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Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects

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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

Marshland aroundBlythburgh, near where Anna met his death

Anna (orOnna; killed 653 or 654) wasking of East Anglia from the early 640s until his death. He was a member of theWuffingas family, the ruling dynasty of the East Angles, and one of the three sons ofEni who ruled thekingdom of East Anglia, succeeding some time afterEcgric was killed in battle byPenda of Mercia. Anna was praised byBede for his devotion to Christianity and was renowned for the saintliness of his family: his sonJurmin and all his daughters –Seaxburh,Æthelthryth,Æthelburh and possibly a fourth,Wihtburh – werecanonised.

Little is known of Anna's life or his reign, as few records have survived from this period. In 631 he may have been atExning, close to theDevil's Dyke. In 645Cenwalh of Wessex was driven from his kingdom by Penda and, due to Anna's influence, he was converted to Christianity while living as an exile at the East Anglian court. Upon his return from exile, Cenwalh re-established Christianity in his own kingdom and the people of Wessex then remained firmly Christian. (Full article...)
Image 2

Bueckers with theDallas Wings in 2025

Paige Madison Bueckers (/ˈbɛkərz/BEK-ərz; born October 20, 2001) is an American professionalbasketball player for theDallas Wings of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for theBreeze ofUnrivaled. She playedcollege basketball for theUConn Huskies, where she led her team to four Big East Tournament wins, four Final Four appearances, and a National Championship title.

Nicknamed "Paige Buckets", Bueckers attendedHopkins High School inMinnetonka, Minnesota and was ranked as the number onerecruit in her class byESPN, receivingnational high school player of the year honors. In her first season atUConn, Bueckers became the firstfreshman to be named national women's player of the year and helped her team reach theFinal Four. She missed most of hersophomore season and her entirejunior season with knee injuries but led UConn to the2022 national title game. Bueckers helped the Huskies return to the Final Four as aredshirt junior, before winning her firstnational championship and receiving theWade Trophy as a senior. She was a three-time unanimous first-teamAll-American in college and has the highest career scoring average in UConn history (19.9). (Full article...)
Image 3

Wilkinson in 1924

Ellen Cicely Wilkinson (8 October 1891 – 6 February 1947) was a BritishLabour Party politician who served asMinister of Education from July 1945 until her death. Earlier in her career, as theMember of Parliament (MP) forJarrow, she became a national figure when she played a prominent role in the 1936Jarrow March of the town's unemployed to London to petition for the right to work. Although unsuccessful at that time, the March provided an iconic image for the 1930s and helped to form post-Second World War attitudes to unemployment and social justice.

Wilkinson was born into a poor though ambitiousManchester family and she embracedsocialism at an early age. After graduating from theUniversity of Manchester, she worked for awomen's suffrage organisation and later as a trade union officer. Inspired by theRussian Revolution of 1917, Wilkinson joined theBritish Communist Party, and preachedrevolutionary socialism while seeking constitutional routes to political power through the Labour Party. She was elected Labour MP forMiddlesbrough East in 1924, and supported the1926 General Strike. In the 1929–31 Labour government, she served asParliamentary Private Secretary to the juniorHealth Minister. She made a connection with a young female member and activistJennie Lee. Following her defeat at Middlesbrough in 1931, Wilkinson became a prolific journalist and writer, before returning to parliament as Jarrow's MP in 1935. She was a strong advocate for theRepublican government in theSpanish Civil War, and made several visits to the battle zones. Wilkinson was also part of theIndia League delegation sent to India to document aspects of colonial rule. These findings were later published inThe Condition of India. (Full article...)
Image 4

Photo portrait, before 1951

Guy Francis de Moncy Burgess (16 April 1911 – 30 August 1963) was a Britishdiplomat and Sovietdouble agent, and a member of theCambridge Five spy ring that operated from the mid-1930s to the early years of theCold War era. Hisdefection in 1951 to the Soviet Union, with his fellow spyDonald Maclean, led to a serious breach inAnglo-United States intelligence co-operation, and caused long-lasting disruption and demoralisation in Britain's foreign and diplomatic services.

