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Abiography, or simplybio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile orcurriculum vitae (résumé), a biography presents a subject's life story, highlighting various aspects of their life, including intimate details of experience, and may include an analysis of the subject's personality.

Biographical works are usuallynon-fiction, but fiction can also be used to portray a person's life. One in-depth form of biographical coverage is called legacy writing. Works in diverse media, from literature to film, form thegenre known as biography.

Anauthorized biography is written with the permission, cooperation, and at times, participation of a subject or a subject's heirs. Anunauthorized biography is one written without such permission or participation. Anautobiography is written by the person themselves, sometimes with the assistance of a collaborator orghostwriter. (Full article...)

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Featured articles are displayed here, which represent some of the best content on English Wikipedia.

Image 1

Douglas in the 1990s

Marjory Stoneman Douglas (April 7, 1890 – May 14, 1998) was an American journalist, author, women's suffrage advocate, and conservationist known for her staunch defense of theEverglades against efforts to drain it and reclaim land for development. Moving to Miami as a young woman to work forThe Miami Herald, she became afreelance writer, producing over one hundredshort stories that were published in popular magazines. Her most influential work was the bookThe Everglades: River of Grass (1947), which redefined the popular conception of the Everglades as a treasured river instead of a worthless swamp. Its impact has been compared to that ofRachel Carson's influential bookSilent Spring (1962). Her books, stories, and journalism career brought her influence in Miami, enabling her to advance her causes.

As a young woman, Douglas was outspoken and politically conscious of thewomen's suffrage andcivil rights movements. She was called upon to take a central role in the protection of the Everglades when she was 79 years old. For the remaining 29 years of her life she was "a relentless reporter and fearless crusader" for the natural preservation and restoration ofSouth Florida. Her tireless efforts earned her several variations of the nickname "Grande Dame of the Everglades" as well as the hostility of agricultural and business interests looking to benefit from land development in Florida. She received numerous awards, including thePresidential Medal of Freedom, and was inducted into several halls of fame. (Full article...)
Image 2

Zobel in his laboratory

Otto Julius Zobel (October 20, 1887 – January 1970) was an electrical engineer who worked for theAmerican Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T) in the early part of the 20th century. Zobel's work on filter design was revolutionary and led, in conjunction with the work ofJohn R. Carson, to significant commercial advances for AT&T in the field offrequency-division multiplex (FDM) telephone transmissions.

Although much of Zobel's work has been superseded by more modern filter designs, it remains the basis of filter theory and his papers are still referenced today. Zobel invented them-derived filter
and theconstant-resistance filter, which remain in use. (Full article...)
Image 3

Lord Ashfieldc. 1920

Albert Henry Stanley, 1st Baron Ashfield,TD, PC (8 August 1874 – 4 November 1948), bornAlbert Henry Knattriess, was a British-American businessman who was managing director, then chairman of theUnderground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) from 1910 to 1933 and chairman of theLondon Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) from 1933 to 1947.

Although born in Britain, his early career was in the United States, where, at a young age, he held senior positions in the developingtramway systems of Detroit and New Jersey. In 1898, he served in theUnited States Navy during the shortSpanish–American War. (Full article...)
Image 4

Druitt c. 1879

Montague John Druitt (15 August 1857 – early December 1888) was an Englishbarrister and educator who is known for being asuspect in theJack the Ripper murders of 1888.

Druitt came from an upper-middle-class English background, and studied atWinchester College and theUniversity of Oxford. After graduating, he was employed as an assistant schoolmaster at aboarding school and pursued a parallel career in the law, qualifying as abarrister in 1885. His main interest outside work wascricket, which he played with many leading players of the time, includingLord Harris andFrancis Lacey. (Full article...)
Image 5
Pasqua Rosée (fl. 1651–1658) was a 17th-century servant who opened the firstcoffee-house in London and possibly Britain. He was born into the ethnic Greek community of theRepublic of Ragusa (now southernmostCroatia). In 1651 he became the servant of Daniel Edwards, an English merchant of theLevant Company who was living inSmyrna (modernİzmir, Turkey) in theOttoman Empire; Rosée's duties included preparing and serving Edwards's daily coffee.

