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Famous country singer-songwriter.

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About the Dollywood Foundation

The Dollywood Foundation was created in 1988 by Dolly Parton to inspire the children in her home county to achieve educational success. Initial efforts focused on decreasing the drop out rate in the county's high school. In the early 90's Dolly promised every 7th-grade and 8th-grade student she would personally give them $500 if they graduated from high school. This effort, called the Buddy Program, reduced the drop out rate for these two classes from 35% to 6%. More importantly, the program catalyzed the community to provide additional resources to sustain this improvement in the drop out rate.

In 1995, the Foundation implemented Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Sevier County, Tennessee. This monthly book gifting program for children under five focused on inspiring a love of books and reading for all preschool children in the county. What was founded as a local program grew into an international movement through the unique partnership among the Foundation, the publisher, the fulfillment centers and the thousands of local organizations who adopted the program. The Imagination Library continues to be the signature program of the Foundation.

Scholarships

The Foundation also offers five scholarships to the county's high school seniors to help further their education at any accredited university. The Dolly Parton Scholarship is a $15,000 scholarship awarded annually at each high school. The scholarships are for students who have a dream they wish to pursue and who can successfully communicate their plan and commitment to realize their dreams.

The Foundation also administers several additional scholarships. In 2016, Dolly provided a $30,000 scholarship to a young girl in Arkansas to recognize the Imagination Library's achievement of distributing books to 1 million children each month. Once she reaches 18 years of age in 2032 the scholarship will be $60,000

The My People Fund

On November 28, 2016, massive fires swept through the county destroying the homes of over 1,000 families in Sevier County. Dolly asked the Foundation to lead the effort to distribute $1,000 per month for 6 months to the families who lost their primary residence. In two weeks, the Foundation created The My People Fund, designed the distribution process, and implemented the distribution. In May of 2017, the Foundation concluded the distribution with the announcement that over 411,000,000 had been raised and given to the families who lost their homes. Additional funds raised also provided one-time scholarships to high school seniors whose homes were lost to the fires.

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The Dollywood Foundation was created in 1988 by Dolly Parton to inspire the children in her home county to achieve educational success. Initial efforts focused on decreasing the drop out rate in the county's high school. In the early 90's Dolly promised every 7th-grade and 8th-grade student she would personally give them $500 if they graduated from high school.

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Associate Justice for the US Supreme Court.

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Birthday March 15 Who is Ruth Bader Ginsburg? Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1993 to 2020, the second woman to occupy this prestigious position in the highest court of the land.

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An American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist.

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Aretha Louise Franklin (March 25, 1942 - August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. She began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father, C. L. Franklin, was minister. In 1960, at the age of 18, she embarked on a secular career, recording for Columbia Records but achieving only modest success. After signing to Atlantic Records in 1967, Franklin achieved commercial acclaim and success with songs such as "Respect", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "Spanish Harlem" and "Think".

Early life and career: 1942-1960

Aretha Massacorale Franklin was born at a two-room house in Memphis located at 406 Lucy St. She was the third of four children born to Barbara (née Siggers) and C.L. Franklin and the fifth of six overall in between past relationships by her parents.

Franklin's family moved to Buffalo, when Franklin was two, and then by four, had settled in Detroit.

Following the move to Detroit, Franklin's parents, who had a troubled marriage, split. Due to her father's work as a Baptist minister, Franklin was primarily raised by her grandmother, Rachel.

Franklin suffered a tragedy when her mother died in Buffalo when Aretha was ten.

Franklin sang in church at an early age and learned how to play piano by ear. By her late preteens, Franklin was regularly singing solo numbers in her father's New Bethel Baptist Church. Franklin's father, C.L. (short for Clarence LaVaughn), was a respected and popular preacher.

Franklin grew up with local and national celebrities hanging out at her father's home including gospel greats Albertina Walker and her group The Caravans, Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward, three women who played a pivotal role in her vocal development as a child.

Music style and image

Franklin had often been described as a great singer and musician due to "vocal flexibility, interpretive intelligence, skillful piano-playing, her ear, her experience".

Franklin's voice was described as being a "powerful mezzo-soprano voice". She was praised for her arrangements and interpretations of other artists' hit songs.

In 2015, then-President Barack Obama wrote the following regarding Franklin:

Nobody embodies more fully the connection between the African-American spiritual, the blues, R. & B., rock and roll - the way that hardship and sorrow were transformed into something full of beauty and vitality and hope. American history wells up when Aretha sings. That's why, when she sits down at a piano and sings 'A Natural Woman,' she can move me to tears - the same way that Ray Charles's version of 'America the Beautiful' will always be in my view the most patriotic piece of music ever performed - because it captures the fullness of the American experience, the view from the bottom as well as the top, the good and the bad, and the possibility of synthesis, reconciliation, transcendence.

Franklin is one of the most honored artists by the Grammy Awards, with 18 competitive Grammys and two honorary Grammys. She had 20 #1 singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart and two #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: "Respect" (1967) and "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (1987), a duet with George Michael. Since 1961, she had a total of 45 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. She also had 14 singles that sold more than one million - more than any other female artist. Between 1967 and 1982 she had 10 #1 R&B albums - more than any other female artist.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked her at top of its list "The Greatest Singers of All Time" In 2005, she was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush. On February 6, 2006, she performed, along with Aaron Neville, "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XL. The same year she got an honorary Doctor of Music degree by the Berklee College of Music.2010, Franklin received an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Yale University.

In 1987, Franklin became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was the only featured singer at the 2009 presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.

Personal life

Franklin was the mother of four sons, Clarence, Jordan, Ted and Kecalf.

Franklin was married twice. Her first husband was Ted White, whom she married in 1961 at the age of 19. She married her second husband, actor Glynn Turman, on April 11, 1978, at her father's church. They divorced in 1984.

Franklin's sisters, Erma and Carolyn, were professional musicians and spent years performing background vocals on Franklin's recordings. Her brother Cecil became her manager.

On June 10, 1979, when her father, C. L., was shot twice at point-blank range in his Detroit home. Aretha moved back to Detroit in late 1982 to assist with the care of her father, who died at Detroit's New Light Nursing Home on July 27, 1984.

Franklin was a Christian and was a registered Democrat.

On August 13, 2018, Franklin was reported to be gravely ill at her home in Riverfront Towers, Detroit. She was reported to be under hospice care and surrounded by friends and family. Stevie Wonder, Jesse Jackson, and ex-husband Glynn Turman, among others, visited her on her deathbed. Franklin died at home on August 16, 2018, aged 76. The cause was reported to be advanced pancreatic cancer.

Franklin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1979, had her voice declared a Michigan "natural resource" in 1985, and became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences awarded her a Grammy Legend Award in 1991, then the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994. Franklin was a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1994, recipient of the National Medal of Arts in 1999, and was bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. She was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2005.

Franklin became the second woman inducted to the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. She was the 2008 MusiCares Person of the Year, performing at the Grammys days later. Following news of Franklin's surgery and recovery in February 2011, the Grammys ceremony paid tribute to the singer with a medley of her classics performed by Christina Aguilera, Florence Welch, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, and Yolanda Adams. That same year she was ranked 19th among the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time top artists, and ranked first on the Rolling Stone list of Greatest Singers of All Time. In 2013, she was again ranked first in Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Singers" list.

Inducted to the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012, Franklin was described as "the voice of the civil rights movement, the voice of black America" and a "symbol of black equality". Asteroid 249516 Aretha was named in her honor in 2014.

"American history wells up when Aretha sings", president Obama explained in response to her performance of "A Natural Woman" at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors. "Nobody embodies more fully the connection between the African-American spiritual, the blues, R&B, rock and roll-the way that hardship and sorrow were transformed into something full of beauty and vitality and hope". On June 8, 2017, the City of Detroit honored Franklin's legacy by renaming a portion of Madison Street, between Brush and Witherell Streets, "Aretha Franklin Way".

On January 29, 2018, The Oakland Press′s correspondent Gary Graff confirmed that the American Idol runner-up Jennifer Hudson will take the role to play Franklin in her coming biopic. The news was announced by the the film's executive producer Clive Davis, who made public their decision on the choice of actors casting in the film two days before Graff's article was published.

An all-star tribute concert to Franklin, celebrating her music, is scheduled for November 14, 2018, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Grammy Awards

Aretha Franklin's 18 Grammy Award Wins

14

1988

Best R&B Performance - Duo Or Group with Vocals

R&B

I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (with George Michael)

18

2008

Best Gospel-Soul Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group

Gospel

Never Gonna Break My Faith (with Mary J. Blige)

Discography

Images for kids

Franklin performing in April 2007 at the Nokia Theater in Dallas, Texas

Franklin performs in the East Room of the White House in 2015

In Spanish: Aretha Franklin para niños

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A singer/songwriter who has a charity to help students get a quality education.

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A 14 year old who founded the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign.

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Marley Dias is a purpose-driven 18-year-old founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks and author of Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You! Currently, a college student at Harvard. She is also the Ambassador of National Educational Association (NEA) Read Across America. Host and Executive Producer of Netflix's Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices.

Marley launched the #1000BlackGirlBooks drive in November of 2015, leveraging the power of social media to reach a larger audience. The goal was to collect 1,000 books featuring Black female protagonists by February 2016. The story went viral and was picked up by media outlets around the world as well as bloggers, schools, youth-focused organizations and millions of individuals who wanted to participate in the project. Marley has collected over 13,000 books to-date.

Marley has spoken at the White House's United State of Women alongside Michelle Obama and Oprah, The Forbes Women's Summit, United Nation's Girl Up, Inbound, CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion, the Social Innovation Summit and several others. Marley was recognized by TIME, as one of the 25 most influential teens in 2018.

In light of the campaign's huge success, Marley has appeared on Ellen, CBS This Morning, The Today Show, The View, and several others. In her Editor in Residency at ELLE, Marley has been in conversation with Ava DuVernay, Misty Copeland and Hillary Clinton for Elle.com. Marley has been featured in a Microsoft Commercial, a Disney World Resorts digital campaign and a Walmart Black History Month campaign.

Marley is the youngest member of the Forbes 30 under 30 list to date and was included in the list for 2018. She has been awarded the Smithsonian Ingenuity Award, Ebony 100, and more. Marley resides in West Orange, NJ with her mother, father and dog Philly.

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Marley Dias is a purpose-driven 18-year-old founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks and author of Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You! Currently, a college student

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A 16-year-old climate activist, raising awareness about global warming. Time Magazine 2019 Person of the Year.

