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SUMMARY: Soren Kierkegaard (5 May 1813 – 11 November 1855) Danish philosopher and theologian
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Soren Aabye Kierkegaard was a profound and prolific writer in the Danish “Golden Age” of intellectual and artistic activity. He was born in 1813 and his extensive body of work crosses the boundaries of philosophy, theology, psychology, literary criticism, devotional literature and fiction. He is known as the “father of existentialism.”

Kierkegaard led a somewhat quiet and uneventful life. He rarely left his hometown of Copenhagen and traveled abroad only five times. He went four times to Berlin and once to Sweden. Historical records of his life show that his prime recreational activities were attending the theatre, walking the streets of Copenhagen to chat with ordinary people, and taking brief carriage jaunts into the surrounding countryside. He received a priviledged education and was educated at a prestigious boys’ school (Borgerdydskolen), then attended Copenhagen University where he studied philosophy and theology.

Søren Kierkegaard was born into an affluent family in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. His mother, Ane Sorensdatter Lund Kierkegaard, had served as a maid in the household before marrying Soren’s father. She is recorded as an unassuming figure: quiet, plain, and not formally educated. She is not directly referred to in Kierkegaard’s books, although she greatly affected his later writings. His mother died on July 31, 1834, at age 66. His father, Michael Pedersen Kierkegaard, was known as a melancholic, anxious, deeply pious, and fiercely intelligent man. He was convinced that he had earned God’s wrath which led him to believe that none of his children would live past the age attained by Jesus Christ,(33). He believed that his personal sins, such as cursing the name of God in his youth and possibly impregnating Ane out of wedlock, necessitated his continued punishment. Though many of his seven children died young, his prediction was disproved when two of them lived past 33 years old: Soren and Peter Christian Kierkegaard, (who became a Lutheran bishop and was several years Soren’s senior). This early introduction to the notion of sin and its connection from father and son was to lay the foundation for much of Kierkegaard’s work. Despite his father’s occasional religious melancholy and obsessions, Kierkegaard and his father shared a close bond. He encouraged Soren to explore his imagination. Kierkegaard’s father died on August 9, 1838 at the age of 82. Shortly before his death, he asked Søren to become a pastor. Søren was deeply influenced by his father’s religious experiences and felt obligated to fulfill his wish.

Kierkegaard attended the School of Civic Virtue, where he excelled in both Latin and history. In 1830, he went on to the University of Copenhagen to study theology, but while there he was drawn more towards philosophy and literature. Kierkegaard wrote his dissertation, On the Concept of Irony with Continual Reference to Socrates, which was found by the university panel to be a noteworthy and well-thought out work, but a little too wordy and literary for a philosophy thesis. Kierkegaard graduated on October 20, 1841 with a Magister Artium, which in today’s academic world would be designated as a Ph.D. With his family’s extensive inheritance Kierkegaard was able to fund his education, his living, and several publications of his early works.

Kierkegaard met the love of his life Regine Olsen on May 8, 1837. She became a muse for his work and his subsequent broken engagment to her was generally considered to have had a major influence on his work. Kierkegaard formally proposed to Regine on September 8, 1840. However, Kierkegaard soon felt disillusioned and melancholic about the prospect of marriage. On August 11, 1841 he broke off his engagement. He stated purblicly that he believed that his “melancholy” made him unsuitable for marriage, but his precise motive for ending the engagement remains unclear. It is generally believed that the two remained deeply in love, perhaps even after Regine married Johan Frederik Schlegel. Their contact was limited to chance meetings on the streets of Copenhagen. Some years later, Kierkegaard did go as far as to ask Regine’s husband for permission to speak with her, but Schlegel refused.

Kierkegaard died November 11, 1855 in Copenhagen leaving behind on of the most proflic bodies of work to have ever been written

Filed Under: Biography

SUMMARY: Nellie Bly (May 5, 1864 – January 27, 1922) American journalist
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Nellie Bly focused her attention on women’s rights issues. Nellie invented undercover investigative reporting. Nellie is also known for a record-breaking trip around the world.