In late 1651 Edwards returned to London, taking Rosée with him. The number and frequency of friends visiting Edwards to drink coffee with him disrupted his social life, and so he set up Rosée as the proprietor of a coffee-house near theRoyal Exchange. As Rosée was not afreeman of the City of London he was not able to trade; accordingly Edwards made his father-in-law's former apprentice, Christopher "Kitt" Bowman—a freeman of the City—join Rosée as a partner. The last known reference to Rosée was in 1658, after which Bowman ran the coffee-house with his wife until his death in 1662. There are stories that Rosée left London as a result of a misdemeanour and that he went to Holland or Germany to sell coffee, although there is no evidence this was the case. (Full article...)
Image 6
Sir John Minsterworth (died 1377) was a fourteenth-century Englishknight fromGloucestershire, who fought in theHundred Years' War and was executed byKing Edward III fortreason. Nothing is known of his upbringing (even, for example, when he was knighted or by whom) but he first comes to prominence during the 1370 invasion of France. The war, under the command of the King's son,Edward the Black Prince, was going poorly and had only recently restarted after anine-year truce. Minsterworth was part of a force sent to relieve the English command in France under the nominal leadership ofSir Robert Knolles, whom contemporaries praised for hismilitary acumen. Landing in the north, Knolles and Minsterworth carved their way to the west of France. There, divisions among the leaders—which may have been present before the campaign began—erupted into mutiny.

Minsterworth may have despised Knolles for his reputation and status, and with others split from Knolles's main force. Much of that force was destroyed in December 1370 by theFrench army at theBattle of Pontvallain. Minsterworth and a breakaway force made their way toBrittany despite frequent ambushes and French raids, and eventually—albeit seeing most of the remnant of his army massacred on the Breton shore—to England. There he attempted to blame Knolles for the disaster, and although Minsterworth's former commander was found culpable of many of the military mishaps that had occurred, Minsterworth did not escape blame either. (Full article...)
Image 7

Portrait of Willisc. mid-1850s

Nathaniel Parker Willis (January 20, 1806 – January 20, 1867), also known asN. P. Willis, was an American writer, poet and editor who worked with several notable American writers includingEdgar Allan Poe andHenry Wadsworth Longfellow. He became the highest-paid magazine writer of his day. His brother was the composerRichard Storrs Willis and his sister Sara wrote under the nameFanny Fern.Harriet Jacobs wrote her autobiography while being employed as his children's nurse.

Born inPortland, Maine, Willis came from a family of publishers. His grandfatherNathaniel Willis owned newspapers in Massachusetts and Virginia, and his fatherNathaniel Willis was the founder ofYouth's Companion, the first newspaper specifically for children. Willis developed an interest in literature while attendingYale College and began publishing poetry. After graduation, he worked as an overseas correspondent for theNew York Mirror. He eventually moved to New York and began to build his literary reputation. Working with multiple publications, he was earning about $100 per article and between $5,000 and $10,000 per year. In 1846, he started his own publication, theHome Journal, which was eventually renamedTown & Country. Shortly after, Willis moved to a home on theHudson River where he lived a semi-retired life until his death in 1867. (Full article...)
Image 8
James Hogun (died January 4, 1781) was an Irish-American military officer who was as one of five generals fromNorth Carolina to serve with theContinental Army during theAmerican Revolutionary War. Born in Ireland, Hogan migrated to North Carolina – thena British colony – in 1751. Settling inHalifax County, he raised a family and established himself as a prominent local figure.

A member of the county'sCommittee of Safety, he represented it at theNorth Carolina Provincial Congress and helped to draft thefirst Constitution of North Carolina. Initially amajor in the 7th North Carolina Regiment, Hogun advanced quickly in rank during 1776 to become the unit's commanding officer. He participated in the battles ofBrandywine andGermantown in 1777. TheContinental Congress promoted Hogun tobrigadier general in 1779, although several congressmen and theNorth Carolina General Assembly wished to seeThomas Clark of North Carolina promoted instead. (Full article...)
Image 9

Speer in 1933

Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer (/ʃpɛər/;German:[ˈʃpeːɐ̯]^ⓘ; 19 March 1905 – 1 September 1981) was a German architect who served asMinister of Armaments and War Production inNazi Germany during most ofWorld War II. A close friend and ally ofAdolf Hitler, he was convicted at theNuremberg trials and served 20 years in prison.