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The disarming case to act right now on climate change | Greta Thunberg

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Mari is best known for raising awareness about Flint, Michigan's ongoing water crisis and fundraising to support underprivileged children in her community and across the country.

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Future Women of America: Meet Mari Copeny

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Founder of the Jaylen Challenge Foundation, Jaylen has educated more than 100,000 kids on recognizing bullying behavior and understanding each others differences.

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JAYLEN ARNOLD

2014 YOUTH AWARD
Jaylen's Challenge
United States

Bullies don't like different. Jaylen Arnold found this out at a very early age. Jaylen Arnold is different. In his own words, "I am differently abled." He also calls himself an alphabet kid. "See look, here are all the letters behind my name: Jaylen Arnold, TS, OCD, ASP."

Those initials standing for Tourette Syndrome, severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Aspergers Syndrome (ASP - a broad spectrum Autism Disorder)-all challenges Jaylen has faced courageously from the age of two.

So, when kids at school chose to bully Jaylen because of his perceived differences, Jaylen took the higher road. Rather than fighting back physically, he decided to become the voice for millions of other children who have been bullied for being different. With the mantra "Bullying No Way!" anchoring his movement, Jaylen founded Jaylens Challenge Foundation, a program that has taught over 100,000 children how to recognize bullying and how to appreciate the differences in children.

Using personal presentations and workshops, Jaylen and his supporters carry the "Bullying No Way!" message around the country. His work keeps him busy! He travels the country speaking at schools, delivering his anti-bullying message. His presentations are designed to inform, educate and inspire.

Each student who participates in a presentation receives several items to empower them to be the agents of change to stop bullying in its tracks. Students receive the Jaylens Challenge Foundation Anti-Bullying Handbook, meant to instruct and spark conversation about bullying; the Jaylens Challenge wristbands; an exclusive Jaylens Challenge Foundation, Inc. poster; and a certificate of achievement.

Most importantly, youth get to see how one young boy, despite his many challenges, has overcome the harmful effects of bullying. They learn how to get help, how to help others, and how to end bullying for good in their peer circles and schools.

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Jaylen Arnold * World of Children 2014 Youth Award

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2014 YOUTH AWARD Jaylen's Challenge United States Bullies don't like different. Jaylen Arnold found this out at a very early age. Jaylen Arnold is different. In his own words, "I am differently abled." He also calls himself an alphabet kid. "See look, here are all the letters behind my name: Jaylen Arnold, TS, OCD, ASP."

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An American voting and women's rights activist, community organizer, and a leader in the civil rights movement

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Activist Fannie Lou Hamer was one of the most powerful voices of the civil and voting rights movements. Read more at womenshistory.org.

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At 16 years old, Malala is an advocate for women receiving equal education rights as men.

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Malala Yousafzai, 16, and Her Miraculous Story of Surviving Being Shot by the Taliban

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Zuriel is an education advocate for girls in Africa and a self-taught filmmaker.

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Zuriel Oduwole talks about girls' access to mobile at Mashable Social Good Summit

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Anne Frank was a Jew who hid in from the nazi’s in 1942. Two years later she was discovered.

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Anne's first years

Anne Frank was born in the German city of Frankfurt am Main in 1929. Anne's sister Margot was three years her senior. Unemployment was high and poverty was severe in Germany, and it was the period in which Adolf Hitler and his party were gaining more and more supporters. Hitler hated the Jews and blamed them for the problems in the country. He took advantage of the rampant antisemitic sentiments in Germany. The hatred of Jews and the poor economic situation made Anne's parents, Otto and Edith Frank, decide to move to Amsterdam. There, Otto founded a company that traded in pectin, a gelling agent for making jam.

Nazi Germany invades the Netherlands

Before long, Anne felt right at home in the Netherlands. She learned the language, made new friends and went to a Dutch school near her home. Her father worked hard to get his business off the ground, but it was not easy. Otto also tried to set up a company in England, but the plan fell through. Things looked up when he started selling herbs and spices in addition to the pectin.

On 1 September 1939, when Anne was 10 years old, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, and so the Second World War began. Not long after, on 10 May 1940, the Nazis also invaded the Netherlands. Five days later, the Dutch army surrendered. Slowly but surely, the Nazis introduced more and more laws and regulations that made the lives of Jews more difficult. For instance, Jews could no longer visit parks, cinemas, or non-Jewish shops. The rules meant that more and more places became off-limits to Anne. Her father lost his company, since Jews were no longer allowed to run their own businesses. All Jewish children, including Anne, had to go to separate Jewish schools.

Anne has to go into hiding in the Secret Annex

The Nazis took things further, one step at the time. Jews had to start wearing a Star of David on their clothes and there were rumours that all Jews would have to leave the Netherlands. When Margot received a call-up to report for a so-called 'labour camp' in Nazi Germany on 5 July 1942, her parents were suspicious. They did not believe the call-up was about work and decided to go into hiding the next day in order to escape persecution.

In the spring of 1942, Anne's father had started furnishing a hiding place in the annex of his business premises at Prinsengracht 263. He received help from his former colleagues. Before long, they were joined by four more people. The hiding place was cramped. Anne had to keep very quiet and was often afraid.

Anne keeps a diary

On her thirteenth birthday, just before they went into hiding, Anne was presented with a diary. During the two years in hiding, Anne wrote about events in the Secret Annex, but also about her feelings and thoughts. In addition, she wrote short stories, started on a novel and copied passages from the books she read in her Book of Beautiful Sentences. Writing helped her pass the time.

When the Minister of Education of the Dutch government in England made an appeal on Radio Orange to hold on to war diaries and documents, Anne was inspired to rewrite her individual diaries into one running story, titled Het Achterhuis ( The Secret Annex).

The hiding place is discovered

Anne started rewriting her diary, but before she was done, she and the other people in hiding were discovered and arrested by police officers on 4 August 1944. The police also arrested two of the helpers. To this day, we do not know the reason for the police raid.

Despite the raid, part of Anne's writing was preserved: two other helpers took the documents before the Secret Annex was emptied by order of the Nazis.

Anne is deported to Auschwitz

Via the offices of the Sicherheitsdienst (the German security police), a prison in Amsterdam, and the Westerbork transit camp, the people from the Secret Annex were put on transport to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. The train journey took three days, during which Anne and over a thousand others were packed closely together in cattle wagons. There was little food and water and only a barrel for a toilet.

Upon arrival at Auschwitz, Nazi doctors checked to see who would and who would not be able to do heavy forced labour. Around 350 people from Anne's transport were immediately taken to the gas chambers and murdered. Anne, Margot and their mother were sent to the labour camp for women. Otto ended up in a camp for men.

Anne dies from exhaustion in Bergen-Belsen

In early November 1944, Anne was put on transport again. She was deported to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp with Margot. Their parents stayed behind in Auschwitz. The conditions in Bergen-Belsen were horrible too. There was a lack of food, it was cold, wet and there were contagious diseases. Anne and Margot contracted typhus. In February 1945 they both died owing to its effects, Margot first, Anne shortly afterwards.

Anne's father Otto was the only one of the people from the Secret Annex to survive the war. He was liberated from Auschwitz by the Russians and during his long journey back to the Netherlands he learned that his wife Edith had died. Once in the Netherlands, he heard that Anne and Margot were no longer alive either.

Anne's diary becomes world famous

Anne's writing made a deep impression on Otto. He read that Anne had wanted to become a writer or a journalist and that she had intended to publish her stories about life in the Secret Annex. Friends convinced Otto to publish the diary and in June 1947, 3,000 copies of Het Achterhuis ( The Secret Annex) were printed.

And that was not all: the book was later translated into around 70 languages and adapted for stage and screen. People all over the world were introduced to Anne's story and in 1960 the hiding place became a museum: the Anne Frank House. Until his death in 1980, Otto remained closely involved with the Anne Frank House and the museum: he hoped that readers of the diary would become aware of the dangers of discrimination, racism, and hatred of Jews.

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The life of Anne Frank in brief. Watch the video and read more about her diary and her life in hiding in the Secret Annex.

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After learning about how much bees do for the environment and how they're dying out, four-year-old Ulmer decided to take action by joining a local children's business competition. Her product was a family lemonade recipe sweetened with locally-made honey with a portion of the sales going to organizations fighting to save the honeybee population.

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Mikaila Ulmer may be just 14 years old, but she knows a thing or two about business.

The young CEO founded her Me & the Bees Lemonade business when she was just four years old, and over the past decade has sold 1 million bottles across 1,000 stores in the U.S., including Whole Foods and, as of this month, Macy's.

The "Shark Tank" success, who scored a $60,000 investment from Daymond John in 2015, has also established herself as a voice of guidance for others, regularly speaking at entrepreneurial summits and even introducing former U.S. president Barack Obama at The United State of Women Summit.

That's no easy feat for a teen still completing her studies. Yet, according to the Gen Z influencer, it's proof to others that age should not be a barrier.

"No matter how old you are, you always have something to learn. And no matter how old you are, you always have something to teach," Ulmer told CNBC Make It.

"That's something I always remember, whether I'm speaking to 15 or 15,000 people," she said, before presenting a "Finance 101" workshop to female founders at the Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) in Singapore.

"When you have a big voice, make sure that you give others a voice behind you, and that you're not only growing yourself but helping others grow and giving your expertise to others," she said.

Of course, that confidence didn't always come easy to the young entrepreneur. Ulmer admitted to getting "nervous" when, at the age of eight, she starting leading workshops for older school kids.

But, it's something she learned from the bees that have been so integral to herlemonade business.

"If you look into a beehive, they're all working very closely together, it's usually jam-packed, and they communicate, they're always communicating, they're always working together, they never put one bee to a job," she said.

Ulmer started her lemonade business when, at the age of four, she was stung by two bees in one week. Rather than be scared, she was encouraged by her parents to learn more about the insects and their important role in the food cycle.

At the same time, Ulmer's family received a cookbook from her great-grandmother, and discovered an old recipe for flaxseed lemonade. Ulmer decided that if she could make the lemonade with honey bought from local beekeepers, she could do her bit to help the bee population.

That fall, Ulmer's mom and dad suggested she make the lemonade for a children's business competition in her hometown of Austin, Texas. The product was a hit and, with that, Me & the Bees Lemonade was born.

Ulmer has since been expanding the business with the help of her parents, themselves business school graduates.

Me & the Bees Lemonade recently launched a new line of beeswax-infused lip balms and, separately, in 2017, Ulmer launched her own non-profit - The Healthy Hive Foundation - to conduct research, education and protection projects for honey bees.