Early Years
Born on May 5, 1864, Nellie Bly was originally named Elizabeth Jane Cochran. Her mother taught her how to gain attention for herself by wearing dressing her in a bright pink gown, this earned her the nickname, “Pink”. Bly was born about forty miles north of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Bly’s father died when she was six. Her father did not have a formal will and the family’s estate was sold in auction. Shortly after her father’s death, her mother re-married. Unfortunately her new husband was an abusive alcoholic and her mother filed for divorce when Bly was 14.

Career
In 1908, a sexist column was published in the Pittsburgh Dispatch. Bly was so appalled by the article that she wrote a letter to the editor. Impressed by Bly’s earnestness and spirit, he asked her to join the newspaper. She was hired and given the pen name, Nellie Bly. At that time it was improper for a woman to write for a newspaper and use her true identity.

Nellie primarily focused her work on women’s rights issues. She was a master at under-cover journalism and wrote a series of investigative articles on women in factories. Bly once posed as a poor sweat-shop worker and published a story on the cruelty and awful conditions in which the women worked. The sweatshop owners threatened to pull their advertising from the Dispatch and Nellie was assigned to work on the fashion column.

Nellie went to Mexico on a six moth hiatus at the age of 21. She wrote articles on the working poor in Mexico and the unfair treatment they received from their government. Her writings were published in a book, Six Months in Mexico. Bly was eventually run out of the country by the government when they threatened her with arrest.

In 1887, Nellie joined the staff of the New York World. The first assignment she undertook was to be an undercover mental patient at the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell Island. Bly practiced for a night in front of a mirror to ask like an “insane” person. She was deemed insane by the court and was committed to Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum. During her time in the Asylum, Bly determined that many of the patients were “sane” individuals who were treated unfairly. She stated the food was inedible and the staff was rude and used physical force to quiet the patients. Of this experience, Bly wrote:

“What, excepting torture, would produce insanity quicker than this treatment? Here is a class of women sent to be cured. I would like the expert physicians who are condemning me for my action, which has proven their ability, to take a perfectly sane and healthy woman, shut her up and make her sit from 6 A. M. until 8 P. M. on straight-back benches, do not allow her to talk or move during these hours, give her no reading and let her know nothing of the world or its doings, give her bad food and harsh treatment, and see how long it will take to make her insane. Two months would make her a mental and physical wreck.”

After 10 days, Bly was released by request from the New York World. Her report later published as a book, Ten Days in a Madhouse, brought national attention to Bly and the terrible conditions of the patients. A grand jury launched its own investigation and eventually gave $850,000 for proper care of these patients.

In 1888, Bly took a 72 day tour of the world. This famous journey lead Bly to become a symbol of independence of women.

Later Years and Death
Bly married Robert Seamon in 1894. Seamon was 40 years older than Bly and despite harsh criticism from family and others, the couple stayed married until his death ten years later. After his death, Bly began covering women’s suffrage stories.

On January 2, 1922, Bly died of pneumonia in New York City.

Filed Under: Biography

SUMMARY: Martha Washington (June 2, 1731 – May 22, 1802) American first First Lady of the United States
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“Lady Washington”, the popular nickname was given to the first of the First Ladies of the United States, Martha Washington. Known for her strong devotion to her husband, George Washington, Martha became a key figure in American History.

Early Years
Between midnight and one o’clock, Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, was born on June 2, 1731 on a plantation near Williamsburg. Martha was not formerly educated however, she was educated in domestic skills. Not much is known about Martha’s childhood other than she was the eldest daughter of John and Frances Dandridge. At 18, Martha married the wealthy Daniel Parke Custus. Custus and Martha bore four children together, losing two of them before they grew to childhood. In 1757, Custis past away; leaving Martha with a rich inheritance.