An architect by training, Speer joined theNazi Party in 1931. His architectural skills made him increasingly prominent within the Party, and he became a member of Hitler's inner circle. Hitler commissioned him to design and construct structures, including theReich Chancellery and theNazi Party rally grounds inNuremberg. In 1937, Hitler appointed Speer as General Building Inspector for Berlin. In this capacity he was responsible for the Central Department for Resettlement thatevicted Jewish tenants from their homes in Berlin. In February 1942, Speer was appointed asReich Minister of Armaments and War Production. Using misleading statistics, he promoted himself as having performed an armaments miracle that was widely credited with keeping Germany in the war. In 1944, Speer established atask force to increase production of fighter aircraft. It became instrumental in exploitingslave labor for the benefit of the German war effort. (Full article...)
Image 10
Debussyc. 1900 by Atelier Nadar

Achille Claude Debussy (French pronunciation:[aʃilkloddəbysi]; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the firstImpressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Born to a family of modest means and little cultural involvement, Debussy showed enough musical talent to be admitted at the age of ten to France's leading music college, theConservatoire de Paris. He originally studied the piano, but found his vocation in innovative composition, despite the disapproval of the Conservatoire's conservative professors. He took many years to develop his mature style, and was nearly 40 when he achieved international fame in 1902 with the only opera he completed,Pelléas et Mélisande. (Full article...)
Image 11

Portrait of Sudirman, 1950

Sudirman (Old Spelling:Soedirman; 24 January 1916 – 29 January 1950) was an Indonesian military officer and revolutionary during theIndonesian National Revolution and the firstcommander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.

Born inPurbalingga, Dutch East Indies, Sudirman moved toCilacap in 1916 and Was raised by his uncle. A diligent student at aMuhammadiyah-run school, he became respected within the community for his devotion to Islam. After dropping out of teacher's college, in 1936 he began working as a teacher, and later headmaster, at a Muhammadiyah-run elementary school. After theJapanese occupied the Indies in 1942, Sudirman continued to teach, before joining the Japanese-sponsoredDefenders of the Homeland (PETA) as a battalion commander inBanyumas in 1944. In this position he put down a rebellion by his fellow soldiers, but was later interned inBogor. AfterIndonesia proclaimed its independence on 17 August 1945, Sudirman led a break-out then went to Jakarta to meet PresidentSukarno. Tasked with overseeing the surrender of Japanese soldiers in Banyumas, he established a Division of the People's Safety Body there. On 12 November 1945, at an election to decide the military's commander-in-chief inYogyakarta, Sudirman was chosen overOerip Soemohardjo in a Close vote. While waiting to be confirmed, Sudirmanordered an assault on British and Dutch forces inAmbarawa. The ensuing battle and British withdrawal strengthened Sudirman's popular support, and he was ultimately confirmed on 18 December. (Full article...)
Image 12

Air Vice Marshal Frank McNamara VC, England, 1942

Air Vice MarshalFrancis Hubert (Frank) McNamara,VC, CB, CBE (4 April 1894 – 2 November 1961) was anAustralian recipient of theVictoria Cross, the highest decoration for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to a member of the British andCommonwealth forces. Serving with theAustralian Flying Corps, he was honoured for his actions on 20 March 1917, when he rescued a fellow pilot who had been forced down behind enemy lines. McNamara was the first Australian aviator—and the only one in World War I—to receive the Victoria Cross. He later became a senior commander in theRoyal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Born and educated inVictoria, McNamara was a teacher when he joined themilitia prior to World War I. In 1915, he was selected for pilot training atCentral Flying School,Point Cook, and transferred to the Australian Flying Corps the following year. He was based in theMiddle Eastern Theatre withNo. 1 Squadron when he earned the Victoria Cross. In 1921, McNamara enlisted as aflying officer in the newly formed RAAF, rising to the rank of air vice marshal by 1942. He held senior posts in England andAden during World War II. Retiring from the Air Force in 1946, McNamara continued to live in Britain until his death from heart failure in 1961. (Full article...)
Image 13

Portrait of Offa on a silverpenny struck during his reign
Legend:offa rex

Offa (c. 730 – 29 July 796 AD) was King ofMercia, a kingdom ofAnglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death in 796. The son ofThingfrith and a descendant ofEowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination ofÆthelbald. Offa defeated the other claimant,Beornred. In the early years of Offa's reign, it is likely that he consolidated his control ofMidland peoples such as theHwicce and theMagonsæte. Taking advantage of instability in thekingdom of Kent to establish himself as overlord, Offa also controlledSussex by 771, though his authority did not remain unchallenged in either territory. In the 780s he extendedMercian Supremacy over most of southern England, allying withBeorhtric of Wessex, who married Offa's daughterEadburh, and regained complete control of the southeast. He also became the overlord ofEast Anglia and had KingÆthelberht II of East Anglia beheaded in 794, perhaps for rebelling against him.