Me & the Bees Lemonade continues to donate 10% of all profits to bee conservation groups.

But she isn't stopping there. In between her studies, Ulmer spends her time managing her business, traveling for speaking engagements and thinking up new product ideas. She also recently signed a deal to co-write a book for young entrepreneurs.

"Even though I started with lemonade, I always wanted to expand to different products. My dream has always been to be the Hello Kitty of lemonade, and do my brand and my mission but spread over an array of products," said Ulmer.

"I always say that it's important to dream like a kid and that (as a kid) it's the perfect age to start figuring out what you enjoy and trying new things and taking risks," she added.
Disclosure: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to "Shark Tank." Don't miss: This 27-year-old's start-up success could mark a major step for women entrepreneurs

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14-year-old 'Shark Tank' success shares her best piece of advice for entrepreneurs

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Mikaila Ulmer may be just 14 years old, but she knows a thing or two about business. The young CEO founded her Me & the Bees Lemonade business when she was just four years old, and over the past decade has sold 1 million bottles across 1,000 stores in the U.S., including Whole Foods and, as of this month, Macy's.

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Started an organization called "Gotta Have Soles" that donates shoes to children in homeless shelters.

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NICHOLAS LOWINGER

2015 YOUTH AWARD
Gotta Have Soul Foundation
United States

Nicholas Lowinger remembers a teenage boy and girl who had to share a pair of shoes so they could take turns going to school every other day. The shared pair was a sparkly, pink pair of girls shoes that caused unending embarrassment for the boy. But thanks to Nicholas, a pair of new basketball shoes changed everything - the boy regained his self-esteem, got caught up in school and now hopes to go to college.

In homeless shelters throughout the United States, scenarios like this play out every day. Nicholas feels that homeless children shouldn't have to worry about fitting in; they shouldn't have fewer opportunities, like not being able to play sports or go to school because they don't have a pair of shoes.

That's why Nicholas started the Gotta Have Sole Foundation, initially as a community service project, to provide new footwear to children in homeless shelters in the U.S. However, he didn't want it to stop there; he wanted it to grow and be something that would continue to provide shoes to homeless children. Today, Gotta Have Sole has donated new footwear to over 42,000 children in homeless shelters in 36 states throughout the United States. Nicholas' goal is to reach as many children living in homeless shelters in the U.S. as he can.

The 17-year-old runs his foundation out of his family's garage. It is full of new shoes donated from shoe companies and shoe stores. Nicholas takes orders for shoes from all over the country. If he doesn't have the right shoe and/or size, he uses the donations his organization receives to buy them. The shoes are then shipped out to whoever needs them and whenever he can, Nicholas delivers them in person.

Nicholas has expanded his efforts to involve peers in collecting and donating footwear. The Gotta Have Sole student clubs raise awareness of the problems facing homeless youth and provide young people with an opportunity to support and empower their homeless peers.

Nicholas hopes that children will feel more confident about themselves because they have new shoes to call their own, and that they will have the same opportunities afforded to them as their peers.

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Nicholas Lowinger * World of Children Youth Award

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2015 YOUTH AWARD Gotta Have Soul Foundation United States Nicholas Lowinger remembers a teenage boy and girl who had to share a pair of shoes so they could take turns going to school every other day. The shared pair was a sparkly, pink pair of girls shoes that caused unending embarrassment for the boy.

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A 12-year-old who founded an organization that creates "Blessings Bags" to be given out to the homeless people living in Chicago.

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young wonder: jahkil jackson - cnn video

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Young Wonder: Jahkil Jackson - CNN Video

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Jahkil Jackson, 12, and his nonprofit, Project I Am, assemble and distribute "blessing bags" filled with hygiene products and other items to help the homeless.

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Began chasing his dreams at 7 years old to recycle bottles and cans to save the ocean.

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7-Year-Old Recycler Who's Saving the World

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An 11-year old who helped his home country of Sierra Leone by fixing community problems through technology.

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Makosinski was 15 when she invented a flashlight powered by body heat for the Google Science Fair in 2013. In doing so, she found a way to reduce waste (single-use batteries getting dumped in landfills) and provide light to people who can't afford electricity in their homes.

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At age 14, Easton began his business that uses 3D printing to build prosthetic arms and hands, with a mission of making the price more affordable for the buyer.

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Prosthetic Arm Engineer Easton LaChappelle | Luminaries

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At 11 years old, Rao invented a device that can detect lead in drinking water.

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Gitanjali Rao | Young Scientist | International Women's Day

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A singer & songwriter.

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Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. She is considered a prominent cultural figure. Having sold over 200 million records globally, Swift is one of the best-selling musicians in history, the most streamed woman on Spotify and the only act to have five albums open with over one million copies sold in the US. Swift is an advocate for artists' rights and women's empowerment, and has inspired numerous music artists.

Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in West Reading, Pennsylvania. Her father, Scott Kingsley Swift, is a former stockbroker for Merrill Lynch and her mother, Andrea Gardner Swift (née Finlay), is a former homemaker who previously worked as a mutual fund marketing executive.

Swift spent her early years on a Christmas tree farm that her father had purchased from one of his clients. She attended preschool and kindergarten at the Alvernia Montessori School, run by the Bernadine Franciscan sisters, before transferring to The Wyndcroft School. The family moved to a rented house in the suburban town of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, where Swift attended Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School. She spent her summers at the beach in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, and performed in a local coffee shop.

At age nine, Swift became interested in musical theater and performed in four Berks Youth Theatre Academy productions. She also traveled regularly to New York City for vocal and acting lessons. Swift later shifted her focus toward country music, inspired by Shania Twain's songs, which made her "want to just run around the block four times and daydream about everything."

She spent weekends performing at local festivals and events. After watching a documentary about Faith Hill, Swift felt sure she needed to move to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a career in music. She traveled with her mother at age eleven to visit Nashville record labels and submitted demo tapes of Dolly Parton and The Chicks karaoke covers. She was rejected, however, because "everyone in that town wanted to do what I wanted to do. So, I kept thinking to myself, I need to figure out a way to be different."

When Swift was around 12 years old, computer repairman and local musician Ronnie Cremer taught her to play guitar. Cremer helped with her first efforts as a songwriter, leading her to write "Lucky You". In 2003, Swift and her parents started working with New York-based talent manager Dan Dymtrow. With his help, Swift modeled for Abercrombie & Fitch as part of their "Rising Stars" campaign, had an original song included on a Maybelline compilation CD, and attended meetings with major record labels.

After performing original songs at an RCA Records showcase, Swift, then 13 years old, was given an artist development deal and began making frequent trips to Nashville with her mother. To help Swift enter into the country music scene, her father transferred to Merrill Lynch's Nashville office when she was 14 years old, and the family relocated to Hendersonville, Tennessee. Swift initially attended Hendersonville High School before transferring to the Aaron Academy after two years, which better suited her touring schedule through homeschooling. She graduated one year early.

Music career

Swift signed a songwriting deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing in 2004, and a recording contract with Big Machine Records in 2005. Her 2006 self-titled album made her the first female country artist to write a U.S. platinum-certified debut album.

Her next two albums, Fearless (2008) and Speak Now (2010), explored country pop. The former's " Love Story" and "You Belong with Me" were the first country songs to top the U.S. pop and all-genre airplay charts, respectively.

She experimented with rock and electronic styles on Red (2012), which featured her first Billboard Hot 100 number-one song, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together".

Moving to Republic Records in 2018, Swift released her seventh album Lover (2019) and autobiographical documentary Miss Americana (2020). Her singles "Cardigan" and "Willow" topped the Hot 100.

Swift began re-recording her first six albums in 2021; the latter's "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" became the longest song to top the Hot 100. Her 2022 album Midnights and single "Anti-Hero" broke multifarious records. Swift directed music videos and films such as All Too Well: The Short Film (2021), and played supporting roles in others.

Swift has been referred to as one of the greatest songwriters of all time and the best of her generation.

Beginning in 2023, Swift embarked on the Eras Tour, which broke the record for most concert tickets ever sold in a single day; however, Ticketmaster was widely castigated for its mishandling of the ticket sale, triggering government investigations into the company.

Influences

One of Swift's earliest memories of music is listening to her grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, sing in church. As a child, she enjoyed Disney film soundtracks: "My parents noticed that, once I had run out of words, I would just make up my own." Swift said she owes her confidence to her mother, who helped her prepare for class presentations as a child. She also attributes her "fascination with writing and storytelling" to her mother.

Swift has also been influenced by various pop and rock artists. She lists Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, the Rolling Stones, Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson, and Carly Simon as her career role models. Her synth-pop album 1989 was influenced by some of her favorite 1980s pop acts, including Peter Gabriel, Annie Lennox, Phil Collins, and Madonna. She has also cited Keith Urban's musical style and Fall Out Boy's lyrics as major influences.

Cultural status

As one of the leading music artists of the 21st century, Swift has influenced the music industry in many aspects.

Swift has influenced numerous music artists. Her albums have inspired an entire generation of singer-songwriters. Journalists praise her ability to change industry practices. In recognition of her cultural impact, Swift earned the title Woman of the Decade (2010s) from Billboard, Artist of the Decade (2010s) at the American Music Awards, and Global Icon at the Brit Awards.

Swift is also a subject of academic study; her artistry and fame are popular topics of scholarly media research. Various educational institutions offer courses on Swift in literary, cultural and sociopolitical contexts. Her songs are studied by evolutionary psychologists and cultural analysts.

Entrepreneurship

Media outlets describe Swift as a savvy businesswoman. Swift maintains an active presence on social media and a close relationship with fans, to which many journalists attribute her success.

Swift has endorsed many brands and businesses. In 2009, she launched a l.e.i. sundress range at Walmart, and designed American Greetings cards and Jakks Pacific dolls. Also that year, she became a spokesperson for the National Hockey League's Nashville Predators and Sony Cyber-shot digital cameras. Swift launched two Elizabeth Arden fragrances-"Wonderstruck" and "Wonderstruck Enchanted", followed by "Taylor" and its "Made of Starlight" variation in 2013, and "Incredible Things" in 2014.

She signed a multi-year deal with AT&T in 2016 and bank corporation Capital One in 2019. Swift released a sustainable clothing line with Stella McCartney in 2019. In light of her philanthropic support for independent record stores during the COVID-19 pandemic, Record Store Day named Swift their first-ever global ambassador. Swift has refused to invest in cryptocurrency and "unregistered securities".

