Byte Sized Biographies…

King Ludwig II of Bavaria, a Beautiful Madness Wonderful Atlantic Monthly Photo Essay on Ludwig II Ludwig II was born on August 25, 1845.  His father, Maximillian, was then the Crown Prince of Bavaria.  His grandfather, Ludwig I, was the King of Bavaria and a member of the House of Wittlesbach, the ruling dynasty that had governed the Kingdom of Bavaria, for over six hundred years. Upon Maximilian’s death, Ludwig became Ludwig II at the … Continue reading King Ludwig II of Bavaria, A Beautiful Madness →

Billie Holiday, Lady Day Sometimes the most remarkable artistic genius can emerge from the humblest of beginnings.  Sarah Julia Harris was born on August 16, 1895 in Baltimore, MD.  Disowned by her father, she was raised by her mother, who ultimately married another man and had two more children.  Like her siblings, Sarah, nicknamed “Sadie”, began working at cleaning jobs at an early age, a lack of education rendered her virtually illiterate.  She was employed … Continue reading Billie Holiday, Lady Day →

Edgar Allan Poe: Life Sucks and Then You Die Poe was born Edgar Poe on January 19, 1809, in the city of Boston.  His parents, David and Eliza were actors that travelled a circuit along the Eastern seaboard.  His mother performed a week before his birth and would return again to the Boston stage a month later, which is indicative of the economic stability of Poe’s family.  David Poe had abandoned a career in law … Continue reading Edgar Allan Poe, Utterly Mysterious →

Ernesto “Che” Guevara, Revolutionary Poster Boy Ernesto Guevara de la Serna was born in Rosario, Argentina on May 14, 1928.   His upper class parents forged his birth certificate to read June 14 to conceal the fact that Ernesto was conceived out of wedlock.  Ernesto Guevara Lynch and Celia de la Serna y Llosa both came from socially well-connected families.  Despite Ernesto Sr.’s attempts at several money-making ventures, the family lived on Celia’s inheritance. On March … Continue reading Ernesto “Che” Guevara, Myth of the “Guerrillero Heroico” →

Friedrich Nietzsche: I am not a Man! I am Dynamite! Friedrich Nietzsche was born in Rocken, Germany on October 15, 1844.  In July of 1849, Nietzsche’s father, a thirty-five year old minister, died of an indeterminate brain condition, forcing the family to move to the nearby town of Naumburg.  Both of these locations are in the Saxony region, former German Democratic Republic, approximately thirty miles southwest of the city of Leipzig. Ree and Salome quickly … Continue reading Friedrich Nietzsche, Both Man and Dynamite →

Mildred Fish Harnack, the Only American Female Ever Executed For Espionage by Nazi Germany Mildred Fish Harnack was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on September 16, 1902.  Her parents, descended from a New England, protestant background, separated when Mildred was a teenager and she was primarily raised by her mother.  After her father’s death in 1918, the family relocated to the Washington, DC area but Mildred returned in 1921 to attend the University of Wisconsin. While … Continue reading Mildred Harnack and the Red Orchestra →

Captain George Smith Anthony and The Voyage of the SS Catalpa In 1874, rebel leader John Devoy received another letter from Fenian prisoner James Wilson that he chose to read aloud at a national meeting of the Clan Na Gael.  Part of it read:      “Think that we have been nine years in this living tomb since our        first arrest and it is impossible for mind and body to withstand the        continual strain … Continue reading George Smith Anthony and the Voyage of the Catalpa →

John Paul Jones, Admiral and Patriot Considered a hero of the American Revolution, John Paul Jones was born in Scotland, carried out most of his naval exploits in the British Isles and died in Paris.  His most famous encounter, a victory over the British warship, HMS Serapis, took place off of the coast of Yorkshire, England, thousands of miles from the American colonies. It is now a matter of historical debate as to when or … Continue reading John Paul Jones-American Admiral, (Volume 1, Podcast 1) →