Born into anupper middle class family, Burgess was educated atEton College, theRoyal Naval College, Dartmouth, andTrinity College, Cambridge. An assiduous networker, he embracedleft-wing politics at Cambridge and joined theBritish Communist Party. Burgess was recruited bySoviet intelligence in 1935, on the recommendation of the future double agentHarold "Kim" Philby. After leaving Cambridge, Burgess worked for theBBC as a producer, briefly interrupted by a short period as a full-timeMI6 intelligence officer, before joining theForeign Office in 1944. (Full article...)
Image 5

Official portrait, 1974

Edward Gough Whitlam (11 July 1916 – 21 October 2014) was the 21stprime minister of Australia, serving from December 1972 to November 1975. To date the longest-serving federal leader of theAustralian Labor Party (ALP), he was notable for being the head of areformist andsocially progressive government that ended with his controversial dismissal by the thengovernor-general of Australia,Sir John Kerr, at the climax of the1975 constitutional crisis. Whitlam remains the only Australian prime minister to have been removed from office by a governor-general.

Whitlam was anair navigator in theRoyal Australian Air Force for four yearsduring World War II, and worked as abarrister following the war. He was first elected to theAustralian House of Representatives in 1952, becoming amember of parliament (MP) for thedivision of Werriwa. Whitlam became deputy leader of the Labor Party in 1960, and in 1967, after the retirement ofArthur Calwell, was elected leader of the party and became theLeader of the Opposition. After narrowly losing the1969 federal election toJohn Gorton, Whitlamled Labor to victory at the1972 election, after 23 years ofCoalition government. (Full article...)
Image 6

David I orDauíd mac Maíl Choluim (Modern Gaelic:Daibhidh I mac [Mhaoil] Chaluim;c. 1084 – 24 May 1153) was a 12th century ruler and saint who wasPrince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 1124 andKing of Scotland from 1124 to 1153. The youngest son ofKing Malcolm III andQueen Margaret, David spent most of his childhood in Scotland but was exiled toEngland temporarily in 1093. Perhaps after 1100, he became a dependent at the court ofKing Henry I of England, by whom he was influenced.

When David's brotherAlexander I died in 1124, David chose, with the backing of Henry I, to take theKingdom of Alba (Scotland) for himself. He was forced to engage in warfare against his rival and nephew,Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair. Subduing the latter seems to have taken David ten years, a struggle that involved the destruction ofÓengus,Mormaer of Moray. David's victory allowed the expansion of control over more distant regions, theoretically part of his Kingdom. After the death of his former patron Henry I, David supported the claims of Henry's daughter and his own niece,Empress Matilda, to the throne of England. In the process, he came into conflict withKing Stephen and was able to expand his power innorthern England, despite his defeat at theBattle of the Standard in 1138. David I is a saint of theCatholic Church, with hisfeast day celebrated on 24 May. (Full article...)
Image 7

Morgan Gardner Bulkeley (December 26, 1837 – November 6, 1922) was an American politician of theRepublican Party, businessman, and insurance executive. In 1876, he served as the first president ofbaseball'sNational League and, because of that, was inducted into theNational Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937, a choice that remains controversial, since his time as a baseball executive was short.

Bulkeley was born inEast Haddam, Connecticut. His father was JudgeEliphalet Adams Bulkeley, a prominent local lawyer and businessman, who became the first president of theAetna Life Insurance Company. The family moved to Hartford, where Morgan Bulkeley was educated, before he took a job in the city ofBrooklyn, New York. He served briefly in theAmerican Civil War, where he saw no combat. When his father died in 1872, he moved back to Hartford and became a bank president and a board member of Aetna, becoming its president in 1879, a post he held the rest of his life. (Full article...)
Image 8
William Matthews (December 16, 1770 – April 30, 1854), occasionally spelledMathews, was an American who became the fifthRoman Catholic priest ordained in the United States and the first such person born inBritish America. Born in the colonialProvince of Maryland, he was briefly anovice in theSociety of Jesus. After being ordained, he became influential in establishing Catholic parochial and educational institutions inWashington, D.C. He was the second pastor ofSt. Patrick's Church, serving for most of his life. He served as the sixthpresident of Georgetown College, later known asGeorgetown University. Matthews acted as president of the Washington Catholic Seminary, which becameGonzaga College High School, and oversaw the continuity of the school duringsuppression by the church and financial insecurity.