Swift's fashion appeal has been picked up by publications such as , Elle, and Vogue. Her street style has received acclaim. Vogue Australia regards her as an influential figure in sustainable fashion. She co-chaired the 2016 Met Gala.

Philanthropy

Swift is well known for her philanthropic efforts. In 2008, she donated $100,000 to the Red Cross to help the victims of the Iowa flood. Swift has performed at charity relief events, including Sydney's Sound Relief concert. In response to the May 2010 Tennessee floods, Swift donated $500,000 during a telethon hosted by WSMV. In 2011, Swift used a dress rehearsal of her Speak Now tour as a benefit concert for victims of recent tornadoes in the U.S., raising more than $750,000. In 2016, she donated $1 million to Louisiana flood relief efforts and $100,000 to the Dolly Parton Fire Fund. Swift donated to food banks after Hurricane Harvey struck Houston in 2017 and to various cities during the Eras Tour in 2023. In 2020, she donated $1 million for Tennessee tornado relief.

Swift is a supporter of the arts. She is a benefactor of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. She has donated $75,000 to Nashville's Hendersonville High School to help refurbish the school auditorium, $4 million to fund the building of a new education center at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, $60,000 to the music departments of six U.S. colleges, and $100,000 to the Nashville Symphony. Also a promoter of children's literacy, she has donated money and books to various schools around the country to improve education. In 2007, Swift partnered with the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police to launch a campaign to protect children from online predators. She has donated items to several charities for auction, including the UNICEF Tap Project and MusiCares. As recipient of the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year in 2011, Swift donated $25,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Tennessee. In 2012, Swift participated in the Stand Up to Cancer telethon, performing the charity single "Ronan", which she wrote in memory of a four-year-old boy who died of neuroblastoma. She has also donated $100,000 to the V Foundation for Cancer Research and $50,000 to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Swift has encouraged young people to volunteer in their local communities as part of Global Youth Service Day.

Swift donated to fellow singer-songwriter Kesha to help with her legal battles against Dr. Luke and to actress Mariska Hargitay's Joyful Heart Foundation organization. After the COVID-19 pandemic began, Swift donated to the World Health Organization and Feeding America and offered one of her signed guitars as part of an auction to raise money for the National Health Service. Swift performed "Soon You'll Get Better" during the One World: Together At Home television special, a benefit concert curated by Lady Gaga for Global Citizen to raise funds for the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

In addition to charitable causes, she has made donations to her fans several times for their medical or academic expenses.

Accolades and achievements

Swift was featured in listicles such as Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time, Billboard's Greatest of All Time Artists, the Time 100 and Forbes Celebrity 100.

She has won:

As a songwriter, she has been honored by the Nashville Songwriters Association, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the National Music Publishers' Association and was the youngest person on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time in 2015.

At the 64th BMI Awards in 2016, Swift was the first woman to be honored with an award named after its recipient.

Swift is the most streamed female act on Spotify, and the only artist to have received more than 200 million streams in one day (228 million streams on October 21, 2022).

Her Reputation Stadium Tour (2018) is the highest-grossing North American tour ever, and she was the world's highest-grossing female touring act of the 2010s.

Nine of her songs have topped the Billboard Hot 100.

She is the longest-reigning act of Billboard Artist 100 (64 weeks).

Swift became the youngest woman to be included on Forbes' list of the 100 most powerful women in 2015, ranked at number 64.

She was the most googled musician in 2022.

Forbes has named her the annual top-earning female musician four times (2016, 2019, 2021, and 2022). She was the highest-paid celebrity of 2016 with $170 million-a feat recognized by the Guinness World Records as the highest annual earnings ever for a female musician, which she herself surpassed with $185 million in 2019. Overall, Swift was the highest paid female artist of the 2010s decade, earning $825 million. She has invested in a real estate portfolio worth $84 million, including the Samuel Goldwyn Estate in Beverly Hills, California; the High Watch in Watch Hill, Rhode Island; and multiple adjacent purchases in Tribeca, Manhattan, nicknamed as "Taybeca" by local realtors.

Personal life

Taylor Swift has had several celebrity boyfriends, including Joe Alwyn, Tom Hiddleston, Calvin Harris, Harry Styles, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Mayer, Taylor Lautner, and Joe Jonas.

Taylor Swift quotes

"No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind."

"Anytime someone tells me that I can't do something, I want to do it more."

"We don't need to share the same opinions as others, but we need to be respectful."

"I love making new friends and I respect people for a lot of different reasons."

Interesting facts about Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift was named after singer-songwriter James Taylor.

She has Scottish and German heritage.

Her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, was an opera singer.

Her younger brother, Austin, is an actor.

Swift identifies as a Christian.

Shania Twain, both as a songwriter and performer, was Swift's biggest musical influence.

Faith Hill was Swift's childhood role model, and she would often imitate her.

"Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer was the first song Swift learned to play on the guitar.

In 2009, she made her television debut as a rebellious teenager in an CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode.

She hosted and performed as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live; she was the first host to write their own opening monologue.

Swift is known for venturing into various music genres and undergoing artistic reinventions, having been described as a "music chameleon".

She ranked 102nd on the 2023 Rolling Stone list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Entomologists named a millipede species Nannaria swiftae in her honor.

YouGov surveys ranked her as the world's most admired female musician from 2019 to 2021.

Swift is known for her love of cats. Her pet cats have been featured in her visual works, and one of them is the third richest pet animal in the world, with an estimated net worth of $97 million.

Swift's net worth is $570 million, per a 2022 estimate by Forbes.

Swift received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from New York University and served as its commencement speaker on May 18, 2022.

Images for kids

Swift opening for Brad Paisley in 2007. To promote her first album, she opened tours for other country musicians in 2007 and 2008.

Swift on Good Morning America in 2012. Red lips are generally regarded as one of her signature looks.

Discography

Main pages: Taylor Swift albums discography, Taylor Swift singles discography, and List of songs by Taylor Swift

Filmography

Main page: Taylor Swift videography

Main page: List of Taylor Swift live performances

Fearless Tour (2009-2010)

Speak Now World Tour (2011-2012)

The Red Tour (2013-2014)

The 1989 World Tour (2015)

Reputation Stadium Tour (2018)

The Eras Tour (2023)

In Spanish: Taylor Swift para niños

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Aija is a bestselling author, poet, and performer. She started writing her first book “The Survival Guide to Bullying” when she was 16 years old, after having been bullied for many years. She self published her book before it was acquired by Scholastic and published around the world.

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Social rights activist and leader of the American Civil Rights movement

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American computer programmer and entrepreneur who cofounded Microsoft Corporation, the world's largest personal-computer software company.

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Bill Gates, in full William Henry Gates III, (born October 28, 1955, Seattle, Washington, U.S.), American computer programmer and entrepreneur who cofounded Microsoft Corporation, the world's largest personal-computer software company.

Gates wrote his first software program at the age of 13. In high school he helped form a group of programmers who computerized their school's payroll system and founded Traf-O-Data, a company that sold traffic-counting systems to local governments. In 1975 Gates, then a sophomore at Harvard University, joined his hometown friend Paul G. Allen to develop software for the first microcomputers. They began by adapting BASIC, a popular programming language used on large computers, for use on microcomputers. With the success of this project, Gates left Harvard during his junior year and, with Allen, formed Microsoft. Gates's sway over the infant microcomputer industry greatly increased when Microsoft licensed an operating system called MS-DOS to International Business Machines Corporation-then the world's biggest computer supplier and industry pacesetter-for use on its first microcomputer, the IBM PC ( personal computer). After the machine's release in 1981, IBM quickly set the technical standard for the PC industry, and MS-DOS likewise pushed out competing operating systems. While Microsoft's independence strained relations with IBM, Gates deftly manipulated the larger company so that it became permanently dependent on him for crucial software. Makers of IBM-compatible PCs, or clones, also turned to Microsoft for their basic software. By the start of the 1990s he had become the PC industry's ultimate kingmaker.

Largely on the strength of Microsoft's success, Gates amassed a huge paper fortune as the company's largest individual shareholder. He became a paper billionaire in 1986, and within a decade his net worth had reached into the tens of billions of dollars-making him by some estimates the world's richest private individual. With few interests beyond software and the potential of information technology, Gates at first preferred to stay out of the public eye, handling civic and philanthropic affairs indirectly through one of his foundations. Nevertheless, as Microsoft's power and reputation grew, and especially as it attracted the attention of the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust division, Gates, with some reluctance, became a more public figure. Rivals (particularly in competing companies in Silicon Valley) portrayed him as driven, duplicitous, and determined to profit from virtually every electronic transaction in the world. His supporters, on the other hand, celebrated his uncanny business acumen, his flexibility, and his boundless appetite for finding new ways to make computers and electronics more useful through software.

All of these qualities were evident in Gates's nimble response to the sudden public interest in the Internet. Beginning in 1995 and 1996, Gates feverishly refocused Microsoft on the development of consumer and enterprise software solutions for the Internet, developed the Windows CE operating system platform for networking noncomputer devices such as home televisions and personal digital assistants, created the Microsoft Network to compete with America Online and other Internet providers, and, through Gates's company Corbis, acquired the huge Bettmann photo archives and other collections for use in electronic distribution.

In addition to his work at Microsoft, Gates was also known for his charitable work. With his then wife, Melinda, he launched the William H. Gates Foundation (renamed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 1999) in 1994 to fund global health programs as well as projects in the Pacific Northwest. During the latter part of the 1990s, the couple also funded North American libraries through the Gates Library Foundation (renamed Gates Learning Foundation in 1999) and raised money for minority study grants through the Gates Millennium Scholars program. In June 2006 Warren Buffett announced an ongoing gift to the foundation, which would allow its assets to total roughly $60 billion in the next 20 years. At the beginning of the 21st century, the foundation continued to focus on global health and global development, as well as community and education causes in the United States. After a short transition period, Gates relinquished day-to-day oversight of Microsoft in June 2008-although he remained chairman of the board-in order to devote more time to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In February 2014 he stepped down as chairman but continued to serve as a board member until 2020. During this time he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016). The documentary series Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates appeared in 2019. Two years later Gates and his wife divorced.

It remains to be seen whether Gates's extraordinary success will guarantee him a lasting place in the pantheon of great Americans. At the very least, historians seem likely to view him as a business figure as important to computers as John D. Rockefeller was to oil. Gates himself displayed an acute awareness of the perils of prosperity in his 1995 best seller, The Road Ahead, where he observed, "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose."

