Marjorie Dorfman's Blog
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Eleanor Roosevelt learned at a very early age that beauty spoke in a voice as powerful as money. She learned that fact quite harshly because she was reminded by an aloof and insensitive grandparent that she did not possess it, and as such better be smart and brave and everything else to make up for it. She once said; "Do something every day that makes you afraid." Good advice and she followed her own words with sincerity and devotion for all of her public life.
Eleanor Roosevelt was a civil rights activist long before it was fashionable or even reasonable. The issues confronting the nation's underprivileged population had been pushed under the national rug; a shame and embarrassment that most political figures did not wish to address. Not Eleanor Roosevelt. She spoke for the poor and worked for them and she was very well loved and respected.
Read all about this extraordinary woman who is often seen in the shadow of her very famous husband. In her own right, she accomplished just as much in her lifetime. Learn all about this amazing woman who cared enough about the world to try and make it a better place for all mankind.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Her very name personifies wealth privilege and a proximity to royalty that few Americans ever achieve in their lifetime. From the days of American Camelot when her husband, John Kennedy, was president of the United States to her later years as an editor for Doubleday and an activist, Jacqueline Kennedy never wavered in her projection of elegance, beauty and grace.
The story of her life is one of wealth and high society, but not one without its share of suffering and adversity. She found little solace in her husband's family in dealing with his many affairs, and she stood alone in her fight to protect her children from the relentless eyes and cameras of ubiquitous photographers.
Her essence is forever emblazoned on the cover and headline of Look Magazine the week her husband was murdered. The words, "Valiant is the Word for Jackie" live forever in the minds and hearts of those who lived through that terrible time in American history. She refused medication to dull her unbearable pain during those dark days because she felt it was more important for her to lead the nation in mourning its slain president and to be there for her children.
Read all about this fascinating woman whose life ended too soon in May of 1994.
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Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
How many out there in Suite 101 land remember the ending to that old Lone Ranger television show that went something like, "Who was that masked man? I wanted to thank him?" Surely the pilgrims who settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts, that cold and barren winter of 1620-21 felt the same way about this member of the Patuxet tribe whose birth name was Tisquantum.
Down through the course of history and folklore, the exact motives for the actions of this proud native-American may well have been clouded and exaggerated. There is no question, however, that the Pilgrims would not have survived the first year in the new world without his help. He taught them to hunt and fish and stay warm, and even though some early pilgrims did die, many more would have done so if not for his help.
But Squanto was a flesh and blood human being prone to all human conditions, notably the one about power and how it can corrupt the spirit. He was slated for execution by his fellow native-Americans, but the pilgrims forestalled it because they needed him too much to give him up.
Squanto's name will forever be associated with the first Thanksgiving feast held in the New World. Read about the life of this most fascinating native-American.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
I was very young when JFK died, but like everyone else who was alive at the time, I will never forget exactly what I was doing when I heard the terrible news that he had been shot in Dallas on November 22, 1963. I was listening to the radio. It was playing the number one hit of the time, "Since I Fell For You," by Lenny Welch. Suddenly, in my favorite part of the song, the music was interrupted, as was my whole life and those of everyone around me. Nothing was ever the same again.
Adoration is easier when one is young, for one-sided love is unconditional, and boundaries and expectations are rarely defined. At his Inaugural Address when Kennedy said: "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country," the words rang with a truth that pounded in my idealistic young ears.
His sexual escapades brought him down a peg in the eyes of many, mine included, even though many were not known about until after his death. His affair with Marilyn Monroe was over the top and compounded by his brother Bobby's affair with her as well. I am sure his wife found little solace in the Kennedy clan, whose matriarch, Rose, endured the same behavior from her husband, Joseph throughout their marriage.
But who was this handsome, charismatic and eloquent man who became the first catholic president of the United States? Read about his life and tragic death at the age of forty-six.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Born in New Orleans, author Anne Rice now makes her home in California near her only remaining child, Christopher. Still, the haunted mists and enduring allure of New Orleans is the backdrop for most of her eerie tales of horror. Vampires are an Anne Rice specialty, and she has honed her craft to perfection, much to the appreciation and adoration of her multitude of fans.
Anne Rice is a woman who bears many personal burdens. She lost one child, a daughter, aged six, to leukemia. With her overwhelming success, came the unexpected and devastating loss of her husband, Stan Rice, and the onslaught of the silent killer, type one diabetes. Anne Rice's struggles with weight have resulted in gastric-bypass surgery.
For the many fans of author of Anne Rice, it is a sad time, for there will be no more vampire tales for them to enjoy. The queen of the horror novel has turned her writing attentions to material of a religious nature. A former atheist, Anne Rice's newly-found faith has prompted her to write only for the Lord.
Lovers of the horror genre will miss Anne Rice's unique style of telling a tale and her colorful and unforgettable characters.
Read the story of the life of Anne Rice, an extraordinary author.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
For the young man born in Portland Maine who had such a difficult start in life, Steven king has lived the American dream, albeit from a much scarier angle than most. His family was very poor and his father, a merchant seaman, abandoned the family when he was a child. As an adolescent, he revealed his talent for writing, and while attending secondary school, he edited the school newspaper and wrote stories.
Writing was an escape from the grim realities of everyday life and Steven did it well, publishing his first short story when he was still in his teens. He graduated from the University of Maine and married another writer, Tabitha Spruce.
King's particular brand of horror seems to generate from every day and mundane situations that somehow run amuck. Some of his earlier short story collections are not so well known but they clearly demonstrate this point.
Steven King's enormous success came with his first novel Carrie, which was brought to the screen in the 1970s. His writing has tapped into the public consciousness and his career has been marked by one hit after another with no end in sight.
King has had his share of troubles both with bouts of alcoholism and severe injuries resulting from being struck by a truck while walking along a highway some ten years ago.
