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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.

Featured biography

Samuel Adams (September 16 (OS), 1722 – October 2, 1803) was an American leader, 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 rebelling against Great Britain, ultimately resulting in the American Revolution, and was also one of the key architects of the principles of American republicanism that shaped American political culture. (read more...)

Selected portrait

The only known photograph of Frédéric François Chopin (IPA: [fʁedeʁik fʁɑ̃swa ʃɔpɛ̃]), (March 1, 1810¹ – October 17, 1849). Chopin was a Polish piano composer of the Romantic period, widely regarded as one of the most famous, influential and prolific composers for piano, and Poland's most significant composer. (read more...)

Photograph believed to have been taken by Louis-Auguste Bisson in 1849.

¹Some sources give February 22, for an explanation see here.

Did you know...

• ... that 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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See also: Biographies of living persons • Manual of Style (biographies)

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On this day - July 2

Births

• 1925 - Patrice Lumumba, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (d. 1961)
• 1925 - Medgar Evers, American civil rights activist (d. 1963)
• 1929 - Imelda Marcos, First Lady of the Philippines
• 1937 - Richard Petty, American race car driver
• 1939 - Alexandros Panagoulis, Greek politician and poet.
• 1942 - Vicente Fox, (pictured) President of Mexico
• 1947 - Larry David, American television producer
• 1957 - Bret "Hitman" Hart, Canadian professional wrestler
• 1983 - Michelle Branch, American musician
• 1985 - Ashley Tisdale, American actress
• 1986 - Lindsay Lohan, American actress and musician

Deaths

• 1778 - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Swiss philosopher (b. 1712)
• 1937 - Amelia Earhart, American aviator (disappeared) (b. 1897)
• 1961 - Ernest Hemingway, American writer, Nobel Prize laureate (suicide) (b. 1899)

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