Famous Childhoods
Mary Lou Derksen
Latest Articles
On one side of the family, Albert Schweitzer was the grandson of a pastor; on the other side, the grandson of an organist. His mother was the daughter of the pastor; his pastor father was the son of the organist. Schweitzer lived in a country that was sometimes French, sometimes German; ...
Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Considered by many to be the greatest musician ever, Ludwig van Beethoven's early life was not so great. As an adult he was frequently ill; he began having periodic hearing problems when he was 28, and by the time he was 44 he was stone-deaf. He was embarrassed by his deafness, ...
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973)
This month guest author Mark W. Swarthout, contributing editor of a North American Genealogical History site and I exchanged articles. Check out his site at
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/nort...
Mark writes about J.R.R. Tolkien, who created the fantasy world of Middle Earth. Populated with a memorable spectrum of imaginary characters, from the familiar elves and ...
Usamah Bin Mohammad Bin Laden (1957- )
After the initial shock of the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., and mingled with my tears and prayers for the victims of those tragedies and their loved ones, my thoughts turned to the people who perpetrated those atrocities–and to the one who allegedly is behind them, if not in ...
James Cash Penney - 1875-1971, Part II
Forced to start buying all his own clothing at age 8, Jim Penney became a very young entrepreneur–until he had a disaster. What would he come up with next?
James Cash Penney - 1875-1971, Part I
Business is commonly believed to be best advanced when one takes whatever advantages they can find, no matter whose toes they step on, whose reputations they ruin, or any other consequence to other folks and businesses. J. C. Penney founded his business on the Golden Rule and proved that business can ...
William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers, 1879-1935
When he was but a small boy, Will Rogers began entertaining at his father's ranch–the ranch hands were the audience wherever Will was. As a man, Will continued to entertain as America's chief humorist. Using the news to find topics to poke fun at, he teased presidents, politicians, and ordinary folks. ...
Mahatma Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, 1869-1948
A role model for Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi led India to self-rule through non-violent marches and demonstrations. When followers introduced violence on two occasions, Gandhi went on a hunger strike until the violence was stopped. When the British left India, they divided it into two countries: India for the Hindus, ...
Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, 1904-1991
Probably everyone not in a third world country (and maybe a lot of them, too) has heard of Dr. Seuss and his books. But perhaps only a few of these people know that Dr. Seuss (whose real name was Theodor Geisel) and his wife pioneered the Beginner Books division of Random ...
Queen Elizabeth I, of England, 1533-1603
Today's psychologists and sociologists would predict a likely unsuccessful adulthood for a woman whose mother was incarcerated and executed, whose father generally had little or nothing to do with her, who had multiple step-mothers, and whose physical needs of food and clothing were often minimally cared for. Such was the childhood ...