Read about the life of this extraordinary man.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Bela Lugosi: Count Dracula Forever
Although the role of Count Dracula has been played by numerous actors over the years both on Broadway and on screen, the vampire star of all time is and can only be Hungarian-born Bela Lugosi who first brought the role to the celluloid screen. In an ironic twist of fate, if Lon Chaney hadn't died, Lugosi would never have landed the part, which soared him to fame and immortality.
When he first began his American acting career in 1920 after fleeing Hungary because of his left-wing activity, the former World War One infantry lieutenant who was wounded three times in battle could not speak English and had to learn his parts phonetically.
His was a star that rose quickly and dramatically fell due to a morphine addiction he tried his best to conceal. Lugosi lived for the role of Dracula and so identified with the part that his final request, to be buried in full Count Dracula garb was fulfilled by his family. Horror co-stars Vincent Price and Peter Lorre attended the great star's funeral back in August of 1956 after a heart attack claimed his life. It was reported that Peter Lorre upon viewing his friend's casket turned to Price and said: "Should we drive a stake through his heart, just in case?"
It is likely such a comment would have made the sad Hungarian smile.
Read about the life of this fascinating star of stage and screen.
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Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
In many ways, the lady whose real name was Marie Grosholtz, was a woman far beyond the times in which she lived. Of poor origins, she learned the art of wax modeling from her mother's employer, Dr. Phillip Curtius, who recognized her keen intelligence and innate talent for working with the wax figures that he used to illustrate anatomy.
Dr. Curtius taught his eager pupil everything she needed to know to open her first exhibit, which she did in the late 1700s. His connections brought her to the royal court of Versailles, which was in the throes of its famous Reign of Terror. Here she perfected her craft by making death masks of the likes of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI to name a few. She was slated for death by execution and shared a cell with Josephine de Beauharnais, the future wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. The two managed to escape the guillotine together and remained friends for the rest of their lives.
Madame Tussaud (her married name) was a brilliant businesswoman in addition to being an immensely talented sculptress. Her exhibits have lasted for more than two hundred years and her name today draws crowds and is still synonymous with incredibly life-like wax reproductions of the rich and famous. No one has ever come close to her skill in working with wax figures, and it is unlikely that anyone ever will.
Read all about the life of this most fascinating woman.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Helen Louise Leonard became Lillian Russell after she appeared in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera, H.M.S. Pinafore in 1879. Her beautiful soprano voice was perfect fare for their musical extravaganzas and she became immensely popular after appearing on Broadway at Tony Pastor's Theater. Her flamboyant life style disguised the fact that she was at her very core a complex woman; a patriot, a suffragette and a caring citizen of the world.
Her musical and stage career spanned more than twenty years and her popularity never dimmed. Despite this, she is perhaps best known for her forty years relationship with wealthy businessman, Diamond Jim Brady. Her affair with the rotund millionaire lasted longer than her four marriages, and he showered her with extravagant gifts of jewelry and other fine luxuries. They were often seen together, dining or cycling in Central Park during the cycling craze of the 1880s. Brady was so impressed with this new form of exercise and saw his love losing so much weight that he ordered a dozen gold-plated bikes made with diamond-encrusted handlebars for Lillian and his other friends.
Read the life story of this amazing female entertainer whose talent, style and stage presence made her a legend in the Gotham of her day.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
John Denver is one of the world's best-known and best-loved performers. In his too short lifetime, this son of a US Air Force officer won international acclaim as a songwriter, performer, actor, environmentalist and humanitarian. His career spanned three decades, garnering many music awards and honors, including induction into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and the highly prestigious Albert Schweitzer Music Award, which he won in 1993.
His musical journey began at the age of eleven when he was given his grandmother's acoustical guitar. He took lessons, joined a boy's choir and at the age of twenty, pursued his dream of a career in music. He moved to Los Angeles in 1963 and changed his surname from Deutchendorf to Denver, the city he loved best. His first break came when he was chosen from among more than 200 others as the lead singer for the Chad Mitchell Trio. It would take him a few years and a few albums to hone his talent and develop his own particular style. His first hit song was "Leaving On A Jet Plane," which was the only number one hit ever recorded by the group, Peter, Paul and Mary.
John Denver had a global presence and a global message. He cared about the world and its people.
Read about the life of this amazing and talented man whose life ended far too soon in a plane crash in October of 1997.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
This is the story of a Jewish architectural engineer, the son of refugees from the dreaded Russian pogroms, who became a Nazi hunter after surviving the Holocaust. Born one half hour before midnight n December 31, 1908, his father, Asher Wiesenthal, was a sugar merchant who took care of the family until his death in combat during World War One. Four and one half harrowing years and more than ten concentration camps so terribly affected Simon's spirit that he spent the rest of his life tracking down and gathering information on fugitive Nazis so they could be brought to judgment for their ghastly crimes against humanity.
He narrowly escaped execution several times and the underground Polish army helped his wife, Cyla, escape from the camp, providing her with false papers. She was able to hide her Jewish identity because she was lucky enough to be blonde. Still, her existence was far from pleasant as she survived the war as a forced laborer in the Rhineland. In 1943, the underground army helped Simon escape as well, and in return he offered his expertise in architecture and engineering to help the Polish partisans with bunkers and lines of fortifications against German forces.
In 1977, a holocaust memorial agency, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, was named in his honor. Its focus is awareness of anti-Semitism, the monitoring of neo-Nazi groups and the operation of the Museums of Tolerance in Los Angeles, California and Jerusalem.
Over the years, Wiesenthal received many death threats, and in 1982, a bomb placed by neo-Nazis exploded outside of his home in Vienna, Austria. Undaunted, he continued to fight until his death in 2005 for justice, freedom and human dignity in the face of hideous oppression.
Read all about the life of this most amazing man.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Although her achievements are most often associated with those of her remarkable husband, Coretta Scott King had a powerful and defining voice all her own in the world of activism. If one considers that Martin Luther King Jr. was possessed of no special powers; an ordinary citizen concerned with injustice is what he was, it is amazing what he accomplished in his too short lifetime. Coretta Scott King did more than live in his formidable shadow. She made her own and it stands to this day, tall and proud, imposing and important.