Offa was a Christian king who came into conflict with the Church, particularly withJænberht, theArchbishop of Canterbury. Offa persuadedPope Adrian I to divide the archdiocese ofCanterbury in two, creating a newarchdiocese of Lichfield. This reduction in the power ofCanterbury may have been motivated by Offa's desire to have anarchbishop consecrate his sonEcgfrith as king, since it is possible Jænberht refused to perform the ceremony, which took place in 787. Offa had a dispute with theBishop of Worcester, which was settled at the Council ofBrentford in 781. (Full article...)
Image 14

Brigadier Garrett, February 1944

Lieutenant GeneralSir Alwyn Ragnar Garrett,KBE, CB (12 February 1900 – 4 November 1977) was a seniorcommander in theAustralian Army. He served asChief of the General Staff (CGS) from 1958 to 1960.

Born inWestern Australia, Garrett graduated from theRoyal Military College, Duntroon, in 1921. He wasadjutant andquartermaster in severalregiments of theAustralian Light Horse before undertaking staff training in England, which he completed just as the Second World War broke out. Garrett joined theSecond Australian Imperial Force soon afterwards, and commanded the2/31st Battalion in England before seeing action with Australianbrigades inGreece andCrete in 1941. Promoted tocolonel the following year, he held senior positions withI Corps inNew Guinea andII Corps onBougainville in 1944–1945. He was appointed aCommander of the Order of the British Empire for his staff work. (Full article...)
Image 15

Official RAAF portrait of Sir Colin Hannah

Air MarshalSir Colin Thomas Hannah (22 December 1914 – 22 May 1978) was a senior commander in theRoyal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and aGovernor of Queensland. Born inWestern Australia, he was a member of theMilitia before joining the RAAF in 1935. After graduating as a pilot, Hannah served inNos. 22 and23 Squadrons from 1936 to 1939. During the early years of World War II, he was the RAAF's Deputy Director of Armament. He then saw action in theSouth West Pacific as commander ofNo. 6 Squadron and, later,No. 71 Wing, operatingBristol Beaufort bombers. By 1944, he had risen to the rank ofgroup captain, and at the end of the war was in charge ofWestern Area Command inPerth.

Hannah commandedRAAF Station Amberley, Queensland, in 1949–50, and saw service during theMalayan Emergency as senior air staff officer atRAF Far East Air Force Headquarters, Singapore, from 1956 to 1959. His other post-war appointments includedDeputy Chief of the Air Staff from 1961 to 1965,Air Officer Commanding (AOC)Operational Command from 1965 to 1967, and AOCSupport Command from 1968 to 1969. In January 1970, he was promoted to air marshal and becameChief of the Air Staff (CAS), the RAAF's senior position.Knighted in 1971, Hannah concluded his three-year appointment as CAS a year early, in March 1972, to become Governor of Queensland. He attracted controversy in this role after making comments critical of theFederal government of the day, and the British government refused to agree to his term being extended. Hannah retired in March 1977, and died the following year. (Full article...)

More featured articles

Did you know... -show different entries

... thatCharlie Suff is the third actor to portrayJohnny Carter on the soap operaEastEnders?
... that, inhis autobiography, footballerLê Công Vinh criticised a teammate for not passing the ball to him?
... that the British musicianCharlie Deakin Davies cofounded the Trans Creative Collective, a directory of transgender musicians?
... that theChinese Catholic Patriotic Association operated its ownDiocese of Zhangjiakou prior to Pope Leo XIV establishing a diocese of the same name?
... that theLouafi Bouguera Olympic Bridge was named after the first Franco-Algerian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal?
... that German athleteLeander Wiegand received a scholarship to play American football at an American college that had never seen him play?
... thatXymmer phungi was named after the revolutionary leaderPhan Đình Phùng?
... that the identity of "Barbara O'Brien", the author ofOperators and Things, a 1958 autobiographical account of schizophrenia, has not been publicly revealed?
... that the anarchist groupLos Solidarios assassinated the leader of the Catalanpistoleros, the governor ofBiscay, and thearchbishop of Zaragoza?
... that actorBen Ahlers learned watchmaking from theHorological Society of New York for his role inThe Gilded Age?
... thatTakara's Treasure was created because its artist wanted to draw a story about a boy who speaks a local dialect?
... that Pope Leo XIV planned to attendTolentine College, but it closed before he could enroll?