Matthews wasvicar apostolic andapostolic administrator of theDiocese of Philadelphia during a period of ecclesiastical turmoil. He was a co-founder and president of the Washington Library Company for thirteen years—the first public library in the District of Columbia. He also was co-director and trustee of theDistrict of Columbia Public Schools, where he was one of the superintendents of a school. He played a significant role in the founding of Washington Visitation Academy for girls,St. Peter's Church onCapitol Hill, and the parish that now includes theCathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. Matthews was involved in Catholic charitable organizations as well; he was the founder and president of St. Vincent's Female Orphan Asylum and the co-founder and president of St. Joseph's Male Orphan Asylum. (Full article...)
Image 9
Marjorie Cameron Parsons Kimmel (April 23, 1922 – July 24, 1995), who professionally used themononymCameron, was an American artist, poet, actress andoccultist. A follower ofThelema, thenew religious movement established by the English occultistAleister Crowley, she was married to rocket pioneer and fellow ThelemiteJack Parsons.

Born inBelle Plaine, Iowa, Cameron volunteered for service in theUnited States Navy during theSecond World War, after which she settled inPasadena, California. There she met Parsons, who believed her to be the "elemental" woman that he had invoked in the early stages of a series ofsex magic rituals called theBabalon Working. They entered into a relationship and were married in 1946. Their relationship was often strained, although Parsons sparked her involvement in Thelema and occultism. After Parsons' death in an explosion at their home in 1952, Cameron came to suspect that her husband had been assassinated and began rituals to communicate with his spirit. Moving toBeaumont, she established a multi-racial occult group called The Children, which dedicated itself to sex magic rituals with the intent of producing mixed-race "moon children" who would be devoted to the godHorus. The group soon dissolved, largely because many of its members became concerned by Cameron's increasinglyapocalyptic predictions. (Full article...)
Image 10

Ely Cathedral

Richard Barre (c. 1130 – c. 1202) was a medieval English justice, clergyman, and scholar. He was educated at the law school of Bologna and entered royal service under KingHenry II of England, later working for Henry's son and successorRichard I. He was also briefly in the household of Henry's sonHenry the Young King. Barre served the elder Henry as a diplomat and was involved in a minor way with the king's quarrel withThomas Becket, which earned Barre a condemnation from Becket. After King Henry's death, Barre served as a royal justice during Richard's reign and was one of the main judges from 1194 to 1199. After disagreeing with him earlier in his career, Barre was discharged from his judgeship duringJohn's reign as king. Barre was also archdeacon ofEly and the author of a work ofbiblical extracts dedicated to one of his patrons,William Longchamp, theBishop of Ely andChancellor of England. (Full article...)
Image 11

Quinto in 2023

Angeline Quinto (Tagalog pronunciation:[ˈkɪntɔʔ]; born November 26, 1989) is a Filipino singer, actress, and television personality. Known for hervocal range andsoulful singing style, Quinto's music has garnered critical praise for its lyrical content and themes of love, heartbreak, and empowerment. It has been featured in the soundtracks offilms andtelevision series in the Philippines.

Born inSampaloc, Manila, Quinto first achieved recognition after winning the television talent showStar Power in 2011. She signed withStar Music and collaborated with songwriter and producerJonathan Manalo to start recording material for her first effort, a self-titled studio album, which was supported by the single "Patuloy Ang Pangarap" ("The Dream Continues"). The album was certified double platinum by thePhilippine Association of the Record Industry, and earned Quinto anAliw Award for Best New Artist. Her next album,Fall In Love Again (2012), featured theme songs from films and television series. WithSana Bukas pa ang Kahapon (2014), Quinto became the first Filipino artist to record all the songs for a television show soundtrack. She reinvented her image and style with succeeding releases,Higher Love (2013) and@LoveAngelineQuinto (2017), gaining praise for her artistic growth and maturity. (Full article...)
Image 12
Themurder of Sir William de Cantilupe, who was born around 1345, by members of hishousehold, took place inScotton, Lincolnshire, in March 1375. The family was a long-established and influential one in the county; de Cantilupes traditionally provided officials to the Crown both in central government and at the local level. Among William de Cantilupe's ancestors were royal councillors, bodyguards and, distantly,Saint Thomas de Cantilupe.