She was a brave woman who never hesitated to speak out when it came to the civil rights of other human beings and animals as well. She stood as an unshakeable beacon in the ignorant darkness of racism and prejudice. She fought to make her husband's birthday an national holiday and was standing beside President Ronald Reagan when he signed the legislation establishing Martin Luther King Day back in 1986.
Even when others close to her opposed her views, she never waivered in her thinking. Her vocal opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq drew much criticism from conservative groups, and her support for gay and lesbian rights, including same sex marriage, put her in conflict with her own daughter, Berenice, and her niece, Alveda King.
Coretta Scott King is the personification of the spirit of justice and equality. While she may not stand alone in this field, she does stand taller than most and always will.
Read all about the life of this amazing woman.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
The life of Brooklyn-born Rudy Giuliani personifies the American dream. The son of immigrant Italian parents, he graduated magna cum laude from New York University School of Law in 1968. As Deputy Attorney-General, his prosecution of well-known figures, like Bert Podell, Ivan Boesky, Michael Milken and Paul Castellano gained him prominence. He also earned a reputation for some of his very public tactics. Still, there can be no question that Rudy Giuliani was a major force in the urban war against drug dealers, organized, disorganized and white-collar crime.
He served as mayor of New York City from January 1, 1994, to December 31, 2001, becoming the first Republican elected to that office since John Lindsay won re-election in 1969. He promised New Yorkers relief from the breakdown of social and political order that had infected New York City and he kept his word. He addressed head-on day to day issues of crime and taxes. Although considered by many to be an extremely divisive figure for most of his time in office, his shining hour came from his brave and decisive leadership in the wake of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center.
Giuliani has been married three times; his second divorce from Donna Hanover a very public affair. He is the father of three children and is thought to be a potential presidential candidate in 2008.
Read more about the life of this complex and fascinating American.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
A tomboy as a child growing up in the Mid-West, Amelia and her little sister Muriel (Pidge) spent long hours climbing trees, hunting rats with a rifle and belly-slamming downhill on sleds. Uprooted many times due to an unstable family life with a history of alcohol abuse, Amelia saw her first airplane in 1907 when she was 10 at the Iowa State Fair. She described it as a "thing of rusty wire and wood and not at all interesting."
Her love affair with flying began soon after her first ride in 1920 although she did think about flying professionally until 1925. Her first teacher was Anita Snook, a pioneer female aviator, and she pleased her instructor greatly when, some six months later, she flew her first plane to an altitude of 14,000 feet, setting a woman's world record.
Amelia Earhart is tragically more famous for her disappearance than for her many achievements in the field of aviation. Apart from being the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, she was also the first woman to fly non-stop coast to coast (1932). In 1933, she broke her own transcontinental speed record by making the same flight in 17 hours, 7 minutes. She was also the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean between Honolulu and Oakland, California, which was also the first flight where a civilian aircraft carried a two-way radio.
It is unlikely that anyone will ever know what happened on that last flight in July of 1937. Although her legend continues to thrive, in Amelia's case, her truth is even larger to behold. She was truly a woman far beyond the times in which she lived.
Read her courageous life story.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Beginning as a British protectorate in 1894, Uganda achieved independence in 1962. Idi Amin, a native born son, arose as a leader amid a maelstrom of rising tensions stirred between the country's many ethnic groups. In 1971, he seized power in a military coup from the nation's Prime Minister, Milton Obote. Declaring himself Uganda's new president, he insured he would remain thus, abolishing elections during his reign of terror. He said of himself after taking over the government:
"I am not an ambitious man personally. I am just a soldier with a concern for my country and its people." (And this author, in between careers, is Queen Marie of Rumania!)
The life of this murderous ruler is marked with a thirst for blood, power and glory. The one time boxing champion of Uganda came from humble parentage and had little formal education, although he excelled both in sports and in military service. His nickname "Dada" originates from the Ugandan word for "sister," which is the word he used to describe every woman he ever spent time with. "The Butcher of Africa" is a much more fitting moniker, for that is what he was. His political tenure witnessed terrible violence and reports of the torture and murder of 300,000 to 500,000 Ugandans, whose only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Amin never wrote his own autobiography nor did he ever authorize one to be written. His story, however, needs to be told, if for no other reason than as testimony to the barbaric inhumanity of man towards man that rears its ugly head in almost every period and place in world history.
Read the life story of Idi Amin.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Mickey Mantle played his entire 18-year major professional career for one team only; the New York Yankees. He was a sixteen-time All-Star, and named American League MVP three times. He played on twelve pennant winners and seven World Championship clubs and still holds the record for the most World Series home runs (18). Despite these formidable numbers, Mantle died at the age of 63 from liver cancer after many years of alcohol abuse.
The early role model for the talented boy born in Oklahoma was his beloved father. Mantle said of the man who died from cancer at the age of 39. "He was the bravest man I ever knew and no boy ever loved his father more." It was "Mutt" Mantle who taught his son how to be a switch-hitter and in the minor leagues, Mickey played shortstop. He also played football as a young man, and it was this game that almost ended his athletic career as well as his life. Kicked in the shin during a game, Mantle's leg became infected with osteomyelitis, a crippling disease from which his leg was saved from amputation by the newly available penicillin. He suffered from the effects of this disease for the rest of his life. This condition exempted him from military service, which didn't sit well with patriotic fans during the early days of the Korean War.
Fickle fans changed their minds about Mickey Mantle in 1961 after he finished second to Roger Maris in breaking Babe Ruth's home run record. He became a baseball icon, a legend idolized by many, all of whom were willing to pay dearly for anything associated with his golden touch. But Mantle's alcohol abuse slowly took over his spirit and his life. Well before he sought treatment, he admitted that his hard living had hurt his playing and his family. His wife and sons all completed treatment for alcoholism and he did the same, entering the Betty Ford Clinic in January of 1994.
Mantle died on August 13, 1995. He could have done better and so much more, had he but looked his demons in the face before it was too late. Nevertheless, he remains an immortal tribute to the talents and achievement of mankind.