General images

The following are images from various biography-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1John Foxe'sThe Book of Martyrs, was one of the earliest English-language biographies. (fromBiography)
Image 2Cover of the first English edition ofBenjamin Franklin's autobiography, 1793 (fromAutobiography)
Image 3Saint Augustine of Hippo wroteConfessions, the first Western autobiography ever written, around 400. Portrait byPhilippe de Champaigne, 17th century. (fromAutobiography)
Image 4A scene from theBaburnama (fromAutobiography)
Image 5James Boswell wrote what many consider to be the first modern biography,The Life of Samuel Johnson, in 1791. (fromBiography)
Image 6Eminent Victorians set the standard for 20th century biographical writing, when it was published in 1918. (fromBiography)
Image 7Third volume of a 1727 edition ofPlutarch'sLives of the Noble Greeks and Romans printed byJacob Tonson (fromBiography)
Image 8Einhard as scribe (fromBiography)

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Selected portrait

Image 1
Raden Saleh
Painting:Friedrich Carl Albert Schreuel
Raden Saleh (1811–1880) was aRomantic painter ofArab-Javanese ethnicity from theDutch East Indies (nowIndonesia). Born inSemarang, in 1829 he was sent to the Netherlands to studyportraiture andlandscape painting under artists such asCornelis Kruseman andAndreas Schelfhout. Upon returning to Java in 1851, Saleh focused predominantly on the day-to-day lives of the Javanese, although he also completed hismagnum opus,The Arrest of Pangeran Diponegoro, in this period.

