Attila King and general of the Huns; died 453. Succeeding in 433 to the kingship of Scythian hordes disorganized and enfeebled by internal discords, Attila soon made of his subjects a compact and formidable people, the terror of Europe and Asia. An unsuccessful campaign in Persia was followed in 441 by an invasion of the Eastern Roman Empire, the success of which emboldened Attila to invade the West. He passed unhindered through Austria and Germany, across the Rhine into Gaul, plundering and...

Andrew Carnegie Biography A man of Scotland, a distinguished citizen of the United States, and a philanthropist devoted to the betterment of the world around him, Andrew Carnegie became famous at the turn of the twentieth century and became a real life rags to riches story. Born in Dunfermline, Scotland, on November 25, 1835, Andrew Carnegie entered the world in poverty. The son of a hand weaver, Carnegie received his only formal education during the short time between his birth and his...

This essay examines a chapter from Brodersen’s biography of Walter Benjamin. I Introduction Since I’ve just examined Benjamin’s work The Arcades Project, it’s interesting to know something about its author. I’m examining the first chapter of the biography of Benjamin by Momme Brodersen, because I think it’s interesting to see what influenced the young man to do the things he did. His style of writing, which is actually a compilation, is so unusual that...

Thomas Paine. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Martin Luther King, Jr. When one thinks of people who began a new generation, inspiring people, motivating people, and leading them, these names may come to mind. However, one that many neglect is the genius of Allen Ginsberg. Ginsberg’s actions and opinions, built by his background, caused the eternal and cultural birth known as the 1960s. Allen Ginsberg’s colorful childhood led him to a deviant youth, causing an eruption of unique and...

I vaguely remember when I was a teenager (1990, maybe) watching an episode of Charles S. Dutton's short-lived television show Roc in which his nephew had read The Autobiography of Malcolm X and wanted to become a Muslim. I recall the moral of this episode was something like: never allow another's passion for their religion to influence your choice to become a follower of that religion, as you should always join up for the right reasons, and that should always be borne out of your own...

Alexander the Great(Alexander III) (356-323 BC) “My son, ask for thyself another kingdom, for that which I leave is too small for thee.” (King Philip of Macedonia, 339 BC) From victory to victory, from triumph to triumph Alexander created an empire that marked history and brought him eternal glory. Alexander brought Greek ideas, culture and mentality to the conquered countries and assured expansion and domination of the Hellenistic Culture which together with the Roman...

Biography - Hitler Hitler's Early Life - Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, the fourth child of Alois Schickelgruber and Klara Hitler in the Austrian town of Braunau. Two of his siblings died from diphtheria when they were children, and one died shortly after birth. Alois was a customs official, illegitimate by birth, who was described by his housemaid as a "very strict but comfortable" man. Young Adolf was showered with love and affection by his mother. By 1900, Hitler's talents as an...

Shaquille O'Neal biography You know him on the basketball court, the silver screen and the recording studio - Shaquille O'Neal! At 7'1 and 315 pounds he is hard to miss and impossible to dis(respect). Commonly known as the player that took over the top spot after Michael Jordan's retirement, Shaq has come a long way from his humble beginnings as a "military brat". Born on March 6, 1972, in a poor area of Newark as Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal, Shaq's childhood was spent with his parents, Lucille...

Biography of the First President, George Washington George Washington was born on Feb. 22, 1732 (Feb. 11, 1731/2, old style) in Westmoreland County, Va. While in his teens, he trained as a surveyor, and at the age of 20 he was appointed adjutant in the Virginia militia. For the next three years, he fought in the wars against the French and Indians, serving as Gen. Edward Braddock's aide in the disastrous campaign against Fort Duquesne. In 1759, he resigned from the militia, married Martha...

The Life of Michelangelo Michelangelo (1475-1564), arguably one of the most inspired creators in the history of art. As a sculptor, architect, painter, and poet, he exerted a tremendous influence on his contemporaries and on subsequent Western art in general. A Florentine—although born March 6, 1475, in the small village of Caprese near Arezzo—Michelangelo continued to have a deep attachment to his city, its art, and its culture throughout his long life. He spent the greater part of his...