get into trouble." Ben did nothing; he simply stood there looking up into the sky. Everyone said that Ben was lazy and that he could not even learn one fable. Josiah Franklin stood up and explained his son's behavior and the school master was very embarrassed. Josiah and Nathan's father both took their sons to the Writing School. Ben was good in every subject except math. An example of the type of math that Ben had trouble with is; 848 plus 262 equals 101010. Poor Ben would get a zero but his teacher would not explain the math to him. Ben loved science and frequently did experiments. His first experiment was paddles to make him swim faster. When he tried his newly invented paddles he found that although he could swim faster

Andrew Jackson

1999-12-14T13:00:00-05:00
Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United states, was born on March 15, 1767, in the Waxhaw settlement on the western frontier of South Carolina. Jackson was orphaned at the age of 14 and was brought up by his uncle. Jackson was born into a poor family. When his parents died, he went to live with his Uncle, who was a wealthy slave and land owner. As a result, Jackson moved among wealthy people and property owners, who monopolized the prestige and political influence in the back country. So now he could see what the different lives between the rich and the poor, he became really popular by the common people and also was considered part of the political movement and he led what was know as the Jacksonian Democracy. He could see that the wealthywere huge land owners or industrialized families, and the poor families were small farmers. Jackson was the type who wanted the land to be all American. Dealing with the Native American policy, he forcibly removed southern tribes from lands guaranteed then by federal treaties and the United States Supreme Court decisions. Doing this gave him great power and ledthe United States to a bigger nation, but what does that say about the United States words. Because of them, the Indians could not trust them any more. Jackson was also against slavery. Even Modern historians observe that Jackson was a large slave owner and that his party was the enemy of free blacks and their rights. He was so against African Americans, they denied anti-slavery pamphlets in the United States Postal Service. I think the reason that he liked slavery so much was because that his Uncle was a large slave owner andhe found that they are very useful and could help make money a whole lot faster and cheaper then regular labor. If Jackson was against slavery, I feel that the Slavery issue would have ended a lot faster then it did in the American History. Jackson did do a lot for the country and also made the common people feel like they have a place in today society. If it was just rich people running the country, the rich people would do just what was good for them and not for everyone. That way, the poor people have a chance in the society that was so hard to control. Slavery was not cooled down during

Archimedes

1999-12-14T13:00:00-05:00
Few certain details remain about the life of antiquity’s greatest mathematician, Archimedes. We know he was born in 287 B.C.E. around Syracuse from a report about 1400 years after the fact. Archimedes tells about his father, Pheidias, in his book The Sandreckoner. Pheidias was an astronomer, who was famous for being the author of a treatise on the diameters of the sun and the moon. Historians speculate that Pheidias’ profession explains why Archimedes chose his career. Some scholars have characterized Archimedes as an aristocrat who actively participated in the Syracusan court and may have been related to the ruler of Syracuse, King Hieron II. We also know Archimedes died in 212 B.C.E. at the age of 75 in Syracuse. It is said that he was killed by a Roman soldier, who was offended by Achimedes, while the Romans seized Syracuse. Archimedes had a wide variety of interests, which included encompassing statics, hydrostatics, optics, astronomy, engineering, geometry, and arithmetic. Archimedes had more stories passed down through history about his clever inventions than his mathematical theorems. This is believed to be so because the average mind of that period would have no interest in the Archimedean spiral, but would pay attention to an invention that could move the earth. Archimedes’ most famous story is attributed to a Roman architect under Emperor Augustus, named Vitruvius. Vitruvius asked Archimedes to devise some way to test the weight of a gold wreath. Archimedes was unsuccessful until one day as he entered a full bath, he noticed that the deeper he submerged into the tub, the more water flowed out of the tub. This made him realize that the amount of water that flowed out of the tub was equal to the volume of the object being submerged. Therefore by putting the wreath into the water, he could tell by the rise in water level the volume of the wreath, despite its irregular shape. This discovery marked the Law of Hydrostatics, which states that a body immersed in fluid loses weight equal to the weight of the amount of fluid it displaces. There are three main mechanical inventions credited to Archimedes. The first one is the Archimedean screw which supposedly could serve as a water pump. The second invention was the compound pulley. The third invention was the way of finding the volume of something by displacement as demonstrated in the story above. Most historians would agree that

Babe Ruth

1999-12-14T13:00:00-05:00
George Herman "Babe" Ruth, b. Baltimore, Md., Feb. 6, 1895, d. Aug. 16, 1948, was one of professional baseball's greatest sluggers and probably the best-known player of the 1920s and early 1930s. As a New York Yankee, Ruth took the game out of the dead-ball era, saved it from the Black Sox scandal of 1919, and single-handedly revitalized the sport as the country's national pastime. He teamed with Lou Gehrig to form what became the greatest one-two hitting punch in baseball and was the heart of the 1927 Yankees, a team regarded by some baseball experts as the best in baseball history. Nicknamed the Sultan of Swat, Ruth started his major league career as a left-handed pitcher with the Boston Red Sox in 1914. In 158 games for Boston he compiled a pitching record of 89 victories and 46 losses, including two 20-win seasons--23 wins in 1916 and 24 wins in 1917. He eventually added 5 more wins as a Yankee hurler and ended his pitching career with a 2.28 earned run average; he also had 3 wins against no losses in World Series competition, including one stretch of 292/3 consecutive scoreless innings. It is for his prowess at bat, not at the mound, however, that Ruth is remembered today. He was sold to New York by Boston following the 1919 season and after a permanent shift to the outfield responded by smashing a record 54 home runs while compiling a .376 batting average. In 22 seasons with the Red Sox, Yankees, and Boston Braves, Ruth led the league in home runs a record 12 times--including 59 in 1921 and a then-record 60 in 1927. He retired in 1935 with 714 career home runs, a record not surpassed until Hank Aaron's performance in 1974. Ruth was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 as one of the first five charter members. Bibliography:
Creamer, Robert, Babe (1974); Ruth, Claire M., with Bill Slocum, The Babe and I (1959); Ruth, George H., with Bob Considine, The Babe Ruth Story (1948); Smelser, Marshall, The Life That Ruth Built: A Biography (1975); Wagenheim, Kal, Babe Ruth (1974). Babe Ruth (1895-1948) remains perhaps the most famous baseball player in history despite the fact that most of his batting records have been eclipsed. Before joining the New York Yankees, Ruth had been an outstanding pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees converted him into an outfielder,

Bill Cosby

1999-12-13T13:00:00-05:00
Bill Cosby was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 12, 1937. He was the oldest of four boys. He had three brothers, and their names were: James, Russell, and Robert. His father ran away near Christmas time when he was very young and he had to get a job to help support the family. In school he was the class clown and was sent to a special school for rowdy boys. In his new school his teacher was Mary Forchic. She saw that he was a great comedian and she put that into her lessons to make them more understandable for Bill. She made the lessons fun for him and made it easier to learn. He said that she made him what he is today. After a couple years he went back to his old school and even though his grades were dropping he still kept it together. Bill was starting to look up to comedians on the radio and the TV. They were comedians like Sam Levenson, Sid Caesar, and Carl Reiner. Even though his grades were poor in junior high, when he took the standardized tests he was accepted to Central High School, which was a school for all the gifted children in Pennsylvania. Now being six feet, he was on the high school football team. But in the first week of football he broke his arm. Since there were few blacks in the school and he was slightly a target of biggotous remarks he went back to getting attention by clowning around in class again. He was later sent to Germantown Highschool where all his neighborhood friends went. He was back with his friends but his grades started to drop. He was left back twice. He was also too old to participate in the city track meets (which he could easily win). Bill dropped out of high school. He went to be a shoemaker=s helper, but the shoemaker didn=t like it when he nailed the ladies heels onto the mens shoes! Then Bill decided to join the Navy. There he found discipline and no room to joke around. He spent four long years in the Navy but he says that it made him more mature and able to control himself better. He was trained as a physical therapist. Helping men who lost their legs and arms, he finally realized how lucky he was. While in the Navy Cosby,

Leslie 'Twiggy' Hornby

1999-12-12T13:00:00-05:00
"At 17 Leslie Hornby took hold of the world. At 21 she let it go, she was the original waif, a 60’s phenomenon a superstar. She was Twiggy" (Vogue). Leslie Hornby was the revolutionary woman who changed the idea of beauty in the eyes of the fashion industry and the entire world. Twiggy exemplified the androgynous mod look that swept America as it had Britain and much of Europe in the 1960’s. She healthily maintained a 5 ft 6 1/2 inch 90 lb body. Based on her thin figure, a nickname of "Twiggy" was derived. Twiggy’s popularity not only produced many people who tried to look like her but also drastically increased the hourly wages of models. She paved the way for current top models like Kate Moss, Elle MacPherson, and Linda Evangelista. Twiggy was major trendsetter in America during the sixties even though she was born in England. She was found by Nigel Davies in a salon, while working as a shampoo girl. He saw her potential and immediately took her to get a haircut at a Mr. Leonard’s trendy salon in London. Mr. Leonard put her picture in his shop window, and a short time later that picture was featured in the London Daily Express with a caption that read "This is the face of 1966" (Wilson). Davies, who preferred to be called Justin De Villeneuve, was quite an interesting character with his past resume containing ex-model, ex-antique dealer, and ex-hairdresser. After he discovered her, he (age 25) became Twiggy’s (age 15) agent and boyfriend. He took her to Paris and a short while after her popularity grew, she was put on the cover of Elle Magazine, as well as Paris Match and the British edition of Vogue. During Twiggy’s peak success in Europe, De Villeneuve set up Twiggy Enterprises Ltd. where he gathered a line of clothes, false eyelashes, cosmetics, dolls, and posters all endorsed by Twiggy. The business brought in millions. Since Twiggy was so young, Justin ran the entire business. She only had to agree to what she liked and put her name on it. The thought of a Model taking advantage of her success to start an enterprise was completely revolutionary. Once again Twiggy paved the way for models like Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss, and Naomi Campbell all of which opened highly successful restaurants, and made exercise tapes, clothes, calendars, posters, and many

Julius Caesar

1999-12-02T13:00:00-05:00
A baby was born on July 12 or 13 of 100 BC in Rome. Little did the proud parents of this baby know that he would rule most of the known world. This baby was born to the name of Gaius, his personal name, Julius was the name of his family's clan and the name of his family was Caesar meaning hairy. Caesar was such an amazing man that many people couldn't believe that he was born the same way as them. Over time stories have arisen about Caesar's birth. One story says that Caesar was pulled from an incision in his mother's stomach. This is where the medical term of Cesarean section came from, from Caesar's birth. Not everyone paid that much attention to the birth of Caesar, it was overshadowed by exploits of his Uncle Gaius Marius. Marius was a politician, he was a "new man" or a plebeian politician. He married into the aristocratic Caesar family so he would have a name to back up his words. Marius did not receive a first-class education or a lot of other advantages some politicians had. Marius was elected consul in 108 BC, once in office he proved himself as a brilliant general. He persuaded the senate to send him to Africa and replace the general in the war there. He took over for General Metellus. Soon he ended the war that had been dragging on for many years. When he returned to Rome Marius found another chance for fame. Nomadic German tribes had invaded the north of Italy and winning a couple battles over Roman armies. Marius took the spotlight away from this little bundle of joy named Caesar. No matter what he wanted he was propelled into politics. Many of his relatives were senators or held other important political offices. He listened to many political discussions between his family which had substantial influences on him. He was trained to be a politician by his tutor Antonius Gnipho. He studied Greek and Latin literature, philosophy, and most important, rhetoric or the art of persuasive argument. At the age of twelve he was brought to the senate house to watch speeches and debates. As a kid he wrote numerous poems and plays. Augustus believed that these writings might tarnish his reputation, when he became emperor he burned all of Caesar works. Caesar was a very handsome boy and for that matter man

Rasputin: The Man, The Mystery

1999-12-01T13:00:00-05:00
Introduction Grigory Yefimovich Rasputin is known as the Siberian Mystic Healer, whose life has been retold numerous of times and almost each time it is told it is retold in a different way. Since Rasputin lived in a civilization not that advanced, little is know of his first forty years of life. So most information on the man are normally from stories families have passed on. Some say he is a holy monk with great powers, on the other hand he may be known as a phony with a false connection to God. The Beginning Rasputin was born between 1864 and 1865 in his own home of Pokrovskoe. It is now known as Tiumen’ Oblast. It is located in Siberia on the Toura River. This was a small city located near the Ural Mountains. At the center of the village stood a large white church with a guilded dome, which was a symbol of Russia’s strong religious background. At the age of eighteen Rasputin went through a religious transition. He eventually went to the monastery at Verkhoture. At this place he became aquatinted to the Khlysty sect. After spending some time at this monastery he did not become a monk. When he came to this monastery he had no intentions of becoming a monk. But this even eventually leads to fame and power for Rasputin. At the age of nineteen, Rasputin returned to his home in Pokrovskoe. There he fell in love and married Praskovia Fyodorovna. Together the two had three children. They had Dimitri in 1897, Maria in 1898, and Varvara in 1900. Marriage wasn’t enough to keep Rasputin in one place. He continued to wander to places of religious significance suck as Mt. Athos, Greece, and Jerusalem. He was a self-proclaimed holy man. He had the power to heal the sick and the power to predict the future. His fame grew greatly. Soon people traveled from long distances in search of his well heard about abilities and insight. For Rasputin’s help, people would repay him with food, presents, and money. Rasputin has had no long period of religious or spiritual training. He also had very limited education so he was left illiterate. This made his theatrical abilities become very useful. One day while Rasputin was plowing in the fields he had

John Dillinger

1999-12-01T13:00:00-05:00
On June 22, 1903 a man named John Dillinger was born. He grew up in the Oak Hill Section of Indianapolis. When John was three years old his mother died, and when his fatehr remarried six years later, John resented hes stepmother. When John was a teenager he was frequently in trouble. He finally quit school and got a job in a machine shop in Indianapolis. He was very intelligent and a good worker, but he soon got bored and often stayed out all night. His father began to think that the city was corrupting his son, so he sold his property in Indianapolis and moved his family to a farm near Mooresville, Indiana. John reacted no better to rural life than he had to that in the city and soon began to run wild again. At the age of 21 he attempted his first robbery, robbing a grocery store, in his home town. He was caught and imprisoned for nine years until 1933. Soon after he was released, Dillinger robbed a bank in Bluffton, Ohio and was arrested by the Dayton police. He was put in Lima county jail to wait for his trial. The Lima police found a document on John which seemed to be a plan for a prison break, but he denied everything. Four days later, using the same plans, eight of Dillinger's friends escaped from the Indiana State Prison, using shotguns and rifles which had been smuggled into their cells. During their escape, they killed two guards. On October 12, three of the escaped prisoners and a parolee from the same prison showed up at the Lima jail where Dillinger was. They told the sheriff that they had come to return Dillinger to the Indiana State Prison for violation of his parole. When the sheriff asked to see their credentials, one of the men pulled a gun, shot the sheriff and beat him into unconsciousness. They took the keys, freed Dillinger, locked the sheriff's wife and a deputy in the cell, and left. Leaving the sheriff to die on the floor. These four mens fingerprint cards were pulled, indicating that they were wanted. Meanwhile, Dillinger and his gang pulled several bank robberies. They also stole several machine guns, rifles, and revolvers, a quantity of ammunition, and several bulletproof vests. By mid-1934, Dillinger had been involveed

William Shakespeare

1999-11-27T13:00:00-05:00
William Shakespeare was a great English playwright, dramatist and poet who lived during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest playwright of all time. No other writer's plays have been produced so many times or read so widely in so many countries as his. Shakespeare was born to middle class parents. His father, John, was a Stratford businessman. He was a glove maker who owned a leather shop. John Shakespeare was a well known and respected man in the town. He held several important local governmental positions. William Shakespeare's mother was Mary Arden. Though she was the daughter of a local farmer, she was related to a family of considerable wealth and social standing. Mary Arden and John Shakespeare were married in 1557. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford in 1564. He was one of eight children. The Shakespeare's were well respected prominent people. When William Shakespeare was about seven years old, he probably began attending the Stratford Grammar School with other boys of his social class. Students went to school year round attending school for nine hours a day. The teachers were strict disciplinarians. Though Shakespeare spent long hours at school, his boyhood was probably fascinating. Stratford was a lively town and during holidays, it was known to put on pageants and many popular shows. It also held several large fairs during the year. Stratford was a exciting place to live. Stratford also had fields and woods surrounding it giving William the opportunity to hunt and trap small game. The River Avon which ran through the town allowed him to fish also. Shakespeare's' poems and plays show his love of nature and rural life which reflects his childhood. On November 28, 1582, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway of the neighboring village of Shottery. She was twenty-six, and he was only eighteen at the time. They had three children. Susana was their first and then they had twins, Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet, Shakespeare's son, died in 1596. In 1607, his daughter Susana got married. Shakespeare's other daughter, Judith, got married in 1616. In London, Shakespeare's career took off. It is believed that he may have become well known in London theatrical life by 1592. By that time, he had joined one of the city's repertory theater companies. These companies were made up of a permanent cast of actors who presented different plays week after week. The companies were commercial

Henry David Thoreau: The Great Conservationist, Visionary, and Humanist

1999-11-27T13:00:00-05:00
He spent his life in voluntary poverty, enthralled by the study of nature. Two years, in the prime of his life, were spent living in a shack in the woods near a pond. Who would choose a life like this? Henry David Thoreau did, and he enjoyed it. Who was Henry David Thoreau, what did he do, and what did others think of his work? Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817 ("Thoreau" 96), on his grandmother's farm. Thoreau, who was of French-Huguenot and Scottish-Quaker ancestry, was baptized as David Henry Thoreau, but at the age of twenty he legally changed his name to Henry David. Thoreau was raised with his older sister Helen, older brother John, and younger sister Sophia (Derleth 1) in genteel poverty (The 1995 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia 1). It quickly became evident that Thoreau was interested in literature and writing. At a young age he began to show interest writing, and he wrote his first essay, "The Seasons," at the tender age of ten, while attending Concord Academy (Derleth 4). In 1833, at the age of sixteen, Henry David was accepted to Harvard University, but his parents could not afford the cost of tuition so his sister, Helen, who had begun to teach, and his aunts offered to help. With the assistance of his family and the beneficiary funds of Harvard he went to Cambridge in August 1833 and entered Harvard on September first. "He [Thoreau] stood close to the top of his class, but he went his own way too much to reach the top" (5). In December 1835, Thoreau decided to leave Harvard and attempt to earn a living by teaching, but that only lasted about a month and a half (8). He returned to college in the fall of 1836 and graduated on August 16, 1837 (12). Thoreau's years at Harvard University gave him one great gift, an introduction to the world of books. Upon his return from college, Thoreau's family found him to be less likely to accept opinions as facts, more argumentative, and inordinately prone to shock people with his own independent and unconventional opinions. During this time he discovered his secret desire to be a poet (Derleth 14), but most of all he wanted to live with freedom to think and act as he wished. Immediately after graduation from Harvard, Henry David applied for a teaching position at the public

William Carlos Williams

1999-11-27T13:00:00-05:00
William Carlos Williams was born September 17, 1883 in Rutherford, N.J. His father had emigrated from Birmingham, England, and his mother from Puerto Rico. He was admitted in 1902 to the medical school of the University of Pennsylvania, where he met two poets, Hilda Doolittle and Ezra Pound. A long term friendship ensued between Pound and himself, such that Williams said he was able to divide his life into two distinct segments: Before Pound and After Pound.¹ From 1906 to 1909 Williams did his internship in New York City, writing verse in between patients. His first book was published in 1909, just before a trip to Leipzig to study pediatrics. In the following years Williams wrote not only poems, but short stories, novels, essays, and an autobiography. In 1946 he began Paterson, an attempt to write an epic poem about the city. Williams died in 1963, while working on the sixth book of Paterson. William Carlos William Carlos Williams based his life on helping the poor and all aspects of the human world that appealed to him were in their most basic form. What appealed to Williams was not the glitzy and glamourful, but the true qualitites sometimes being old and worn out. He found that pride was more important the materialistic qualities. Many of his poems explore nature and use it to explore and explain human behavior as he sees it through his own eyes. A few of these poems that use simplistic language to paint a very descriptive and clear picture of other aspects of life are Love Song, Apology, Pastoral, and Tract; all produced by William Carlos Williams. But there were few things which were very specific and stood out in his works. All these poems use nature to explore aspects of human life. A theme which exists in all of these poems and most of Williams' literature is the simplicity of the language he uses. Many believe he did that in order to separate himself from other poets of his time. Most people believe his justification for the simplicity of his language was because he wanted to stand out, be remembered, and be praised. I agree with them, but maybe it's just the kind of language that appealed to him and he thought would appeal to others as well. The first poem entitled Apology portrays that quality of looking for the true aspects of nature and

