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10 Things You Might Not Know About Chinggis Khan
10 Things You Might Not Know About Chinggis Khan
1. Born circa 1162, Chinggis Khan’s birth name was Temujin, meaning “blacksmith.” The spelling of his name, Chinggis, varies among scholars; alternative spellings include Chingis, Jenghiz, and, most commonly, Genghis.... Read more...
10 Things You Might Not Know About Miles Davis
10 Things You Might Not Know About Miles Davis
1. Miles Davis (1926-1991) came from a very affluent background, which served as a direct contrast to the humble beginnings of other jazz greats. His mother was a music teacher,... Read more...
Bertrand Russell: The Philosopher Who Shaped Minds and Movements
Bertrand Russell: The Philosopher Who Shaped Minds and Movements
On May 18, we celebrate the birthday of one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century—Bertrand Russell. Born in 1872, Russell’s contributions to philosophy, logic, mathematics, and social... Read more...
Bertrand Russell
10 Things You Might Not Know About Bertrand Russell
1. The Nobel Prize winner, Bertrand Russell, wrote over 60 books and 2,000 articles throughout the course of his 97-year life. 2. His grandfather, John Russell, served two terms as... Read more...
Salvador Dalí
10 Things You Might Not Know About Salvador Dalí
1. Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí y Domenech was born on May 11, 1904, in Figueres, Spain. He was named Salvador after his namesake brother, who had died the year... Read more...
David Hume
10 Things You Might Not Know About David Hume
1. David Hume (1711-1766) was christened as David Home, but later changed the spelling of his last name to Hume as most English people mispronounced it. 2. Hume began studying... Read more...
10 Things You Might Not Know About Kurt Gödel
10 Things You Might Not Know About Kurt Gödel
1. Kurt Gödel was born in 1906 in Brunn, Austria-Hungary (now part of the Czech Republic); his parents had him learning multiple languages at the ripe age of 10. Ironically,... Read more...
Exploring the Mind: Remembering Philosopher Daniel Dennett (1942–2024)
Exploring the Mind: Remembering Philosopher Daniel Dennett (1942–2024)
Daniel Dennett, who passed away on April 19, 2024, at the age of 82, was a pioneering thinker whose work bridged philosophy and science. Known for tackling complex subjects like... Read more...
Vladimir Nabokov
10 Things You Might Not Know About Vladimir Nabokov
1. Vladimir Nabokov’s (1899-1977) family was incredibly wealthy. The sale of one of his mother's pearl necklaces afforded two years of Nabokov's Cambridge tuition. 2. He was not merely an... Read more...
10 Things You Might Not Know About Immanuel Kant
10 Things You Might Not Know About Immanuel Kant
1. The German philosopher, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), was the fourth of eight children born to Johann Georg and Anna Regina Cant. His parents only saw three of their children grow... Read more...
10 Things You Might Not Know About Charlie Chaplin
10 Things You Might Not Know About Charlie Chaplin
1. Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on April 16th, 1889, in London, England. His parents, Charles and Hannah, were both performers. A great heartbreak of Chaplin’s life was his mother’s... Read more...
Leonardo da Vinci
10 Things You Might Not Know About Leonardo da Vinci
1. Although he is best known as the painter who created such masterpieces as the “Mona Lisa” and the “Last Supper,” Leonardo da Vinci was also an inventor, scientist, mathematician,... Read more...