George Washington and family life
In 1759, Martha married Colonel George Washington. Martha’s greatest concern was the comfort and happiness of her husband and her children. George Washington had been the commander of the First Virginia Regiment in the French and Indian War. The couple bore no children together, however, raised Martha’s two surviving children. Sadly, her daughter, Martha, passed away from an epileptic seizure. Her last surviving child, John, died from typhus during the seize of Yorktown. George and Martha Washington raised two of John’s youngest children. The Washington’s lived on his Mount Vernon Estate until their deaths. Mount Vernon was acquired by George in 1754 on a lease from his sister-in-law, upon her death, he inherited his beloved home. Mount Vernon is now an educational tourist attraction.

The Presidency
George Washington served as Commander and Chief of the newly formed American Army. Martha spent a winter at Valley Forge with Washington and his soldiers. Her influence on the soldiers was known as one of the greatest morale boosters they had. She was determined to be cheerful and happy no matter what the situation. Martha also formed a sewing circle during the war and would mend clothing for the troops. Washington was nominated for President of the newly formed United States. Martha opposed the election and did not attend Washington’s inauguration on April 30, 1789. However, once she understood her responsibilities as “First Lady”, she gracefully accepted her duties.

Martha’s warm hospitality put strangers at ease. The Washington’s moved with the President’s temporary capitols in New York and Philadelphia. The couple’s demeanor was that of elegance and they often entertained formal style to show other countries of America’s wish to be treated equal as other established governments. Though Martha was an excellent hostess, she longed for her private life in Virginia. She once wrote a letter to her niece and stated: “I think I am more like a state prisoner than anything else, there is certain bounds set for me which I must not depart from.”

The Washington’s served as President and First Lady until 1797, when they returned home to Mount Vernon.

Death
Three years after his retirement from office, George passed away in 1799. Martha burned all their letters they had once written each other to ensure their privacy. She died on May 22, 1802 and is buried at Mount Vernon next to George Washington.

Martha Washington set the stage for many First Ladies to the President of the United States. Her compassion, kindness and warm example as a wife and mother have cemented their place in history. Despite the United States being a newly formed country, Martha showed the world that they are equal to all other nations. Dignity and grace are some of the words used to describe Washington and America can only hope to keep this wonderful example alive to all other nations in the world.

Filed Under: Biography

SUMMARY: Mark Twain (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910) American American humorist, writer
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Being dubbed “the father of American literature,” many know Mark Twain for his novels, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Since these literary masterpieces, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been called the great American novel.

Early Life
Mark Twain began his life on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri. Samuel Langhorn Clemens (better known as Mark Twain), was the sixth of seven children, three of his siblings died in childhood. At four years old, his family moved to Hannibal, a small port town on the Mississippi River. This town would later inspire a fictional town in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain grew up in a time when slavery was rampant, he despised injustice of slavery and any form of senseless violence. At age 11, his father died of pneumonia and Twain left school and began work. The following year, Twain became a printer’s apprentice. His brother, Orion, owned the Hannibal Journal newspaper and Twain began work as a typesetter. By the time he was 18 Twain traveled to New York, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Philadelphia to work as a printer. Twain returned to Missouri at 22 and pursued a career as a steamboat pilot. Twain worked as a steamboat pilot until 1861 when the American Civil War broke out.

Family Life
Twain and his brother traveled across the United States to Salt Lake City, Nevada and eventually to San Francisco, California. In 1867, he took a tour of Europe and the Middle East. Twain then met Charles Langton. Langton had a sister named Olivia whom Twain fell in love with. The two married in 1870. Olivia gave birth two three daughters and one son. Three of their children died before they reached their twenties. In 1874, Twain built their home in Hartford, Connecticut. To this day, the home still stands and is a museum to Mark Twain.

Twain was known for losing money on printing machines, mining and other projects that never succeeded. However, one of Twain’s best attributes during his financial woes was his sense of humor. In 1895, Twain set off on a world lecture tour, in order to pay off his debts. During this time, he encountered numerous famous people such as Mahatma Gandhi, Sigmund Freud and Booker T. Washington.