Read his life story.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
In her short lifetime, Aaliyah sold more than 22 million records worldwide. Noted for several hit records, including seven number one R & B hits, one number one pop hit and seven top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100, she also had a career as a model and motion picture star before her tragic death in a plane crash at the age of 22 in 2001. Related through marriage to Gladys Knight, the young singer appeared in Las Vegas next to the legendary soul singer. In a later interview with MTV, she spoke of this event as the moment in time when "she learned how to work an audience."
An exceptional student and dancer, she graduated the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts. At graduation, she was described by the principal as "the pride and joy" of the school. She continued her studies while working on her debut album and she often mentioned in her interviews that school was a top priority in her life. This further cemented her position as a role model to all of her many young fans.
Her death as well as those of seven others in August of 2001 is still a subject of controversy. The pilot, Luis Morales, was not only under influence of alcohol and cocaine according to the autopsy reports, he also did not have the necessary skill to operate the aircraft in the first place. Further, it was determined the plane was over its gross weight allowance by several hundred pounds. At first, some witnesses claimed that the passengers had been asked to leave some luggage behind, but later it was discovered that no one had been informed of the plane's excessive weight.
Whatever be the truth, the world lost a shining star in August of 2001.
Read the life story of this extraordinary young woman
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Harry Houdini was the master of illusion. His death-defying feats mesmerized an adoring early twentieth century audience who had never seen anything like him before. The son of a Hungarian rabbi, even as a child he honed every skill and grabbed every opportunity. So inspired by the life of French magician Houdin, Erich Weiss took his name, adding an "i" at the end to make it his own. He was a man who personified the American dream of the power of the individual to rise to the level of his own aspirations, no matter how wild or extraordinary they might be. His unspoken message to all of his fans was that man is limited only by the boundaries of his own imagination.
One of Erich's earliest jobs that of apprentice locksmith, served him well in his later years. One of the first locks he learned to pick was that of his mother's cupboard from which he stole an apple pie, leaving a calling card with his new name, in case Cecelia Weiss couldn't figure out which of her six children was the culprit.
From his days in Coney Island to his rise as one of Vaudeville's top paying performers, Houdini's life was an extraordinary one, filled with passion and adventure. His wife, Bess performed with him for years before he went solo, mastering underwater traps, leaps and falls that no sober person could easily watch, much less perform.
Houdini drifted into the world of spiritualism during the 1920s where he debunked phony mediums and other fraudulent entertainers. At this time, he met English author, Arthur Conan Doyle, whom he greatly respected. The magician and the man of letters were unlikely friends, but split because Doyle insisted that Houdini's feats of magic were of a supernatural nature. Perhaps in a way they were, for there has been no one like him before or since.
His tragic and untimely death at the age of 52 ended a career, but not a dream. Read the biography of this extraordinary American who touched the hearts of his countrymen with his daring feats of magic and illusion and proved that all is possible to those who dare to make it so.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Catherine The Great is often referred to as the epitome of the "enlightened despot." Indeed she had more than thirty years to get it right, as she reigned as Empress of Russia from 1762 until her death in 1796. Her arranged marriage to the grandson of Peter the Great was meant to strengthen the friendship between Prussia and Russia and to weaken the influence on Austria. They were both very unhappy in this faithless union, which lasted for almost seventeen years until Peter's mysteriously "accidental" death. It was assumed at the time that Catherine ordered his murder, but it will never be known for sure. It is known that she did dispose of other potential threats to her throne, namely, Ivan VI and Princess Tarakanova.
Catherine was determined to wear the crown at all costs. In her memoirs she vowed to do whatever needed to be done to achieve this goal. It is said that she was so zealous about learning the Russian language that she rose at night and walked about her bedroom barefoot repeating her lessons. In March of 1744, this resulted in a severe attack of pneumonia.
Catherine The Great did much for extending both Russia's reputation and borders. She considered herself a "philosopher on the throne" and adamantly desired for Europe to perceive her as a civilized and enlightened monarch. She was a patron of the arts, literature and education, but she was also quite the tyrant in her homeland. Despite her proclamations in support of freedom, she did more to bond the Russian serf to his land and his lord than any sovereign to follow.
An amazing and colorful queen, her legacy is forever shrouded in tales of sexual extremes and aberrations. But who was this fascinating woman?
Read on for her life story, be whatever it may.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
This amazing woman was as liberated as any woman from the 19th century could ever have been, both in thinking and in deed. She was the daughter of a well to-do banker, and when her guardianship fell to a liberal-minded uncle, her thinking about he world and her place in it was altered forever from the strict Calvinist thinking of her parents. She married a radical thinker, Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, who introduced her to the world of Transcendentalism and a marital state rife with violence and infidelity. Although he admired his wife for her brilliant mind and quick wit, Howe firmly believed that married women should not have a life outside the home and this was very stifling to Julia who was gifted and caring and very much connected to the injustice around her.
Julia became a Unitarian and even though she was deeply religious, she did not, as so many others of that ilk, believe that her faith was the only path to salvation. With all of her heart, she believed that religion was a matter of deed and not creed. She found consolation from her unhappy marital life in the world of her of philosophy, writing and self-education as well as the education and care of her own children.
She was an immensely talented writer and poet, and as her published word began to spread, she was approached to write the words to a song already set to music by William Steffe that would not only soar her to the ranks of immortality but would also become the most popular song for the Union cause, "The Battle Hymn of The Republic".
After the war, Julia focused her attentions on humanitarian causes and was at the forefront of movements promising equal rights and suffrage for women and the declaration of Mother's Day as a national holiday.
Read about the life of this brilliant woman who lived and died for all that makes America the greatest country in the world.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Who was this lady who ruled Egypt with a tenacious and perhaps even murderous grasp? Her lust for power and Mark Antony were more than just legendary. Their bond was so strong and their lives so inextricably linked that the Roman triumvir committed suicide by falling on is own sword when told of her alleged death. She died just a few days afterwards, at the age of 39, along with two maidservants from the deadly kiss of an asp.