Phillis Wheatley

1999-11-27T13:00:00-05:00
Phillis Wheatley, one of America’s most profound writers, has contributed greatly to American literature, not only as a writer, but as an African American woman, who has influenced many African Americans by enriching their knowledge of and exposure to their Negro heritage and Negro literature. As one of America’s most renown writers, Wheatley, said to be the mother of African American Literature, is best known for her sympathetic portrayals of African American thought. Wheatley’s literary contributions are vast in nature and distinguish her apart from most writers of her era. Her writings have helped in the molding of the African American tradition and are favored by people of all ethnic backgrounds. Phillis Wheatley was born on the West coast of Africa. Her exact birthplace is unknown; however it is assumed that she was born near Senegambia, a territory that today is divided between the nation of Senegal and Gambia. Wheatley’s birthplace is assumed to be near Senegambia because it was in this territory that Wheatley and others were introduced into the vile conditions of slavery. Kidnapped by slave agents at the age of seven, young Phillis had to endure the struggle to America alone. "Frail young Phillis probably survived the grim voyage to America only because she was in a loose pack. If she had been part of a tight pack she might not have survived" (Franklin, 223) Phillis Wheatley arrived in Boston Massachusetts in 1761 at the age of eight. It was undoubtedly here where she was first exposed to the harsh conditions of the South. On the "stalls and auction blocks at the slave market", a wealthy Caucasian woman, named Susannah Wheatley purchased Phillis as "her personal servant and companion" (Loggins,98). Phillis Wheatley acquired her last name from Susannah Wheatley--it was the norm during this time period for slave owners to give their slaves their last names. She was named Phillis ironically "after the ship that brought her to slavery" (Loggias, 101). As a child, Phillis Wheatley was blessed with the gift to recite poetry. Wheatley quickly mastered the English language as well as Latin, and soon began to write verses. During this time, is was uncommon for slaves to be as literate and proficient in the English language or any other language, as Phillis Wheatley was. Wheatley not only knew how to comprehend the language, she also knew how to write the language. This accomplishment made it evident that

Charles Dickens

1999-11-21T13:00:00-05:00
INTRODUCTION This report will talk about the life of a famous author, Charles Dickens. It will tell you about his early, middle, and later years of his life. It will also talk about one of his great works of literature. In conclusion, this report will show a comparison of his work to his life. EARLY LIFE Charles Dickens was born at Landport, in Portsea, on February 7, 1812. His father was a clerk in the Navy Pay-Office, and was temporarily on duty in the neighborhood when Charles was born. His name was John Dickens. He spent time in prison for debts. But, even when he was free he lacked the money to support his family. Then, when Charles was two they moved to London.1 Just before he started to toddle, he stepped into the glare of footlights. He never stepped out of it until he died. He was a good man, as men go in the bewildering world of ours, brave, transparent, tender-hearted, and honorable. Dickens was always a little too irritable because he was a little too happy. Like the over-wrought child in society, he was splendidly sociable, and in and yet sometimes quarrelsome. In all the practical relations of his life he was what the child is at a party, genuinely delighted, delightful, affectionate and happy, and in some strange way fundamentally sad and dangerously close to tears. 2 At the age of 12 Charles worked in a London factory pasting labels on bottles of shoe polish. He held the job only for a few months, but the misery of the experience remain with him all his life. 3 Dickens attended school off and on until he was 15, and then left for good. He enjoyed reading and was especially fond of adventure stories, fairy tales, and novels. He was influenced by such earlier English writers as William Shakespeare, Tobias Smollet, and Henry Fielding. However, most of the knowledge he later used as an author came from his environment around him. 4 MIDDLE LIFE Dickens became a newspaper writer and reporter in the late 1820's. He specialized in covering debates in Parliament, and also wrote feature articles. His work as a reporter sharpened his naturally keen ear for conversation and helped develop his skill in portraying his characters speach realistically. It also increased his ability to observe and to write swiftly and clearly. Dickens' first book, Sketches by Boz (1836) consisted of

Martin Luther

1999-11-21T13:00:00-05:00
Martin Luther lived from 1483-1546. Luther was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben in the province of Saxony. His protestant view of Christianity started what was called the Protestant Reformation in Germany. Luther's intentions were to reform the medieval Roman Catholic Church. But firm resistance from the church towards Luther's challenge made way to a permanent division in the structure of Western Christianity. Luther lived in Mansfield and was the son of a miner. He later went on to study at Eisenbach and Magdeburg. After studying at these institutions he moved on to study at the University of Erfurt. Luther started out studying law, but then went on to enter the religious life. He went into the religious life due to the fact that he felt that he would never earn his eternal salvation. He didn't feel that all of the prayer, studying and sacraments were enough. Therefore, Luther felt that he would never be able to satisfy such a judging God. Not being able to satisfy this God meant eternal damnation. After entering the religious life he later became an Augustinian monk and entered the Augustinian monastery at Erfurt in July of 1505. While in this monastery Luther became a well known theologian and Biblical scholar. In 1512 Luther earned his doctorate in theology and became a professor of Biblical literature at Wittenberg University. Luther took his religious vocation very serious. This led him into a severe crisis in dealing with his religion. He wondered, "is it possible to reconcile the demands of God's law with human inability to live up to the law." Luther then turned to the New Testament book of Romans for answers. He had found, "God had, in the obedience of Jesus Christ, reconciled humanity to himself." "What was required of mankind, therefore, was not strict adherence to law or the fulfillment of religious obligations, but a response of faith that accepted what God had done." In other words he realized that religion is based on love and not fear. Basically, he realized that everyone is burdened by sin because it happens as a result of our weaknesses. He concluded that man could never earn his salvation by leading a blameless life or by performing holy acts. Instead, man's salvation was a divine gift from God resulting from faith in Jesus, especially the saving power of his death and resurrection. This was known as the protestant

Karl Marx

1999-11-21T13:00:00-05:00
Karl Marx was born on May 5, 1818, in a place called Trier in Prussia. Marx attended the university of Bonn and later the university at Berlin, where he studied in law, while majoring in history and philosophy. Marx handed in his doctoral thesis of the philosophy of Epicures, and finished college in 1841. After his education, Marx associated himself with the "Left Hegelians," along with Bruno Bauer, which were a group who formed atheistic and revolutionary ideas from Hegel's philosophy. In 1842 Marx and Bruno Bauer were asked to contribute to the Rheinische Zeitung, an opposition paper, in Cologne. Marx in October of 1842, became editor-in-chief, and decided to move from Bonn to Cologne. As the paper became more and more distinguished the government decided to censor, and eventually wasn't allowed. This paper stopped operation in March of 1843. Karl Marx was married to his childhood friend Jenny Von Westphalen, in 1843. Later in the fall of that year Marx along with another Left Hegelian, Arnold Ruge moved to Paris and began publication of a radical journal entitled Deutsch-Franzosische Jahrbucher. However due to the difficulty in distributing such a radical paper, only one issue appeared. Karl met his closest friend in September of 1844, when Frederick Engels arrived in Paris. Together they participated in the activities of many revolutionary societies, and formed the theory and ideas of revolutionary proletarian socialism, also known as communism. Finally in 1845 Marx was banished from Paris as a dangerous revolutionary. He decided to head for Brussels, where he and Engels joined, in 1847, a group called the Communist League. At the leagues request Marx and Engels drew up the Communist Manifesto in 1848. Once the Revolution of February 1848 took place, Marx was again banished, except this time from Belgium. He briefly returned to France for the March Revolution, and then traveled to Germany where he published the Neue Rheinische Zeitung, from June 1, 1848 to May 19, 1849. Again Marx was banished from Germany, and again he returned to Paris. After the demonstration of June 13 1849 Karl Marx was banished once again. That would be the last time Karl Marx was banished anywhere. His last voyage would take him to London where he would live for the rest of his life. Marx lived a hard life in London. If it had not been for the financial help from his good friend

Walter Johnson - a Pitcher

1999-11-20T13:00:00-05:00
In the beginning there were players like Ty Cobb who hit .300 for 23 consecutive years, and the 'flying dutchman' Honus Wagner. Pitchers like the 'christian gentleman' Christy Mathewson, and the winningest pitcher in history Cy Young. In the years when the only Yankees were the people in the north and there was an upstart franchise called the American League there was a pitcher, his name was Walter Johnson. Known as the 'big train' because of his high powered fastball which was unequaled in all of baseball Johnson was a poor Kansas farm-hand who became one of the best pitchers baseball has ever been lucky to have ever seen, and he was on one of the worst teams in the history of baseball. Walter Johnson was born in 1887 in a small town called Humboldt,Ks. As a teenager his interests turned from working on a farm to baseball; as he soon found out, he had a natural calling for pitching. As he went to high school he became one of the nations best pitchers and it was just a matter of time before he would be drafted for the majors. He was drafted by the Washington Senators in 1907 for $9. His first year wasn't so good but in his second year he earned the name 'the big train' with an amazing won loss record. Back when Walter pitched they had no Cy Young awards or league MVP awards but if they had, Walter would have won a dozen of each. On a team with a won loss record of around 60 and 94 Walter usually had half of their wins. He would frequently lead the league in wins, E.R.A., and strikeouts, but even the lackluster of the Senetors had some effect on him. In 1916 he had a miniscule E.R.A. of 1.86 but lost 20 games. It was 1924, and by hard work and determination (Johnson went 23-7) the Senators made it to the World Series but, they had to face the powerhouse of the N.Y.Giants with John McGraw at the helm. Johnson had never won a World Series game in his life and it was his dream of being able to do so but he was getting old and he knew this would probably be his last chance to win one. In game one he lost a heart breaker to the Giants ace. He had a no decision in the second

Oprah Winfrey

1999-11-16T13:00:00-05:00
"The Oprah Winfrey Show". Her show is known to not only all over the United States, but also known to all around the world. Today she is known as the America's most famous and powerful woman. Every woman in America envies her great fortune and her intelligence. But Oprah insists that she is not special or gifted. She had overcome many hurdles and reached to the top of America's national T.V host. What makes her so popular and most loved entertainer in the United States? Oprah Winfrey, a talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist, and business woman is the chairwoman of HARPO entertainment in Chicago. She joins the elite company of Lucille Ball and Mary Pickford, as the only woman in T.V and film to own their own production studios. Through HARPO productions, she produces and hosts America's number one popular show, "The Oprah Winfrey show". (Oprah Winfrey talk show bio 1997 p.1) Today many woman in America envies her life; her popularity, intelligence and her great fortunes. Though her success was gained from her hard work and education. She did not have any special background to be a most loved woman in America. She has overcame number of obstacles that most people have encountered in their own lives. She had to deal with poverty, sexual abuse, racism as a child, and her lifelong battle with weight. Oprah Gail Winfrey was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi on January 29, 1954. As a child, she moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, then moved back to Nashville. She has lived through poverty, repeated sexual abuse, and a sentence to a juvenile delinquent home. (Hyde 1997 p.57) Oprah was crowned Miss. Black Tennessee at age 19. In 1973. She left Tennessee State University and became a newscaster for WTVF in Nashville. Three years later, Oprah became a news anchor in Baltimore at an ABC station but after 9 months, she was pulled off the air because of an emotional ad-lib delivery. She eventually ended up in Chicago hosting a morning show called "AM Chicago". In less than a year, the show became number one and was expanded to one hour and re-named "The Oprah Winfrey Show". (http://pilot.msu.edu/user/bresnah2/oprahbio.htm 1997 p.1) From there, she has been an actress in the "Color Purple", "The women of Breuster place" and "There are no children here".(Oprah Winfrey) Today, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is the highest rated talk show in T.V history,

Sigmund Freud's Life and Studies

1999-11-16T13:00:00-05:00
"Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856, in the small Moravian town of Freiberg" . His father was a merchant, and his mother was his father's third wife. Freud and his family moved to the city of Vienna when he was almost four. This was the initial stages of the Hapsburg empire's liberal era. A lot of religious restrictions and unfair taxes targeted on the Jewish community were repealed. This created a feeling hope that affected the new generation of Jews, including Freud. Freud was a brilliant student and always placed at the top of his class. In 1873, Freud entered the University of Vienna to initially study law. However, as Freud would put it later, his "greed for knowledge" made him change his major to medicine. Although Freud was more interested in studying the philosophical-scientific aspects of the mind. He especially became interested in neurology and physiology and finally graduated in 1881. Freud's research was based on close observations and scientific skepticism. However, this skeptical quality was not appreciated by all of his mentors. One mentor especially, Ernst Brucke, did not like Freud's ideas at all. He even advised Freud to take a lowly position at the Vienna General Hospital. Freud took this position, but his decision was influenced by certain personal events that would change his life. Freud was secretly engaged to Martha Bernays (one of his sister's friends), but he did not have enough money to provide a respectable middle class household that his fiancee thought was necessary. In 1886, Freud finally was able to marry and the next nine years he and Martha had six children together. His youngest daughter Anna would later become Freud's disciple, assistant, and a very good psychoanalyst in her own right. Before his marriage, Freud had worked in Paris with a famous neurologist named Jean-Martin Charcot. Charcot claimed that he can cure mental disorders using hypnosis. This radical idea deeply influenced Freud and his quest to solve the mysteries of the mind. In 1887, Freud met Wilhelm Fliess (a nose and throat specialist) in Berlin. Fliess was a person who did not get shocked by any ideas. This kind of listener was exactly what Freud needed. For the next ten years, Freud and Fliess exchanged ideas and confidential information. It was during this time that Freud was practicing psychoanalysis, especially on female patients with hysteria. In 1895, Freud and his friend Josef Breuer

Queen Victoria

1999-11-16T13:00:00-05:00
On November 6, 1817 Princess Charlotte, the only heir to the crown of England died. She was the only child of the Prince Regent and was not a happy women. She was married off to prince of Orange at the age or 17, but broke off the marriage after falling in love with Prince Augustus of Prussia. He was already married but she was unaware and she continued seeing him. After a long time of Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobury admiring her, Princess Charlotte gave him a chance and finally they were married in 1816. Later she got pregnant and for nine months of doctors told her that she was not in good health to have the baby on November 5, 1817 at nine o'clock in the evening after a 50 hour labor, Princess Charlotte delivered a dead baby boy. That night she was obviously dying. The Prince was in her room for hours and left for but a moment when a doctor came out and told him his wife was dead. After many controversies between the royal family about who was to become the heir to the crown there was a female infant born in Kensington Palace in London on May 24, 1819. Born Alexandrina Victoria to Victoria Mary Louisa, daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Cobury-Saalfeld, and Edward Augustus, duke of Kent and Strathern, the fourth son of George III and youngest brother of George IV and William IV, both kings of Great Britain. In January of 1920 the Duke a Kent remembered a prophecy that a fortune teller told him. The fortune teller said two members of the royal family would die. The Duke of Kent never would have thought one of the two members would be him and the other would be his father George III. The Duke of Kent caught a cold and inflammation of lungs occurred and he died on January 22 and then six days later his father's long, unhappy life was ended. Victoria called Drina by her family was raised in Kensington Palace and was very spoiled she was idolized by her mother's ladies and despite her mother's strictness about her being spoiled, she had everything she cloud have wanted. At the age of five, Fraulein Lehzen came who was the previous governess of Princess Feodoram she helped Drina learn her letters and she acted like an angel unlike before the arrival of Fraulein Lehzen when she

Hitler

1999-11-15T13:00:00-05:00
ADOLF HITLER'S RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND FANATICISM People often claim that Adolf Hitler believed in Atheism, Humanism,

Ludwig van Beethoven

1999-11-13T13:00:00-05:00
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany. He studied in Vienna under Mozart and Hayden. In Vienna he first made his reputation as a pianist and teacher, and he became famous quickly. At this time he composed many of his most popular works such as the Fifth symphony, the Emperor Concerto, the Eroica and Pastoral symphonies, and his only opera Fidelio. Beethoven developed a completely original style of music, reflecting his sufferings and joys. His work forms

Martin Luther King, Jr

1999-11-06T13:00:00-04:00
Martin Luther King, Jr. was perhaps one of the most influential person of our time. As the father of modern civil rights movement, Dr.Martin Luther king, Jr., is recognized around the world as a symbol of freedom and peace. Born January 15, 1929, King was the son of an Atlanta pastor. King accomplished many achievements during his life. He graduated from Morehouse as a minister in 1948 and went on to Crozer Theological seminary in Chester, Pa., where he earned a divinity degree. After that King went on to earn a doctorate in theology from Boston University in 1955. King also achieved the Nobel Peace Prize in December of 1964. He was assassinated on April 4,1968, outside his motel room by James Earl Ray. While his views at the time seemed radical to many, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is remembered and respected today as a martyr of the civil rights movement and an icon of change through nonviolent means. "The Ways of Meeting Oppression", by Martin Luther King Jr., is a story about the ways in which oppressed people deal with their oppression. Dr. King came up with 3 characteristics in which oppressed people deal with their oppression. In this essay we will discuss the three major ways that Dr. King talks about. We will also reveal the one method that King supports. He first characteristic that King mentions in his writing is acquiescence. In this characteristic, King explains how people give up to oppression and become accustomed to it. He believes that this form is not the way to solve the grief that the Negroes were being put through. In fact, he criticizes the people who utilize this method. The following line proves my statement, "To accept passively an unjust system is to cooperate with that system; thereby the oppressed become as evil as the oppressor." The second form that Dr. King talks about is hatred and violence. This is another method that he disagrees with. King explains how violence only creates temporary results and creates more complicated problems in the future. As a minister and deep believer in peace, King refused to accept this way. He also believed that this form will only bring injustice to future generations. He explained how violence today will bring chaos tomorrow. An excellent statement made by Dr. King to disprove this method is, "The old law of an eye for an eye leaves

Abraham Lincoln

1999-10-25T14:00:00-04:00
On the stormy morning of Sunday, February 12, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, wife of Thomas, gave birth to a boy. He was born on a bed of poles covered with corn husks. The baby was named Abraham after his grandfather. In 1811 the Lincolns moved to a farm on Knob Creek which was also near Hodgenville. In 1811 or 1812, Abraham's younger brother, Thomas, died in infancy. Abraham spent a short amount of time in a log schoolhouse. He began to learn his ABC's from a teacher named Zachariah Riney. He attended school with his sister, Sarah. Late in 1816 the Lincoln family moved to southern Indiana and settled near present day Gentryville. A cabin was constructed near Little Pigeon Creek. It measured 16 X 18 feet, and it had one window. Abraham's mother, Nancy, passed away on October 5th, 1818, she died of milk sickness. In 1819, Abraham would barrow books from his neighbors to read. In 1821 Abraham attended school taught by James Swaney for about 4 months. Also in 1824 Abraham attended school taught by Azel Dorsey. In 1827 Abraham's sister, Sarah died giving birth to her son. In 1831, Lincoln decided to leave his family and go off on his own. In July he moved to New Salem, Illinois, where he boarded at Rutledge's tavern and became acquainted with the owner's daughter, Ann. New Salem was a frontier village consisting of one long street on a bluff over the Sangamon River. On August 6th, 1832 Lincoln was defeated while running for the Illinois State Legislature. Lincoln began to operate a general store in New Salem along with William F. Berry. Again, In 1834, Lincoln ran for the Illinois State Legislature, but this time he was elected. During the summer, John T. Stuart advised Lincoln to study law. On December 1 he took his seat in state government in Vandalia. In 1837 Lincoln, 28, was admitted to the Illinois Bar on March 1, and he moved to Springfield on April 15. He became a law partner of John Stuart and lived with Joshua Speed. Lincoln now had income from a law practice as well as a state legislator. November 4,1842 Lincoln married Mary Todd. The first son of the Lincolns, Robert Todd, was born August 1, 1843 at the Globe Tavern. In 1844 Abraham and Mary purchased a home from Dr. Dresser in Springfield for $1500. It was located at the

Juan Gris

1999-10-25T14:00:00-04:00
Juan Gris was born in 1887. He was a Spanish born French painter who went to the cubist school. Originally his name was Jose Vittoriano Gonzalez, he was born in Madrid and educated there. He left Madrid in 1906 and went to Paris, making the acquaintance of Spanish artist Pablo Picasso and of the French painter Georges Braque. Gris's first cubist paintings, generally more calculated than those of Picasso and Braque, appeared in 1912. He spent the next summer in Céret, France, with Picasso, and while there adopted the use of papier collé, shapes cut from paper and glued to the canvas. During World War I (1914-1918) he worked in Paris he had his first one-man exhibition in Paris in 1919. From 1922 to 1924 he designed settings for two ballets of the Russian producer Sergey Diaghilev, Les tentations de la bergère (The Temptations of the Shepherdess) and La colombe (The Dove), as well as continuing work on his own paintings. After 1925 he worked mainly on gouaches, watercolors, and illustrations for books. Some of his famous works include Portait of Josee, The Table and The Open window. Portrait of Josette was created in 1916 and is now in the Musea del in Prado, Madrid. This was deffinetly one of Gris's greatest achievements. The portrait of Josette is based on his studies after Corot and Cezanne. To perfection he seemed to create a stunning mixture of the foreground and the background. This beauty is accomplished through color patterns that ensemble different spatial planes. The blacks which are used around the bosom, butox and leg are used to enhance this women's shapely figure. The transparency does not result in an illusion of depth instead it acts as something to join the planes together. The table was created in Spring of 1914. Today it is located in Philadelphia in the Museum of Art. The surfaces of collages such as The Table are nearly entirely covered with a wide variety of overlapping papers. These fragments, moreover, are now deployed in increasingly complex ways: the shape of a piece of paper may correspond to the shape of the depicted object or it may itself provide a ground for figuration, whether drawn, painted, or in the form of additional, superimposed collage elements. And Gris continued to appropriate materials for their literal representational function as mere images, as he had in his earliest collages. In The Table,