De Cantilupe's death by multiple stab wounds was acause célèbre. The chief suspects were two neighbours—a localknight, Ralph Paynel; and thesheriff,Sir Thomas Kydale—as well as de Cantilupe's entire household, particularly his wife Maud, the cook and asquire. The staff were probably paid either to carry out or to cover up the crime, while Paynel had been in dispute with the de Cantilupes for many years; it is possible that Maud was conducting an affair with Kydale, during her husband's frequent absences on service in France during theHundred Years' War. (Full article...)
Image 13

Godsmack performing atRock im Park in 2019. From left to right:Robbie Merrill,Sully Erna,Shannon Larkin, andTony Rombola.

Godsmack is an Americanrock band fromLawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is currently composed of lead singer and rhythm guitaristSully Erna and bassistRobbie Merrill. Since its formation, Godsmack has released nine studio albums, one EP (The Other Side), four DVDs, one compilation album (Good Times, Bad Times... Ten Years of Godsmack), and one live album (Live & Inspired). Their most recent album,Lighting Up the Sky, was released in 2023.

Since its inception, Godsmack has toured withOzzfest on more than one occasion and has toured with many other large tours and festivals, including supporting its albums with its own arena tours. They released three consecutive number-one albums (Faceless,IV andThe Oracle) on theBillboard 200, and have had 25 top-tenrock radio hits and 12 at number one. In honor of the band's success and the release of their sixth studio album,1000hp, MayorMarty Walsh declared August 6 as "Godsmack Day" in the city ofBoston. (Full article...)
Image 14
Prince Romerson (c. 1840 – March 30, 1872) was a Union army soldier ofNative Hawaiian descent. One of the "Hawaiʻi Sons of the Civil War", he was among a group of more than 100 documented Native Hawaiian and Hawaii-born combatants who fought in theAmerican Civil War while theKingdom of Hawaii was still an independent nation.

Living in the American Northeast before the war, Romerson enlisted in theUnion navy in 1863 as part of theBlockading Squadrons responsible for maintaining theblockade of the ports of theConfederacy. After being discharged from naval service, he reenlisted in the Union army under the5th Regiment Massachusetts Colored Volunteer Cavalry, aUnited States Colored (USCT) regiment, and was promoted to the rank ofsergeant on June 1, 1864. Romerson fought with the 5th USCC until the end of the war. Illness prevented him from continuing with his regiment's reassignment toClarksville, Texas, and he was mustered out in 1865. After the war, like many former USCT veterans, he remained in the army on the frontier as one of theBuffalo Soldiers. He died in 1872. (Full article...)
Image 15
Smetana,c. 1878

Bedřich Smetana (/ˌbɛdərʒɪxˈsmɛtənə/BED-ər-zhikhSMET-ən-ə;Czech:[ˈbɛdr̝ɪxˈsmɛtana]^ⓘ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival". He has been regarded in his homeland as the father ofCzech music. Internationally he is best known for his 1866 operaThe Bartered Bride and for the symphonic cycleMá vlast ("My Fatherland"), which portrays the history, legends and landscape of the composer's nativeBohemia. It contains the famoussymphonic poem "Vltava", also popularly known by its German name "Die Moldau" (in English, "The Moldau").

Smetana was naturally gifted as a composer, and gave his first public performance at the age of six. After conventional schooling, he studied music underJosef Proksch inPrague. His first nationalistic music was written during the1848 Prague uprising, in which he briefly participated. After failing to establish his career in Prague, he left for Sweden, where he set up as a teacher and choirmaster inGothenburg, and began to write large-scale orchestral works. (Full article...)