There have been many predecessors with her namesake, but only one queen who stands out forever as Cleopatra, queen of the Nile and ruler of all of Egypt. This "queen of kings" did not resemble her celluloid persona, Elizabeth Taylor, but her charm, guile, sharp wit and brilliance were the hallmarks of her too short life. She may also have been a murderer as well. (No one's perfect). Her co-regent and younger brother, Ptolemy XIII, was conveniently poisoned when she returned to Alexandria as queen after being forced into exile by a powerful political coup. It was Julius Caesar, her lover at the time and father of her son Ceasarion, who restored her to the throne.
Her love affair and marriage with Mark Antony is shrouded in layers of truth and legend and no one will ever now whether some of the stories passed down through time are veracious or false. One of the best known tales surrounds a lavish dinner she shared with Antony in which she bet him that she could spend a million dollars (or an amount to that effect) on dinner. He took on the bet. The next evening she served him a dinner with an unremarkable first course and a second course comprised of a cup of strong vinegar. She then removed one of her priceless pearl earrings, dropped it in the vinegar, gave it time to dissolve and drank the mixture!
Who knows! Whatever the truth, read about the life of this fascinating woman whose thirst for power and passion knew no mortal bounds.
Read her powerful story here:
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Perhaps no other woman of this tempestuous time in the history of the new republic more symbolizes its spirit, pride and purpose than Betsy Ross. One of eight children born to a Quaker Philadelphia family in 1752, her acquaintance with George Washington through a mutual place of worship would place her in the forefront of the American struggle for independence from Great Britain. She was thrust into immortality one day in June of 1776, when, as the legend goes, George Washington and two other members of the Continental Congress knocked on her door. They announced they were a "Committee of Three" and brought a pencil-drawn design for a flag with six-pointed stars that was drawn by Washington himself. Betsy suggested a five-pointed star because it could be made in one snip.
Every American schoolbook depicts Betsy Ross sewing the flag in her own parlor, but the truth is that no contemporary record of this event or her meeting with Washington exists. They did know each other and she had sewn some buttons for him previously. Information on this important meeting, however, comes down through history via oral affidavits from Betsy's daughters and her grandson, William J. Canby, in a paper he presented to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1870.
Betsy Ross was a true patriot and despite her Quaker beliefs, supported the war effort by joining a group called "The Fighting Quakers." Some historians believe that it was not Betsy who designed the official first flag of the United States, but a man named Francis Hopkinson, who was a member of the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Whatever be the truth, come read about this fascinatingl woman who left her own unique mark on the country that she loved so well.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
The life of this famous lady is and forever will be shrouded in mystery and a layer of legend from which few real facts can be extricated. What is known about her is that she was the illegitimate daughter of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI) and his mistress, Vanozza de Cattanei, and the sister of the notorious Cesare Borgia. She was a member of a most corrupt Renaissance family whose very name to this day connotes brutality and murder for gain. Lucrezia in many ways was stuck in the middle of her family's greed for riches and political power, and she married three men chosen by both her brother and her father whose wealthy families offered profitable alliances with their own.
The father of her first child remains a mystery. The boy was possibly the result of an affair with her very own brother or may have been the son of a royal messenger named Perotto. Whatever the truth, Lucrezia concealed her pregnancy from the Roman populace and gave birth in a convent.
Rumors abound to this very day. One of the most persistent alludes to Lucrezia as a cold-blooded murderer, a woman who killed her family's enemies by poisoning them via a convenient opening in a hollow ring. This cannot be proven. Her first husband, Giovanni Sforza, who was forced by Rodrigo to agree to an annulment on the grounds that he was impotent, may have been responsible for starting the rumor of an incestuous relationship between Lucrezia's brother and her father.
Read the life story of this colorful woman, whose personal truth is trapped forever within the pages of history somewhere between legend and unshakeable myth.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Born into a family of French nobility, Antoine de St. Exupéry was a man whose life was touched by a magic gold dust. For all of his short time on earth, a mere forty-four years, his achievements exemplify the power, purity and undying passion of the human spirit. Although known and admired by most for his writing of "The Little Prince," for which he is most famous, Exupery was an accomplished author whose flying often inspired is prose. A pioneer of international postal flight, he soared the skies in an age when pilots had few tools to guide them.
During World War II, he served the allied cause well in a squadron based in the Mediterranean, executing dangerous reconnaissance missions over enemy territory. In 1942 he lived for a short time in Quebec and New York City, but his drive to help in the war effort drove him back to Europe to fly with the Free French. On a final mission, on July 31, 1944, he took off and was never seen again. The next day, a woman reported seeing a plane crash near the Bay of Carqueiranne and a body found nearby was buried as St Exupéry that September.
But the story doesn't end there. In 1998, a fisherman found a silver chain bracelet attached to a pilot's suit that was positively identified as his. In 2004, off the coast of Marseilles, his plane was recovered. Although the cause of the crash remains a mystery, it is known that enemy planes did not shoot him down. A technical error seems most likely although there are some who claim that he may have committed suicide.
Read about this fascinating and vibrant man whose bravery and talent live on in the hearts of all those who share a passion and lust for life.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Franklin Delano Roosevelt led America through some of the darkest days in its history. Upon his inauguration in 1933, the Great Depression had taken its terrible hold throughout the land, and he was faced with the nation's need for "long-term fixes" on a scale never before presented to an American president. The economy was in a shambles, and tens of millions of people were unemployed. Recovery would require a major boosting of the economy. Roosevelt, believing in the power of change, brought his proposals for relief and reform into the living rooms of the American public with his series of "fireside chats." He gave hope to bruised morale with his famous slogan, "We have nothing to fear except fear itself."
During World War II, Roosevelt took a defiant stand against the murderous regime of Adolph Hitler, and made America "the Arsenal of Democracy" as the principal arms supplier of the Allied forces. His term saw the end of unemployment, the restoration of prosperity, the establishment of the Social Security System and important changes in taxation and constitutional law. He also helped to shape post-war policies though his efforts at the Yalta Conference and the formation of the United Nations.