Martin Luther KIng

1999-09-25T14:00:00-04:00
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born at noon Tuesday, January 15, 1929, at his home in Atlanta, Georgia. He was first named Michael Luther King Jr., and later changed his name to Martin, after his father. He was the first son and second child born to the reverend Martin Luther King, Sr., and Alberta Williams King, a schoolteacher. Growing up as an African American in Georgia, Martin experienced and suffered discrimination throughout his boyhood. This discrimination against black people was cruel and demoralizing. Martin Luther King Jr. told once of an experience he had riding a bus with his schoolteacher from Macon to Atlanta, "the driver started cursing us out and calling us black sons of bitches. I decided not to move at all, but my teacher pointed out that we must obey the law. So we got up and stood in the aisle the whole 90 miles to Atlanta. It was a night I'll never forget. I don't think I have ever been so deeply angry in my life." There were many discriminatory laws in the South. They had certain restaurants that they were allowed to eat in, separate water-fountains, separate bathrooms. Just about everything you can think of was segregated. One of his first experiences was with the curtains that were used on the dining cars of trains to separate the whites from the blacks. This incident struck King pretty hard, he said, "I felt just it as if a curtain had come down across my whole life. The insult of it I will never forget." King was an extremely bright student and skipped right through his high school years and entered Atlanta's Negro Morehouse College at age 15. His father encouraged him to study ministry, while he had his heart set on medicine or law. King was embarrassed of his own religion. He didn't understand what all the shouting and stamping was all about. But after reading and rereading Thoreau's essay, "Civil Disobedience," he came to the conclusion that the only way he could bring about his ideas on social protest was through ministry. At Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, King studied the writings and teachings of many philosophers, such as Hegel and Kant, but the person that impressed him the most was Mohandas Gandhi, and his beliefs in a nonviolent protest. On June 18, 1953, King marries Coretta Scott,.a young girl from Marion, Alabama. The marriage ceremony took place

Benjamin Franklin

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
In his many careers as a printer, moralist, essayist, civic leader, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, and philosopher, Benjamin Franklin Became both a spokesman and a model for the national character of later generations of Americans. After less than two years of formal schooling, Franklin was pressed into his father's trade. At the age of 16, Franklin wrote some pieces in a courant, "Silence Dogwood." Though penniless and unknown, Franklin soon found a job as a printer. After a year he went to England, where he became a master printer, sowed some wild oats, astonished Londoners with his swimming feats, and lived among the famous writers of London. In 17227, Franklin began his career as a civic leader by organizing a club of aspiring tradesmen called the Junto, which met each week for discussion and planning. Franklin began yet another career when in 1740 he invented the Pennsylvania fireplace, later called the Franklin stove, which soon heated buildings all over Europe and North America. He also read treaties on electricity and and began a series of experiments with his friends in Philadelphia. Experiments he proposed, first tried in France in 1752, showed that lightning was in fact a form of electricity. Later that year his famous kite experiment, in which he flew a kite with the wire attached to a key during a thunderstorm. His later achievements included formulating a theory of heat absorption, measuring Gulf Stream, designing ships, tracking storm paths, and inventing bifocal lenses. In 1751, Franklin was elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly, causing the beginning of nearly 40 years as a puublic official. At home from 1762 to 1764, Franklin travelled throughout the colonies, reorganizing the American postal system. He also built aa new house on Market Street in Philadelphia, now reconstructed and open to visitors, and otherwise provided for his family. From April 1775 to October 1776, Franklin served on the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety and in the Continental Congress, submitted articles of confederation for the united colonies, proposed a new constitution for Pennsylvania, and helped draft the Declaration of Independence. After the loss at Yorktown, in! 1781,he finally persuaded British leaders that they could not win the war, Franklin made secret contact with peace negotiators sent from London. Franklin had many accomplishments in his life. Franklin's final public pronouncements urged ratification of the Constitution and approved the inauguration of the new federal government under his admired friend George

Kim Campbell

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
Kim Campbell, Canada's first female Prime Minister, rose quickly in her political standings reaching, what she would find to be the height of her career only seven years after entering politics. It appeared like the loss of the 1993 election and the all around destruction of the Progressive Conservative party was completely Kim Campbell's fault however actually was a joint effort by Brian Mulroney and Kim Campbell. Kim Campbell rose so quickly in her political status that she did not have the experience that most of the others MPs had at her level. The Tories were finishing their second term in power and the people of Canada were displeased with Brain Mulroney by the time of his resignation. Kim Campbell was voted in as Prime Minister by her party and was not elected by the people of Canada. During the 1993 election Kim Campbell had an American company make a commercial that mocked Liberal party leader Jean Chrétien's physical disability. Kim Campbell's first entered politics in 1986. She first won a provincial seat in Vancouver and in 1988 she won her bid for the House of Commons. She had many good ideas, one of them being the USA-Canada Free Trade Agreement. This part of her campaign was recognized by Brian Mulroney who was the current Prime Minister. In 1989 Mulroney appointed Kim Campbell to the position of Minister of State for Indian and Northern Affairs. Later, in 1990 she was appointed Minister of Justice and a year later became the Minister of Defence. Just two years after becoming Minister of Defence and 7 years after entering politics, she ran for leader of the Progressive Conservative party and became Brian Mulroney's successor. Kim Campbell inexperience in the world of politics gave her a huge disadvantage when things started to go wrong. Brain Mulroney and the Tories had been in power for two terms, a total of 9 years. The Canadians had become tired of Brian Mulroney and his Progressive Conservative government, so when it was announced that he would resign most Canadians were happy to see him go. However his resignation did mean the end of the Progressive Conservatives power in Canada. Canadians unhappy with what the Progressive Conservatives had done chose to elect an other party. When Brain Mulroney resigned there was, in place of a federal election, a leadership convention. The Tories just had to elect a new leader

Walter Whitman

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
Through the history of the United States there have been a countless numbers of poets. With them came an equal number of writing styles. Certainly one of the most unique poets to write life's story through his own view of the world and with the ambition to do it was Walter Whitman. Greatly criticized by many readers of his work, Whitman was not a man to be deterred. Soon he would show the world that he had a voice, and that it spoke with a poet's words. Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road, Healthy, free, the world before me, the long brown path before me leading wherever I choose. Thus Whitman began his "Song of the Open Road". This paper will attempt to describe his life and poetry in a way that does justice to the path he chose. He was a man who grew up impoverished, who wrote from his experiences, and who tried to lift his fellow men above life's trivialities. These are the points to be discussed on these pages. To know the essence of Walter Whitman, you would have to understand the heart of his writing. For he is in his pen. Walter Whitman was born in West Hills, Long Island, New York, on May 31, 1819 . He did not have much opportunity for education in his early life. His parents were mostly poor and illiterate- his father a laborer, while his mother was a devout Quaker. Whitman was one of nine children and little is known about his youth except that two of his siblings were imbeciles. No wonder he demonstrated such an insight for life in his poems. In 1830, at the age of eleven, he worked as an office boy for a lawyer, where he learned the printing trade. Whitman would soon take up teaching at various schools in Long Island. He also engaged in carpentry and house building while he edited newspapers. His early years seemed to show an active interest in working with the public. Whitman at one time accepted a job with a New Orleans newspaper, and in doing so exposed himself to a great deal of the country. Getting to New Orleans required traveling over the Cumberland Gap and down rivers, of which he later wrote. America seemed to be both his home and inspiration. In "Calamus", part of his single book, Leaves of Grass, he writes

Queen Victoria

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
Queen Victoria was born in 1819 and she died in 1901. She was queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1837-1901) and empress of India (1876-1901). Queen Victoria was born Alexandrina Victoria on May 24, 1819, in Kensington Palace, London. Victoria's mother was Victoria Mary Louisa, daughter of the duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Her father was Edward Augustus, duke of Kent and Strathern, the fourth son of George III and youngest brother of George IV and William IV, they were kings of Great Britain. Because William IV had no legal children, his niece Victoria became inheritor apparent to the British crown upon his accession in 1830. On June 20, 1837, with the expiration of William IV. Victoria became queen at the age of 18. Early in her power Victoria developed a serious concern with goings on of state, guided by her first prime minister, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. Melbourne was leader of that wing of the Whig Party that later became known as the Liberal Party. He exercised a immovably progressive command on the political thinking of the sovereign. Marriage In 1840 Victoria married her first cousin, Albert, ruler of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who she had known for about four years. Although this was a wedlock of state, it was a highly extravagant and prosperous one, and Victoria was devoted to her family responsibilities. The first of their nine children was Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise, later queen of Germany. Their first son, Albert Edward, prince of Wales and later monarch of Great Britain as Edward VII, was born in 1841. When the cautious Prince Albert persuaded her that Liberal policy jeopardized the coming of the Crown, the queen began to lose her eagerness for the party. After 1841, when the Melbourne government fell and Sir Robert Peel became prime minister, Victoria was an enthusiastic supporter of the Conservative Party. Also under Albert's influence, she began to interrogation the tradition that restricted the British ruling to an advisory part. In 1850 she challenged the command of Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, alien secretary in the Whig government that had been in command since 1846. Her post was that the sovereign should at least be consulted on different policy. Palmerston, independent and self-assertive, disregarded the request. Their conflict reached a crucial period in 1851, when the prime minister, Lord John Russell, who was also unhappy with Palmerston's elective methods, removed him from the

Henry Ford

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863 to William and Mary Ford. He was the first of six children. He grew up in a rich farming household in Dearborn, Michigan. He enjoyed a typical childhood, spending his days in a one-room schoolhouse and doing farm chores. Ever since he was young, he showed an interest for the mechanical aspect of things, and how they worked and functioned. He used to take things apart and put them back together to get an idea of the inner workings of basic mechanical tools (Nevins, 47 - 50). In 1879, at a young age of 16, he left his home to travel to the near by city of Detroit to work as an apprentice for a machinist. He occasionally returned home to work on the farm. He remained an apprentice for three years and then returned to Dearborn. During the next few years, Henry divided his time between operating and repairing steam engines, finding occasional work in Detroit factories, and working on his fathers broken down farm equipment, as well as lending an unwilling hand with other farm work. Henry got married to Clara Bryant in 1888 Henry supported himself and his wife by running a sawmill (Collier, 145 - 152). In 1891, Henry became an engineer with the Edison Illumination Company. This was an important event in his life because it signified that he had made a conscious career move into industrial pursuits. He was promoted to Chief Engineer in 1893. This gave him enough time and money to devote attention to his personal experiments on internal combustion engines (Lacey 13 - 14). The high point of this research came with the completion of his own self-propelled vehicle, the Quadricycle. This bike had four wire wheels and was steered with a tiller, like a boat. It had two forward speeds, and no reverse. Although this was not the first self-propelled vehicle, it set Henry Ford as one of the major pioneers whom helped this nation become one of motorists (Head 22 - 24). Ford decided that he wanted to become an automobile manufacturer. After two unsuccessful tries, Ford motor company was finally incorporated in 1903 with Henry Ford as the Vice President and Chief Engineer. When the company first started it was only producing a few cars a day at the Ford factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit. A group of two or three

Rasputin: The Saint Who Sinned

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
"It's good to know that if I act strangely enough, society will take full responsibility for me." Ashleigh Brilliant may have subconsciously considered the effect that society has on us all and how wound up we can all get into our lives, our beliefs, and maybe even our visions. Our visions are the most important thing to all of us and one day may get us into the most excellent position or the most hideous position. We always chose to believe what we want to believe no matter what the public tells us. Perhaps they wrapped Grigorii Yefemovich Rasputin up in life and society when he claimed to have a vision of Virgin Mary. At that point he was placed in a most excellent position, but remember we see and chose to believe only what we wish. From that one of the most mysterious and unusual life and death stories ever lived were of GrigoriiYefemovich Rasputin. The greatest events in this man's life can be found in his early life, the Russian influence he achieved, and the unnatural death that has boggled the minds of many learned scholars. The early life of any child can be and is most of the time the most influential time of a child's life. The life of the parent's is, in that way, important to many. Someone can find passages into the life of the mysterious child. The parents of Grigorii Rasputin are of no exception. They have been apart of their children's lives. The mother of three, Anne Egorovna, took on the task of keeping together the home. The local custom was for the man to tend to the wheat crop and nothing more, and they did, in fact, follow local custom. The house, however, was not that of a wealthy peasant, having only one story. The father of Rasputin, Efimii or Evimii Andreevich, came to Siberia from Saratov, where he had trouble with the law. He was a carter working for the state, and he had passed out dead drunk by his horse on the way back from a fair, only to find that when he awoke someone had stolen the horse. They imprisoned him for losing state property (the horse). He served his term and moved east to Pokrovskoe. He established there and stopped drinking, won neighbors respect and married Anne. The two newlyweds bore three children, two boys and one girl,

Adolf Hitler

1999-09-13T14:00:00-04:00
Adolf Hitler did not live a very long life, but during his time he caused such a great deal of death and destruction that his actions still have an effect on the world nearly 50 years later. People ask what could've happen to this small sickly boy during his childhood that would've led him do such horrible things? For Adolf it might have been society, rejection from his father, failure as an artist or was he born to hate? Adolf was born in Braunau, Austria in 1889. His father, Alois was a minor customs official, and his mother was a peasant girl. Adolf attended elementary school for four years and entered secondary school at the age of eleven. Adolf's dreams of becoming an artist did not match the government official job his father wanted him to have. These fights over what he wanted to be, lead Adolf to lose interest in getting good grades and dropped out at the age of sixteen. When his father died Adolf roamed the streets of Linz dreaming of his future as an artist. He attended a great deal of operas and loved the musical work by Robert Wagner. At 18, Hitler tried to enter the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna but was rejected twice. His failure put a great deal of frustration on him. He saw himself as an artist who was rejected by "stupid" teachers. Adolf later moved to Vienna to find a way to make a living. Hitler would rather do odd jobs such as shoveling snow, or beating rugs instead of getting a regular job. Since he had no set income he was forced to move into the ghettos and became somewhat of a bum. He finally got a job painting postcards and advertisements. He had little money still, and spent most his time reading and thinking about what he read. While Hitler was in Vienna, he learned things which he later used to destroy the world. He learned that the finest thing for man to do was to conquer foreign countries, and that peace is a bad thing because it makes man weak. He was also convinced that Germans are the master race, even though he himself was Austrian. Hitler also took part in political ideas which were later used in Germany. He believed a political party must know how to use terror. He also discovered the value of appearance in politics. He

Robert E Lee

1999-09-13T14:00:00-04:00
Born in Virginia to a family of famous people, his father, a Revolutionary War hero and his mother from a long line of rich, loyal Virginians, he went on to become one of the greatest people the South would ever see. Robert Edward Lee was born in January 1807 and went to West Point and was one of the best students they had ever had. He married Mary Custis, Martha Washington's great great granddaughter. They had seven children. Lee was asked by the North to lead their army but he refused, he

Adolf Hitler

1999-09-13T14:00:00-04:00
The seeds of Hitler's rise to power were planted following the outcome of the First World War. With Germany's defeat, many German men returned to Germany feeling betrayed by their country and government. Among them was Adolf Hitler, a young Austrian Corporal who had fought bravely for Germany. When the World War broke out, Hitler was very happy. The War had been a blessing to the young Hitler, who had been unsuccessful in civilian life. When Germany was defeated, Hitler was devastated. He wrote, "I could sit there no longer, once again, everything went black before my eyes, and I tottered and groped my way back to the place where we slept, and buried my burning head in the blankets and pillows." (Stewart p.31). On returning unemployed to Munich, Hitler was outraged exclaiming " in these days the hatred grew in me, hatred for those responsible for this deed." (Stewart p.31). Hitler promised to get back at people for those who had been responsible for Germany's defeat. ! With the signing of the Treaty of Versaille, Hitler blamed the defeat of Germany on the Jews, Communists, and the weak Weimar government. This is the government which held power following Germany's defeat. With his strong hatred for the Communists, the Jews, and the weak government, Hitler vowed to fight back, and to change the terrible things, which he believed, had been done to Germany. After the War, Hitler found a job as a prison guard sixty miles north from Munich. The job was boring, but it provided him with security, food, shelter, and something to do. When the job ended, Hitler went back to Munich, where he was offered a more challenging job due to his great dislike for the Communists who were provoking revolution in cities throughout Germany. In this assignment, Hitler was given the task of keeping a close watch on individual groups, which could have been a threat to the military of the Weimar Government. In this, Hitler learned many things and even was given special training at the University of Munich where he attended political philosophy classes. These classes may be where he began to take keen interest in German expanse. In 1919, Hitler was investigating a fifty-four member group which was called the German's Worker's Party. This group had funds adding up to about seven U.S. dollars. This group was anti-Communist ideas, and believed along with the Jews

Charles Darwin

1999-09-13T14:00:00-04:00
Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. He was the son of Robert Waring Darwin and his wife Susannah, and the grandson of the scientist Erasmus Darwin. His mother died when he was eight years old, and he was brought up by his sister. He was taught the classics at Shrewsbury, then sent to Edinburgh to study medicine, which he hated. Like many modern students Darwin only excelled in subjects that intrigued him. Although his father was a physician, Darwin was uninterested in medicine and he was unable to stand the sight of surgery. He did eventually obtain a degree in theology from Cambridge University, although theology was of minor interest to him also. What Darwin really liked to do was tramp over the hills, observing plants and animals, collecting new specimens, scrutinizing their structures, and categorizing his findings, guided by his cousin William Darwin Fox, an entomologist. Darwin's scientific inclinations were encouraged by his botany professor, John Stevens Henslow, who was instrumental, despite heavy paternal opposition, in securing a place for Darwin as a naturalist on the surveying expedition of HMS Beagle to Patagonia. Under Captain Robert Fitzroy, Darwin visited Tenerife, the Cape Verde Island, Brazil, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Chile, the Galapagos Islands, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Tasmania. In the Cape Verde Island Darwin devised his theory of coral reefs. Another significant stop on the trip was in the Galapagos Islands, it was here that Darwin found huge populations of tortoises and he found that different islands were home to significantly different types of tortoises. Darwin then found that on islands without tortoises, prickly pear cactus plants grew with their pads and fruits spread out over the ground. On islands that had hundreds of tortoises, the prickly pears grew substantially thick, tall trunks, bearing the pads and fruits high above the reach of the tough mouthed tortoises. During this five-year expedition he obtained intimate knowledge of the fauna, flora, and geology of many lands, which equipped him for his later investigations. In 1836, Darwin returned to England after the 5 years with the expedition, and by 1846 he had became one of the foremost naturalists of his time, and he also published several works on the geological and zoological discoveries of his voyage. He developed a friendship with Sir Charles Lyell, became secretary of the Geological Society, a position which Darwin held for four years. In 1839 Darwin married his

Albert Einstein

1999-09-13T14:00:00-04:00
This German born physicist is considered one of the world's greatest thinkers in history. Not only did he shape the way people think of time, space, matter, energy, and gravity but he also was a supporter of Zionism and peaceful living. Einstein was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm Germany, and spent most of his youth living in Munich, where his family owned a small electric machinery shop. He attended schooling in Munich, which he found unimaginative and dull. In addition to this he taught himself Euclidean geometry at the age of 12. Later his family was forced to move to Milan, Italy where he then decided to withdraw from school at the age of 15. Eventually he realized that he had to finish secondary school, which he took in Arrau, Switzerland. On the other hand he still often skipped class to study physics on his own much like myself. At age 22 he became a Swiss citizen and in 1903 married a women named Mileva Marec, whom which he had two sons with but nonetheless latter divorced as to marry his cousin in 1919. Which is unlike me. On the other hand he did publish five major research papers at the age of 26. The first one getting him his doctorate in 1905. The first paper was on Brownian motion, which is a zigzag motion of microscopic particles in suspension. He suggested that the movement was the result of the random motion of molecules of the suspension medium as they rebound off suspended particles. The second paper laid the base of the photon, or quantum theory of light. It said that light is made off separate packets of energy, titled quanta or photons. The paper remade the theory of light. Also explaining the emissions of electrons from some solid objects when they are struck by light. Televisions are practical applications of Einstein's discoveries. The third paper, which he began as an essay at age 16, contained the "special theory of relativity." He showed that time and motion are relative to the observer, if the speed of light is constant and natural laws are the same everywhere in the universe. The fourth was a mathematical addition to the special theory of relativity. This is where he presents his famous E=mc², also known as the energy mass equivalence. Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia translates it as "(E) inherent in mass (m) equals the mass multiplied by the

Tupac Shakur

1999-09-11T14:00:00-04:00
Tupac Shakur was a very influential person in 20th century USA. He was born on June 16, 1971 in Brooklyn New York, and died on September 13, 1996 in Las Vegas Nevada (unknown author, no title, no page, letter code C). But his family moved around a lot while he was a kid (Bastin, J.D.). He eventually ended up in the Bay Area California alone and spent his first two years there homeless (unknown author, no title, n.p., letter code D). He grew up with only his mom and loved her very much. He even wrote a song called Dear Mama to his mom and thanked her for how she tried her best at raising him. His public career started when he joined the seminal Bay Area rap ensemble (u.a., "original area," n.p.). He started as a tour dancer but then started rapping live (u.a., "original area," n.p.). From there he released a couple albums and then was offered to be in some movies. He became friends with a couple of popular rap artists like Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre (Placid n.p.). He made some songs and music videos with them that made it big on the Billboard charts. This really helped his popularity. He released a double CD with the songs on it and a lot of his own songs and sold millions of copies (u.a., n.t., n.p. letter code D) More people were influenced to buy his CD. People listened to the music and did what he said he did. So Tupac was influencing all of these people. Tupac was rich and famous now. He was showing off his own style now and didn't need his popular friends. This is the time that many people saw the real Tupac and loved him. He was now very influential to fans. They wanted to be just like him. He starred in more movies and could be who he really was. He did a lot of interviews that showed his beliefs. He said self esteem and self respect was very important and said "I feel as though I am a shining prince just like Malcolm and feel that all of us are shining princes, and if we live like shining princes, then whatever we want can be ours. Anything." (Patrick, Tony, n.p.) And when he says all of us, he means all men. He also said he doesn't care if

Margaret Mead

1999-08-24T14:00:00-04:00
Margaret Mead was a great scientist, explorer, writer, and teacher, who educated the human race in many different ways. In the next few paragraphs I will discuss the different ways Margaret Mead, Anthropologist, effected our society. Margaret Mead was born in Philadelphia on December 16, 1901, and was educated at Barnard College and at Columbia University. In 1926 she

