In 1965, the musical film The Sound of Music, adapted from the Broadway play of the same name, appeared to huge international success. The film’s popularity led it to surpass Gone With the Wind as the biggest box office hit of all time, and reaffirmed the superstardom of singer-actress Julie Andrews. It also vaulted a hitherto unknown lead actor, Christopher Plummer, into the front rank of film actors. Unknown, that is, to mainstream film audiences. By 1965, Christopher Plummer was a well-k...| Biographics
Jeremy Bentham was a man ahead of his time. Though not a philosopher, he developed a utilitarian philosophy based on the doing of good to oneself and others. He used it to propose fundamental reforms to a system that he saw as grossly unjust. His ideas have reverberated down through the ages to affect the world that we live in today. In today’s Biographix, we delve into the life and teachings of Jeremy Bentham. A Child Prodigy Jeremy Bentham was born On February 15th, 1748 in Houndsditch, L...| Biographics
He is the most famous person on the planet - and the most divisive. Equally loved and abhorred, it is impossible not to have an opinion about the brash, Twitter-loving 45th President of the United States. Yet, few people truly understand what makes Trump Trump. By going back into his past, we are be able to gain valuable insight into the vast complexities that make up the man. In this week’s Biographics, we get up to speed on the Donald before he took up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenu...| Biographics
Fred Rogers was a legitimate American national treasure. Over 31 seasons he proved to be the reliable, compassionate and all-wise friendly neighbor who guided millions of youngsters through their childhood. Fred single-handedly introduced children’s educational television, in the process elevating a medium that was heading downhill fast. His radical kindness, typified by a gentle and personal manner, helped bring sanity to a world beset by problems. Having Mr. Rogers as our neighbor made th...| Biographics
He was a comic genius who had only one speed - full throttle. From the moment he burst into our lives as an alien on Happy Days, he amazed us with a range of talent that left us breathless. Yet, behind the manic shtick of Robin Williams was a man who was deeply plagued by depression. He had other demons, such as alcohol and cocaine. Still he kept us entertained to the very end, which made it all the more unfathomable to his legion of fans and admirers when he took his life, at the age of 63. ...| Biographics
He was the richest man in America, the world at his fingertips, and yet he was a prisoner to his own dark fears. His achievements were astounding – he created the fastest plane on the planet, was the driving force behind the largest aircraft ever built and was a pioneer in film making – and yet he is remembered for the eccentricities that drove him from hero to hermit. In his heyday, he was a romantic figure, with movie starlets flocking to be seen on his arm, and yet he spent the last 26...| Biographics
He grew up to be over six feet tall, a fashionable dresser, and friends with some of the most famous Americans of his time. But he started life in a corner of the Austrian Empire… Early Life When Nikola Tesla was born, the Austrian Empire still existed. An ethnic Serb, he came into the world in modern-day Croatia on July 10th, 1856. His birth seemed to foreshadow his life’s work, as his mother was in labor during a massive lightning storm. The lightning that flashed during Tesla’s birth...| Biographics
He was billed as the 8th wonder of the world - a legitimate giant of a man, 7 foot 4 inches tall and more than 500 pounds. Andre the Giant was the greatest attraction the world of professional wrestling has ever seen. Yet his appeal went far beyond the ring. With his humble manner and boundless charm, Andre became one of the most famous and recognizable athletes on the planet and a genuine cultural phenomenon. Yet, behind the celebrity, Andre was a man trapped inside a world he never created ...| Biographics
He was a member of the Virginia Dynasty, and the last of the Founding Fathers to hold the office of President. This is the story of James Monroe.| Biographics
Uber’s meteoric rise to dominate the personal transport market has made it one of the most successful - and the most hated - companies in history. Along with its controversial CEO Travis Kalanick, it has developed a reputation as being iron-fisted, cruel and relentless in its pursuit of power. Inspiring an equal measure of admiration and loathing, Uber has turned the traditional taxi industry on its head - and provided consumers with a more user friendly way of getting from Point A to poi...| Biographics
It was the financial scandal of the century. One of the most respected figures on Wall Street, a man who was considered to have the investment Midas touch, had not actually invested a dime in the past fifteen years. Instead he’d been running the largest Ponzi scheme in history. In today’s Biographics, we take a look at the stunning rise and cataclysmic fall of Bernie Madoff. Early Years Bernard Lawrence Madoff was born on April 29th, 1938 in Queens New York. His parents, Ralph and Sylv...| Biographics