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16th President of the United States. Known for abolishing slavery.

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Who Is Gabby Douglas?

Gabby Douglas, is an American gymnast who became the first African-American in Olympic history to win the individual all-around event at the 2012 Summer Games. Douglas, standing at 5' 2", also won team gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. Douglas began formal gymnastics training at six years old and won a state championship by the time she was eight. In 2016, Gabby Douglas unveiled a Barbie Shero doll just before the Summer Olympics in Rio.

Early Life

Douglas was born on December 31, 1995, in Virginia Beach, Virginia to Timothy Douglas and Natalie Hawkins. Her first experience with gymnastics came at the age of three when she perfected a straight cartwheel using a technique that she learned from her older sister, Arielle, a former gymnast. By age four, Douglas had taught herself how to do a one-handed cartwheel.

With encouragement from Gabby's sister, Douglas' mother allowed Gabby to begin taking formal gymnastics classes at the age of six. Only two years later, in 2004, she was named a Virginia State Gymnastics Champion.

Gymnastic Career

When Douglas turned 14, she left her hometown and family, and moved to West Des Moines, Iowa, to train with renowned coach Liang Chow, known for molding American gymnast Shawn Johnson into a world champion and Olympic gold medalist. Travis and Missy Parton volunteered to be Douglas' host family in West Des Moines. According to Douglas' official website, she became like a big sister to the Parton's four daughters, one of whom was also a student of Chow's.

At the 2010 Nastia Liukin SuperGirl Cup - a televised meet held in Massachusetts - Douglas made her debut on the national scene, placing fourth all-around. She also placed third on the balance beam, sixth on vault and ninth all-around in the junior division of her first elite meet, the 2010 CoverGirl Classic in Chicago, Illinois.

Douglas went on to win the silver medal on balance beam and fourth all-around at the 2010 U.S. Junior National Championships, and then took the uneven bars title at the 2010 Pan American Championships. Her performance at that event also placed Douglas at fifth all-around and her performance helped the U.S. team win the gold medal.

Douglas was a member of the U.S. team that won the gold medal in the team finals at the 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. She also won the 2012 Olympic Trials, which took place in San Jose, California, and was selected as a member of the national team that represented the United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

"Her unique blend of power, flexibility, body alignment and form has led her to be compared with three-time Olympian Dominique Dawes," according to an article on American-Gymnast.com. Douglas is the first African American to make the U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics team since Dawes in 2000.

Douglas' high-flying skills and high difficulty score on bars not only likened her to Dawes, but caught the attention of U.S. women's national team coordinator Martha Karoyli, who nicknamed her "Flying Squirrel."

2012 Summer Olympics

At the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, Douglas and other members of the U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics team - Kyla Ross, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber - took home a team gold medal. Fans worldwide watched as judges announced the team's medal win - the first gold medal for the American women's gymnastics team since 1996.

Douglas went on to compete in the individual all-around and became the first African American to win gold in the prestigious event. Following her two golds, she competed in the individual uneven bars and individual beam events, but failed to medal in either, placing eighth and seventh, respectively.

By 2012, 16-year-old Douglas had proven herself a champion, going from underdog to Olympian in a short time. She was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in early July of 2012, along with the rest of the U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics team, and on one of five covers released by TIME Magazine that same month. She was also a featured Olympian on Kellogg's special edition box of Wheaties corn flakes.

Road to Rio Games

After her historic Olympic win, Douglas moved to Los Angeles in 2013. In 2014, she returned to training with Chow and later that year began training under coach Kittia Carpenter.

Douglas did not compete in 2014 but returned to international competition in 2015. She placed 4th all-around at the 2015 City of Jesolo Trophy, second in the all-around at the U.S. Classic and 5th overall in the P&G Championships. She was named to the Senior National Team and was selected for the 2015 U.S. Women's World Championship team. She also won silver in the all-around at the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

In 2016, Douglas won the all-around title at the City of Jesolo Trophy and placed fourth all-around at the P&G Championships.

At the Olympic trials in July 2016, Douglas finished seventh, after two falls from the balance beam. Regardless, she earned a spot on the 2016 Olympic team, with fellow gymnasts Simone Biles, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian and Raisman, to become the first reigning all-around Olympic champion to return to compete in a second Olympic Games since Nadia Comaneci in 1980. She and teammate Raisman, also a member of the gold medal-winning team in 2012, were the first American women gymnasts to return to the Olympics since Dawes and Amy Chow in 2000.

Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

2016 Olympic Games

On August 9, 2016, Douglas helped the U.S. women's gymnastics team grab the gold again with her impressive performance on the uneven bars, for which she scored 15.766.

Douglas shared the team gold with Biles, Raisman, Hernandez and Kocian, a team that called themselves "The Final Five."

Raisman explained the meaning behind the team nickname on the Today Show: "We're the Final Five because this is [coach] Marta [Karolyi's] last Olympics, and without her none of this would have been possible. ... We wanted to do it for her just because she's there with us every single day." She added: "This is the last Olympics where there's a five-girl team. The next Olympics is only going to be a four-person team."

The Final Five became the third American women's gymnastics team to win gold, following team victories in 1996 and 2012.

Douglas had the third-highest score of 61 participants in the qualifying rounds to compete in the women's individual all-around event. However, a rule which only allows two gymnasts per country to compete prevented Douglas from participating and defending her 2012 title. Teammates Biles and Raisman finished ahead of her in the qualifying round and went on to take the gold and silver, respectively, in the competition.

Douglas did compete in the uneven bars final but met with more disappointment when she made an error on a handstand, earning a seventh-place finish. Her teammate Madison Kocian took home the silver medal in the event.

The Olympic champion was also "heartbroken" over attacks on the Internet, according to her mother Natalie Hawkins. "She's had to deal with people criticizing her hair, or people accusing her of bleaching her skin. They said she had breast enhancements, they said she wasn't smiling enough, she's unpatriotic. Then it went to not supporting your teammates. Now you're 'Crabby Gabby,' " Hawkins said in a Reuters interview. "You name it, and she got trampled. What did she ever do to anyone?"

Douglas, who tearfully told reporters the attacks were "hurtful," said she would remain positive. "I still love the people who love me, still love the people who hate me, and I'm just going to stand on that," she said in an interview with The Washington Post.

Movies, TV Shows and Books on Gabby Douglas

Douglas released her autobiography Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith in 2012.

The Gabby Douglas Story, a TV movie about the gymnast's life, aired on Lifetime in 2014. Douglas Family Gold, a reality TV show following Douglas and her family, premiered on the Oxygen channel in 2016.

Barbie Doll

On July 11, 2016, the day after she was named to the Olympic team, Gabby Douglas debuted her new Barbie Shero doll.

Sexual Assault Controversy

Douglas became embroiled in controversy after news of former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar's inappropriate actions toward patients, which included members of the celebrated 2012 Olympic team, became public.

As Nassar stood trial for criminal sexual conduct charges in November 2017, Raisman made several media appearances for her new autobiography, in which she revealed she had been molested by Nassar. Douglas then responded to a tweet by Raisman by pointing out that women should "dress modestly and be classy ... dressing in a provocative/sexual way entices the wrong crowd."

Coming at a time when women from numerous industries were sharing accounts of sexual harassment, Douglas' comment drew immense backlash for contributing to victim shaming. After parrying some of the outrage directed her way, Douglas attempted to clarify things with a lengthy Instagram apology, in which she hinted that she had also been molested by Nassar. Her publicist later confirmed that Douglas was indeed revealing that news with her post.

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Gabby Douglas, is an American gymnast who became the first African-American in Olympic history to win the individual all-around event at the 2012 Summer Games. Douglas, standing at 5' 2", also won team gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.

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Indian lawyer who lived for nonviolent resistance in the world and in turn inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

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Who Was Gandhi?

Have you ever been treated unfairly? What did you do about it? When Gandhi and other Indian citizens were treated unfairly, he didn't just sit back and take it. He used peaceful protests to make a change. Let's take a closer look at Mahatma Gandhi, who was a revolutionary leader in India. We'll examine his life, his place in Indian history, and how he managed to lead a peaceful revolution against the British Empire in the mid-20th century and make his own country free.

Gandhi's Early Life

In 1869, Mahatma Gandhi was born in India into a wealthy family. His parents arranged for him to be married at the young age of 13. At the age of 19, Gandhi followed his parents' wishes and went to college in England to study law.

After graduating with his law degree, Gandhi eventually became a lawyer in South Africa. This path led this unforgettable man to become one of the most celebrated civil rights leaders in history.

While in South Africa, Gandhi experienced prejudice firsthand. Prejudice is when you're treated unfairly because you're seen as different. South African people, who were mostly white, treated Indians differently because they had darker skin. The South Africans thought they were better than the Indians. Gandhi didn't think this was all that fair.

When Gandhi returned home, he realized Indians were not only treated differently in South Africa, but were also treated differently in India. This was when he decided to do something about this injustice.

Gandhi's Civil Rights Work

Gandhi dedicated his life to fight for equal treatment of Indians through the use of peaceful disobedience campaigns. This means that Gandhi and his followers would refuse to follow certain laws and rules the government made. By using these types of protest, Gandhi was able to change the rules in India that impacted poverty, women's rights, and religious freedom. Although he was successful in changing some laws, Gandhi did have consequences for his actions. He was arrested many times for his protests.

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biography of mahatma gandhi: lesson for kids - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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Biography of Mahatma Gandhi: Lesson for Kids - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Have you ever been treated unfairly? What did you do about it? When Gandhi and other Indian citizens were treated unfairly, he didn't just sit back and take it. He used peaceful protests to make a change. Let's take a closer look at Mahatma Gandhi, who was a revolutionary leader in India.

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An escaped slave who became a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad and lead slaves to freedom.

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Super Bowl XXIV Champion & an NFL Hall of Famer

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This is the story of Kobe Bryant’s life l GMA Digital

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After graduating from high school in 1972, Jobs attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon, for two years. He dropped out after one semester to visit India and study eastern religions in the summer of 1974. In 1975 Jobs joined a group known as the Homebrew Computer Club.

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Michael Jordan Completed His Gigantic Sale of the Charlotte Hornets

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Albert Einstein Biography

Learn some interesting facts and information about the amazing life of Albert Einstein with this short biographical video.

Einstein is perhaps the most well known scientist of all time, contributing a range of important theories to the field of theoretical physics and being awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. Check out our page of Albert Einstein facts for more on this famous scientist.