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... that actorRory Gibson was cast onThe Young and the Restless despite the producers not liking his initial self-tape?
... thatan Israeli diplomat was assassinated in Ankara just two days after diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey were fully established?
... that forensic scientistLuke S. May was nicknamed "America's Sherlock Holmes" for his work as an investigator?
... that the attorney of thelast person executed by Peru requested Pope John Paul II's intervention to save his client's life?
... that the lifeboatSir William Hillary was sent toDover in case of aircraft crashes, but did not save anyone from an aircraft in ten years' service with theRoyal National Lifeboat Institution?
... that NFL playerDustin McDonald was later a labor leader who ledstrikes and was jailed for fighting the police?
... that Latvian-Soviet artistKarlis Johansons exhibited a skeletaltensegrity form of theSchönhardt polyhedron seven years beforeErich Schönhardt's 1928 paper on its mathematics?
... that according to the mayor ofUtica, 13-year-oldNyah Mway was the firstKaren person to be killed in America by police?
... that theBattle of Shangi ended when the Congo Free State commander personally shot the leader of the opposing Rwandan army?
... thatMark Smith was a fourth-generation actor who performed in 70 theaters in New York City and on more than 2,000 radio programs?

General images

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

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

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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
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 3
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 4
Ksenia Semenova
Photo: Bolshoi Sport
Ksenia Semenova (b. 1992) is a Russianartistic gymnast. She was the2007 World Champion on theuneven bars. At the2008 European Championships, she was a member of the silver-medal-winning Russian team, as well as champion on the uneven bars and thebalance beam. She followed this up by winning the all-around championship at the2009 European Championships and was part of the gold-medal Russian team at the2010 European and2010 World Championships. Injuries have prevented her from competing since then.
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Image 5
Lillian Gish
Photo credit:Bain News Service
A portrait ofLillian Gish from 1921. Gish was one of the first femalemovie stars, called "The First Lady of the Silent Screen", starting in 1912 and continuing to appear in films until 1987. TheAmerican Film Institute named Gish 17th among thegreatest female stars of all time and awarded her aLife Achievement Award, making her the only recipient who was a major figure in the silent era. Remarkably, she never won anAcademy Award for her work, although she did receive aSpecial Academy Award in 1971.
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Image 6
Brian Nankervis
Photo:John O'Neill; edit:JJ Harrison
Brian Nankervis (b. 1956), an Australian comedian and writer, shown here during a live performance. Nankervis rose to popularity while playingRaymond J. Bartholomeuz onHey Hey It's Saturday; since 2005 he has been a host of the gameshowRocKwiz.
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Image 7
John Henry Newman
Painting:John Everett Millais
John Henry Newman (1801–90) was a British cleric and leader in theOxford Movement, a group of Anglicans who wished to return theChurch of England to many Catholic beliefs and forms of worship traditional in the medieval times. In 1845 Newman converted to Catholicism, eventually rising to cardinal.
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Image 8
Queen Wilhelmina andPrincess Juliana of the Netherlands
Photo credit:Bain News Service
QueenWilhelmina of the Netherlands with her daughter and successorPrincess Juliana, circa 1914. Wilhelmina wasqueen regnant from 1890 to 1948, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Outside the Netherlands she is primarily remembered for her role in the Second World War, in which she proved to be a great inspiration to theDutch resistance, as well as a prominent leader of theDutch government in exile. Juliana became queen regnant in 1948 after her mother'sabdication and ruled until her own abdication in 1980, succeeded by her daughter,Beatrix.
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Image 9
Knut Steen
Photo:Nina Aldin Thune
Knut Steen (1924–2011) was a Norwegiansculptor based in Italy. Born inOslo, Steen is best known for his work on theNorwegian National Academy of Fine Arts with the Danish sculptorPer Palle Storm. There is a museum dedicated to his work located inSandefjord.
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Image 10
Walt Whitman
Photograph:George C. Cox; restoration:Adam Cuerden
Walt Whitman (1819–1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. Ahumanist, he was a part of the transition betweentranscendentalism andrealism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father offree verse. His work was very controversial in its time, particularly his poetry collectionLeaves of Grass (first published in 1855, but continuously revised until Whitman's death), which was described as obscene for its overt sexuality.
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Image 11
Chandos portrait
Artist: Attributed to John Taylor
TheChandos portrait is a famous painting believed to depictWilliam Shakespeare, and is named afterJames Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, who owned the portrait. It has not been possible to solve the question of who painted the portrait or whether it really depicts Shakespeare. However, in 2006 theNational Portrait Gallery in London concluded that the Chandos portrait was the most likely to be a representation of Shakespeare.
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Image 12
L-to-R:Allan Pinkerton,Abraham Lincoln, Maj. Gen.John A. McClernand
Photo credit:Alexander Gardner
Allan Pinkerton (left), PresidentAbraham Lincoln (center), andMajor General John A. McClernand (right). This photo was taken not long after theCivil War's first battle on northern soil inAntietam, Maryland, on October 3, 1862. Pinkerton was the head of Union Intelligence Services at the time. He also, allegedly, foiled an assassination attempt against Lincoln. His wartime work was critical in Pinkerton's development, which he later used to pioneer the Americanprivate detective industry when he formed thePinkerton National Detective Agency.
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Image 13
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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Image 14
Lucy Arbell
Photograph credit:Nadar; restored byAdam Cuerden
Lucy Arbell (8 June 1878 – 21 May 1947), was a Frenchmezzo-soprano whose operatic career was largely centred inParis. Her career was particularly associated with the composerJules Massenet, who created a number of operatic roles for her before his death in 1912. Thiscarte de visite of Arbell was created by the French photographerNadar.
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Image 15
David Suchet
Photo credit: Phil Chambers
A portrait ofDavid SuchetOBE, anEnglish actor best known for his television portrayal ofAgatha Christie'sHercule Poirot in the television seriesAgatha Christie's Poirot. For this role, he earned a 1991British Academy Television Award (BAFTA) nomination. In preparation for the role he says that he read every novel and short story, and compiled an extensive file on Poirot.
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On this day – February 14