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney

1999-08-22T14:00:00-04:00
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney was born on February 25th, 1746 at Charleston, the eldest son of a politically prominent planter and a remarkable mother who introduced and promoted indigo culture in South Carolina. 7 years later, he accompanied his father, who had been appointed colonial agent for South Carolina, to England. As a result, the young Charles enjoyed a European education. Pinckney received tutoring in London, attended several preparatory schools, and went on to Christ Church College, Oxford, where he heard the lectures of the legal authority Sir William Blackstone and graduated in 1764. Pinckney next pursued legal training at London's. Middle Temple and was accepted for admission into the English bar in 1769. He then spent part of a year touring Europe and studying chemistry, military science, and botany under leading authorities. Late in 1769, Pinckney sailed home and the next year entered practice in South Carolina. His political career began in 1769, when he was elected to the provincial assembly. When South Carolina organized its forces in 1775 to battle the British, Pinckney joined the First South Carolina Regiment as a captain. He soon rose to the rank of colonel and fought in the South in defence of Charleston and in the North at the Battles of Brandywine, PA, and Germantown, PA. When Charleston fell in 1780, he was taken prisoner and held until 1782. The following year, he was discharged as a brevet brigadier general. Pinckney was one of the leaders at the Constitutional Convention. Present at all the sessions, he strongly advocated a powerful national government. His proposal that senators should serve without pay was not adopted, but he exerted influence in such matters as the power of the Senate to ratify treaties and the compromise that was reached concerning abolition of the international slave trade. After the convention, he defended the Constitution in South Carolina. In 1796, however, he accepted the post of Minister to France, but the revolutionary regime there refused to receive him and he was forced to proceed to the Netherlands. The next year, though, he returned to France when he was appointed to a special mission to restore relations with that country. During the ensuing XYZ affair, refusing to pay a bribe suggested by a French agent to facilitate negotiations, he was said to have replied "No! No! Not a sixpence!" When Pinckney arrived back in the United States in 1798, he found the

Henry Ford

1999-08-22T14:00:00-04:00
Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863 and died on April 7, 1947. Henry Ford was the son of William Ford, who had emigrated from Ireland in 1847 and settled on a farm in Dearborn, Michigan. Henry disliked farm life and had a natural aptitude for machinery. When he was 15 he went to Detroit and trained as a machinist. Henry Ford began to experiment with a horseless carriage in 1890 and completed his first car, the quadricycle, in about 1896. During the following years he tried unsuccessfully to get it into production. In 1903 he launched the Ford Motor Company with a capital of $100,000 of which $28,000 was in cash. By the time he had formulated his ideal of production: " The way to make automobiles is to make one automobile like another automobile, to make them all alike. He achieved spectacular success with the Model T Ford, introduced in 1809 and eventually produced in 1903 on the moving assembly line. Henry Ford was a major figure in the world's automobile industry for the next 15 years. His production methods were intensively studied and he also startled the world instituting (1914) the then high wage scale of $5 a day. Ford thus became a figure of legend, the native genius that could work miracles. He had considerable mechanical ability but his conclusions were reached intuitively rather than logically. He ran as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1918 and was narrowly defeated. In 1936 he and his son Edsel established the Ford Foundation, to which they bequeathed much of the company's stock. Henry Ford became a victim of his own success in that he clung to the Model T too long, refusing to recognize that its popularity was fading, and consequently lost first place in the automobile industry to General Motors in 1926. He had turned the presidency of the Ford Motor Company over to Edsel in 1919 but never gave Edsel effective authority. Edsel struggled vainly against this situation, and the frustrations of his position undoubtedly contributed to his death at the age of 50. Edsel's oldest son was released from the navy and made an executive vice-president. Unlike his father, who had not been allowed to go to college, Henry II attended Yale University. Henry Ford II recruited talent from outside the company and effected a sweeping reorganization. The company secured firm control of second place

Ferdinand Magellan

1999-07-02T14:00:00-04:00
Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1480, in a stone farm house in Portugal. His father's name was Dom Ruy Magellan, and his mother's name was Donha Alda De Mesquite. His father was a Portuguese nobleman and owned a large amount of land. He was also a sheriff, an honorary position awarded for distinguished service to the crown. Ferdinand's brother was named Diago De Sousa, a name he took from his wealthy grandmother, his sister was named Isabel Magellan. His family seemed to care about each other and respected one another. His family owned cows, sheep, hogs, and goats and fields of wheat, rye, corn and vineyards full of grapes. Ferdinand and his brother and sister had to help the tenants (people that rented and farmed the land), raise the animals and harvest the crops. Ferdinand went to school at a monastery. Both his parents died when Ferdinand was only ten years old. At the age of twelve, he was sent to live at the court of Queen Leonora and John II of Portugal. His older brother, Diago, had gone to court two years earlier. His cousin, named Francisco Serrano also twelve years old, came at the same time as Ferdinand did. At court Ferdinand learned music, dance, horsemanship and how to handle weapons, in addition to academic subjects such as reading, writing and religion. Also he learned algebra, geometry, astronomy and navigation. After he had worked at court for a few years, he started checking the supplies for the ships going to India. This was work for the India House, run by the monarchy. India house was the agency for overseas trade. Magellan heard reports of new discoveries brought back by returning ships. It was here that Magellan learned practical aspects of navigation from the sailors and by helping outfit the ships he learned about rigging, repairing, armaments and supplies. In 1495, John II died, and his brother-in-law, Duke Manuel became king. Duke Manuel did not like Ferdinand, so even though Ferdinand wanted to sail, it was not until 1505 that he finally got his chance. In 1505 Magellan sailed to India under the leadership of Captain General Almeida, and set up Naval Bases along the way. They set their first base up at Kilwa, and the chief there had promised to be nice to sailors coming through, and said each time sailors came through, he promised to give some gold to

Augustus Caesar

1999-06-07T14:00:00-04:00
The year 509 BC Rome finally became a Republic and thus started the Roman empire. As Rome rose to power they went through many wars and many conflicts between the plebeians and patricians. The republic was made out of 3 groups, the consuls which were 2 men elected from the senate, the senate which was made of 300 patricians, and the assembly made from plebeians. Many years later Rome started to reject the republic when it went into a series of civil wars. 3 men form the first triumvirate, Julius Caesar, Pompeii, and Crassus. Julius Caesar became the victor. He was then rewarded dictator for life. On the date September 23, 63 BC a boy was born. He was originally Caesar's grand-nephew. This boy would later grow to a power and change Rome for good. Julius Caesar had become dictator for life. 2 years later he was assassinated by members of the senate. A young boy named Octavian, was 18 years old. Octavian was Caesar's grand-nephew but Octavian had always hoped Caesar would take him as a son. Octavian knew of everything that Caesar had done. From conquering Gaul to when he crossed the Rublican with his army, and also when he defeated his enemies and became the most powerful man in Rome. At the age of 14 Octavian had finally met his great-uncle and hero when he came back from Asia Minor and said the 3 famous words that summed up his victory, "Veni, Vidi, Vici." Latin for "I came, I saw, I conquered" In Caesar's will, Octavian's dream had finally come true. Caesar had adopted him as his son. In Caesar's will he left his money to a man named Marc Anthony. He was a powerful general at the time. He was a consul of Rome and successor to Caesar. Octavian knew he couldn't just get the money from Anthony. Octavian had no military experience or political experience. But he was now Julius Caesar's son. As Rome once again fell into devastation, they needed someone who could pull Rome back together and take control. This led to the second triumvirate. The three men who were running in this were Lepidus, Octavian, and Marc Anthony. After Lepidus retired from running for dictator, it left only Octavian and Marc Anthony. As Marc Anthony and Cleopatra set out to take the throne in Rome, they went to western Rome in Asia

Richard Joseph Daley

1999-05-19T14:00:00-04:00
Richard Joseph Daley, the grandson of Irish immigrants, was born in the Bridgeport area of Chicago on May 15, 1902. He was graduated from De La Salle Institute in 1918 and worked in the stockyards for several years before studying law. While studying, he worked as a clerk in the Cook County Controller's office. In 1936 Daley married Eleanor Guilfoyle, and the couple had three daughters and four sons. One son, Richard M. Daley, served in the Illinois Senate and as Cook County state's attorney before being elected mayor of Chicago in 1989. Daley held several elected posts before becoming mayor. He was state representative from 1936 to 1938, state senator from 1939 to 1946, county deputy controller from 1946 to 1949, and county clerk from 1950 to 1955. He also served as state revenue director, an appointed position, under Governor Adlai Stevenson. In these positions, Daley gained a keen understanding of government and a mastery of budgets and revenue sources. Cook County Democratic party chairman Richard J. Daley, 53, wins the Chicago mayoralty race and begins a 21-year career as mayor of the second largest U.S. city. Daley, the archetypal city "boss," served as mayor from 1955 to 1976. He was one of the last big city bosses. As a Democrat, Daley wielded a great deal of power in this largely Democratic city. He headed a powerful political machine that effectively dominated much of Chicago. He governed by the spoils system, and he delivered many local votes for Democratic presidential candidates. His support was often sought by state and national leaders. Daley gained national notoriety in 1968 when Chicago police brutally subdued demonstrators at the Democratic National Convention. Daley was an important figure in the national Democratic Party. As the mayor of Chicago until his death in 1976 and as chairman of Chicago's Cook County Democratic Central Committee from 1953 to 1976, Richard Joseph Daley was one of the most powerful politicians in the United States. He easily won reelection to office in five successive campaigns from 1959 to 1975, and during his mayoralty Chicago was the scene of an unprecedented building boom, improvement in city services, and urban renewal programs. Daley ran Chicago when federal government was pouring billions into highways, public transit, housing for poor. He used it to advantage, mounting massive urban renewal and transportation projects. Neighborhoods resisted, but Daley prevailed. He was a builder, developing O'Hare

Tupac Shakur

1999-05-09T14:00:00-04:00
Tupac Shakur, in my thoughts, is the best rapper there is. Tupac Amaru Shakur was born on June 16, 1971. He was born in New York. Tupac Amaru are Inca words. Tupac Amaru means a "shining serpent." Shakur means "thankful to God," and that came from the Arabic language. When Tupac was 12 years old, his first performance was a play "A Raisin in the Sun." In that play Tupac played Travis. In June of 1986, Tupac's family moved to Baltimore from New York. That is where Tupac wrote his first rap. 3 months later Tupac attended Baltimore School for the arts. That is where he studied ballet and acting. About two years later Tupac moves west of the United States to Marin City, California. He moved in with a neighbor and then he began to sell drugs. In 1990 Tupac joins Digital Underground a record label where he was a dancer and a rapper. At the beginning of 1991 Tupac makes his album debut on his new label Digital Underground. In November of 91 2Pacalypse Now was released. Shortly after his 2Pacalypse release. Tupac charged a lawsuit of 10 million against an Oakland Police for brutality after being arrested for jaywalking. On January 17, 1992 Tupac makes his first movie appearance in Ernest Dickenson's Juice, where he played a betrayal role of Bishop. On September 22nd, Vice President Dan Quayle accused that Tupac's 2Pacalypse Now "has no place in our society." Next year on February 1, 1993 Tupac came out with another album. Once it was released it went platinum. It went platinum on April 19, 1995 along with 2Pacalypse Now but that went gold only. On July 23, 1993 Tupac makes his second movie appearance on John Singleton's Poetic Justice. Just before filming the movie Janet makes 2Pac take an HIV test before kissing him in any scenes. On Halloween of 93' 2Pac gets arrested for shooting two-off duty police officers from Atalanta. 2Pac said that he was harassed as a black motorist. The charges were dropped. During the end of November 94' while 2Pac is on trial for sex and weapons he was robbed $40,000 of jewelery and was shot five times. The $40,000 worth of jewelery was stolen in a recording studio in Times Square. The robbers had stole 2Pac's $30,000 diamond ring and $10,000 of gold chains. They left his diamond-encrusted gold Rolex. The case of that robbery was unsolved. 2Pac

Karl Marx

1999-05-09T14:00:00-04:00
Karl Marx was the greatest thinker and philosopher of his time. His views on life and the social structure of his time revolutionized the way in which people think. He created an opportunity for the lower class to rise Above the aristocrats and failed due to the creation of the middle class. Despite this failure, he was still a great political leader and set the Basis of Communism in Russia. His life contributed to the way people think Today, and because of him people are more open to suggestion and are Quicker to create ideas on political issues. Karl Heinrich Marx was born May 5th, 1818 in Trier. Although he had three other siblings, all sisters, he was the favorite child to his father, Heinrich. His mother, a Dutch Jewess named Henrietta Pressburg, had no interest in Karl's intellectual side during his life. His father was a Jewish lawyer, and before his death in 1838, converted his family to Christianity to preserve his job with the Prussian state. When Heinrich's mother died, he no longer felt he had an obligation to his religion, thus helping him in the decision in turning to Christianity. Karl's childhood was a happy and carefree one. His parents had a good relationship and it help set Karl in the right direction." His 'Splendid natural gifts' awakened in his father the hope that they would One day be used in the service of humanity, whilst his mother declared him to be a child of fortune in whose hands everything would go well. (The story of his life, Mehring, page 2) In High school, Karl stood out among the crowd. When asked to write a report on "How to choose a profession" he took a different approach. He took the angle in which most interested him, by saying that there was no way to choose a profession, but because of circumstances one is placed in an occupation. A person with an aristocratic background is more likely to have a higher role in society as opposed to someone from a much poorer background. While at Bonn at the age of eighteen he got engaged to Jenny Von Westphalen, daughter of the upperclassmen Ludwig Von Westphalen. She was the childhood friend of Marx's oldest sister, Sophie. The engagement was a secret one, meaning they got engaged without asking permission of Jenny's parents. Heinrich Marx was uneasy about this but

Carl Gauss

1999-04-08T14:00:00-04:00
Carl Gauss was a man who is known for making a great deal breakthroughs in the wide variety of his work in both mathematics and physics. He is responsible for immeasurable contributions to the fields of number theory, analysis, differential geometry, geodesy, magnetism, astronomy, and optics, as well as many more. The concepts that he himself created have had an immense influence in many areas of the mathematic and scientific world. Carl Gauss was born Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss, on the thirtieth of April, 1777, in Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick (now Germany). Gauss was born into an impoverished family, raised as the only son of a bricklayer. Despite the hard living conditions, Gauss's brilliance shone through at a young age. At the age of only two years, the young Carl gradually learned from his parents how to pronounce the letters of the alphabet. Carl then set to teaching himself how to read by sounding out the combinations of the letters. Around the time that Carl was teaching himself to read aloud, he also taught himself the meanings of number symbols and learned to do arithmetical calculations. When Carl Gauss reached the age of seven, he began elementary school. His potential for brilliance was recognized immediately. Gauss's teacher Herr Buttner, had assigned the class a difficult problem of addition in which the students were to find the sum of the integers from one to one hundred. While his classmates toiled over the addition, Carl sat and pondered the question. He invented the shortcut formula on the spot, and wrote down the correct answer. Carl came to the conclusion that the sum of the integers was 50 pairs of numbers each pair summing to one hundred and one, thus simple multiplication followed and the answer could be found. This act of sheer genius was so astounding to Herr Buttner that the teacher took the young Gauss under his wing and taught him fervently on the subject of arithmetic. He paid for the best textbooks obtainable out of his own pocket and presented them to Gauss, who reportedly flashed through them. In 1788 Gauss began his education at the Gymnasium, with the assistance of his past teacher Buttner, where he learned High German and Latin. After receiving a scholarship from the Duke of Brunswick, Gauss entered Brunswick Collegium Carolinum in 1792. During his time spent at the academy Gauss independently discovered Bode's law, the binomial theorem,

Dr. John Henry 'Doc' Holliday

1999-04-02T14:00:00-04:00

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 a wealthy planter, lawyer, and during the War between the States, a Confederate Major. Church records state: "John Henry, infant son of Henry B. and Alice J. Holliday, received the ordinance of baptism on Sunday, March 21, 1852, at the First Presbyterian Church in Griffin." Alice Jane died on September 16, 1866. This was a terrible blow to young John Henry for he and his mother were very close. To compound this loss, his father married Rachel Martin only three months later on December 18, 1886. Shortly after this marriage, the Holliday family moved to Valdosta, Georgia. Major Holliday quickly became one of the town's leading citizens, becoming Mayor, the Secretary of the County Agricultural Society, a Member of the Masonic Lodge, the Secretary of the Confederate Veterans Camp, and the Superintendent of local elections.

Because of his family status, John Henry had to choose some sort of profession and he chose dentistry. He enrolled in dental school in 1870 and attended his first lecture session in 1870-1872. Each lecture session lasted a little over three months. He served his required two years apprenticeship under Dr. L.F. Frank. On March 1, 1872, the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in Philadelphia conferred the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery upon twenty-six men, one of whom was John Henry Holliday. Upon completion of his training and graduation, Dr. Holliday opened an office with a Dr. Arthur C. Ford in Atlanta in 1872. Then, because of the session of the Southern Dental Association, Dr. Arthur C. Ford, D.D.A. was unable to serve patients, until the middle of August. Taking his place was Doc Holliday.

John was a good dentist, but shortly after starting his practice, he discovered that he had contracted tuberculosis. Although he consulted a number of doctors, the consensus of all was that he had only months to live. However, they all concurred that he might add a few months to his life if he moved to a dry climate. Following this advice, Doc packed up and headed West. His first stop was in Dallas, Texas,

Emporer Hadrian of Rome

1999-04-02T14:00:00-04:00
By the time Hadrian's contributions to his country had succeeded, and death was near; he was the most hated man in Rome. However, throughout his reign, he was regarded as a noble leader. "The Roman emperor Hadrian exercised a profound organizational influence on the Greco-Roman world. He worked successfully toward the codification of Roman law and the strengthening of imperial border defenses (Eadie 8)." Emperor Hadrian made many important contributions to Roman culture, and he was also known as one of the greatest Roman emperors in history. Hadrian was born on January, 26 76 a.d. in Spain. In his youth, he developed a strong interest in Hellenic culture. This earned him his nickname "The Greekling." For example, "Hadrian was an admirer of Greek culture and under different circumstances, might well have devoted his full time to literature and philosophy rather than politics (Eadie 8 )." Hadrian was well-educated, and known throughout Rome as a military man. For instance, " He rose through the ranks as befitting of one of his position in life and became a well-respected general (Internet Hadrian 4)." Soon after, Hadrian was married to a thirteen year old girl named Sabina. Thirteen years of age was very young even in Roman terms of marriage. Hadrian became emperor in 117a.d. This occurred when Trajan, Hadrian's deceased father's cousin and guardian, made Hadrian his successor on his deathbed. "Certainly Hadrian's relationship with the Senate was not a good one(Coleman-Norton 674)." At the beginning of his reign, he put four former consuls to death for conspiracy. This created negative personal relations between Hadrian and the Senate; however, "Hadrian generally treated the Senate with the utmost respect(Coleman-Norton 674)." Throughout the years 120-133, he traveled eminsly. He visited Britain, Spain, eastern provinces, and even Africa. Towns and cities vastly benefited from his journeys. Harbor installations, roads, and bridges were built. The size of Athens almost doubled, and many new cities, including Adrinople were founded by the emperor(Coleman-Norton)." " Hadrian's travels, which during his reign covered a period of more than twelve years, were the most extensive of any peacetime emperors in history(Coleman-Norton 673)." Hadrian cared about the welfare of his country and people. For example, "Hadrian was an able and tireless ruler. He issued laws protecting women, children, and slaves from mistreatment (Beers 112)." He also revised and reorganized the entire system of Roman laws. Hadrian greatly improved the East by building new

Al Capone

1999-03-31T14:00:00-04:00
Al Capone is America's best known gangster and the single greatest symbol of the collapse of law and order in the United States during the 1920s Prohibition era. Capone had a leading role in the illegal activities that lent Chicago its reputation as a lawless city. Capone was born on January 17, 1899, in Brooklyn, New York. Baptized "Alphonsus Capone," he grew up in a rough neighborhood and was a member of two "kid gangs," the Brooklyn Rippers and the Forty Thieves Juniors. Although he was bright, Capone quit school in the sixth grade at age fourteen. Between scams he was a clerk in a candy store, a pinboy in a bowling alley, and a cutter in a book bindery. He became part of the notorious Five Points gang in Manhattan and worked in gangster Frankie Yale's Brooklyn dive, the Harvard Inn, as a bouncer and bartender. While working at the Inn, Capone received his infamous facial scars and the resulting nickname "Scarface" when he insulted a patron and was attacked by her brother. In 1918, Capone met an Irish girl named Mary "Mae" Coughlin at a dance. On December 4, 1918, Mae gave birth to their son, Albert "Sonny" Francis. Capone and Mae married that year on December 30. Capone's first arrest was on a disorderly conduct charge while he was working for Yale. He also murdered two men while in New York, early testimony to his willingness to kill. In accordance with gangland etiquette, no one admitted to hearing or seeing a thing so Capone was never tried for the murders. After Capone hospitalized a rival gang member, Yale sent him to Chicago to wait until things cooled off. Capone arrived in Chicago in 1919 and moved his family into a house at 7244 South Prairie Avenue. Capone went to work for Yale's old mentor, John Torrio. Torrio saw Capone's potential, his combination of physical strength and intelligence, and encouraged his protŽ gŽ . Soon Capone was helping Torrio manage his bootlegging business. By mid-1922 Capone ranked as Torrio's number two man and eventually became a full partner in the saloons, gambling houses,and brothels. When Torrio was shot by rival gang members and consequently decided to leave Chicago, Capone inherited the "outfit" and became boss. The outfit's men liked, trusted, and obeyed Capone, calling him "The Big Fellow." He quickly proved that he was even better at organization than