Scientist Videos:

Albert Einstein

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Albert Einstein Biography Learn some interesting facts and information about the amazing life of Albert Einstein with this short biographical video. Einstein is perhaps the most well known scientist of all time, contributing a range of important theories to the field of theoretical physics and being awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.

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The first person to walk on the moon.

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Neil Armstrong was a NASA astronaut and aeronautical engineer. He famously became the first person to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969 during Apollo 11. Armstrong also flew on NASA's Gemini 8 mission in 1966.

He retired from NASA in 1971 and remained active in the aerospace community, although he chose to keep mostly out of the public spotlight. Armstrong died Aug. 25, 2012, at age 82.

Armstrong was famously reticent about his accomplishments, preferring to focus on the team that helped him get to the moon rather than his own first steps. "I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks, but for the ledger of our daily work," Armstrong said in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" program in 2005.

In another interview, when asked what it feels like to have his footprints remain on the moon's surface for thousands of years, Armstrong said, "I kind of hope that somebody goes up there one of these days and cleans them up," The Independent reported.

Related: Apollo landers, Neil Armstrong's bootprint and other human artifacts on moon officially protected by new US law

Early career and NASA work

Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, on Aug. 5, 1930, to Stephen Koenig Armstrong and Viola Louise Engel.

Neil was a naval aviator from 1949 to 1952 and served in the Korean War. He earned his bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University in 1955. (Many years later, after he became world-famous, he also received a master of science in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California in 1970.)

Armstrong became a test pilot for NASA (then known as NACA, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) and flew the X-15, a rocket-powered, missile-shaped aircraft that tested the limits of high-altitude flight. During his long career as a pilot, Armstrong flew more than 200 different aircraft, from jets to gliders and even helicopters.

(Image credit: NASA)

In 1962, Armstrong was selected to be part of NASA's second group of astronauts, who flew on the two-seat Gemini missions to test out space technology, and the three-seat Apollo missions that ultimately took 12 people to the surface of the moon. Armstrong's first flight was as command pilot of the Gemini 8 mission in March 1966 - the sixth crewed mission of that series.

Armstrong and pilot David Scott completed the first orbital docking of two spacecraft, joining their Gemini 8 spacecraft to an uncrewed Agena target vehicle. However, the two-man crew experienced a serious problem when a thruster on the Gemini 8 spacecraft became stuck open. With the astronauts whipping around faster than one revolution per second, Armstrong managed to gain control again by using the re-entry system thrusters. The event was the first serious emergency in space and although the mission ultimately ended safely, the spacecraft was forced to splash down early because the re-entry system was already expended.

Armstrong also narrowly avoided a nasty accident in May 1968, this time within Earth's atmosphere, while flying the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle - a machine that could fly somewhat like a lunar module and simulate landings on the moon. Fuel for the attitude thrusters ran out and Armstrong was forced to eject just seconds before the vehicle crashed, NASA reported. Armstrong escaped unharmed.

(Image credit: NASA)

Apollo 11 and the first moonwalk

The Apollo 11 crew members were announced to the public in January 1969. NASA's chief of the Astronaut Office, Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton, chose an all-veteran team of Neil Armstrong (Gemini 8), Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin (Gemini 12) and Michael Collins (Gemini 10), with Armstrong selected to command the mission. His responsibilities included landing on the moon alongside Aldrin, the pilot of the lunar module Eagle. Collins would remain in lunar orbit aboard the command module Columbia. (Collins was originally supposed to be backup pilot for Apollo 11, but his spot in the flight sequence was moved after required surgery on his back forced him off the prime crew for Apollo 8.)

As the lander approached the moon, Armstrong took over the controls when he saw that the computer was guiding them to a boulder-filled landing zone. At 4:14 p.m. EDT (2014 GMT), Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon, with only 25 seconds of fuel left. Armstrong radioed, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." Capsule communicator and astronaut Charles Duke responded from Earth: "Roger ... Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again. Thanks a lot."

The schedule called for the astronauts to sleep before the first moonwalk, but they elected to go outside early because they felt they would not be able to sleep. In view of a black-and-white television camera transmitting his movements live to Earth, Armstrong descended Eagle's lander and touched his left foot upon the surface at 10:56 p.m. EDT July 20 (0256 GMT July 21). His first words were "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." (The "a" was lost to radio static, but later analysis of the sound wave showed that Armstrong did say it.)

Armstrong and Aldrin together explored the surface during a moonwalk that lasted 2 hours and 36 minutes. They collected 48.5 pounds (22 kilograms) of material from the surface - including 50 moon rocks - as well as deploying experiments, planting the U.S. flag and taking a moment to speak with the U.S. president at the time, Richard Nixon.

The Eagle's crew lifted off safely from the moon on July 21, docked with Columbia, and voyaged back to Earth for a successful ocean landing on July 24. The astronauts went into quarantine to mitigate the (unlikely) risk that they were carrying some sort of moon germs back with them, and then embarked on a world tour to celebrate the mission.

After Apollo 11, and Armstrong's death

After his time as an astronaut, Armstrong was deputy associate administrator for aeronautics at NASA headquarters. He resigned from NASA in 1971. From 1971 to 1979, he was a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati. Then from 1982 to 1992, Armstrong was chairman of Computing Technologies for Aviation Inc. in Charlottesville, Virginia. Armstrong also participated in the Rogers Commission, which was a presidential commission tasked to look at the causes and events of the fatal Challenger shuttle explosion of Jan. 28, 1986, that killed seven astronauts.

Armstrong chose to mostly stay out of the spotlight after leaving NASA, although he did reappear periodically for interviews or for anniversary events concerning Apollo 11. Although his public statements were few, he followed spaceflight news and occasionally made public comments on what was happening. He remained a vocal supporter of suborbital spaceflight. On the other hand, the former Apollo astronaut was publicly critical of plans to shift crewed spaceflight from NASA to private spacecraft.

On Aug. 7, 2012 - two days after Armstrong turned 82 years old - the famed moonwalker underwent coronary bypass surgery. Complications from the surgery resulted in his death on Aug. 25.

"Neil was our loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend," his family wrote on the website neilarmstronginfo.com. "For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request," they added. "Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."

Tributes poured in from many public figures, including President Barack Obama, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, then-NASA administrator Charles Bolden, Apollo 11 crewmates Aldrin and Collins, and various space representatives in the public, private and nonprofit spheres.

"Neil was among the greatest of American heroes - not just of his time, but of all time," Obama's statement read. "When he and his fellow crew members lifted off aboard Apollo 11 in 1969, they carried with them the aspirations of an entire nation. They set out to show the world that the American spirit can see beyond what seems unimaginable - that with enough drive and ingenuity, anything is possible."

A private memorial service for Armstrong was held Aug. 31, 2012, at the Camargo Club in Cincinnati. Two weeks later, a publicly televised memorial service was held at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Armstrong was buried at sea Sept. 14, 2012, in a ceremony aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea. Armstrong's family was on board when the ship left port in Mayport, Florida, and they released his ashes somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Obama ordered flags around the United States to fly at half-staff on the day of the funeral.

Armstrong's legacy

In 2015, the Smithsonian Institution revealed that Armstrong had kept aside a cloth bag full of small parts from the lunar module Eagle, which lay undiscovered for decades until his widow, Carol, found it. While Armstrong made no mention of this bag in decades of interviews, the bag was discussed a few times during the mission.

It is unknown how Armstrong ultimately gained possession of the bag, but it was common during the Apollo years for astronauts to retain souvenirs of their flights. (A month after Armstrong's death, Obama made legal a bill to allow Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts to retain legal title to these mementos.) Former "Mythbusters" host Adam Savage subsequently created a carry bag based on the design of Armstrong's "purse"; the design was actually used in several Apollo missions before and after Apollo 11.

On Jul. 21, 2009, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin attended the U.S House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology tribute to the Apollo 11 Astronauts at the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill. During the ceremony, the committee presented the astronauts with a copy of House Resolution 607 honoring their achievements and announced the passage of legislation awarding them and John Glenn the Congressional Gold Medal.

(Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls)

In a 2013 BBC documentary, Armstrong's brother, Dean, said that he knew of the famous first words on the moon several months before Apollo 11 touched down. Dean reported that Armstrong passed him a handwritten note as the brothers played a late-night game of Risk, according to British newspaper the Telegraph. However, Dean's remarks contradicted many statements by Armstrong himself, who said that the words didn't come to him until he arrived on the moon. The other Apollo 11 astronauts have also backed up Armstrong's assertions.

In 2017, a rare gold lunar model was stolen from the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta. "Entry to the museum was discovered and taken was a solid gold replica of the 1969 Lunar Excursion Module that landed on the moon," Russel Hunlock, Wapakoneta police chief, said in a release. "The piece is very rare as it was presented to Neil Armstrong in Paris, France, shortly after the moon landing."

On Oct. 12, 2018, Universal Pictures released a Neil Armstrong biography based on James R. Hansen's book "First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong." The movie starred Ryan Gosling as Armstrong. The movie was embroiled in political controversy because the filmmakers decided not to include a scene where Armstrong plants an American flag on the moon's surface, despite the fact that Armstrong did so in reality. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, tweeted, "This is total lunacy. And a disservice at a time when our people need reminders of what we can achieve when we work together."

At the Venice Film Festival Gosling defended the filmmaker's choice, reported The Telegraph, saying, "I think [the moon landing] was widely regarded in the end as a human achievement [and] that's how we chose to view it."

On Aug. 11, 2021, NASA dedicated the Ohio test facility to Neil Armstrong. Armstrong had graciously declined the honor when he was originally asked, but on Wednesday (Aug. 11), nine years after Armstrong died and a week after what would have been his 91st birthday, a group of NASA officials and members of Congress gathered at a small dedication ceremony in Sandusky, Ohio. NASA's Plum Brook Station is now known as The Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility.

Additional resources

You can explore 50 Neil Armstrong facts with this article from Facts.net or read about Armstrong's life and dreams of space travel in this book by James R. Hansen. Discover more about Armstrong in this informative article published by the Air and Space Museum.

Bibliography

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Neil Armstrong was a NASA astronaut, aeronautical engineer and the first person to walk on the moon, on July 20, 1969.

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The first African-American child to desegregate the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana

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The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross
Clip: Episode 5 | 2m 59s

Six-year-old Ruby Bridges integrated an all-white elementary school in New Orleans in 1960, escorted by federal marshals. Six years earlier, the NAACP had won a major legal victory with Brown vs. the Board of Education. That case declared the doctrine of separate but equal schools was unconstitutional.