This painting, though long thought to be a self-portrait, is now attributed toFriedrich Carl Albert Schreuel, a German artist whom Saleh knew during his time in Europe.
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Image 2
Frances Densmore
Photo: Harris & Ewing; Restoration:Michel Vuijlsteke
Frances Densmore(left) andBlackfoot chiefMountain Chief during arecording session for theBureau of American Ethnology in 1916. Densmore (1867–1957) was an Americanethnographer andethnomusicologist who worked to document themusic ofNative Americans in the United States and its use in their cultures. She helped preserve their culture in a time whenwhite settlers were encouraging Native Americans to becomeAmericanized.
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Image 3
Edward VI of England
Artist: Unknown, probably of theFlemish School
A portrait ofEdward VI of England, when he wasPrince of Wales. He is shown wearing abadge with thePrince of Wales's feathers. It was most likely painted in 1546 when he was eight years old, during the time when he was resident atHunsdon House. Edward becameKing of England,King of France and Edward I ofIreland the following year. He was the third monarch of theTudor dynasty and England's first ruler who wasProtestant at the time of his ascension to the throne. Edward's entire rule was mediated through a council ofregency. He died at the age of 15 in 1553.
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Image 4
Mumtaz Ahmed Khan
Photograph:Muhammad Mahdi Karim
Mumtaz Ahmed Khan is an Indian humanitarian. A surgeon by trade, in 1966 he established the Al-Ameen Educational Society; it now operates eight schools in theBangalore area.
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Image 5
Edgar Allan Poe
Daguerreotype credit: W.S. Hartshorn
Adaguerreotype ofEdgar Allan Poe taken in 1848, less than a year before his death. Best known for his tales of themacabre andmystery, Poe was one of the early American practitioners of theshort story and a progenitor ofdetective fiction andcrime fiction. He is also credited with contributing to the emergentscience fiction genre. Acopyright statement is inscribed on this image because it is a photograph of the original daguerreotype.
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Image 6
Frederick III, German Emperor
Image credit:Illustrated London News
Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia, laterFrederick III, in the August 20, 1870 issue of theIllustrated London News, during his time as commander of one of the three divisions of the German Army in theFranco-Prussian War. He was noted for his fondness forliberal democracy and pacifism, but died less than a year after he became king, before he could institute any real reforms. His death and replacement by his more militaristic son, without the reforms that might have impeded his son's urges, is often considered one of the factors that led toWorld War I. Thisengraving is based on aportrait photograph of him taken inSt. Petersburg,Russia.
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Image 7
Fridtjof Nansen
Photo:Henry Van der Weyde; Restoration:Smalljim/PLW
Fridtjof Nansen (1861–1930) was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian andNobel Peace Prize laureate. He led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a record northern latitude of 86°14′ during hisNorth Pole expedition of 1893–96. Although he retired from exploration after his return to Norway, his techniques of polar travel and his innovations in equipment and clothing influenced a generation of subsequent Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. In 1922 he was awarded theNobel Peace Prize for his work on behalf of the displaced victims of theFirst World War and related conflicts.
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Image 8
Alice Manfield
Photo: Unknown; Restoration:John O'Neill
Alice Manfield (1878–1960), commonly known asGuide Alice, was amountain guide, amateurnaturalist,chalet owner,photographer, and earlyfeminist figure fromVictoria, Australia. Her pioneering work at Mount Buffalo from the 1890s to the 1930s led to her becoming atourist attraction in her own right, and helped lead to the establishment of theMount Buffalo National Park. Manfield's parents ran a hotel at Mount Buffalo, and she led tours up the mountain from her youth. Because of her enthusiasm and extensive knowledge of the area, she quickly became a highly sought-after guide. She continued guiding tourists until the 1930s.
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Image 9
Rory Kennedy
Photograph credit: Lyndie Benson
Rory Kennedy (born December 12, 1968) is an American documentary filmmaker and the youngest child of U.S. senatorRobert Kennedy andEthel Skakel. Born six months after theassassination of her father, her life has seen many tragedies. As a director and producer, she has made documentary films that center on social issues such as addiction, nuclear radiation, the treatment of prisoners of war, and the politics of the Mexican border fence. Her films have been featured on many TV networks, and her 2014 documentaryLast Days in Vietnam was nominated for anAcademy Award.
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Image 10
Lies Noor
Photograph credit: Djakartawood Studio; restored byChris Woodrich
Lies Noor (c. 1938 – 1961) was an Indonesian actress. She first appeared on film inPulang (Homecoming) in 1952, while she was still at school. She rose in popularity with a string of successful films, and was able to command high fees for her roles. In the mid-1950s, having married and had a child, she took a break from her career to care full-time for her son. After returning to acting in 1960, however, she developed encephalitis the next year and died in hospital two days later. This photograph of Noor was taken around 1956.
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Image 11
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Painting:Lemuel Francis Abbott
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, (1758–1805) was a British flag officer who served in theRoyal Navy, particularly during theNapoleonic Wars. Born inNorfolk, Nelson entered the navy at age 13, and in 1778 he obtained his own command. During his career he suffered from seasickness, and by the time of theTrafalgar Campaign he had already lost his right arm and sight in an eye in battles inSanta Cruz de Tenerife andCorsica, respectively.