Births

1483 -Babur, Moghul emperor of India (d.1530) (pictured)
1894 -Jack Benny, American actor and comedian (d.1974)
1895 -Max Horkheimer, German philosopher and sociologist (d.1973)
1913 -Jimmy Hoffa, American labor union leader (disappeared1975)
1921 -Hugh Downs, American television host (d.2020)

Deaths

1400 - KingRichard II of England (murdered) (b.1367)
1779 -James Cook, British naval captain and explorer (b.1728)
1891 -William Tecumseh Sherman, Civil War General (b.1820)
1975 -P. G. Wodehouse, English writer (b.1881)

More of today's anniversaries...

In the news

8 February 2026 –2026 Portuguese presidential election: Socialist Party candidateAntónio José Seguro is electedPresident of Portugal, defeatingCHEGA leaderAndré Ventura in the second round.(Reuters)
3 February 2026 –Libyan crisis: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son ofLibya's former leaderMuammar Gaddafi andpresidential candidate, isassassinated outside his home inZintan, Libya. Four gunmen reportedly fled the scene after the shooting.(Al Arabiya)
1 February 2026 –Boko Haram insurgency: Nigeria reports thatits forces have killed a seniorBoko Haram commander known as Abu Khalid, describing him as the group's deputy leader in theSambisa Forest, and ten other fighters during a raid inBorno State.(Reuters)
1 February 2026 –68th Annual Grammy Awards: At the 2026Grammy Awards,Kendrick Lamar wins five awards and surpassesJay-Z as themost awarded hip-hop artist in Grammy history, whileBad Bunny'sDebí Tirar Más Fotos becomes the firstSpanish-language album to winAlbum of the Year.(AP)(The Hollywood Reporter)
26 January 2026 –2025 Guyanese general election: Opposition members ofGuyana'sNational Assembly elect businessman andWe Invest in Nationhood leaderAzruddin Mohamed astheir leader.(Reuters)
24 January 2026 –2026 Ugandan protests: Ugandan opposition leaderBobi Wine sayssoldiers have raided hisKampala residence, hospitalizedhis wife afterassaulting her, and seized their property following Wine's rejection ofelection results that gavePresident Yoweri Museveni a new term.(Reuters)

Updated: 1:05, 14 February 2026

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Quote of the week

"Discriminating brevity is a law of the right biographic method."

—Sidney Lee

InPrinciples of Biography, 1911

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