Literature
Hailed as one of America’s greatest novels, Twain wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in 1876. The book was based on Twain’s own childhood and adventures with his friends. His next published work, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, set Twain apart as one of the best American novelists. The overall theme of the book was the young boy’s belief in the right thing to do despite being told it was wrong. After his great successes, Twain began to write, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, in 1885. This work marked a difficult time for Twain as he spiraled downward into deeper debt. In 1894, he was forced to file bankruptcy. Twain’s final writing was an autobiography published in 1924 after his death.

Twain’s literary career produced over 19 famous books such as: The Prince and The Paulper, The Guilded Age, Roughing It and many other famous works. His impact on American literature is impressive and still admired by inspiring writers.

End of Life
Mark Twain died on April 21, 1910 in Redding, Connecticut. He is buried next to his wife and children in Elmira, New York. Twain’s last written statement was-

“Death, the only immortal who treats us all alike, whose pity and whose peace and whose refuge are for all—the soiled and the pure, the rich and the poor, the loved and the unloved.”

Filed Under: Biography

SUMMARY: Sir Winston Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) British politician
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Often described as “the greatest living Englishman” during his life, Sir Winston Churchill was a British war leader, Prime Minister, author, and Nobel Prize winner.

Military and political career
Sir Winston Churchill’s military career is extensive. Born Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill on November 30, 1874 in Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, England, Churchill’s military career began with his attendance of the Royal Military College in Sandhurst. He was commissioned in the Forth Hussars in 1895 and was in the Battle of Omdurman, later discussed in an essay. He left the British Army in 1899, then worked as a war correspondent during the Boer War, during which he was captured and subsequently escaped.

Churchill had a great presence during both World Wars. He joined the War Council in 1914, and then served as the Minister of Munitions during the last year of war, overseeing the production of tanks, guns, and other sources of artillery. Later, from 1919-1920, he served as the Minister of War and Air.

When World War II began, Churchill was called as the First Lord of the Admiralty then later went on to be the chairman of the Military Coordinating Committee in 1940. In the midst of World War II, on May 10, 1940, Churchill was appointed Prime Minister. While Prime Minister, he was often criticized for “meddling” in military affairs; however, he proved to be a great inspiration to the British people in their war-torn country. He also helped to form strong allies with the United States, working closely with President Roosevelt after Pearl Harbor, and with the Soviet Union.

Writing career
Churchill also had an impressive literary career, and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. He started by writing military reports in the late 1800s for the army. The Story of the Malakand Field Force was published in 1898 and discussed campaigning in the Sudan and The River War, published in 1899, discussed the Battle of Omdurman. He also wrote a novel in 1900, called Savrola.

He also wrote biographies; in fact, what is considered to be his first major work was a biography of his father, the aristocrat Lord Randolph Churchill. He also wrote a biography about the Duke of Marlborough, who was a distant ancestor of his. This was published in four separate volumes. In 1930, he published his own autobiography of his childhood and youth, My Early Life.

Churchill also wrote extensively about the World Wars. His account of the first World War was entitled The World Crisis (written and published from 1923-1929) and spanned four volumes. His recollections of his experiences in World War II were comprised of six volumes (published in 1948-53). For these works, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. In 1956-1958, he published a 12-volume set of speeches, the History of the English-speaking Peoples.

Churchill was also a painter and wrote a book entitled Painting as a Pastime, published in 1948.

Personal life
In 1908, Churchill married Clementine Ogilvy Hozier. His health began to deteriorate around 1946, when he suffered the first of a number of strokes. However, he was knighted in 1953, then retired completely from politics in 1955, although he still wrote a number of books. He died on January 24th, 1965.
Sir Winston Churchill was a brilliant military leader and author during both World Wars.

Filed Under: Biography

SUMMARY: Simone Weil (February 3, 1909 – August 24, 1943) French philosopher, Christian mystic, and social activist.
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Simone Weil (last name pronounced “Vay”) was a French philosophical writer and mystic, among other things. She is widely known for her resistance work and dedication to the plight of the working man.

