Portal:Biography

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The Biography Portal

Biography (from the Greek words bíos (βίος), meaning 'life', and gráphein (γράφειν), meaning 'to write') is a genre of literature or film which presents a relatively full account of the most interesting and important events of a notable person's life. While a biography may focus on a fictional person, the term usually refers to non-fiction works. As opposed to summaries of people's lives, such as profiles or curriculum vitae, a biography is a continuous narrative which interprets and explains the person's character, personality, and social context.

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Featured biography

Portrait of Samuel Adams by John Singleton Copley.

Samuel Adams (1722–1803) was an American statesman, politician, writer, and political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Adams was instrumental in garnering the support of the colonies in rebellion against Great Britain, ultimately resulting in the American Revolution. He was also one of the key architects of the principles of American republicanism that shaped American political culture. Adams organized protests against the British, including the Boston Tea Party in 1773, and participated in the Continental Congress. He also advocated for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence at the Second Continental Congress. Following the American Revolution, Adams helped draft the Articles of Confederation. After the war ended, he ran for the House of Representatives in the 1st United States Congressional election, but was unsuccessful in his bid. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts in 1789 and after John Hancock's death in 1793, Adams served as the acting governor, until he was elected governor in January of the following year. He served in that position until June 1797 when he decided to retire from politics. (Read more...)

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Selected portrait

Walt Whitman (born Walter Whitman) (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist born in West Hills, Huntington on Long Island in New York. His most famous works are the poetry collections Leaves of Grass and Drum-Taps. (Read more...)

Photo credit: George C. Cox (1887), Source: Library of Congress.

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Did you know...

... that botanist Thomas Frederic Cheeseman (pictured) had a wide range of interests: he also described a few species of marine gastropods?
... former Regimental Sergeant Major Harry Lapwood was known as having the loudest voice in the New Zealand House of Representatives?
... that in 1951, Bulgarian politician and exile G. M. Dimitrov helped found the first Bulgarian NATO company?
... that Edith Killgore Kirkpatrick published a short book of favorite songs titled Louisiana Let's Sing in honor of her husband Claude's unsuccessful candidacy for Governor of Louisiana in 1963?
... that canal engineer Hugh Henshall was both pupil of and brother-in-law to James Brindley, the famous canal architect of the Industrial Revolution?
... that it took Peter Steinfeld six and a half weeks to write the opening eleven pages of his first screenplay, Drowning Mona?

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Quote of the week

"The universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with human ambition."

— Carl Sagan

In Cosmos, 1980

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On this day – July 31

Births

1893 - Fatima Jinnah, Prominent leader of Pakistan Movement and sister of Jinnah (d. 1967)
1911 - George Liberace, American musician (d. 1983)
1912 - Milton Friedman, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2006)
1958 - Mark Cuban, American businessman, producer, and basketball team owner
1962 - Wesley Snipes, American actor
1965 - J. K. Rowling, British novelist
1976 - Annie Parisse, American actress
1976 - Paulo Wanchope, Costa Rican footballer
1981 - Matthew "M. Shadows" Sanders, American singer (Avenged Sevenfold)

Deaths

1099 - El Cid, Spanish warrior (b. 1044)
1547 - King Francis I of France (b. 1494)
1875 - Andrew Johnson, 17th President of the United States (b. 1808)
1886 - Franz Liszt, Hungarian composer (b. 1811)
1953 - Robert Taft, U.S. Senator from Ohio and Presidential candidate (b. 1889)

Recent days: July 30 – July 29 – July 28

More of today's anniversaries...