Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) is one of the greatest composers in history. His work marked a turning point for composers, who had previously written primarily for religious services, to teach, or to entertain at social functions. But Beethoven’s …[Continue]
Biographies Resources
Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth (born Isabella Baumfree) was one of the best-known abolitionists of the nineteenth century. Born a slave in New York in approximately 1797, she was freed in 1828. She took the name Sojourner Truth in 1843 when she began …[Continue]
Pablo Picasso
Born October 25, 1881 in Malaga, Spain, Pablo Picasso became the defining artist of the twentieth century. As I learned about his life, I was struck by the observation that Picasso was blessed with parents who recognized his gift at …[Continue]
Thomas Edison
With a lifetime dedicated to invention, Thomas A. Edison (1847 – 1931) earned 1,093 U.S. patents, more than any other single inventor. His impressive achievements include the invention of electric lighting, the phonograph, and motion pictures. Edison was not only …[Continue]
Helen Keller
Helen Keller was born in 1880 with sight and hearing, but an illness at eighteen months left her deaf, blind, and mute. Keller overcame these disabilities to become an international spokesperson championing the causes of education, research and opportunity for …[Continue]
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 — July 4, 1826) was the second President of the United States, and America’s first Vice President under George Washington. Adams was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and an early voice for separation …[Continue]
Paul Revere
Paul Revere (1735 – 1818) was an American patriot best known for riding on a borrowed horse from Boston to Lexington on April 18, 1775 to warn the colonists of approaching British troops. The next day, when the British arrived …[Continue]
Harriet Tubman
In 2003, New York Governor George E. Pataki established March 10 as Harriet Tubman Day. Harriet Tubman was born a slave in 1820, but escaped north to freedom in 1849. Instead of enjoying her newfound freedom, however, she returned south …[Continue]
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) was a Baptist minister and civil rights leader. In November 1983, President Reagan signed legislation creating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, making it the third national holiday born in the twentieth century. The first was …[Continue]
Abraham Lincoln
America’s sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) is revered for ending slavery, and preserving the Union by winning the Civil War. But perhaps he is best known for his Gettysburg Address of 1863 and being …[Continue]