In 1805 he took over theCádiz blockade, and on 21 October of that year Nelson's fleet engaged the Franco-Spanish one at theBattle of Trafalgar. The battle was a British victory, but during the action Nelson was fatally wounded by a French sharpshooter. Numerous monuments, such asNelson's Column, have been created in his memory, and his signal "England expects that every man will do his duty" has been widely quoted, paraphrased and referenced.
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Image 12
Pedro II of Brazil
Photo:Mathew Brady/Levin Corbin Handy
Emperor of BrazilPedro II was thesecond and last ruler of theEmpire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born inRio de Janeiro, his fatherPedro I's abrupt abdication and flight to Europe in 1831 left him as Emperor at the age of five. Inheriting an Empire on the verge of disintegration, Pedro II turned Brazil into an emerging power in the international arena. OnNovember 15, 1889, he was overthrown in acoup d'état by a clique of military leaders whodeclared Brazil a republic. However, he had become weary of emperorship and despaired over the monarchy's future prospects, despite its overwhelming popular support, and did not support any attempt to restore the monarchy.
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Image 13
T206 Honus Wagner
Image credit:American Tobacco Company
TheT206 Honus Wagner is a rarebaseball card depictingHonus Wagner (February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955), adead-ball era shortstop considered one of the best players of all time. The card was designed and issued by theAmerican Tobacco Company from 1909 to 1911. Only 50 to 200 cards were ever distributed to the public, and as a result of the card's rarity and popularity, prices have soared. In 2007, a collector paid $2.8 million for one, making it the most valuable baseball card in history. This specimen belongs to theNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum inCooperstown, New York.
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Image 14
Nataliya Gotsiy
Photo credit: Peter Duhon
Ukrainian fashionmodelNataliya Gotsiy modeling forCynthia Rowley, Spring 2007New York Fashion Week. She was the winner of the Ford Supermodel of the World 2004 search. She has appeared on the cover of FrenchElle and ItalianMarie Claire and modeled forBehnaz Sarafpour,Christian Lacroix,Diane von Furstenberg,Dior,Dolce & Gabbana,Dries van Noten,Gucci,Oscar de la Renta,Valentino, andVivienne Westwood, among others.
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Image 15
Buffalo Bill
Photo credit: Moffett
William Cody, better known asBuffalo Bill, was one of the most colorful figures of theAmerican Old West, and mostly famous for the shows he organized withcowboy themes. He got his nickname for supplyingKansas Pacific Railroad workers with bison meat, having won the name from Bill Comstock in a bison killing contest. In addition to his documented service as a soldier during theCivil War and as Chief of Scouts for the Third Cavalry during thePlains Wars, Cody claimed to have worked many jobs, including as atrapper, bullwhacker, "Fifty-Niner" inColorado, aPony Express rider in 1860, wagonmaster,stagecoach driver, and even ahotel manager, but it's unclear which claims were factual and which were fabricated for purposes of publicity.
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edit

On this day – November 24

Births

1632 -Baruch Spinoza, Dutch philosopher (d.1677)
1784 -Zachary Taylor, 12thPresident of the United States (d.1850) (pictured)
1849 -Frances Hodgson Burnett, British-born author (d.1924)
1853 -Bat Masterson, American gunfighter (d.1921)
1925 -William F. Buckley Jr., American writer (d.2008)
1946 -Ted Bundy, American serial killer (d.1989)

Deaths

1957 -Diego Rivera, Mexican painter (b.1886)
1963 -Lee Harvey Oswald, accused assassin ofJohn F. Kennedy (b.1939)
1991 -Freddie Mercury, Zanzibar-born singer (Queen) (b.1946)
2005 -Pat Morita, American actor (b.1932)

More of today's anniversaries...

In the news

16 November 2025 –War on drugs in Ecuador: Ecuadorian presidentDaniel Noboa announces that Spanish police have capturedLos Lobos leader Wilmer Chavarría, who faked his own death and changed his identity, inMálaga,Andalusia.(BBC News)
14 November 2025 –: Former rebel leaderRoger Lumbala starts ahunger strike to protest his ongoing trial overatrocities committed during thesecond war in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, arguing that theFrench court which judges him does not have legitimacy to try him.(AP)
11 November 2025 –Anti-war protests in Russia: Acourt inSaint Petersburg,Russia, extendsstreet musician Diana Loginova'sdetention for 13 days for allegedlyviolating public order during an October performance that includedanti-war songs, marking her third consecutive sentence since mid-October.(AP)
10 November 2025 –2025 Booker Prize: British–Hungarian writerDavid Szalay wins the 2025Booker Prize for his novelFlesh.(AFP viaBangkok Post)
10 November 2025 –2024 South Korean martial law crisis: FormerSouth Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol, formerdefense minister Kim Yong-hyun, and formerDefense Counterintelligence Command leaderYeo In-hyung are indicted on additional charges related to Yoon's attempt to invokemartial law last December alleging that they orderedsurveillance drones to be sent intoNorth Korea to stoketensions and justify their plans.(DW)(The Chosun Ilbo)
10 November 2025 –: Lebanon grants aUS$900,000 bail toHannibal Gaddafi, the son of formerLibyan leaderMuammar Gaddafi, ending his nearly 10-year detention in a case involving the 1978 disappearance ofShia Muslim cleric Musa al-Sadr, for which Gaddafi was accused ofwithholding information but never tried.(AFP viaArab News)

Updated: 1:05, 24 November 2025

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"Blue Moon, now I'm no longer alone,
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—Lorenz Hart

Blue Moon, 1934

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