Traits of Adolf Hitler

1999-03-12T13:00:00-05:00
"He Failed as a student in classical secondary schools, a situation that contributed to his desire to become an artist. He went to Vienna in 1903. His years there were characterized by melancholy, aimlessness, and racial hatred,"stated by Alan Bullock (Allen Bullock 1962, 97). This does not sound like the life of a the future leader of Germany. But what Adolf Hitler lost in scholastics he made up for it and then some in leadership skills. Hitler, having great leadership skills, showed that leadership skills can be more important than brain power. A good education was something that Adolf Hitler did not have. He dropped out of school at the age of sixteen, spending only 10 years in school. Sadly, he didn't even get into a art academy, even though it was his goal in life to become an artist. Arthur Schlesinger says that "However in his last year of school he failed German and Mathematics, and only succeeded in Gym and Drawing. He drooped out of school at the age of 16, spending a total of 10 years in school,"(Arthur M. Schlesinger 1985, 14) Even though he didn't have a normal amount of education, he still became the leader of Germany. Adolf Hitler, nevertheless, was a great orator and when he spoke, everybody listened. He sometimes spoke several times a day, moving from town to town seemingly tireless. Ken McVay had this to say about this subject, "He was a tireless speaker and before he came to power would sometimes give as many as three or four speeches on the same day, often in different cites. Even his opponents concede that he is the greatest orator that Germany has ever known,"[sic](Ken McVay 1995, (Internet)). Though he didn't have a good education his orator skill, which is a leadership skill, helped him achieve his goal. Along with being a tireless orator, Hitler also possessed the quality to make everybody listen to him, a quality that most, not including Mr. Marcero, saline high school teachers could use. He would get the audience by telling them what they wanted to hear, then he would manipulate the people to arose their emotions. "His power and Fascination in speaking lay almost wholly in his ability to sense what the given audience wanted to hear and then to manipulate his theme in such a way that he would arouse the emotions of the crowd,"(Strasser 1993, (Internet)). The

Edgar Degas

1999-02-28T13:00:00-05:00
Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas was born on July 19, 1834, at 8 rue Saint-George's in Paris. His father, Auguste, a banker, was French, and his mother, Célestine, an American from New Orleans. The family name "Degas" had been changed to "De Gas" by some family members in Naples and France in order to sound more aristocratic; the preposition indicated a name derived from land holdings. Degas went back to using the original spelling sometime after 1870, and that is how we spell his name today. He was destined for a law career, but instead entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, where he studies with Louis Lamothe. There he became a painter and sculptor. Degas was associated with the Impressionists, taking an active part in there firsts exhibitions, but his individual choice of subject matter, handling of composition, and emphasis of drawing distinguished his works from theirs. He worked with a number of media: oil, pastel, lithography, engraving, and sculpture. From the mid-1850s through the mid-1870s Degas explored many types of subject matter. He copied works by earlier artists and executed his own history paintings, portraits, and scenes of daily life. Degas eventually ended his efforts at history painting and devoted more attention to portraiture, turning images of relatives and friends into complex psychological studies. His oils and pastels depict the inhabitants of the world of sports, business, ballet, and the cafes in their self-conscious posturing and characteristic gestures. He has numerous paintings of jockeys, dancers, laundresses and prostitutes. Another favorite subject was a model at her bath. Degas' observation of movement resulted in the radical compositions that preserved the character of his subjects. As Degas' subject matter became more contemporary, so did his artistic style. Early on, Degas presents people as individuals, whereas works from the mid-1870s on categorize women in particular according to their professions. The laundresses, milliners, and dancers represent types rather than specific individuals. Degas' handling of paint and use of color also become bolder and more experimental. Degas' collection of repeated poses and postures speaks to his preoccupation with texture, color, and form. In the later years of his life, despite failing eyesight, he continues to paint his women models in varied, unarranged poses. Soon after he began to let him self go. He stopped caring for his dress or trimming his beard. He had chronic bronchitis and bladder problems. Degas continued to work as long as he was in the

Aristotle

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Aristotle was born in 384 BC and lived until 322 BC. He was a Greek philosopher and scientist, who shares with Plato being considered the most famous of ancient philosophers. He was born at Stagira, in Macedonia, the son of a physician to the royal court. When he was 17, he went to Athens to study at Plato's Academy. He stayed for about 20 years, as a student and then as a teacher. When Plato died in 347 BC, Aristotle moved to Assos, a city in Asia Minor, where a friend of his named Hermias was the ruler. He counseled Hermias and married his niece and adopted daughter, Pythias (wierd names, huh). After Hermias was captured and executed by the Persians, Aristotle went to Pella, Macedonia's capital, and became the tutor of the king's young son Alexander, later known as Alexander the Great. In 335, when Alexander became king, Aristotle went back to Athens and established his own school, the Lyceum.Since a lot of the lessons happened when teachers and students were walking, it was nicknamed the Peripatetic school (Peripatetic means walking). When Alexander died in 323 BC, strong anti-Macedonian feeling was felt in Athens, and Aristotle went to a family estate in Euboea. He died there the following year. Aristotle, like Plato, used his dialogue in his beginning years at the Academy. Apart from a few fragments in the works of later writers, his dialogues have been wholly lost. Aristotle also wrote some short technical writings, including a dictionary of philosophic terms and a summary of the "doctrines of Pythagoras" (the guy from the Pythagorean Theorem). Of these, only a few short pieces have survived. Still in good shape, though, are Aristotle's lecture notes for carefully outlined courses treating almost every type of knowledge and art. The writings that made him famous are mostly these, which were collected by other editors. Among the writings are short informative lectures on logic, called Organon (which means "instrument"), because "they provide the means by which positive knowledge is to be attained"(They're not my words, I'm quoting him). His writing on natural science include Physics, which gives a huge amount of information on astronomy, meteorology, plants, and animals. His writings on the nature, scope, and properties of being, (I know what one of them means!) which Aristotle called First Philosophy (to him it was "Prote philosophia"), were given the title Metaphysics in the first published

Johann Sebastian Bach

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00

Born: March 21, 1685
Died: July 28, 1750
Birthplace: Eisanach, Germany
Age at Death: 65
Biography Born at Eisenach, in Thuringia, he came of a distinguished musical family. At 15 he became a chorister at Luneburg and at 19 organist at Arnstadt. Subsequent appointments included positions at the courts of Weimar and Anhalt-Kother, and finally in 1723, that of musical director at St Thomas's choir school in Leipzig, where, apart from his brief visit to the court of Frederick the Great of Prussia in 1747, he remained there until his death. Bach married twice and had 21 children, ten of whom died in infancy. His second wife, Anna Magdalena Wulkens, was a soprano singer; she also acted as his amanuensis, when in later years his sight failed. Bach was a master of contrapuntal technique, and his music

The Life of Ludwig Van Beethoven

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The rise of Ludwig van Beethoven into the ranks of history's greatest composers was parallelled by and in some ways a consequence of his own personal tragedy and despair. Beginning in the late 1790's, the increasing buzzing and humming in his ears sent Beethoven into a panic, searching for a cure from doctor to doctor. By October 1802 he had written the Heiligenstadt Testament confessing the certainty of his growing deafness, his consequent despair, and suicidal considerations. Yet, despite the personal tragedy caused by the "infirmity in the one sense which ought to be more perfect in [him] than in others, a sense which [he] once possessed in the highest perfection, a perfection such as few in [his] profession enjoy," it also served as a motivating force in that it challenged him to try and conquer the fate that was handed him. He would not surrender to that "jealous demon, my wretched health" before proving to himself and the world the extent of his skill. Thus, faced with such great impending loss, Beethoven, keeping faith in his art and ability, states in his Heiligenstadt Testament a promise of his greatness yet to be proven in the development of his heroic style. By about 1800, Beethoven was mastering the Viennese High-Classic style. Although the style had been first perfected by Mozart, Beethoven did extend it to some degree. He had unprecedently composed sonatas for the cello which in combination with the piano opened the era of the Classic-Romantic cello sonata. In addition, his sonatas for violin and piano became the cornerstone of the sonata duo repertory. His experimentation with additions to the standard forms likewise made it apparent that he had reached the limits of the high-Classic style. Having displayed the extended range of his piano writing he was also begining to forge a new voice for the violin. In 1800, Beethoven was additionally combining the sonata form with a full orchestra in his First Symphony, op. 2. In the arena of piano sonata, he had also gone beyond the three-movement design of Haydn and Mozart, applying sometimes the four-movement design reserved for symphonies and quartets through the addition of a minuet or scherzo. Having confidently proven the high-Classic phase of his sonata development with the "Grande Sonate," op. 22, Beethoven moved on to the fantasy sonata to allow himself freer expression. By 1802, he had evidently succeeded in mastering the high-Classic

DR Daniel J Boorstin

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Dr. Daniel J. Boorstin (1914- ) holds many honorable positions and has received numerous awards for his notable work. He is one of America's most eminent historians, the author of more than fifteen books and numerous articles on the history of the United States, as well as a creator of a television show. His editor-wife, Ruth Frankel Boorstin, a Wellesley graduate, has been his close collaborator. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Oklahoma, he received his undergraduate degree with highest honors from Harvard and his doctor's degree from Yale. He has spent a great deal of his life abroad, first in England as a Rhodes Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford. More recently he has been visiting professor of American History at the University of Rome, Italy, the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and at Kyoto University, Japan. He was the first incumbent of the chair of American History at the Sorbonne, and was the Professor of American History and Institutions as well as Fellow of Trinity College, at Cambridge University. He has been director of the National Museum of American History and the Librarian of Congress Emeritus. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar and has practiced law. He has received more than fifty honorary degrees and has been honored by the governments of France, Belgium and Portugal. In 1989 he received the National Book Award for Distinguished Contributions to American Letters by the NationalBook Foundation. Dr. Boorstin's many books include the trilogy The Americans: The Colonial Experience, which won the Bancroft Prize, The Americans: The National Experience, which won the Parkman Prize, and The Americans: The Democratic Experience, which won the Pulitzer Prize. His 1983 work, The Discoverers, a best selling history of man's search to know the world and himself, was awarded the Watson Davis Prize of the History of Science Society. His other works include The Mysterious Science of Law, The Genius of American Politics, and The Republic of Technology. In addition, he is the editor of An American Primer and the thirty volume series The Chicago History of American Civilization. His books have been translated into twenty-five languages (GBN Reviews, 1997). Most of Dr. Boorstin's books are not written as conventional chronological histories. Instead, their brief chapters explore many disparate facets of American culture. The topics which he covers range from the new grammar, the rise of the candy bar and the moon landing, to the development

Saint John Bosco

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
A man with a vision, with an awareness of the good that lives in people, with an ability of dreaming dreams of beauty for those he met along his way, this is John Bosco. St. John Bosco (1815-1888) was born to poor parents in Recchi, Italy, the Piedmont area of northern Italy. When John was two, his father died prematurely. As a boy, John lived on a farm with his family doing the only thing they knew how, farming. Poverty and a lack of formal education in the home did not stop the growth of John Bosco as a person. His mother was for real, realizing the importance of God in life. This friendship with God became powerful and slowly John prepared for the priesthood. In 1841 at the age of 26, John was ordained priest at Turin, and immediately gave himself to that work, finding shelter for neglected youth and instructing them in religion. He was now ready to make his contribution toward the poor and homeless. He rented an old barn in a field which he called "The Oratory." This was the first of many oratories John Bosco founded for helping poor boys who needed a home. He believed that prayer and Holy Mass and Communion and confession are the best ways for children to attain a sense of personal responsibility. In a short time, other priests joined him in his work and by 1852 they were caring for over 600 boys. John dealt with them by using a minimum of restraint and discipline, lots of love, keeping careful watch over their development and encouraging them personally and through religion. John's preaching and writing, as well as the charitable support of wealthy and powerful patrons allowed for expansion of his work. The need for dependable assistants led to the founding of the society of St. Francis de Sales in 1859, and it continues to work today. To provide similar care for the poor and neglected girls, John Bosco founded, in 1872, the Daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians. The life of St. John Bosco was full and his zeal contagious. He never got tired of talking and writing about his work for the young and their care. On this feast day the Church has chosen for the Office of Readings an excerpt from one of his letters. It expresses his concern and is applicable for our time when children suffer from neglect in

Julius Caesar

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Julius Caesar was a strong leader for the Romans who changed the course of the history of the Greco - Roman world decisively and irreversibly. With his courage and strength he created a strong empire . What happened during his early political career? How did he become such a strong dictator of the Roman Empire? What events led up to the making of the first triumvirate? How did he rise over the other two in the triumvirate and why did he choose to take over? What happened during his reign as dictator of Rome? What events led up to the assassination of Caesar? What happened after he was killed? Caesar was a major part of the Roman Empire because of his strength and his strong war strategies. Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman whose dictatorship was pivotal in Rome's transition from republic to empire. When he was young Caesar lived through one of the most horrifying decades in the history of the city of Rome. The city was assaulted twice and captured by Roman armies, first in 87 BC by the leaders of the populares, his uncle Marius and Cinna. Cinna was killed the year that Caesar had married Cinna's daughter Cornelia. The second attack upon the city was carried our by Marius' enemy Sulla, leader of the optimates, in 82 BC on the latter's return from the East. On each occasion the massacre of political opponents was followed by the confiscation of their property. The proscriptions of Sulla, which preceded the reactionary political legislation enacted during his dictatorship left a particularly bitter memory that long survived. Caesar left Rome for the province of Asia on the condition that he divorce his wife because Sulla would only allow him to leave on that condition. When he heard the news that Sulla had been killed he returned to Rome. He studied rhetoric under the distinguished teacher Molon. In the winter of 75-74 BC Caesar was captured by pirated and, while in their custody awaiting the arrival of the ransom money which they demanded, threatened them with crucifixion , a threat which he fulfilled immediately after his release. He then returned to Rome to engage in a normal political career, starting with the quaetorship which he served in 69-68 BC in the province of Further Spain. In the Roman political world of the sixties the dominance of the optimates was

George Washington Carver

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Carver was born a slave in Missouri. Although is exact birth date is unknown it has been narrowed down to July 12, 1861. Carver was only an infant when his dad was killed an he, his brother and mother were kidnapped. He was then orphaned and Moses Carver, his owner, bought George back in exchange for a horse. The horses value was estimated at 300 dollars. Carvers first schooling took place in a single room school house for black children. After regular schooling, he enrolled at Highland University. He had the grade but due to the fact that he was black he was denied. He then enrolled at Simpson College in Iowa where he worked as a cook to pay of his tuition. Carver wander to be an artist and he also showed promise as a painter. His art teacher steered him away from art and encouraged him to enroll at State Agricultural College in Ames. There he earned his bachelors degree. He then went to the Ames Experiment Station where he was employed by Louis Pammel. In 1896, Carver went to Tuskegee Institute to lead the newly established department of agriculture. For the rest of his life, Carver put together a laboratory, made useless and over-farmed land farmable, and continued research. Much of the land in the South had been over-farmed. All of the soil's nutrients had been depleted by the cotton and tobacco plant. Carver improved soil with his own blend of fertilizers. He also advised farmers to plant peanuts and sweet potatoes, he told them this would help the soil. So many farmers did this and were stuck with peanuts and sweet potatoes. So he made over 300 bi-products from plants such as cereal, oils, dyes, and soaps. In addition, Carver developed a "school on wheels" to teach farmers from Alabama the essentials for soil enrichment. Carver had experimented with various types of fertilizers. He grew huge vegetables with these fertilizers. He also crossed a long stalk and a short stalk of cotton to produce a new plant known as Carvers Hybrid. Carvers many achievements made him easily promotable to high salary jobs but he refused a raise and he stayed with the 1500 dollar annual salary he started with during his first year of employment. Carver published a total of 44 books and received countless numbers of awards, metals, and honors. In 1940, the Carver Research Foundation was formed at Tuskegee. He

Cicero

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Cicero, was truly a man of the state. His writings also show us he was equally a man of philosophical temperament and affluence. Yet at times these two forces within Cicero clash and contradict with the early stoic teachings. Cicero gradually adopted the stoic lifestyle but not altogether entirely, and this is somewhat due to the fact of what it was like to be a roman of the time. The morals of everyday Rome conflicted with some of the stoic ideals that were set by early stoicism. Thus, Cicero changed the face of stoicism by romanizing it; redefining stoicism into the middle phase. Of Cicero it can be said he possessed a bias towards roman life and doctrine. For Cicero every answer lay within Rome itself, from the ideal governing body to the place of divination. Cicero does not offer any alternate answers to roman society, which robs him of being truly a unique and bold political philosopher. This is not to say however some of his doctrines are untrue, just that he is somewhat blinded by his roman beliefs and assumptions. The assumptions of Cicero can be noticed when one inspects his view of the ideal governing body, which he expresses through Scipio (in the commonwealth). Although Cicero presents very convincing arguments for a Composite government, clearly his view is possibly only due towards his belief in the roman structure of government.¹ Cicero was limited to roman borders of experience, and this point was best illustrated by his disagreement with Aristotle's writings on the decay of states. Cicero was unable to think on the level of Aristotle's logic. He quite simply used roman history as a mapping of the paths of the decay of states. In contrast, Aristotle understood the underlying forces and influences that transpired when a state degraded. Cicero quite frankly could not understand the forces which Aristotle so eloquently denoted. For Cicero, history offered the only possible paths of outcomes; the forces and behaviors played little part on the resulting state.² A further point of philosophical belief which Cicero contradicted the stoic lifestyle, is religion. Roman tradition conflicted greatly with stoic doctrine, and the two philosophies could never truly harmonize with one another. This point brought the distinction between the Greek learned world of intellect, and the traditional religious roman patronage. This observation literally draws a line between the two worlds, that of knowledge and reason opposing that

Bill Clinton's Life

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Bill Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946, in the small town of Hope, Arkansas. He was named after his father, William Jefferson Blythe II, who had been killed in a car accident just three months before his son's birth. Needing a way to support herself and her new child, Bill Clinton's mother, Virginia Cassidy Blythe, moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, to study nursing. Bill Clinton stayed with his mother's parents in Hope. There his grandparents, Eldrigde and Edith Cassidy, taught him strong values and beliefs such as "equality among all and discrimination to none". This was a lesson Bill never forgot. His mother returned from New Orleans with a nursing degree in 1950, when her son was four year old. Later that same year, she married an automobile salesman named Roger Clinton. When Bill was seven years old, the family moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas for it offered a better employment opportunities. Roger received a higher paying job as a service manager for his brother's car dealer-ship and Virginia discovered a job as a nurse anesthetist. In 1956, Bill Clinton's half-brother, Roger Clinton Jr., was born. When his brother was old enough to enter school, young Bill had his last name legally altered from Blythe to Clinton. Clinton's life continued and during his High school years he was awestruck by two successful leaders, John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was inspired by them so much that thrived on fulfilling their dreams. He raised money and organized charity events, but most of all he learned how to work with people and the concept of being a good citizen. In his spare time, he endulged himself in literature and played a saxophone. He loved music, and each summer he would attend a band camp in the Ozark Mountains. His hard work paid off when he became top saxophone player at his school and won first chair in state band. Bill Clinton recognized that although college would be expensive, it would give him the education he needed to accomplish his goals. His hard work in school, combined with his music ability, earned him many academic and music scholarships. With the aid of those scholarships and loans from the government, he was able to attend Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He chose George town because it had an excellent foreign service program and it was

Albert Einstein

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Of all the scientists to emerge from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries there is one whose name is known by almost all living people. While most of these do not understand this man's work, everyone knows that its impact on the world of science is astonishing. Yes, many have heard of Albert Einstein's General Theory of relativity, but few know about the intriguing life that led this scientist to discover what some have called, "The greatest single achievement of human thought." Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1874. Before his first birthday, his family had moved to Munich where young Albert's father, Hermann Einstein, and uncle set up a small electro-chemical business. He was fortunate to have an excellent family with which he held a strong relationship. Albert's mother, Pauline Einstein, had an intense passion for music and literature, and it was she that first introduced her son to the violin in which he found much joy and relaxation. Also, he was very close with his younger sister, Maja, and hey could often be found in the lakes that were scattered about the countryside near Munich. As a child, Einstein's sense of curiosity had already begun to stir. A favorite toy of his was his father's compass, and he often marvelled at his uncle's explanations of algebra. Although young Albert was intrigued by certain mysteries of science, he was considered a slow learner. His failure to become fluent in German until the age of nine even led some teachersto believe he was disabled. Einstein's post-basic education began at the Luitpold Gymnasium when he was ten. It was here that he first encountered the German spirit through the school's strict disciplinary policy. His disapproval of this method of teaching led to his reputation as a rebel. It was probably these differences that caused Einstein to search for knowledge at home. He began not with science, but with religion. He avidly studied the Bible seeking truth, but this religious fervor soon died down when he discovered the intrigue of science and math. To him, these seemed much more realistic than ancient stories. With this new knowledge he disliked class even more, and was eventually expelled from Luitpold Gymnasium being considered a disruptive influence. Feeling that he could no longer deal with the German mentality, Einstein moved to Switzerland where he continued his education. At sixteen he attempted to enroll at the Federal Institute

