Famous Figures
The Story of Alexander the Great, in 6 Facts
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Article
In 356 BCE, in the city of Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia, a baby boy was born to the king of Macedon, Philip II, and his fourth wife, Olympias. Philip celebrated the arrival of his first son and future heir, but not even the proud king could have imagined how far the boy, Alexander, would go. King Philip II had already overseen the reformation of the Macedonian army, with the establishment of the phalanx infantry formation (a dense line of soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder) and the brutally effective use of long sarissa pikes ...Read More
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Famous FiguresArticle64What’s the Real Story of Ben Franklin’s Kite Experiment?
It's one of the most well-known moments in American history: Ben Franklin attaching a key to a kite during a thunderstorm to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning. Yet, like…
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Famous FiguresArticle52What the U.S. Presidents Did Before Taking Office
A look through the life journeys of all 45 people who have served as U.S. president reveals a general blueprint for ascending to the highest office in the land. Many…
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Famous FiguresFact23Shakespeare spelled his own name multiple different ways.
William Shakespeare may have helped shape the English language, contributing hundreds of words to our modern lexicon, but he was seemingly unconcerned with standardizing his own surname. The playwright spelled…
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Famous FiguresArticle3015 Life Lessons From Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci is remembered as one of history’s geniuses, a man whose curiosity seemed to have no limits. Born in 1452 during the Italian Renaissance, he created some of…