His administration redefined the concept of liberalism for many generations to come. On a poignant note, the man who was the only one to ever serve more than two terms as president and who led America to victory through its darkest hours, died on the eve of victory in World War Ii, almost as if his job was done and it was time to go.
And in a certain sense, it was.
Read on to learn more about this amazing man.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the thirty-second president of the United States and the only one to ever serve more than two terms in office. He is unique in history for many reasons, not the least of which was the fact that from the confines of a wheelchair, he led America through some of it darkest times, notably the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II. This could never have happened today with media intrusion being such a fundamental part of those in the orbit of the public eye. He was never seen or photographed in a wheelchair in public and he usually appeared standing upright, supported on one side by an aide or one of his sons.
Diagnosed with poliomyelitis, today it is thought his illness was Guilain-Barre syndrome and not poliomyelitis. Roosevelt convinced many people that he was getting better. He did this, perhaps, because he felt it was a necessary ploy if he hoped to stay in public office, but also because he could never accept that his paralysis from the waist down was a permanent condition. He tried every therapy available, including hydrotherapy, and he helped to found the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (now known as The March of Dimes). His leadership in this area is one reason he is commemorated on the dime.
For the young man born into privilege with the world at his feet, Franklin Delano Roosevelt forged his way to the presidency aided by the Roosevelt name, money and the political climate of the day. Read about this man who led America through some of its most critical periods from the confines of a wheelchair, proving that disability, despite its very real limitations, is in many ways a state of mind.
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Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
The later years of Sir Francis Bacon's life were marred with political corruption, greed and a public career that ended in disgrace in 1621. Some historians claim that writers from later times may have sullied Bacon's reputation and that he was, innocent of all charges. They further claim that his impeachment as Lord Chancellor was the result of an attempt to save King James I from a political scandal. The truth may never be known due to the passage of time and paucity of records. Bacon himself said,"I know I have clean hands and a clean heart. I am as innocent of bribes as any born on St. Innocents Day."
There can be no question that whatever his culpability may have been, Sir Francis Bacon was a man who was far ahead of his time. Propelled by an unusual brilliance, he was a great thinker, and an explorer of intellectual realms heretofore unimagined. Philosopher and essayist, he believed in his own aphorism, "knowledge is power," the former of which could only be ascertained through inductive reasoning (from fact to axiom to law). His developments of this inductive philosophy, although not accepted in his lifetime, revolutionized future thinking.
The ghost of Sir Francis Bacon still looms, even centuries after his death. Some scholars claim that it was Bacon who wrote the plays attributed to William Shakespeare. His notebook, "The Northumberland Manuscript," disputes this evidence.
A man of many dimensions, secrets, sins and accomplishments, Sir Francis Bacon is a fascinating historical figure.
Read about his life and times and be astounded by his sense of the future and his uncommon genius, all the more accentuated by his fall from royal grace.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Francis Bacon was a brilliant man who was many things to many people of his day. An English philosopher, statesman and essayist, he began his adult life as a lawyer, but became best known as a philosopher who defended the scientific revolution. The Baconian Method, which became very popular, involved a methodology for scientific inquiry that was like nothing ever established before. It concerned the drawing of knowledge from the natural world through he process of experimentation, observation and the testing of hypotheses. These were daring thoughts in the Elizabethan world of his day, and considered occult and alchemy.
He was one of the most influential figures in history because of his theories. Some argue that he was not really a philosopher but rather a proponent of developing philosophy through deductive reasoning. His most famous axiom is his statement "knowledge is power."
Francis Bacon had his secrets and his shame. He betrayed his friend, the Earl of Sussex, in order to maintain the royal favor of the Queen, a fact that he later regretted. He was also a man who preferred the sexual company of other younger men and did little to hide this fact, no matter how it affected his public image. His mother, in writing to one of his brothers, referred to being exasperated with Francis's coach companion, which in Bacon's day connoted the interior of a traveling coach (which was a very private place).
Read on to learn more about the about the first half of the life and times of this amazing man.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
This Spanish conquistador and explorer was a man of much courage and determination. Born in Spain in 1475, in 1510 he stowed away with his pet dog, Leoncico aboard a ship headed for San Sebastian along the coast of Uraba. He was hidden in a cask at first, but was soon discovered and accepted as a member of the crew by the commander of the ship, Martin Fernando de Enciso. On board this ship he met Francisco Pizarro, who would later conquer the Incas.
Balboa had a cruel side to his nature and often mistreated and robbed Native Americans who stood in the way of his thirst for gold and riches. Told of a land of vast wealth and resources to the south of the great mountains, in 1513 he crossed the Isthmus of Panama with the help of Indian guides in search of the kingdom of Birú (the Incan Empire). On this trip he became the very first European to view the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean. He named it the "Mar del Sur" (South Sea) and claimed it for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of his native Spain.
His life ended cruelly after he was falsely accused of treason and sentenced to death by a jealous political rival.
Read on to learn more about this fascinating and courageous 16th century explorer.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
The plan to murder Abraham Lincoln was only part of a much larger assassination plot that was the brainchild of lunatic actor, John Wilkes Booth. The plan was to kill all the Union leadership, the Vice President, Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State, William Seward, thus insuring a Confederate victory. But the best-laid plans of mice, men and mad assassins often go astray and this one did as well.
Abraham Lincoln would have recognized the man who killed him, had he been able to turn and face him. Booth was a well-known actor and had been dubbed by the press of the day as the "handsomest man in America." Women loved him and swooned at his feet, and the photographs of six women were found on his person when he died.
A southern sympathizer, Booth's hatred of Lincoln ran deep and festered with each Union victory and passing day of the war years. He saw him as a tyrant who abused constitutional liberties and as an abolitionist.
He died in a burning barn in Virginia and all of his accomplices were hung, including Mary Surratt who ran the boarding house where the conspiracy to murder Lincoln was said to have been born. She was the very first woman in US history to be hung.