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Franklin Delano Roosevelt is one of our country's best known and most beloved presidents. He is commonly remembered for taking a tired, beaten, nation and instilling hope in it. This positive view of Roosevelt is held by Burns, who paints the picture of a man whose goal was to alleviate our nation's economic pains. But, is this view too myopic? Is Roosevelt deserving of such a godly reputation? These questions are posed by Conkin as he points out the discrimination that underlies many New Deal programs, and even suggests that many of Roosevelt's actions were for purely political motives. During the weeks preceding Roosevelt's inauguration the country was engaged in an economic crisis that was quickly spiraling downward. Banks failed, people panicked, and the nation looked to someone, anyone, for help. Hoover, sensing the country's desperation, but realizing his lack of power, and the feelings of resentment harbored towards him looked to Roosevelt. He asked the president-elect to join in economic planning, support policies, and most importantly to reassure the nation. While both authors note Roosevelt's unwillingness to cooperate with Hoover they site different reasons for it. Burns talks of Roosevelt's belief that the nation was not yet his domain, and that Hoover had the authority to handle the situation. In addition, Burns excuses Roosevelt by maintaining "Roosevelt did not foresee that the banking situation would reach a dramatic climax on Inauguration day. No man could have." (P. 148) This position is an exceedingly benevolent one when contrasted with Conkin's who writes Roosevelt "did nothing, and helplessly watched the economy collapse, letting it appear as one last result of Republican incompetence." This measure allowed Roosevelt to emerge as the "nation's savior," and ally the Democratic party with this image. Furthermore, the two authors differ in their assessment of the effect of public opinion on Roosevelt's actions. Burns gives the impression of a president who looked to engage all in his coalition. He states, politically, his cabinet "catered to almost every major group." Burns also adds, "Roosevelt did not slavishly follow the wishes of group leaders." (P. 150). Roosevelt is portrayed as the paragon of a humanitarian, "he wanted to help the underdog, though not necessarily at the expense of the top dog. He believed that private, special interests must be subordinated to the general interest." (P. 155) Conkin attempts to poke holes in this idealistic portrayal of Roosevelt. Conversely, Conkin implies

Galileo Galilei

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Galileo Galilei was born at Pisa on the 18th of February in 1564. His father, Vincenzo Galilei, belonged to a noble family and had gained some distinction as a musician and a mathematician. At an early age, Galileo manifested his ability to learn both mathematical and mechanical types of things, but his parents, wishing to turn him aside from studies which promised no substantial return, steered him toward some sort of medical profession. But this had no effect on Galileo. During his youth he was allowed to follow the path that he wished to. Although in the popular mind Galileo is remembered chiefly as an astronomer, however, the science of mechanics and dynamics pretty much owe their existence to his findings. Before he was twenty, observation of the oscillations of a swinging lamp in the cathedral of Pisa led him to the discovery of the isochronism of the pendulum, which theory he utilized fifty years later in the construction of an astronomical clock. In 1588, an essay on the center of gravity in solids obtained for him the title of the Archimedes of his time, and secured him a teaching spot in the University of Pisa. During the years immediately following, taking advantage of the celebrated leaning tower, he laid the foundation experimentally of the theory of falling bodies and demonstrated the falsity of the peripatetic maxim, which is that an objects rate of descent is proportional to its weight. When he challenged this it made all of the followers of Aristotle extremely angry, they would not except the fact that their leader could have been wrong. Galileo, in result of this and other troubles, found it prudent to quit Pisa and move to Florence, the original home of his family. In Florence he was nominated by the Venetian Senate in 1592 to the chair of mathematics in the University of Padua, which he occupied for eighteen years, with ever-increasing fame. After that he was appointed philosopher and mathematician to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. During the whole of this period, and to the close of his life, his investigation of Nature, in all her fields, was never stopped. Following up his experiments at Pisa with others upon inclined planes, Galileo established the laws of falling bodies as they are still formulated. He likewise demonstrated the laws of projectiles, and largely anticipated the laws of motion as finally established by

Henry VIII

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
On June 28, 1941 Henry the VIII of England was born. This young man will form his own church. He will succeed to the throne in 1509. He will also marry six women! Something good will happen when he is king, he will unite England and Wales and will also do some bad things like executing people who would not follow his rules. In 1539, the Act of Supremacy declared Henry to be the head of the Church of England. King Henry the VIII of England had a good side and a bad side. Though popular with the people of England and also very talented he had many bad times and many good times for himself. Henry was not only selfish but, also handsome and had a hearty personality, he was also a gifted scholar, linguist, composer, and a musician. He was talented at many sports and was also good with the ladies. Henry was the second son and the third child of his father. Henry the VIII died in 1509, the only reason Henry would become king is because of his brothers, Arthur, death in April of 1502. Soon after that, Henry would marry his first wife, his brother (Arthur's) widow, Catherine of Aragon. Many wifes would follow after her. During most of his early reign, Henry relied on Thomas Cardinal Wosley to do much of the political and religious activities. Henry soon got tired of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon, so he decides that he doesn't want to be married to her anymore, so he tells Thomas Wosley to talk to the pope so he can divorce Catherine. But, Cardinal Wosley wasn't able to convince the pope, so in 1529 Henry took Wosley's authority away from him. Henry then appointed Sir Thomas More. Henry then got that divorce through Thomas Cramner, that he wanted with Catherine of Aragon and then married Anne Boleyn. Cramner now the Arch Bishop of Canterbury, made Henry's marriage with Catherine void and his marriage with Anne valid. This made the Pope furious. So in 1534, King Henry had the parliament pass a law saying that the king, not the pope, would from now on be the supreme head of the Church of England. Since Henry was now in charge of the Church , he was going to make some changes. He had all the bibles translated into English. He then had all the

Hubert H. Humphrey

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Hubert Humphrey was the thirty eighth Vice President of the United States. He was elected along side of Lyndon B. Johnson as the Democratic party in the year 1964. Humphrey also ran for the title of U.S. president in 1968, but was unsuccesful in his attempts. Humphrey gained his national reputation as a U.S. Senator from the years 1949-1964 and then he was senator again from 1971 until his death. Hubert Humphrey became in his later years, one of the most respected political figures. However one thing that did put a damper on his

Abraham Lincoln

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Abraham Lincoln, from the backwoods of Hodgenville Kentucky, rose to become one of the greatest presidents of the United States. During his attempt to keep the Union in the Civil War, he gained more power and authority than any president before him. A excellent politician, Lincoln was always looked upon for leadership for he put reason and thoughtful decisions behind his word. Abraham Lincoln, born to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hawks on February 12, 1809, was conceived in a log cabin built by his father. Abe had one older sister, and a younger brother that died as an infant. The Lincoln family moved a lot, from Kentucky to Indiana, and back to Kentucky. Abe read a book titled Mason Locke Weems's Life and Memorable Actions of George Washington, this book mad a lasting impression on him that persuaded him throughout his life. By the time he was nineteen Abe reached his full grown height of six feet four inches. He held small jobs such as a clerk, postmaster and a few others through his early twenties. Then in 1832 he ran for county candidate against 13 others. Only four were to be elected and Lincoln finished eighth. In '834 he ran for a representative to the Illinois legislature, by this time Lincoln was well known and he got the election. Abe began to study law, and in 1836 became a licensed attorney. In 1837 he made his first public stand against slavery, Lincoln avoided extreme abolitionist groups though he was greatly against slavery. On November 4, 1842 Lincoln married Mary Todd, whom he spent the rest of his life with. He became a United States Congressman, although he was an amateur, his goal was to make his mark. What might of made him fulfill this goal was the fact that he never lost confidence in himself. Years went by, and Abraham could not stand slavery any more, he was elected by the republican party to do something about it. On March 4, 1861, Lincoln was sworn in as president of the United States of America at his first inaugural address. Soon after the Civil War began, and Abe had to take on a problem that is more severe than any preceding president. During his second year in office, on April 16, 1862, Lincoln finally signed a bill that abolished slavery throughout the land. On November 19, 1863, Lincoln was called to deliver a speech

Louis XIV, The Sun King

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Louis XIV was only four years old when he succeeded his father to the French throne. Often uncared for, he nearly drowned because no one was watching him as he played near a pond. This began to shape in his young mind an early fear of God. Louis' character was also shaped by the French Civil War. In this, the Paris Parlement rose against the crown. For five years, Louis would suffer fear, cold, hunger and other spirit-breaking events. He would never forgive Paris, the nobles, or the common people. Finally, in 1653, Cardinal Jules Mazarin was able to end the rebellion. He began to instruct Louis on his position as king. Even though Louis XIV was now of age, the Cardinal remained the dominant authority in French politics. French kings gained respect as a soldier; Louis served with the French army during France's war with Spain. His biggest battle, however, was sacrificing his love for Mazarin's niece for politics. In 1660 he married the daughter of the king of Spain to bring peace between the two countries. Mazarin died March 9, 1661. On March 10, Louis claimed supreme authority in France. Not since Henry IV had such a claim been made. Louis saw himself as God's representative on earth, therefore, infallible. He oversaw roadbuilding, court decorum, defense, and disputes within the church. He had the support initially of his ministers, then that of the French people. He had given France the image it desired-youth and vitality surrounded by magnificence. Louis won the favor of the nobles by making it evident that their future depended on their ability stay on his good side. This weakened the nobility, and would eventually weaken France. Louis had among his supportors a wide spectrum of individuals. Writers such as Moliere were ordered to glorify him. Monuments rose throughout the country and Louis had palaces built in his honor. The most elaborate was Versailles, located outside Paris. Away from disease, Versailles also isolated the king from his people. The aristocracy became mysterious. France was also undergoing an economic revolution. Exports were increased, and a navy, merchant marine, and police association emerged. Roads, ports and canals were being built. He invaded the Spanish Nederlands in 1667. The restarted war between France and Spain would be on again, off again for the remainder of Louis' reign. In 1668, the French army retreated under pressure from Dutch and English forces. Louis swore to defeat the Dutch

Lycergus

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
In ancient Greece, the most feared named was Sparta. It was a total war machine willing to take on all comers. They rose above the rest by being well disciplined and educated. The man who brought them this glory was Lycergus. Like any great leader he was very idealistic. His main goal was to change Sparta into a complete city state. It is believed that he was born between the eighth and tenth century. "Most historians don't believe he existed at all". He was from the Eurypontid house which was one of two houses of Royality. "It is thought by many that he may have been King". Unquestionably he was one of the great thinkers. Among his many accomplishments, Lycergus was responsible for the Spartan Council of Elders, iron coinage, and the education of the entire population. "The Spartans attributed all

Lyndon B Johnson

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Johnson was born on Aug. 27, 1908, near Johnson City, Tex., the eldest son of Sam Ealy Johnson, Jr., and Rebekah Baines Johnson. His father, a struggling farmer and cattle speculator in the hill country of Texas, provided only an uncertain income for his family. Politically active, Sam Johnson served five terms in the Texas legislature. His mother had varied cultural interests and placed high value on education; she was fiercely ambitious for her children. Johnson attended public schools in Johnson City and received a B.S. degree from Southwest Texas State Teachers College in San Marcos. He then taught for a year in Houston before going to Washington in 1931 as secretary to a Democratic Texas congressman, Richard M. Kleberg. During the next 4 years Johnson developed a wide network of political contacts in Washington, D.C. On Nov. 17, 1934, he married Claudia Alta Taylor, known as "Lady Bird." A warm, intelligent, ambitious woman, she was a great asset to Johnson's career. They had two daughters, Lynda Byrd, born in 1944, and Luci Baines, born in 1947. In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt entered the White House. Johnson greatly admired the president, who named him, at age 27, to head the National Youth Administration in Texas. This job, which Johnson held from 1935 to 1937, entailed helping young people obtain employment and schooling. It confirmed Johnson's faith in the positive potential of government and won for him a group of supporters in Texas. In 1937, Johnson sought and won a Texas seat in Congress, where he championed public works, reclamation, and public power programs. When war came to Europe he backed Roosevelt's efforts to aid the Allies. During World War II he served a brief tour of active duty with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific (1941-42) but returned to Capitol Hill when Roosevelt recalled members of Congress from active duty. Johnson continued to support Roosevelt's military and foreign-policy programs. During the 1940s, Johnson and his wife developed profitable business ventures, including a radio station, in Texas. In 1948 he ran for the U.S. Senate, winning the Democratic party primary by only 87 votes. (This was his second try; in 1941 he had run for the Senate and lost to a conservative opponent.) The opposition accused him of fraud and tagged him "Landslide Lyndon." Although challenged, unsuccessfully, in the courts, he took office in 1949. Senator and Vice-President Johnson moved quickly into the Senate

Marco Polo

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Marco Polo is one of the most well-known heroic travelers and traders around the world. In my paper I will discuss with you Marco Polo's life, his travels, and his visit to China to see the great Khan. Marco Polo was born in c.1254 in Venice. He was a Venetian explorer and merchant whose account of his travels in Asia was the primary source for the European image of the Far East until the late 19th century. Marco's father, Niccolò, and his uncle Maffeo had traveled to China (1260-69) as merchants. When they left (1271) Venice to return to China, they were accompanied by 17-year-old Marco and two priests. Early Life Despite his enduring fame, very little was known about the personal life of Marco Polo. It is known that he was born into a leading Venetian family of merchants. He also lived during a propitious time in world history, when the height of Venice's influence as a city-state coincided with the greatest extent of Mongol conquest of Asia(Li Man Kin 9). Ruled by Kublai Khan, the Mongol Empire stretched all the way from China to Russia and the Levant. The Mongol hordes also threatened other parts of Europe, particularly Poland and Hungary, inspiring fear everywhere by their bloodthirsty advances. Yet the ruthless methods brought a measure of stability to the lands they controlled, opening up trade routes such as the famous Silk Road. Eventually ,the Mongols discovered that it was more profitable to collect tribute from people than to kill them outright, and this policy too stimulated trade(Hull 23). Into this favorable atmosphere a number of European traders ventured, including the family of Marco Polo. The Polos had long-established ties in the Levant and around the Black Sea: for example, they owned property in Constantinople, and Marco's uncle, for whom he was named, had a home in Sudak in the Crimea(Rugoff 8). From Sudak, around 1260, another uncle, Maffeo, and Marco's father, Niccolò, made a trading visit into Mongol territory, the land of the Golden Horde(Russia), ruled by Berke Khan. While they were there, a war broke out between Berke and the Cowan of Levant , blocking their return home. Thus Niccolò and Maffeo traveled deeper into mongol territory, moving southeast to Bukhara, which was ruled by a third Cowan. While waiting there, they met an emissary traveling farther eastward who invited them to accompany him to the court of the great Cowan,

Karl Marx

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Karl Heinrich Marx was born on May 5, 1818, in the city of Trier in Prussia, now, Germany. He was one of seven children of Jewish Parents. His father was fairly liberal, taking part in demonstrations for a constitution for Prussia and reading such authors as Voltaire and Kant, known for their social commentary. His mother, Henrietta, was originally from Holland and never became a German at heart, not even learning to speak the language properly. Shortly before Karl Marx was born, his father converted the family to the Evangelical Established Church, Karl being baptized at the age of six. Marx attended high school in his home town (1830-1835) where several teachers and pupils were under suspicion of harboring liberal ideals. Marx himself seemed to be a devoted Christian with a "longing for self-sacrifice on behalf of humanity." In October of 1835, he started attendance at the University of Bonn, enrolling in non-socialistic-related classes like Greek and Roman mythology and the history of art. During this time, he spent a day in jail for being "drunk and disorderly-the only imprisonment he suffered" in the course of his life. The student culture at Bonn included, as a major part, being politically rebellious and Marx was involved, presiding over the Tavern Club and joining a club for poets that included some politically active students. However, he left Bonn after a year and enrolled at the University of Berlin to study law and philosophy. Marx's experience in Berlin was crucial to his introduction to Hegel's philosophy and to his "adherence to the Young Hegelians." Hegel's philosophy was crucial to the development of his own ideas and theories. Upon his first introduction to Hegel's beliefs, Marx felt a repugnance and wrote his father that when he felt sick, it was partially "from intense vexation at having to make an idol of a view [he] detested." The Hegelian doctrines exerted considerable pressure in the "revolutionary student culture" that Marx was immersed in, however, and Marx eventually joined a society called the Doctor Club, involved mainly in the "new literary and philosophical movement" who's chief figure was Bruno Bauer, a lecturer in theology who thought that the Gospels were not a record of History but that they came from "human fantasies arising from man's emotional needs" and he also hypothesized that Jesus had not existed as a person. Bauer was later dismissed from his position by the Prussian

George Meade

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Do you know who was the general for the Second Battle of Bull Run? Everyone knows what the Second Battle of Bull Run is but who was the general? Some people even know that the North won that battle. Most people do not know that General George Meade defeated General Lee at that battle. General George Mead accomplished much during wartime. General George Meade had many accomplishments during wartime. First of all, he defeated General Lee at the Second Battle of Bull Run. Why would not General Meade crush General Lee at this battle and end the war there? Facts say that heavy fog and rain forced Meade to stop. Likewise, on June 1, !863 a surprise encounter forced his troops into the Battle of Gettysburg, the greatest battle on American soil. This battle came about when General Lee's army needed shoes. The two forces met here on accident and fought to a victory for the North. Lee acknowledged his defeat and retreated to Virginia. Not only did Meade serve in the Civil War, but also served in the Mexican War. He served in the battles of Palo Alto, Monterey, and Veracruz. During these he served under General Zachory Taylor. To sum up, General George Meade accomplished many things during his time at war. Each of General George Meade's accomplishments had one major effect on how life is today. To start, if Meade had not defeated Lee at the Second Battle of Bull Run the war would not have started off positively for the North. This was important because the soldiers gained their confidence when they won this battle. If the North would have lost the entire war the U.S. would be two different countries. Secondly, Meade's defeat of Lee at the accidental Gettysburg. This was a battle that turned the war around and gave the North the advantage. This was the North's first victory in a long time. Finally, if the U.S. had not have won the Mexican War, Where Meade served as a soldier, the U.S. would not have gained the southwest portion of the country. This ,as you remember, was where the gold rush took place that caused the country to spread out over the land. As has been shown, Meade's accomplishments had many effects on how life is lived today. There are many things that would be different if George Meade had never lived. For one thing, the

Linus Carl Pauling

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Linus Carl Pauling was born Feb. 28, 1901 in Portland Oreg. He has made major contributions in structural chemistry and molecular biology. Linus Pauling became interested in biological molecules, and he preformed magnetic studies on oxygen-carrying hemoglobin molecules with C. D. Coryell. Linus developed

Joel Poinsett

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
In 1825 President John Quincy Adams appointed Joel Poinsett as the first U.S. minister to Mexico. His first assignment was to persuade the Mexican government to sell the U.S. the province of Texas, thus continuing the rapid expansion of the American democracy. The United States continued to pursue Texas with little success for the next 20 years. It was not until December 1845 when the U.S. finally annexed Texas by a joint resolution (and thus simple majority) . Immediately following the Texas acquisition, and with U.S.-Mexico relations swiftly deteriorating, the U.S. wanted the Mexican province of California, mainly for her harbours San Frasisco and San Diego. The American policy towards Mexico which ensued in the following years was governed almost exclusively by President James Polk's personal opinions and actions, as well as Nicholas Trist's defiant behavior; a manifestation of the state-centric theory in which key individual decision makers govern policy. In addition, Polk's policies were secondarily influenced by the consideration of relative power, American mass ideology, and Public opinion. In 1845 President Polk began, cofidentially from the public, considering the annexation of California. Polk's initial desire was to simply purchase California, attempting to maintain peace. He soon learned this would be impossible. When Polk ordered General Taylor to cross the Nueces River and eventually to fortify on the Rio Grande, he fully understood the possilble consequences of these actions. In fact, by deploying Taylor and his troops, Polk putting a slow squeeze on the Mexicans which would leave them with no other option than to strike back. Polk waited for the initial attack to be made by the Mexicans and then struck back. Polk claimed that American blood had been spilled on American soil, thus garnering enough public and congressional support to declare war on Mexico safe from domestic unrest. Norman Graebner states that, " Polk was too astute a politician to favor any cause until public opinion had crystallized "1 Although the war decleration contained no reference to the territorial conquest, Polk's persaonal diary conveys his clandestine intentions of acquiring the much coveted California as well as New Mexico. The intentions of the President to occupy Mexico undoubtedly took into consideration public opinion, but the most prominent reason for the decleration of war was Polk's belief that california was a strong economic and militarily strategic addition to the U.S. Secretary of Navy George Bancraft noted that the acquisition of California

Robert E Lee

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Robert Edward Lee was born on January 19th, 1807 in Stratford, Virginia. Robert's father was thrown in debtors jail many times for not paying on time. He was introduced to war early in his life; his brother Sydney had shown him a cannon ball and told him about the revolution. Mrs. Lee's stepson was old enough to claim the mansion where they lived that his dead mother had gave to him in his will. The Lee's left to live in Alexandria. Lee was brought up in a Christian family. When Lee was 18, he went to West Point. There were only 6,000 other men in the entire army. Later that year, Lee said goodbye to his mother and took a stagecoach from Virginia to New York. At the end of his first year at West Point, he was appointed Staff Sergeant. When he was twenty-two, he took his money that he earned; $103.58 in cash and he started a home. On July 26, 1829, Lee's mother died. Robert was at her bed when she died. Then on June 30, 1831 Lee married Mary Curtis. On September 16, 1832, Mary gave birth to George Washington Curtis Lee. Then in 1835 they had their second child, Mary Curtis. Mrs. Lee was put on bed-rest for many months due to illness. They had five more children: William Henry Fitzgerald, Annie, Agnes, Robert and last Mildred. When he was home, they all attended episcopal Church where he was raised. On May 13, 1846 the United States declared was on their southern neighbor. When Lee was 39, he headed for Mexico. Lee's will said that he was worth about $38,750 with few depts. He only had few slaves: Nancy and her children. And they were to be freed "soon as it can be done to their advantage and that of others. On Christmas, Lee wrote to his wife that he hoped this woul.d be the last time he would be away from her. While they were at war, even though is was hard, he attended church. He returned on June 29, 1843. On September 1, 1852 he was appointed to superintenent of the military acadamy where he had graduated. In 1853, a distressing message reached Lee: Mrs. Curtis had died unexpectedly. The death made him do something he had never thought of doing. He wanted to be confined to the church. It was gunners at Charlestown Harbor who forced