Early life
Born in Paris, France, in 1909, Simone Weil was the daughter of Jewish parents and the brother of a famous mathematician, Andre Weil. Although she later converted to Christianity, at the age of 10 she became interested in politics and decided she would become a Bolshevik. She read communist party newspapers as a child and continued to oppose capitalist systems as an adult.

Labor organization and teaching
After graduating college, Simone began her teaching career as a philosophy teacher at a Secondary School for a year in Le Puy. Around the same time, she began to sympathize with laborers and organized a number of marches and other efforts to support. She would also work with them periodically between teaching to better understand their plight and experience life as a working class laborer.

Her work with labor organizations was affecting her teaching career, and by the time mid-terms came, her entire class was failing. At this point, after participating in a protest march, she was asked to step down from her teaching post, which she refused to do, so she was fired. After teaching in Le Puy, she began teaching philosophy in Roanne, continuing her work with the laborers as well. She taught free classes to those working in railroads and mines and also donated portions of her salary to their cause.

Eventually she ended her teaching career and went to live and work among unskilled labor workers, which was physically taxing on her and often left her out of money and food.

Many of Simone Weil’s teachings were published posthumously as the result of a student who took diligent notes while in her class, and then went on to publish them after her death. As a result, today we are able to better understand her views and teachings of philosophy at the time.

War efforts
While Simone Weil was a pacifist, she volunteered in the Spanish Civil War with the Republican Party in 1936. At this point her beliefs in Communism began to dissipate, and she began working for an anarchist trade movement, La Révolution Prolétarianne.

Although she was born Jewish, Simone Weil took a deep interest in Catholicism and converted to Christianity in 1938, although she refused to be baptized into the Catholic church throughout the remainder of her life. Regardless, when the Nazis occupied France, she then escaped to the United States, then England, in 1942. Her war efforts continued in England as she worked for the Free French movement for a period of time.

Circumstances surrounding death
When she was 34, Simone Weil died in Ashford. The circumstances surrounding her death have been the subject of speculation. While she had tuberculosis, she also refused food and medical treatment out of sympathy of those who were still in occupied France. Some believe she starved herself to death, while others believe she had a mental illness and her self-neglect led to her early death instead of recovering.

Simone Weil was a brilliant woman with a lot of sympathy who contributed much of her energy, time, and money to standing up for laborers who were treated unfairly and supporting the war cause.

Filed Under: Biography

SUMMARY: Shel Silverstein (September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) American poet, songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children’s books.
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Many children and adults alike are familiar with the works of Shel Silverstein. This popular American poet wrote a number of books of poetry for children, which is what he is best known for. In fact, Shel Silverstein’s famous books of poetry, A light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends, are often classroom staples, required school reading, and a child’s first taste of poetry. While he was an excellent and well-known poet, Shel Silverstein has written much more than just children’s works.

Personal life
Shel Silverstein’s full name was Sheldon Allan Silverstein, and he was born in Chicago in 1930. His biographical information is difficult to come by, as he was a private man who shunned interviews and publicity tours and told his publisher not to give out any information about him. He was married and divorced and was the father of a daughter. Shel Silverstein died of a heart attack in 1999 in his home in Key West

Artwork and songwriting
Although Shel Silverstein is best known for his children’s works, interestingly enough, writing for children was never his first intention. According to Silverstein, his career in writing and drawing began at an early age, when he said that because he wasn’t athletic, he instead took up writing and drawing.

Silverstein was a talented artist on many levels. As a songwriter, he wrote the songs “A Boy Named Sue” for Johnny Cash as well as “The Cover of the Rolling Stone” for Dr. Hook. In addition to these hits, he also wrote the popular “Unicorn Song” for the Irish Rovers as well as “I’m Checking Out” for the movie Postcards from the Edge, which he also received an Oscar nomination as a songwriter for.

Silverstein was also a cartoonist, which he started while serving in the Army in Japan and Korea, when he was a cartoonist for Stars & Stripes, the US Army publication. After he was released from the Army, he began to draw cartoons for such magazines as Sports Illustrated, This Week, Look, and Playboy. Silverstein’s cartoons appeared in every issue in Playboy from 1957 to the mid-70’s.