Read more about the life of this colorful, fascinating and repulsive man who was right when he said in the bar next to Ford's Theater where he enjoyed a drink on that fateful Friday night, "After tonight, everyone will know who I am."
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A man of many talents, Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle is considered an innovator in the world of crime fiction. Surely no detective in history has ever been more popular or well known than the brilliant and invincible Sherlock Holmes. Doyle was a prolific and versatile writer whose other works include science fiction stories, historical novels, plays, romance, poetry and non-fiction.
After the Boer War in South Africa at the turn of the twentieth century, Doyle wrote a pamphlet, which justified Britain's role in the war. As a result, he was knighted and appointed as Deputy-Lieutenant of Surrey in 1902. He also wrote a book on the subject in 1900 ("The Great Boer War").
In his later years, Doyle became embroiled in the concept of Spiritualism and he wrote a novel on the subject entitled "The Land of Mist". At this time, he became friends with American magician, Harry Houdini, who was a prominent opponent of the Spiritualist Movement. Doyle praised psychic phenomena and spiritual manifestations in his book, "The History of Spiritualism" (1926).
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a man of intense loyalties and a fervent advocate of justice. He personally investigated two closed court cases, which led to the release of two wrongfully imprisoned men.
Read about the life and times of this fascinating and brilliant literary genius.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Who was the woman who married the very first President of the United States? What were her hopes, her dreams and her personal challenges?
The daughter of a wealthy Virginia planter whose estate is today Arlington National Cemetery, Martha's world revolved around plantation life and the extended use of enslaved labor to maintain it. Rumors abounded that her rich father, John Dandrige, had sired a daughter from one of his slaves and that Martha herself owned her own mulatto half sister! To further compound this travesty, Martha's own son may have been the father of one of his aunt's children. The lines of truth have been blurred over the years, but it is clear that Martha lived in a society gravely dichotomized by racial injustice and a severe double standard.
She was in her own way a remarkable woman who was not afraid to speak her mind and follow her husband onto the battlefield at Valley Forge. The troops loved her presence and it is said that she boosted their morale by being there. She also showed her displeasure about her husband's presidency by refusing to attend his inauguration without fear of reprisal from anyone.
Courage can be a quiet thing. Read on to learn more about this fascinating woman who married the "father" of our great country.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Rembrandt's art represents in every way the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century. According to the Chambers Biographical Dictionary, "no other artist in human history ever combined more delicate skill with more energy and power. His treatment of mankind is full of human sympathy." And he was a man of deep emotion and compassion whose face bore the ravages of sorrow in many of the self-portraits executed in the latter part of his most formidable life. He himself had once said in a letter to a patron that he sought to achieve "movement" in his art, but whether he meant of objects or of the viewers' emotions is unclear.
In his lifetime he produced around 600 paintings, 300 etchings and 2,000 drawings! He is perhaps best known for his chiaroscuro technique of stark color contrasts, which draw the viewer into the painting almost whether they want to go or not.
His home, preserved as the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam houses many examples of his engravings and is on the same street as the Anne Frank house.
Come learn about this incredible man and his work!
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
This brilliant 19th century writer was a master craftsman. His short stories are among the best of the 19th century and his language and prose make him unique and formidable even among the masters of his day. He also had a highly visible and prolific journalistic career working for newspapers and magazines at the turn of the last century. He wrote of the ravages of war as experienced by a young soldier on the front lines where he fought valiantly for the Union cause during the American Civil War. Bierce was a bitter man with a very jaundiced eye when it came to the human race and its many foibles.
His "Devil's Dictionary" defines every human achievement and emotion in the most sardonic and misanthropic of terms. For example, one of his more famous quotes is the definition of love. He refers to it as: "a temporary madness curable by marriage."
But who was this strange man who disappeared in Mexico in 1913 and was never heard from again? And why are there no answers to this very day? Read on for some facts and even more questions about this intriguing and famous American writer.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Henry VII was a man of enormous appetites and excesses. An avid gambler and dice player, he also excelled at sports, especially jousting, hunting and royal tennis during his youth. An accomplished musician and poet, his best-known piece of music is Paslyme With Good Company. But he also had a very dark side, a nasty streak tinged with a blood lust for all those who dared to question his royal authority.
In what ways does Henry VIII represent both the best and worst of the Tudor dynasty?
What was the King's "Great Matter" and why did he marry six times during his lifetime?
What were some of the notable events that occurred during his tumultuous reign and how did his royal tenure permanently affect the course of English religious history?
Read on for some facts at: Henry VIII
For more about English hsitory: British History
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Who was this courageous and respected Native American whose name will forever be linked with the demise of General George Armstrong Custer and The Seventh Cavalry? What forces shaped his destiny?
How is he best remembered, both by the Indian nation who revered him and by history?
Are his actions judged fairly even after the passage of 130 years since the bloody and final clash with Custer and his doomed men?
Read on for some facts, which are hard to come by due to the paucity of historical records.
Who was the man and what were his dreams?
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Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Alexander Graham Bell
Who was this great inventor and in what ways was his life a paradox of his work?
What were his personal challenges and how did he overcome them?
Besides the telephone, what were some of his other achievements?
How is his name and one of his inventions connected with the assassination of President James Garfield?
Learn all about this Scottish-born inventor who did so much to improve the lot of our everyday lives and the lives specifically of the deaf population.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
This famous emperor was a man of many achievements and in a myriad of ways was a man of vision, way ahead of his times. In addition to brilliant and innovative military tactics, his non-military accomplishments, included the establishment of the Napoleonic Code, the break down of feudalism via property ownership and even the discovery of a geometric theorem involving equilateral triangles (although still in dispute by mathematical scholars). Did you know, for example, that Napoleon wished to enact a law that would enable only those lawyers who have won cases to receive fees?
He is, perhaps, aptly criticized for the terrible loss of human life incurred from his undisputed military record of 17 years of wars, not to mention the bankruptcy of France and the loss of all of her overseas colonies.
Still, the mystique remains and even his death is shrouded in mystery.
What do YOU think about Napoleon Bonaparte? Please share.