Shakespeare's Life

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. He was baptized on April 24, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He was the third of eight children born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. John was a well-known merchant and Mary was the daughter of a Roman Catholic member of the gentry. Shakespeare was educated at the local grammar school. According to history, Shakespeare was the eldest son, and he should have been the apprentice to his father's shop so that he could be taught everything his father knew and soon take over the business. But instead he was the apprentice to a butcher because of the trouble in his father's financial situation. Another story says that Shakespeare became a schoolmaster. Shakespeare was allowed a lot of free time when he was young. This was suggested by historians that his plays show more ideas of hunting and hawking than do those of other play writers. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway, the daughter of a farmer. He was thought to have left Stratford after he was caught poaching in the deer park of Sir Thomas Lucy. He was a local justice of the peace. Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway had a daughter in 1583 and twins- a boy and a girl- in 1585. The boy however, eventually did not live. Shakespeare apparently arrived in London around 1588 and by 1592 had gained success as an actor and a playwright. Shortly after that, he secured the business of Henry Wriothesley, 3rd earl of Southampton. The publication of Shakespeare's two poems Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape of Lucrece (1594) and some of his Sonnets (published 1609), established a reputation for him as a talented and popular Renaissance poet. The Sonnets describe the devotion of a character to a young man whose beauty and charm he praises and to a mysterious and untrue woman with whom the poet is afraid. The following triangular situation, resulting from the attraction of the poet's friend to the woman, is treated with passionate intensity and psychological insight. However, Shakespeare's modern reputation is based mainly on the 38 plays that he wrote, modified, and collaborated on. When in his days, these plays frequently had little respect by his educated friends, who considered English plays of their own to be only tasteless entertainment. Shakespeare's professional life in London was marked by a number of financially beneficial arrangements that allowed him to share in

Bram Stoker

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
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 overcome his childhood maladies and while at Trinity College, Dublin, the honor student was involved in soccer and was a marathon running champion. He was also involved in various literary and dramatic activities, a precursor to his later interests in the theater and his involvement with the rising action Henry Irving, whose performance he had critiqued as a student at Trinity. After graduation from college, and in his father's footsteps, he became a civil servant, holding the position of junior clerk in the Dublin Castle. His literary career began as early as 1871 and in that year he took up a post as the unpaid drama critic for the "Evening Mail," while at the same time writing short stories. His first literary "success" came a year later when, in 1872, The London Society published his short story "The Crystal Cup." As early as 1875 Stoker's unique brand of fiction had come to the forefront. In a four part serial called the "Chain of Destiny," were themes that would become Stoker's trademark: horror mixed with romance, nightmares and curses. Stoker encountered Henry Irving again, this time in the role of Hamlet, 10 years after Stoker's Trinity days. Stoker, still very much the critic (and still holding his civil service position), gave Irving's performance a favorable review. Impressed with Stoker's review, Irving invited Stoker back stage and the resultant friendship lasted until Irving's death in 1905. The Stoker/Irving partnership solidified around the year 1878. During this time Henry Irving had taken over his own theater company called the London Lyceum, but he didn't like the management, and therefore approached Stoker to handle business, at which point Stoker gave up his government job and became the acting manager of the theater. A short time after Stoker began his new career, the publishing house of Sampson, Lowe contacted him expressing interest in a collection of Stoker's stories. "Under the Sunset" was published in 1891 and was well received by some of the critics, but others thought the book too terrifying for children. Stoker was already fascinated with the notion

Robert Penn Warren

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Robert Penn Warren, born in Guthrie, Kentucky in 1905, was one of the twentieth century's most eminent American writers. He was a distinguished novelist and poet, literary critic, essayist, short story writer, and coeditor of numerous textbooks. He also a founding editor of The Southern Review, a journal of literary criticism and political thought. The primary influences on Robert Warren's career as a poet were probably his Kentucky boyhood, and his relationships with his father and his maternal grandfather. As a boy, Warren spent many hours on his grandfather's farm, absorbing stories of the Civil War and the local tobacco wars between growers and wholesalers, the subject of his first novel, Night Riders. His grandfather, Thomas Gabriel Penn, had been a calvary officer in the Civil War and was well-read in both military history and poetry, which he sometimes recited for Robert. Robert's father was a banker who had once had aspirations to become a lawyer and a poet. Because of economic troubles, and his responsibility for a family of half-brothers and sisters when his father died, Robert Franklin Warren forsook his literary ambitions and devoted himself to more lucrative businesses. Robert Warren did not always have ambitions to become a writer, in fact, one of his earlier dreams was to become an adventurer on the high seas. This fantasy might have indeed come about, for his father intended to get him an appointment to Annapolis, had it not been for a childhood accident in which he lost sight in one of his eyes. Warren was an outstanding student but there were also many books at home, and he savored reading. His father at one time aspired to be a poet. His grandfather Penn, with whom he spent much time when he was young, was an exceptional storyteller and greatly influenced young Red. But both of these men whom he loved had in some sense failed to achieve. By contrast, Warren was determined to achieve, to be successful. During his college years at Vanderbilt, the sense of being physically maimed, as well as the fear sympathetic blindness in his remaining good eye became almost unbearable. At Vanderbilt University he met Allen Tate, John Crowe Ransom, Donald Davidson, and others interested in poetry. As part of The Fugitives, a private group that met off campus, he delved deeply into poetry, and his first poems were published in their short-lived quarterly. Warren had a remarkable capacity for

H G Wells

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Herbert George Wells English author and political philosopher, most famous for his science-fantasy novels with their prophetic depictions of the triumphs of technology as well as the horrors of 20th-century warfare. Wells was born September 21, 1866, in Bromley, Kent, and educated at the Normal School of Science in

Sir William Wallace

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
When the king of Scotland died without an heir to the throne the nephew of the king also the king of England nicknamed Edward the Longshanks (Edward I) took the throne for himself and complete control of Scotland. William WallWhen the king of Scotland died without an heir to the throne the nephew of the king also the king of England nicknamed Edward the Longshanks (Edward I) took the throne for himself and complete control of Scotland. William Wallace was Born in January of the year 1272. He was the second of three sons. He was born in the town of Elerslie, which was in Scotland. His Father Sir Malcolm Wallace held the title of knight but had little to no political power. Wallace's Father was involved in a revolt called Turnberry Band when William was 14 years old and was sent to live with his uncle Argile. His Uncle taught William Latin and French and how to be a swordsmen.When William's father returned from the revolt at Turnberry Band William was 17 years old. Fighting between rival families and rival towns were heating up. Civil War was about to Break out in Scotland. Brawling and riots inside towns turned into full scale battles, Where in the Battle of Loudoun Hill William's father was involved and killed. William Stayed with his mother For two years until he met Murron Braidfoot and married her in the year 1272. There are many tales on how William Wallace became and outlaw after his marrige, one such is that one day Wil liam was fishing at a near by lake when a group of english soilders approached him and demanded william give them the fish he had caught. William trying to get food for himself and his wife said they could only take half. The soilders enraged lunged at William. But William fought off and killed both of the guards, forever becoming an outlaw. In The month of may 1272 A group of english soilders under the command of The English Sheriff of Lanark, William de Hazelrig ordered the death of William's wife. It seems that William had already started his revolt against England when his wife was murdered in an attempt to arrest Wallace. Wallace's huge act of rebellion attracted the attention of common folk and Scots nobles alike, all of whom were unwilling to bear Edward the Longshanks laws. Rebelion forces under William Wallace

Woodrow Wilson

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The Life, duties and term of the 28th President of the United States, Woodrow (Thomas) Wilson. Wilson went to private schools his whole adolescent life. When Wilson went to college, he studied to be a politician. Later Wilson decided he wanted to become a lawyer, this failed so he enrolled in school to study history. Over time, Wilson gained a lot of respect and rose to high places because of his essays and public addresses. As the University President, Wilson resigned and looked into the Democratic point of view on politics. Wilson

Abigail Adams

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Abigail Adams was a unique woman because she had an education and an interest in politics. She learned how to read and write and enjoyed poems most. She was also very resourceful by helping her husband on difficult problems. Abigail was born on November 11 on the Julian calendar, or November 22 on the modern Gregorian calendar. Abigail had two sisters named Mary and Elizabeth or Betsy. She had one brother named William or Billy. Abigail's name was originally Abigail Smith. Each baby was baptized on the first Sabbath of its life and was recorded in their parish records. Abigail live in a comfortable house. When Abigail was sixteen, her father added a wing that was bigger than the original building to make room for the children, servants, and visitors. When I say servants it means that they were probably slaves but were called servants to avoid the dehumanizing effect that the word 'slave' can mean. Their house was a sight of luxury in the eyes of the common folk in the parish. Though they lived well, the Smiths had no fortune. Abigail's father often worked with his own hands, planting corn and potatoes, gathering hay, sowing barley, or making sure that his sheep received proper care. Abigail, with the help of her family grew a very religious bond between each other and a long lasting friendship. Abigail never went to a real school because of poor health. So, she learned at home. Her father's library was not big, but she still went to it to read books. Abigail's favorite books were novels by Samuel Richardson. Abigail's father knew John Adams by working with him and she grew rather close to him starting a wedding. This now made her name Abigail Adams. Their wedding was held on October 25, 1764, a month before her twentieth birthday. John was a lawyer and very often was not at home due to court cases he had to attend to. When Abigail was pregnant with her first son, John was only at home for eight out of the nine months. The baby was born on a hot day on the morning of July 14, 1765. The baby's name was 'Abigail', but was called Nabby. She was with her parents when she had the baby. Shortly after, she was again pregnant. July 11, 1767, she delivered a healthy boy named John Quincy. John Adams soon moved his

Talcott Parsons

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Introduction Of his time, Talcott Parsons (1902-1979) was considered the most admired American sociologist. Parsons was bread into a well-to-do family and was given a strong educational foundation as a child. Starting as a biologist, Parsons felt out of place and transferred to economics and sociology. As he excelled in these fields, Parsons began studies in Europe, giving him a wide view on different societies. He began teaching at Harvard, and there he exposed his sociological thoughts. Although very controversial, Parsons' works had influences on all aspects of Sociology. He generally focused on social action and systems and believed that morality in social action is the main element to help preserve social order. In The Structure of Social Action (1937), Parsons developed earlier sociologists' views into a theory of social action, or the action theory. These ideas look into today's society and it's institutional structures, which work to clarify action and to gain from it. His second book, The Social System (1951), extends and further explains his prior theories, including a structural-functional strategy. Talcott Parsons' functionalistic ways, influenced by Bronislaw Malinowski, became the center of debate. His beliefs were questioned and challenged by rival sociologists. His studies became even greater and his theories more significant. Until the time of his death, his principal aim focused on the systematic study of social action and it's components. He looked at the surrounding factors and if and why they influenced the social system. As an award before his death, Parsons received high honors for his accomplishments in sociology. Many people considered him the most intelligent sociologist of his era. Methods for Securing Information To gather material on this subject, I used a few research tools. First, I utilized the internet as a source of information. Starting off, I figured I would use search engines, or special programs that find websites concerning your topic, to begin. I listed as many keywords as I could, including Talcott Parsons, Parsons, sociology, sociologists, dead sociologists, and structural-functional paradigm. I then used these keywords in my searches on the yahoo!, excite, starting point, and webcrawler search engines. I passed trough websites, selecting valuable information and printing out what was needed. I looked over the various internet articles, and I highlighted and took notes on some important details. I kept the web pages nearby for quick reference. Next, I visited the Boca Raton Public Library to collect more substantial data. I

Michelangelo

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
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 Pope Julius II and persevered through it's many revisions trying to complete his vision. Sculpture was Michelangelo's main goal and the love of his life. Since his art portrayed both optimism and pessimism, Michelangelo was in touch with his positive and negative sides, showing that he had a great and stable personality. Michelangelo's artwork consisted of paintings and sculptures that showed humanity in it's natural state. Michelangelo Buonarroti was called to Rome in 1505 by Pope Julius II to create for him a monumental tomb. We have no clear sense of what the tomb was to look like, since over the years it went through at least five conceptual revisions. The tomb was to have three levels; the bottom level was to have sculpted figures representing Victory and bond slaves. The second level was to have statues of Moses and Saint Paul as well as symbolic figures of the active and contemplative life-representative of the human striving for, and reception of, knowledge. The third level, it is assumed, was to have an effigy of the deceased pope. The tomb of Pope Julius II was never finished. What was finished of the tomb represents a twenty-year span of frustrating delays and revised schemes. Michelangelo had hardly begun work on the pope's tomb when Julius commanded him to fresco the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to complete the work done in the previous century under Sixtus IV. The overall organization consists of four large triangles at the corner; a series of eight triangular spaces on the outer border; an intermediate series of figures; and nine central panels, all bound together with architectural motifs and nude male figures. The corner triangles depict heroic action in the Old Testament, while the other eight triangles depict the biblical ancestors of Jesus Christ. Michelangelo conceived and executed this huge work as a single unit. It's overall meaning is a problem. The issue has engaged historians of art for generations without satisfactory resolution. The paintings that were done by Michelangelo had been painted with the brightest colors that just bloomed the whole

Carl Gustav Jung

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) was a son of a minister in Switzerland. He was born on July 26, in the small village of Kesswil on Lake Constance. He was named after his grandfather, a professor of medicine at the University of Basel. He was the oldest child and only surviving son of a Swiss Reform pastor. Two brothers died in infancy before Jung was born. Jung's mother was a neurotic and often fought with his father. Father was usually lonely and very irritable. When the child could not take his mother's depressions and his parents' fights, he sought refuge in the attic, where he played with a wooden mannequin. Carl was exposed to death early in life, since his father was a minister and attended many funerals, taking his son with him. Also, Jung saw many fishermen get killed in the waterfalls and also many pigs get slaughtered. When he was eleven, he went to a school in Basel, met many rich people and realized that he was poor, compared to them. He liked to read very much outside of class and detested math and physical education classes. Actually, gym class used to give him fainting spells (neurosis) and his father worried that Jung wouldn't make a good living because of his spells. After Carl found out about his father's concern, the faints suddenly stopped, and Carl became much more studious. He had to decide his profession. His choices included archeology, history, medicine, and philosophy. He decided to go into medicine, partly because of his grandfather. Carl went to the University of Basel and had to decide then what field of medicine he was going to go into. After reading a book on psychiatry, he decided that this was the field for him, although psychiatry was not a respectable field at the time. Jung became an assistant at the Burgholzli Mental hospital in Zurich, a famous medical hospital. He studied under Eugen Bleuler, who was a famous psychiatrist who defined schizophrenia. Jung was also influenced by Freud with whom he later became good friends. Freud called him his crown-prince. Their relationship ended when Jung wrote a book called "Symbols of Transformation." Jung disagreed with Freud's fundamental idea that a symbol is a disguised representation of a repressed wish. I will go into that later. After splitting up with Freud, Jung had a 2 year period of non-productivity, but then he

Ernest Hemingway

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Ernest Miller Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois July 21, 1899. Hemingway is known to be one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. He has written more than one hundred short fiction stories, many of them to be well known around the world. Some of these short stories had just as powerful an impact as his novels. As a young man, Hemingway left from his hometown to Europe, where he worked for the Red Cross during World War I. His time spent there inspired him to write some of his most famous novels. Most of which spoke of the horrors of the war (Benson xi). Hemingway's short stories, "Soldier's Home" and "Another Country" are used to show the damaging psychological and physical effects of World War I. Hemingway knew first hand the horrors of war. In May of 1918, Hemingway became an honorary second lieutenant in the Red Cross, but could not join the army because he had a defective left eye. Hemingway first went to Paris, and soon after receiving new orders he traveled to Milan, Italy. The day he arrived, an ammunition factory exploded and he had to carry mutilated bodies and body parts to a makeshift morgue. This was definitely a most terrifying moment for the young Hemingway. After being seriously injured weeks later, Hemingway found himself recovering at a hospital in Milan. After his stay at the American Hospital in Milan, Hemingway was relieved of duty (Mitran 1). Having no other purpose in Europe, he returned unhappily to Oak Park, Illinois. The impression left on Hemingway by his stay in Italy had changed him profoundly. He never really returned to America as an America(Meyer 115). When Hemingway returned home from Italy in January of 1919 he found Oak Park dull compared to the adventures of war, the beauty of foreign lands, and the romance of an older woman. He was only nineteen but the war had matured him beyond his years. He was now living with his parents who didn't really appreciate what he had been through. His parents where concerned about his future and wanted him to get a job, and further his education. Hemingway could not find anything he would be interested in. Hemingway often exaggerated his war stories to satisfy his audience. This frustrating period of his life was used to create the short story called, "Soldier's Home" (Meyer 115). Hemingway's

President Andrew Jackson

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Like any hall of fame, its inductees are the best in whatever they do, from baseball or football to something like being President. If you are a member of any hall of fame (including the one for the Presidents), it means that you have done something special or have a certain quality about yourself that makes you worthy to be in a hall of fame. My nominee for the Presidents hall of Fame is our seventh President of the United States, Andrew Jackson. I'll go over his presidency, focusing on both the highs and the lows of his two terms in office, from 1829-1837. The issues that I'll focus on are states' rights, nullification, the tariff, the spoils system, Indian removal and banking policies; these controversies brought forth strong rivalry over his years of president. He was known for his iron will and fiery personality, and strong use of the powers of his office that made his years of presidency to be known as the "Age of Jackson." Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767, in a settlement on the border of North and South Carolina. He was orphaned at age 14. After studying law and becoming a member of the Bar in North Carolina later he moved to Nashville Tennessee. Their he became a member of a powerful political faction led by William Blount. He was married in 1791 to Rachel Donelson Robards, and later remarried to him due to a legal mistake in her prior divorce in 1794. Jackson served as delegate to Tenn. in the 1796 Constitutional convention and a congressman for a year (from 1796-97). He was elected senator in 1797, but financial problems forced him to resign and return to Tennessee in less than a year. Later he served as a Tennessee superior court judge for six years starting in 1798. In 1804 he retired from the bench and moved to Nashville and devoted time to business ventures and his plantation. At this time his political career looked over. In 1814 Jackson was a Major General in the Tennessee Militia, here he was ordered to march against the Creek Indians (who were pro-British in the war of 1812). His goal was achieved at Horseshoe Bend in March of 1814. Eventually he forced All Indians from the area. His victory's impressed some people in Washington and Jackson was put in command of the defense of New

Ralph Waldo Emerson

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Introduction Ralph Waldo Emerson "...was truly one of our great geniuses" even though he may have a short biography (Hodgins 212). But as Emerson once said himself, "Great geniuses have the shortest biographies." Emerson was also a major leader of "the philosophical movement of Transcendentalism". (Encarta 1) Transcendentalism was belief in a higher reality than that found everyday life that a human can achieve. Biographical Information Emerson was born on May 25, 1803 in Boston, Massachusetts. His father died when he was young and his mother was left with him and his four other siblings. At the age of 18 he graduated from Harvard University and was a teacher for three years in Boston. Then in 1825 he entered Harvard Divinity School and preached for three years. At the age of 29 he resigned for ministry, partly because of the death of his wife after only 17 months of marriage. In 1835 he married Lydia Jackson and started to lecture. Then in 1836, he helped to start the Transcendental Club. The Transcendental Club was formed for authors that were part of this historical movement. Emerson was a big part of this and practically initiated the entire club. As we know he was already a major part of the movement and know got himself involved more. Many people and ways of life throughout his career including Neoplatonism, the Hindu religion, Plato and even his wife influenced Emerson. He also inspired many Transcendentalists like Thoreau. Emerson didn't win any major awards, but he did win the love and appreciation of his readers. Literary Information Emerson wrote many genres of writing including poetry and sermons, but his best writing is found in his essays. Even though he is noted for his essays, he was also a strong force in poetry. Emerson was known for presenting ideas in an expressive style. He wrote about numerous issues including nature, society, conspiracy and freedom. After returning to America after a visit to England, he wrote for the abolitionist cause, which was eliminating slavery. Emerson used these ideas in his 1837 lecture "The American Scholar," which he presented before the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Harvard. In it he talked about Americans becoming more intelligently independent. In a second address, commonly referred to as the "Address at Divinity College," given in 1838 to the graduating class of Cambridge Divinity College, brought about a problem because it attacked religion and pushed independence. Some

Andrew Carnegie on the Gospel of Wealth

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1835. His father, Will, was a weaver and a follower of Chartism, a popular movement of the British working class that called for the masses to vote and to run for Parliament in order to help improve conditions for workers. The exposure to such political beliefs and his family's poverty made a lasting impression on young Andrew and played a significant role in his life after his family immigrated to the United States in 1848. Andrew Carnegie amassed wealth in the steel industry after immigrating from Scotland as a boy. He came from a poor family and had little formal education. The roots of Carnegie's internal conflicts were planted in Dunfermline, Scotland, where he was born in 1835, the son of a weaver and political radical who instilled in young Andrew the values of political and economic equality. His family's poverty, however, taught Carnegie a different lesson. When the Carnegies emigrated to America in 1848, Carnegie determined to bring prosperity to his family. He worked many small jobs which included working for the Pennsylvania Railroad where he first recognized the importance of steel. With this recognition, he resigned and started the Keystone Bridge Company in 1865. He built a steel-rail mill, and bought out a small steel company. By 1888, he had a large plant. Later on he sold his Carnegie Steel Company to J. P. Morgan's U.S. Steel Company after a serious, bloody union strike. He saw himself as a hero of working people, yet he crushed their unions. The richest man in the world, he railed against privilege. A generous philanthropist, he slashed the wages of the workers who made him rich. By this time, Carnegie was an established, successful millionaire. He was a great philanthropist, donating over $350 million dollars to public causes, opening libraries, money for teachers, and funds to support peace. In the end, he gave away about 90% of his own money to various causes. He also preached to others to do the same as in giving money for education and sciences. The problem, however, was that there was such a contrast between the rich and the poor. By this he was referring to the inequalities in rights, hereditary powers, and such things. He also felt we should have a continuum of forward progress, i.e. civilizing, industrializing. Apparently in his time there was a movement to drift back into