Poetry
Despite his successful career as a songwriter, Silverstein is best known for his children’s poetry and stories, which were eventually translated into over 30 different languages. He first began writing for children after a friend introduced him to his Editor at Harper Collins. From there, his first book for children, The Giving Tree, was published in 1964. While it was not a big success at first, it eventually went on to be a bestseller and continues to be, with over 5 million copies sold.

In 1974, Shel Silverstein published his first book of poems, Where the Sidewalk Ends. It became an immediate success and is still a staple in many elementary school libraries. In 1981, A Light in the Attic was published, spending 182 weeks atop the New York Times bestseller list, surpassing sales of Where the Sidewalk Ends. Fifteen years later, Falling Up, another book of children’s poetry, was published. Silverstein also illustrated his own work, drawing from his success as a cartoonist.

Shel Silverstein was a man of many talents, including writing, art, and music. He is well-known and respected in a number of industries, and people continue to enjoy his poems and his music today.

Filed Under: Biography

SUMMARY: Scott Adams (b. June 8, 1957) Dilbert cartoonist, satirist
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Chances are, the name Scott Adams doesn’t necessarily ring a bell. However, say the name “Dilbert,” and immediately people will identify it as the famous cartoon character in corporate America. Scott Adams is the man behind him.

Education and career
Scott Adams was born in 1957 and raised in New York, graduating with his small high school class in the Catskills as valedictorian. He moved to Northern California after his college graduation and resides in the Bay Area.

Scott actually didn’t set out to be an artist or even a cartoonist. In 1979, he graduated from Hartwick College in New York with a BA in Economics, and also became a certified hypnotist in 1981. Then, in 1986, Scott received an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley.

Upon graduation, Scott started working for Crocker National Bank in San Francisco in a variety of capacities. These positions included a teller, computer programmer, financial analyst, product manager, and commercial lender. (As an interesting side note, as a teller he was robbed at gunpoint twice).

After seven years working for Crocker, Scott then began working at Pacific Bell in 1986 in a number of technological and finance positions.

Creating Dilbert
Scott began working on the Dilbert cartoon strip in 1989 while working at Pacific Bell. The Dilbert character itself was inspired by Scott’s various coworkers, a composite of his co-workers throughout the years in his various jobs. Originally, Scott started using Dilbert (the name was suggested to him by a coworker) as a character for his business presentations. Dilbert’s sidekick Dogbert was created for Dilbert.

Going from sketches for work presentations to a syndicated cartoonist took years and a lot of hard work on Scott’s part. A cartoonist he knew suggested he get a book called 1988 Artist Markets, which helps artists and cartoonists become published and get syndicated. The book gave detailed steps on how to get syndicated. Scott then drew fifty sample strips and sent them to the major cartoon syndicates in the industry. Several weeks later, he accepted a contract from United Media.

By 1989, Dilbert was launched as a syndicated cartoon. However, he still worked at Pacific Bell during the day until 1995, working on Dilbert during the mornings, evenings after work, and weekends.

Now, Dilbert is one of the most successful cartoons in the world as well as in history, appearing in 2,000 newspapers in 65 countries.

Dilbert books and website
In addition to the popular cartoons, Scott Adams has also written four books based on the Dilbert comic. The Dilbert Principle and Dogbert’s Top Secret Management Handbook were both #1 New York Times Bestsellers, and The Dilbert Future and The Joy of Work also enjoyed success as best-selling books.

In addition to the four original books, there are also a number of strip reprint books in print, making a total of 22 Dilbert books and over 10 million copies in print worldwide.

In addition to books, there is also a Dilbert web site. This was actually the first syndicated comic strip to go online and is still the most widely read comic online today.

Other ventures
In addition to his best selling comic, Scott Adams has ventured into other areas of business and is the CEO of Scott Adams Foods, Inc., food that contains 100% of the daily values of vitamins and minerals.

Scott Adams is the man behind one of the most popular comics in history, Dilbert.

Filed Under: Biography

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