Aired: 11/19/13

Rating: NR

Problems Playing Video? Report a Problem |

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The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross | Ruby Bridges Desegregates a School | Episode 5 | PBS

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At age six, Ruby Bridges was the sole black child to desegregate her school.

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Thankful for every opportunity to tell my story and thankful Voyage LA shared it with their community! Read the full interview here .

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Masih was a Pakistani boy who escaped child slavery at 10 years old and became a leader in the movement to put an end to it once and for all. He helped over 3,000 children escape bondage and traveled the globe speaking out against the issue.

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Iqbal Masih became a debt slave in a carpet factory in Pakistan when he was a child. Five years later he was set free. He gave other children the courage to leave their owners.

Iqbal was threatened by the carpet factory owners and was murdered on 16 April 1995. He is a symbol for the struggle against child labour and in 2000, he received the first World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child posthumously (after his death).

Iqbal was around five when he started working in the carpet factory. He worked from early morning until evening and was often treated badly. When his mother Anayat needs money for an operation, she took out a loan from a carpet factory owner. The loan, or 'peshgi', was in Iqbal's name. That means that Iqbal owes Ghullah the 5000 rupees (ca 600 US dollars) that his mother's operation cost. Now Iqbal was a debt slave and the factory owner was in charge of his life. > Read the whole story about Iqbal's life and death here.

Experience Iqbal's life, liberation and death in this graphic novel. © WCPF

Learn more about Iqbal in the Globe Magazine (2009).

Text: Magnus Bergmar

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Iqbal was freed after years of slave labor in a Pakistan rug factory but was then murdered at 12 for fighting child labor. Watch video and read his story.

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Olympic Gymnast Gold Medalist (From Iowa)

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Shawn Johnson

Personal information

Country Represented: United States

Date of birth:
January 19, 1992 (age 28)

Place of birth:
West Des Moines, Iowa, USA

Music:
August's Rhapsody from August Rush

Shawn Machel Johnson (born January 19, 1992) is an American artistic gymnast. She is the 2008 Olympic women's balance beam gold medalist.

Johnson is the daughter of Doug and Teri Johnson. Her parents put her in a gymnastics class after they saw her climbing up cabinets and jumping down from tables. When she was six, Liang Chow opened a gymnastics school in her city. She was one of Chow's first students when he opened the school.

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Shawn Johnson Personal information Country Represented: United States Date of birth: January 19, 1992 (age 28) Place of birth: West Des Moines, Iowa, USA Music: August's Rhapsody from August Rush Shawn Machel Johnson (born January 19, 1992) is an American artistic gymnast. She is the 2008 Olympic women's balance beam gold medalist.

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Born in 1940 in Tennessee, Wilma Rudolph was a child who overcame her disabilities through physical therapy and hard work, becoming a gifted runner. In 1960, she became the first American woman to win three gold medals in an Olympic event.

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The inventor of the light bulb, phonograph & motion picture.

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Thomas Edison's Early Life

Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio. He was the seventh and last child born to Samuel Edison Jr. and Nancy Elliott Edison, and would be one of four to survive to adulthood. At age 12, he developed hearing loss-he was reportedly deaf in one ear, and nearly deaf in the other-which was variously attributed to scarlet fever, mastoiditis or a blow to the head.

Thomas Edison received little formal education, and left school in 1859 to begin working on the railroad between Detroit and Port Huron, Michigan, where his family then lived. By selling food and newspapers to train passengers, he was able to net about $50 profit each week, a substantial income at the time-especially for a 13-year-old.

Did you know? By the time he died at age 84 on October 18, 1931, Thomas Edison had amassed a record 1,093 patents: 389 for electric light and power, 195 for the phonograph, 150 for the telegraph, 141 for storage batteries and 34 for the telephone.

During the Civil War, Edison learned the emerging technology of telegraphy, and traveled around the country working as a telegrapher. But with the development of auditory signals for the telegraph, he was soon at a disadvantage as a telegrapher.

To address this problem, Edison began to work on inventing devices that would help make things possible for him despite his deafness (including a printer that would convert electrical telegraph signals to letters). In early 1869, he quit telegraphy to pursue invention full time.

Edison in Menlo Park

From 1870 to 1875, Edison worked out of Newark, New Jersey, where he developed telegraph-related products for both Western Union Telegraph Company (then the industry leader) and its rivals. Edison's mother died in 1871, and that same year he married 16-year-old Mary Stillwell.

Despite his prolific telegraph work, Edison encountered financial difficulties by late 1875, but one year later-with the help of his father-Edison was able to build a laboratory and machine shop in Menlo Park, New Jersey, 12 miles south of Newark.

With the success of his Menlo Park "invention factory," some historians credit Edison as the inventor of the research and development (R&D) lab, a collaborative, team-based model later copied by AT&T at Bell Labs, the DuPont Experimental Station, the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and other R&D centers.

In 1877, Edison developed the carbon transmitter, a device that improved the audibility of the telephone by making it possible to transmit voices at higher volume and with more clarity.

That same year, his work with the telegraph and telephone led him to invent the phonograph, which recorded sound as indentations on a sheet of paraffin-coated paper; when the paper was moved beneath a stylus, the sounds were reproduced. The device made an immediate splash, though it took years before it could be produced and sold commercially.

Edison and the Light Bulb

In 1878, Edison focused on inventing a safe, inexpensive electric light to replace the gaslight-a challenge that scientists had been grappling with for the last 50 years. With the help of prominent financial backers like J.P. Morgan and the Vanderbilt family, Edison set up the Edison Electric Light Company and began research and development.

He made a breakthrough in October 1879 with a bulb that used a platinum filament, and in the summer of 1880 hit on carbonized bamboo as a viable alternative for the filament, which proved to be the key to a long-lasting and affordable light bulb. In 1881, he set up an electric light company in Newark, and the following year moved his family (which by now included three children) to New York.

Though Edison's early incandescent lighting systems had their problems, they were used in such acclaimed events as the Paris Lighting Exhibition in 1881 and the Crystal Palace in London in 1882.

Competitors soon emerged, notably George Westinghouse, a proponent of alternating or AC current (as opposed to Edison's direct or DC current). By 1889, AC current would come to dominate the field, and the Edison General Electric Co. merged with another company in 1892 to become General Electric.

Later Years and Inventions

Edison's wife, Mary, died in August 1884, and in February 1886 he remarried Mirna Miller; they would have three children together. He built a large estate called Glenmont and a research laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, with facilities including a machine shop, a library and buildings for metallurgy, chemistry and woodworking.

Spurred on by others' work on improving the phonograph, he began working toward producing a commercial model. He also had the idea of linking the phonograph to a zoetrope, a device that strung together a series of photographs in such a way that the images appeared to be moving. Working with William K.L. Dickson, Edison succeeded in constructing a working motion picture camera, the Kinetograph, and a viewing instrument, the Kinetoscope, which he patented in 1891.

After years of heated legal battles with his competitors in the fledgling motion-picture industry, Edison had stopped working with moving film by 1918. In the interim, he had had success developing an alkaline storage battery, which he originally worked on as a power source for the phonograph but later supplied for submarines and electric vehicles.

In 1912, automaker Henry Ford asked Edison to design a battery for the self-starter, which would be introduced on the iconic Model T. The collaboration began a continuing relationship between the two great American entrepreneurs.

Despite the relatively limited success of his later inventions (including his long struggle to perfect a magnetic ore-separator), Edison continued working into his 80s. His rise from poor, uneducated railroad worker to one of the most famous men in the world made him a folk hero.

More than any other individual, he was credited with building the framework for modern technology and society in the age of electricity. His Glenmont estate-where he died in 1931-and West Orange laboratory are now open to the public as the Thomas Edison National Historical Park.

Sources

Thomas Edison's Greatest Invention. The Atlantic.
Life of Thomas Alva Edison. Library of Congress.
7 Epic Fails Brought to You by the Genius Mind of Thomas Edison. Smithsonian Magazine.

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Thomas Edison: Facts, House & Inventions - HISTORY

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Thomas Edison was a prolific inventor and businessman whose inventions include the phonograph, incandescent light bulb, motion picture camera and alkaline battery.

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Galileo Galilei was an Italian scientist and inventor who contributed greatly to the fields of physics and astronomy at a time when new ideas and radical thinking were controversial.

Galileo made improvements to the telescope, using his new design to observe Jupiter's four largest moons which were later named the Galilean satellites in his honor. Enjoy this short biographical video that details his life and check out our Galileo Galilei facts for more information on this famous scientist.

Scientist Videos:

Galileo Galilei

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Galileo Galilei Biography Galileo Galilei was an Italian scientist and inventor who contributed greatly to the fields of physics and astronomy at a time when new ideas and radical thinking were controversial. Galileo made improvements to the telescope, using his new design to observe Jupiter's four largest moons which were later named the Galilean satellites in his honor.

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A physicist, chemist and a pioneer in the study of radiation. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize!

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Marie Curie (November 7, 1867 - July 4, 1934) was a Polish physicist, chemist, and feminist. She researched radioactivity. She was the first woman professor at the University of Paris. She was also the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to win two Nobel Prizes. One of her Nobel Prizes was in physics in 1903 and the other was in chemistry in 1911. Her Nobel Prize in physics was for her research on uncontrolled radiation, which was discovered by Henri Becquerel.

She died because of too much exposure to radiation in her laboratory. She had no protection against the effects of radiation.

Marie Sklodowska Curie, originally Maria, was born on November 7, 1867, in Warsaw, Poland. She lived there until she was 22. Marie Curie was the fifth child in her family. Marie, whose parents were both teachers, was quite intelligent. She did, however, have a difficult childhood. Her older sister, Zofia, died of typhus in 1876 and her mother died two years later when Marie was ten.

As a young girl, Marie was interested in physics. She graduated at fifteen at the top of her high school class. Marie became a teacher so she could earn money to go to school in Paris, France. She also went to an unaccredited college in Poland. Eventually, she left Poland and went to France, living with her sister and brother-in-law, under the name "Marie." In Paris, she earned higher degrees and did important scientific work. Later, she founded the Curie Institutes in Paris and Warsaw.

Personal life

Even though Curie became a French citizen, she never lost her Polish identity. She graduated first in her class at the Univeristy of Paris in 1893. One year later, she earned a master's degree in mathematics. Later, she met her husband, Pierre Curie, at the Municipal School of Industrial Physics and Chemistry. One year later, they were married. They also started to work together on scientific discoveries. Marie and Pierre had their first daughter, Irene, in 1897. Their second daughter, Eve, was born in 1904. Pierre died on April 19, 1906, after he was hit by a horse-drawn wagon.