John Quincy Adams

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Hello, I'm John Quincy Adams. I grew up in Braintree, Massachusetts, and when I became an adult I traveled with my father on his diplomatic missions until I became interested in political journalism at Harvard and eventually became he sixth president of the United States. During my lifetime, from 1767 to 1848, the United States was desperately trying to make allies, as the country was in it's infancy. I followed my father's footsteps, as I was working in foreign relations before I became President. I have experienced many great events, such as when I was appointed as minister to the Netherlands, a mere three days later I witnessed the French invade the country and overthrow the Dutch Republic. This was thought of by many as an attempt for the French to show the United States how strong it was, without exerting any force on them at all. On a different occasion, when I was appointed minister to Russia, I was the leading negotiator for the Treaty of Ghent with the British, which ended the War of 1812. These negotiations gained respect for the United States and me as a diplomat. I am a likable person wherever I go. When I was a kid, our family was very closely knit, as we all helped manage the farm, except for my dad, who was usually away in foreign countries. This didn't affect me very much since I joined up with him when I was 11 on his operations after my persistent asking. As President, I worked scrupulously to work out problems and provide leadership for the country. This was acknowledged by my fellow officials in office and by the country, as I'm thought of as a person with integrity and honesty. Louisa Catherine Adams, my wife, holds a special place in my heart. She has always been trustworthy and nice. As a child she had to deal with ill health frequently, (which often recurs), and as First Lady she held brilliant parties for my Cabinet and friends. Louisa and I had four children, but sadly they all died before they could have children of their own, all for various reasons. My only real enemy to speak of is Andrew Jackson. Before my administration, Jackson and his followers accused me of promising Henry Clay a cabinet post in return for his support. After I was elected, and I appointed Clay Secretary of State,

Sir Rich Arkwright

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Sir Rich Arkwright was born on December 23, 1732 at Preston in the county of Lancaster. His first profession was a barber in Bolron-le-moors in 1760. Soon afterward he traveled throught the country buying human hair. At that time he had a valuable chemical secret for dying the hair to make wigs out of. Arkwright's hair was commented to be the finest hair in the country. In 1761, Richard Arkwright married Margaret Biggins, and this marriage brought him to an aquaitance with Thomas Highs. Highs was probably one of the most important people Arkwright was to ever meet. He was the inventor of the spinning jenny and the water frame. Highs was behind the mechanical production of both of these machines, however he could now market his product due to lack of funding and ill communication skills. This is where Richard Arkwright comes in. Arkwright was highly skilled in dealing with business and other social aspects. Arkwright sought to obtain the water frame by less than friendly means. He contacted John Kay, a former employee of Highs', to "turn brass" for him. This was all part of a clever plot to get Kay to reveal the design of Highs' water frame. Eventually, Arkwright succeded and Kay cunstructed a replica of the water frame, or otherwise known as throstle. Arkwright showed off the model to several people to seek financial aid. He eventually prevailed on Mr. Smalley to fund the project. In April of 1768 he hired Kay and took him along with him to Nottingham where he built a factory turned by horses. On July 3, 1769, he obtained a patent for "spinning by rollers." By doing this, he solidified his hold over the water frame preventing Highs from ever gaining the immense profits made by the water frame. In 1771, Arkwright built another factory in Cromford. The power for this factory was supplied by a water wheel instead of horses. During this time many improvements were made to shorten the process of spinning wool. Arkwright kept an eye on these improvements and eventually made a machine combining many of them into a series. These "engines," as he called them, were enough to take up another pattent on December 16, 1775. Improvements specified in the pattent were not invented by Arkwright but were actually borrowed from a number of different spinners. The spinners he borrowed the improvements continued to use their improvements even after

Napoleon Bonaparte

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Napoleon Bonaparte, who is also known as the "little Corsican", was born on August 15,1769 in Ajaccio, Corsica. His family had moved there from Italy in the 16th century. His original name was Napoleone. He had 7 brothers and sisters. His original nationality was Corsican-Italian. He also despised the French. He thought they were oppressors of his native land. His father was a lawyer, and was also anti-French. One reason Napoleon may have been such a great leader and revolutionary because was he was raised in a family of radicals. When Napoleon was nine, his father sent him to Brienne, a French military government school in Paris. While there he was constantly teased by the French students. Because of this Napoleon started having dreams of personal glory and triumph. From 1784 to 1785 Napoleon attended the Ecole Militaire in Paris. It was there that he received his military training. He studied to be an artillery man and an officer. He finished his training and he joined the French army when he was just 16 years old. His father died after that and he had to provide for his entire family. Napoleon was stationed in Paris in 1792. After the French monarchy was overthrown in August of that year, Napoleon started to make a name for himself and become a well known military leader. In 1792 Napoleon was promoted to captain. In 1793 he was chosen to direct the artillery against the siege in Toulon. Soon after that Toulon fell and Napoleon was promoted to brigadier general. Napoleon was made commander of the French army in Italy. He defeated many Austrian Generals. Soon after this Austria and France made peace. Afterwards Napoleon was relieved of his command. He had been suspected of treason. In 1795 he broke up a revolt and saved the French government. He had earned back respect and he was once again give command of the French Army in Italy. He came up with a plan that worked very well. He would cut the enemy's army in to two parts, then attack one side of them before the other side could help them. This worked very well against the Sardinian troops, he defeated them 5 times in 11 days. After this Napoleon was almost impossible to stop. This was when he began conquering most of Europe. The first country he defeated was Austria. He collected lots of money and sent

Adolf Hitler

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
1.The Beginning At half past six on the evening of April 20th, 1889 a child was born in the small town of Branau, Austria. The name of the child was Adolf Hitler. He was the son a Customs official Alois Hitler, and his third wife Klara. As a young boy Adolf attendated church regulary and sang in the local choir. One day he carved a symbol into the bench which resembled the Swastika he later used as the symbol of the Nazi party. He was a pretty good student. He received good marks in most of his classes. However in his last year of school he failed German and Mathematics, and only succeeded in Gym and Drawing. He drooped out of school at the age of 16, spending a total of 10 years in school. From childhood one it was his dream to become an artist or architect. He was not a bad artist, as his surviving paintings and drawings show but he never showed any originality or creative imagination. To fullfil his dream he had moved to Vienna the capital of Austria where the Academy of arts was located. He failed the first time he tried to get admission and in the next year, 1907 he tried again and was very sure of success. To his surprise he failed again. In fact the Dean of the academy was not very impressed with his performance, and gave him a really hard time and said to him "You will never be painter." The rejection really crushed him as he now reached a dead end. He could not apply to the school of architecture as he had no high-school diploma. During the next 35 years of his live the young man never forgot the rejection he received in the dean's office that day. Many Historians like to speculate what would have happened IF.... perhaps the small town boy would have had a bit more talent....or IF the Dean had been a little less critical, the world might have been spared the nightmare into which this boy was eventually to plunge it. 2.World War 1 While living in Vienna Hitler he made his living by drawing small pictures of famous landmarks which he sold as post cards. But he was always poor. He was also a regular reader of a small paper which claimed that the Araban race was superior to all and was destined to

Hitler's Weltanschauung (World View)

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
In the early quarter of the twentieth century, a young man was beginning to fill his mind with ideas of a unification of all Germanic countries. That young man was Adolf Hitler, and what he learned in his youth would surface again as he struggled to become the leader of this movement. Hitler formed views of countries and even certain cities early in his life, those views often affecting his dictation of foreign policy as he grew older. What was Hitler's view of the world before the Nazi Party came to power? Based in large part on incidents occurring in his boyhood, Hitler's view included the belief that Jews should be eliminated, and that European countries were merely pawns for him to use in his game of world dominion. Adolf Hitler grew up the son of a respectable imperial customhouse official, who refused to let his son do what he was most interested in-art. Hitler never excelled in school, and took interest only in art, gymnastics and a casual interest in geography and history due to a liking he had taken to his teacher. It was his history teacher who would fill Adolf's mind with a simple thought: "The day will come, that all of us, of German descent, will once more belong to one mighty Teutonic nation that will stretch from the Mediterranean to the Baltic, just like the Empire of the Middle Ages, and that will stand supreme among the peoples of this earth." Already the young Adolf could envision himself in such a position. Much of the ideology that Adolf Hitler used was not original by any means. There were many thinkers and writers who laid the groundwork for what would become not just Hitler's, but the Nazi Party's Weltanschauung (world view). Three primary writers were Dietrich Eckart, editor of a harshly anti-Semitic periodical, Auf gut deutsch (Agd), Alfred Rosenberg, a Baltic German and contributor to Agd, and Gottfried Feder, an opponent of finance capitalism. These three men molded the political outlook of the German Worker's Party before Hitler encountered it in 1919, and would become quite influential in Adolf's ideology. Rosenberg contributed largely to Hitler's view of the Jews on an international perspective, suggesting the existence of a Jewish conspiracy to overthrow established nation-states on a worldwide scale. In 1924, Hitler proclaimed that he had departed from Vienna as an absolute anti-Semitic, a deadly enemy of the whole

The Rise and Fall of Hitler's Reich

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Feeling that all was lost, Hitler shot himself on April 30, 1945. By orders formally given by him before his death, SS officers immersed Hitler's body in gasoline and burned it in the garden of the Chancellery. Soon after the suicide of Hitler, the German forces surrendered. The war was officially over; however, the world was only beginning to realize the extent of its horror. The rise and sudden fall of Hitler had a sensational effect on people and nations around the world. On Easter Sunday April 20, 1889, at an inn called the Gasth of Zum Pommer, the wife of an Austrian Customs official gave birth to a son, Adolf Hitler. He was the fourth child to the parents of Alois and Klara Hitler of Austria. Hitler was a good student. He took singing lessons and sang in the church choir. When he hit an adolescent age, he began to rebel. When Hitler's dad acquired a top ranking job in the military, he wanted his son to work hard so that he might become a civil servant. Hitler wanted nothing of it. He wanted to become an artist like he always dreamed. One of the teachers in his high school classified young Hitler as "notorious, cantankerous, willful, arrogant, and irascible. He has an obvious difficulty in fitting in at school." He did well enough to get by in some of his courses but had no time for subjects that did not interest him. Years later, his former school mates would remember how Adolf would taunt his teachers and draw sketches of them in his school notebooks. Forty years later, in the sessions at his headquarters which produced the record of his table talk, Hitler recalled several times the teachers of his school days with contempt. "They had no sympathy with youth. Their one object was to stuff our brains and turn us into erudite apes themselves. If any pupil showed the slightest trace of originality, they persecuted him relentlessly". Adolf saw no real reason to stay in high school. He left school at age sixteen without a leaving certificate. In September 1907, Hitler left home taking with him all the money left to him by his father, who had died a few years earlier. The money would be enough for tuition and board at the art school in Vienna. The Vienna School of Fine Arts had strict entrance requirements. After

Comparing Hitler and Stalin in their rise to power

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
During the period leading up to World War II, there were two men who were on opposing sides, the men were Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin. These men were each triumphant in their rise to power in their countries and they were very comparable in the ways that they succeeded. Their success was mostly attributed to their new ideas and their politics. Although Hitler and Stalin hated each other, the two leaders were similar in many ways. Hitler and Stalin each rose to the highest position attainable in their respective countries, and there were three main reasons that they were able to do this. Both men were skilled users of propaganda, each was amoral, and they both had the ambition to make their countries powerful in the world. Since each was a skilled user of propaganda, they could use their words to twist and manipulate the minds of people into believing that what they were saying was the absolute truth. Using this power, they would get people to do anything for them, which proves their amorality. Since their countries were still trying to recover from World War I, they desired to restore the power back in to their countries. These three reasons will prove that Hitler and Stalin were similar in many ways. The names Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin are synonymous with the word propaganda. In order to understand how Hitler and Stalin used propaganda, an understanding of what the word means, is required. According to Merriam-Webster, "propaganda is the spreading of ideas to further or damage a cause; also the ideas or allegations spread for a purpose". Hitler and Stalin each used propaganda as their tool to further their ideas and help them gain the backing of the people in their countries. The form of propaganda that Hitler used, and was successful in using, was his words. Hitler made many speeches, but the one speech that was a famous one, was his final speech at his trial for treason. In this speech he gave his views and opinions on the events preceding the trial. This is an excerpt from his speech: "...I aimed from the first to....become the destroyer of Marxism....The army that we are building grows more from day to day, from hour to hour. Gentlemen, not you who will be the ones that deliver the verdict over us, but that verdict will be given by the eternal judgement

Famous Explorers of Africa

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Mungo Park Mungo Park was a Scottish explorer who led one of the first expeditions to investigate the course of the Niger river in Western Africa. Mungo Park was a 23 year-old scottish surgeon surgeon who had just returned from a journey to Sumatra on a ship of the East India Company. There he had discovered 6 species of fish, he had published descriptions in a Scientific Journal. In 1795, Park had gone to Piscina, on an offer to research further into Africa. Park had accepted and a severe fever overcame him during his journey. Park also had been captured by certain muslim leaders. After he had got out of the Prison he had wandered around and had finally found the Niger River. Park was amazed at how beautiful the River was. Park had stated "I saw with infinite pleasure, the object of my, mission". Park had returned home to London where became famous on his publications of his voyage across Africa. Later in 1806 he sailed downstream to the Bussa rapids, where he drowned, trying to escape an attack by the Africans. Rene Callie Rene Callie was a 27 year old man who was fascinated by the stories told about peoples travels to Africa. His readings of Mungo park also stimulated his fascination. Callie had entered a contest for the first person to reach Timbuktu and reach back. He had reached Timbuktu. During Callie's trip he did not find it easy to prove to the French Authorities that a young man with no experience could discover Timbuktu. On his way back Callie had joined a Arab Caravan preparing to cross from Western Sahara to Morocco. Callie had stated "I am the first European to cross from the sandy ocean from the south to the north". On his return to Paris, Callie was known as a hero. Later, questions were asked if he was telling the truth or not. Johann Rebmann Johann Rebmann was a German missionary, who was not like Mungo Park or Rene Callie. The purpose of Rebmann's explorations is to find a place where he might serve God. His most helpful weapon was a umbrella, which he used to fight off lions and would be attackers. Rebmann was the european explorer who kept a careful record of his journey. Together with his partner he paved the way for later explorers. Rebmann had found the Mount Kilimanjaro which was located in Tanzania. His missionary

Socrates

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Philosophy is a vast field. It examines and probes many different fields. Virtue, morality, immortality, death, and the difference between the psyche (soul) and the soma (body) are just a few of the many different topics which can be covered under the umbrella of philosophy. Philosophers are supposed to be experts on all these subjects. The have well thought out opinions, and they are very learned people. Among the most revered philosophers of all time was Socrates. Living around the 5th century B.C., Socrates was among the first philosophers who wasn't a sophist, meaning that he never felt that he was wise for he was always in the pursuit of knowledge. Unfortunately, Socrates was put to death late in his life. One of his best students, Plato, however, recorded what had occurred on that last day of Socrates' life. On that last day of his life, Socrates made a quite powerful claim. He claimed that philosophy was merely practice for getting used to death and dying. At first, the connection between philosophy and death is not clear. However, as we unravel Socrates' argument backing up his claim, the statement makes a lot of sense. In order for Philosophers to examine their world accurately and learn the truth accurately, they must remove them selves of all distractions. These not only include physical distractions, but they include mental distractions and bodily distractions as well. Philosophers must get used to viewing and examining the world with out any senses. Senses merely hinder and obscure the truth. Sight for example can be fooled easily with optical illusions which occur normally in nature. Sound can be very distracting as well when a philosopher is trying to concentrate. All of these cloud the judgement, and must therefore be detached from the soul. Socrates argues that philosophers must view the world around them with their souls in order to accurately learn about it. However, by detaching their souls from all bodily functions, philosophers may as well be in an induced state of death. In mortem, the soul wanders free and there are no bodily hindrances. Socrates also believed that philosophers look upon death with good cheer and hope. This I find hard to believe because if this were true, the philosopher would not be able to love life, and without the love of life, there is no life to examine and learn about. It is understandable however

Henry Ford

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Henry Ford was a genius in many aspects of our everyday life. He changed industry, production, and everybody's lifestyle. Many people know about him inventing some of the first automobiles, but what came out of it for America was a new encouragement for technology and an easier lifestyle for the average American. Also Henry Ford has changed the perspective of industries around the world. His invention of the assembly line and his five-dollar a day wage for the average worker brought about a total new change in factories. Ford's style and ingenuity helped America to be more prosperous and created a large amount of opulence for America in the early 1900's, all because of one man's creativity and determination to achieve a dream that would help out the common man and the entire world. Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863, on a farm a few miles from Detroit. As a boy Henry was very creative and liked to work with tools. However, he hated doing chores and he always wanted to make things easier to do in life. This would be Henry's motto in life, always wanted to make things easier to do in life, at home or work. Ford was so creative that in 1893, he built his first engine and in 1896, he completed what he called the quadricycle, which ran for several years and sold it for $200. Ford had his second car finished in 1898 which was lighter and stronger than most cars around then. Soon enough many automobile companies were looking for somebody like Ford to help get their company going. However, Ford would go into automobile racing and then build his own car company. Ford's years in automobile racing was his way to improve the car and a chance to test it under competition. Soon though, he would get out of racing by a tough minded and ambitious James Couzens, who developed plans for a car company. Couzens was able to start out the company with $28,000 in cash, and $21,000 in notes. The Ford Motor Company came out with the model A, the model B, and the model K in their beginning years. However, most of these cars were too expensive for the common man. So Ford decided that he would make a car that was affordable to the ordinary worker. For a few years, Ford and his technicians began building their next and

Charles et Secondat, Baron de la Brede et de Montesquieu

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Charles de Secondat, Baron de la Brede et de Montesquieu was born in 1689 to a French noble family. "His family tree could be traced 350 years, which in his view made its name neither good nor bad." (The Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, p. 68) Montesquieu's views started to be shaped at a very early age. A beggar was chosen to be his godfather to remind him of his obligations to the poor. Montesquieu's education started at the age of 11 when he was sent to Juilly, a school maintained by the Congregation of the Oratory. From 1705 to 1709 he studied law in Bordeaux. "From 1705 to 1709 he was a legal apprentice in Paris. There he came to know some of the most advanced thinkers of his time: Fredet, the Abbe Lama, and Boulainvilliers.(Ibid.). In 1716 Montesquieu got a seat of president a mortier in the parlement of Guyenne from his deceased uncle. Even though he did not like his job he believed parliaments were necessary to control the monarchs. In 1721 Montesquieu published the Persian Letters, which he began working on while studying in Bordeaux. The book was a success. In the Persian Letters Montesquieu showed how relative all of the French values were. Even though the technique used in this witty book was previously used by other writers, Montesquieu did a great job making fun of the European values. At that time he already believed in the immorality of European practices such as religious prosecution. The book gave roots for Montesquieu's later arguments and ideas. When in 1728 Montesquieu, with the help of his Parisian connections he got elected to the French Academy, he was happy to sell his office of president a mortier. In the course of the next three years he traveled all over Europe, visiting Germany, Hungary, England, Holland, Austria, and Italy. It is not surprising that out of his European tour the country which had the greatest impact on his later work (just like it did on Voltaire's) was England. During his stay there he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. After he returned to France the second portion of his carrier had began. He became a full time writer, traveling between his La Brede estate and Paris. It is during this period that the Considerations on the Causes of the Greatness of the Romans and Their Decline and the Spirit

A Vogadro

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
A vogadro was born on June 9, 1776 in Turin, Italy. He began his career in 1796 by obtaining a doctorate in law and practicing as a lawyer for three years after. In 1800, he began to take private lessons in mathematics and physics and decided to make the natural sciences his profession. He was appointed as a demonstrator at the Academy of Turin in1806 and the Professor of Natural Philosophy at the College of Vercelli in 1809, and in 1820, he was appointed the professor of mathematical physics. He was a physics professor but he also experimented in chemistry using mathematics to base most of his findings. Avogadro is well known for his hypothesis known as Avogadro's Law. His law states that at a given temperature, equal volumes of gas contain the same number of molecules equal to about 6.0221367 x 10 to the 23rd power.A Mole of a substance is the quantity of the substance that weights the same as its molecular mass. One mole of any substance is Equal to Avogadro's number. Therefore Avogadro's law can be stated in terms of moles, namely that equal volumes of gases at the same temperature and pressure contain the same number of moles. Thanks to Avogadro and his number, scientists can measure out equal number of molecules by weighing out an equal number of moles. For gases this can be done by using 22.4 liters at STP(1 atmosphere and 223 Kelvin, 0 deg. Celsius). Avogadro's number is most reliably determined by X-ray diffraction of crystals. For many years' people thought the number was equal to about 6.022045 x 10 to the 23rd power, However, in 1986 the number was redefined as about 6.0221367 x 10 to the 23rd power.Albert Einstein's third research paper was concerned with the nature of molecules. We all know that if we drop a lump of sugar into water it diffuses through the water, making it somewhat more sticky. Thinking of water as a structureless fluid and the sugar molecules as small hard spheres, Einstein was able to find not only the size of the sugar molecules but also a value for Avogadro's number. Avogadro proposed his hypothesis in 1811. At that time there was no data at all on the number of particles in a mole. Measurements were made by Robert Brown in 1827 that gave an approximate value for Avogadro's number by observations of