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Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Every school child knows his name, but what is the truth behind the legend of this Corsican-born minor nobleman? How did he become one of the world's most famous military commanders and the Emperor of all of France? In what ways was he ahead of his times and in which others was he very much a part of them? Did he abuse his power, proving the old adage about absolute power corrupting absolutely or was he just misunderstood?
Read on to learn more about this brilliant and controversial military leader.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Who was Jean Lafitte and why does so much legend surround his memory?
How has the passage of time altered the truth about who he really was?
In what ways was he different from other pirates of his day and how did this man without a country help the United States during the War of 1812?
Read this fascinating biography for some answers, and a not so traditional look at a man who is much misunderstood and of whom the truth may never be known.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
What is it about the mind and thoughts of this great philosopher who lived so many years ago that has influenced the modern world? Does his mandate of heaven theory apply in some ways to the world of today? How are his teachings and beliefs universal and not just oriental in scope? Has morality really changed down through the ages or are the conflicts of the human experience always the same?
Read on for a look at one of the world's greatest thinkers and philosophers.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
There is still much controversy, even after the passage of so many years, concerning Custer's actions during the Indian Wars in the years preceding the Battle of the Little Big Horn. To many critics, he was the personification of the American government's terrible treatment of native American tribes. Some others equate his actions as no less heinous than those of Hitler and the modern term of "ethnic cleansing." Even others claim that by today's standards, Custer's behavior would have warranted possible court-martial.
Wherever you stand on this issue, however, it is only fair to say that Custer was a product of his times and his actions were no better or worse than those of the United States military in general.
Read on to learn more about this colorful and controversial American military commander.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Did you know that Washington was the son of a slave owner and had slaves himself? Although this was typical for a Virginia planter of his day, when he spoke of liberty, one can only wonder how he felt about the non-liberated states of others.
And yet, Washington was governed by a strict code of honor that would earn him the respect of members of the new Republic and carry him through his public life as Commander in Chief and president of the United States.
What were his wishes for the new government he tried so hard to create?
Read on for some thoughts about a very special man.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
The musical genius of this child prodigy was celebrated and fostered in the times in which he lived. Still, a fickle Viennese public left Mozart somewhat behind in the latter part of his most productive career. The cause of his death and his final days are shrouded in mystery and will never be resolved, including an enduring theory that he was poisoned by a jealous rival.
Who was this man named Mozart? What were his personal challenges? What do YOU know and admire about the man and his music? Do his compositions still ring of the beauty that his musical genius created?
Most would say yes, but what would YOU say. Please share
http://historicalbiographies.suite101.com/article.cfm/WolfgangAmadeusMozart
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
This great military conqueror is without peer in history. Separating facts from legend is never an easy task, made all the more difficult by the enormous passage of time since his life and death. Many history buffs and historians continue to debate his character and intentions, and each view is skewed by the historian's own particular cultural background and attitude about conquest and conquerors. Alexander conquered but he did not negotiate, making him, in the eyes of some, a true general but not a statesman. His attitude towards cultural fusion may have been more practical than tolerant, as he never admired the Persian culture, which he most certainly vanquished.
One enduring legend is that his horse, Bucephalus, was untrainable until touched by his golden hands.
There is also endless debate among modern "Alexandrists" about the king's true motives. Was Alexander The Great trying to unite the world or simply dominate it?
What are some of the stories that YOU have heard about Alexander The Great that might be mistaken for fact? Please share.
http://historicalbiographies.suite101.com/article.cfm/AlexanderTheGreat
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
How have history books and the passage of time distorted the words and significance of Queen Marie Antoinette and her turbulent reign? Did she really say of the French populace, "let them eat cake?" No one is really sure, nor can anyone ever be, but the spirit and reputation of this fine woman has been somewhat maligned down through history.
In truth, she was imprisoned and executed without justification and treated very cruelly during the last days of her captivity. (Her children were taken away from here and her best friend beheaded. Guards paraded in front of her prison cell flaunting the head of her deceased friend.)
According to many, she was guilty of nothing except being a symbol of monarchy, royalty wealth and privilege.
What do YOU think about Queen Marie Antoinette? Please share.
http://historicalbiographies.suite101.com/article.cfm/MarieAntoinette
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Although this man lived and died almost a centruy ago, his recordings are as alive as they were the day they were made. His powerful and beautiful voice is as big as the sea and it speaks to us from beyond the grave, bringing pleasure and awe to the ears of the world.
But what do we know of this famous singer and what can we learn?
He was a man of humble origins with failings, just like everyone else, but his devotion to his craft and his fans is no less measured by the fact that in the almost twenty years he worked at the Metropolitan Opera House he only missed one opening night (1906). He was the recording industry's first superstar and the first tenor whose name became a household word to non-opera listeners.
Even for those who don't care for opera, his voice remains the gift from God that it is with the power to mesmerize and mystify even 100 years after it has been silenced.
What are YOUR thoughts about Enrico Caruso and the opera? Please share.
http://historicalbiographies.suite101.com/article.cfm/TheGreatEnricoCaruso
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
This famous mob boss, of all others, ( or at least his legend) has become almost an anti-icon in our American culture and his very name is synonomous with crime. He came to power during a colorful and violent time in America when bathtub gin flowed as freely as gangster bullets and ill-gotten gains. Many a mobster found himself on the "other side of the sod" because he had dared to cross "The Great Capone," which no one ever lived to do twice. Over the years there have been several films made about his murderous life and he has been portrayed by some fine actors including Rod Steiger, Robert DiNiro and Neville Brand.
Representing all that is negative and unredeeming in our multi-faceted society, Capone is the true antithesis of the American dream that was sought so honestly by his hard-working parents. His gangster façade and legend endures perhaps because it has been romanticized by the American cinema. His life has never been idealized, however, for even for him with all his millions, in the end, crime did not pay.
What do YOU think about Al Capone and his reign of terror in Chicago in the 1930s? Please share.
http://historicalbiographies.suite101.com/article.cfm/AlCapone