Physicist career

Marie and her husband created a theory of radioactivity (a term made by her and her husband). They found different ways to separate radioactive isotopes and discovered two new elements: polonium and radium. The term polonium was named after Poland, her home country.

In 1898, the Curies and Gustave Bemont discovered radium, one of the most radioactive and dangerous metals, when using a uranium ore. The ore gave off a lot of radiation, and the group decided that it was coming from more than uranium. Then, they found radium in the uranium.

Curie used her studies in radioactivity to develop a new treatment for cancer. These treatments used radioactive isotopes. Doctors today still use radiation therapy to treat certain cancers. During World War I, Curie used her research to develop portable x-ray machines, called " Petite Curies", to help soldiers on the battlefield.

Nobel Prizes

In December 1903 the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded Pierre Curie, Marie Curie, and Henri Becquerel the Nobel Prize in Physics, "in recognition of the extraordinary services they have rendered by their joint researches on the radiation phenomena discovered by Professor Henri Becquerel." At first the committee had intended to honour only Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel, but a committee member and advocate for women scientists, Swedish mathematician Magnus Gösta Mittag-Leffler, alerted Pierre to the situation, and after his complaint, Marie's name was added to the nomination. Marie Curie was the first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize.

Curie and her husband declined to go to Stockholm to receive the prize in person; they were too busy with their work, and Pierre Curie, who disliked public ceremonies, was feeling increasingly ill. As Nobel laureates were required to deliver a lecture, the Curies finally undertook the trip in 1905. The award money allowed the Curies to hire their first laboratory assistant.

Following the award of the Nobel Prize, the University of Paris gave Pierre Curie a professorship and the chair of physics, although the Curies still did not have a proper laboratory. Upon Pierre Curie's complaint, the University of Paris agreed to furnish a new laboratory, but it would not be ready until 1906.

Fund raising

After World War I, Marie started to raise money for radiation research. She was invited to tour the United States to recommend and speed up her project of studying radiation. She sailed for the United States in 1921. She collected enough money and equipment for a new laboratory. Marie then started speaking at meetings to raise more money and became a celebrity. She also supported world peace by serving on the council of the League of Nations.

Near the 1920s, Curie and many of her colleagues began to suffer from symptoms of cancer. Curie began to lose her sight, and cataract surgeries did not help. Curie knew that the element ( radium) she discovered might have been causing the symptoms, but she did not want to admit it to herself or others.

In the early 1930s, Curie's health started to get worse quickly. Doctors diagnosed her with pernicious anemia. Pernicious anemia is a blood anemia that happens when someone is exposed to too much radiation. The doctors didn't tell the public or Curie herself what was going on.

On July 4, 1934, at 66 years old, she died in a sanatorium, a medical facility for long-term illness, in the French Alps. She was then buried next to her husband in Sceaux, France.

Marie Curie was known for her honesty and moderate lifestyle. Her contributions to science have changed the world as we know it today. She is still one of only four people (along with Linus Pauling, John Bardeen, and Frederick Sanger) to earn two Nobel Prizes.

Marie Curie quotes

"Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas."

"You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for his own improvement."

"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."

"I am among those who think that science has great beauty."

"You must never be fearful of what you are doing when it is right."

"Radium is not to enrich any one. It is an element; it is for all people."

"First principle: never to let one's self be beaten down by persons or by events."

Interesting Facts about Marie Curie

Marie attended Flying University, a college that (illegally) welcomed female students and had to change locations several times to "hide" from authorities.

She was the first woman in Paris to earn her doctorate degree.

Much of her lab work was done in her shed. A chemist named Wilhelm Ostwald described it as "a cross between a stable and a potato shed."

Five people in Marie's family accepted a Nobel Prize.

Marie's notebooks are now stored in lead-lined boxes because they are still radioactive.

Marie invented portable x-ray machines to help soldiers during World War I. The machines were called "petite Curies" (little Curies).

Commemoration and cultural depictions

As one of the most famous scientists in history, Marie Curie has become an icon in the scientific world and has received tributes from across the globe, even in the realm of pop culture. She also received many honorary degrees from universities across the world.

Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win two Nobel Prizes, the only woman to win in two fields, and the only person to win in multiple sciences. Awards that she received include:

Entities that have been named after Marie Curie include:

The curie (symbol Ci), a unit of radioactivity, is named in honour of her and Pierre Curie (although the commission which agreed on the name never clearly stated whether the standard was named after Pierre, Marie, or both).

The element with atomic number 96 was named curium (symbol Cm).

Three radioactive minerals are also named after the Curies: curite, sklodowskite, and cuprosklodowskite.

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fellowship program of the European Union for young scientists wishing to work in a foreign country is named after her.

In 2007, a metro station in Paris was renamed to honour both of the Curies.

The sole Polish nuclear reactor in operation, the research reactor Maria, is named after her.

The 7000 Curie asteroid is named after her.

The Marie Curie Medal, an annual science award established in 1996 and conferred by the Polish Chemical Society, was named after her.

The Marie Curie-Sklodowska Medal and Prize, an annual award conferred by the London-based Institute of Physics for distinguished contributions to physics education, was named in her honor.

Numerous biographies are devoted to her, including:

Ève Curie (Marie Curie's daughter), Madame Curie, 1938.

Françoise Giroud, Marie Curie: A Life, 1987.

Barbara Goldsmith, Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie, 2005.

Lauren Redniss, Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie, a Tale of Love and Fallout, 2011, adapted into the 2019 British film.

Marie Curie has been the subject of a number of films:

1943: Madame Curie, a U.S. Oscar-nominated film by Mervyn LeRoy starring Greer Garson.

1997: Les Palmes de M. Schutz, a French film adapted from a play of the same title, and directed by Claude Pinoteau. Marie Curie is played by Isabelle Huppert.

2014: Marie Curie, une femme sur le front, a French-Belgian film, directed by Alain Brunard [fr] and starring Dominique Reymond.

2016: Marie Curie: The Courage of Knowledge, a European co-production by Marie Noëlle starring Karolina Gruszka.

2016: Super Science Friends, an american internet animated series created by Brett Jubinville featuring Hedy Gregor as Marie Curie.

2019: Radioactive, a British film by Marjane Satrapi starring Rosamund Pike.

Curie is the subject of the 2013 play, False Assumptions, by Lawrence Aronovitch, in which the ghosts of three other women scientists observe events in her life. Curie has also been portrayed by Susan Marie Frontczak in her play, Manya: The Living History of Marie Curie, a one-woman show which by 2014 had been performed in 30 U.S. states and nine countries.

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In Spanish: Marie Curie para niños

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Katherine Johnson: The Girl Who Loved to Count

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Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer.

After an unsuccessful stint with Motown, Mars signed with Atlantic Records in 2002. He became recognized as a solo artist after lending his vocals and co-writing the hooks for the songs "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B, and "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy. He also helped write the hits "Right Round" by Flo Rida featuring Kesha and "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan. In October 2010, he released his album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. The album reached number three on the Billboard 200 chart. He was nominated for seven Grammys at the 53rd Grammy Awards, winning Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Just the Way You Are". His singles "Just the Way You Are", "Nothin' on You", "Grenade", "Locked Out of Heaven", "When I Was Your Man", "The Lazy Song", "It Will Rain", "24K Magic", and "Finesse" have all reached the top five of the US Billboard Hot 100, with the first five reaching number one.

Mars has sold 10 million albums around the world.

In 2013, his song "Locked Out of Heaven" was nominated for a Grammy Award. He was featured on British producer Mark Ronson's song "Uptown Funk", which became the number-one song of 2015 in the United States. It spent 14 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. "Uptown Funk" won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

Mars co-wrote the song "All I Ask" from English singer-songwriter Adele's 2015 album 25. In 2016, Mars released the single "24K Magic" (pronounced "twenty-four-karat magic") from his album, also called 24K Magic. It has reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100. The second single from 24K Magic, "That's What I Like", became Mars' seventh number-one song on the Hot 100. A remix of the 24K Magic song "Finesse", featuring rapper Cardi B, was released in January 2018 and reached the top five around the world.

Peter Gene Hernandez was born on October 8, 1985, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was raised in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu. He is the son of Peter Hernandez and Bernadette "Bernie" San Pedro Bayot (died June 1, 2013). His father is of half Puerto Rican and half Jewish (from Hungary and Ukraine) ancestry and is originally from Brooklyn, New York. Mars' mother immigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines as a child and was a Filipino.

At the age of six, in 1991, Mars appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show as an Elvis Presley impersonator. After performing many times in his hometown throughout his childhood, he decided to pursue a musical career and moved to Los Angeles after graduating from high school.

Artist influences

As a child, he was influenced by artists such as Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson and would often try to sing like these artists. Mars also incorporates reggae and Motown inspired sounds into his work. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times referred to Mars as "one of the most versatile and accessible singers in pop.

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Bruno Mars and The Hooligans performing with strobe lights

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Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. After an unsuccessful stint with Motown, Mars signed with Atlantic Records in 2002. He became recognized as a solo artist after lending his vocals and co-writing the hooks for the songs "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B, and "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy.

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An American singer, songwriter, and actress.

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Ariana Grande-Butera (born June 26, 1993), known professionally as Ariana Grande, is an American actress and singer-songwriter. From 2010 to 2013, she played Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon sitcom Victorious. She played that role again on the spin-off Sam & Cat (2013-14). In 2013, she released her first studio album, Yours Truly. It became her first number one album in the United States. Her second studio album, My Everything was released on August 25, 2014.

2008-2012: Beginnings and Victorious

Before her appearance on Nickelodeon, Grande played in the musical 13 as Charlotte in 2008 and later won an award for playing that role. From 2010 to 2013, Grande played the role of Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon show Victorious. In August 2012, it was announced that Victorious would not be returning after three seasons. However, later that month, Nickelodeon announced a spin-off show called Sam & Cat. It would pair Grande from Victorious with Jennette McCurdy from iCarly. They would replay their roles as Cat Valentine and Sam Puckett.

Even though Sam & Cat was a success for Nickelodeon, the show was cancelled on July 13, 2014 because of Grande's musical career and other problems. The final episode aired on July 17.

2013-2014: Yours Truly and My Everything

Grande spent three years recording her debut album, Yours Truly. She completed the album, originally titled Daydreamin, in June 2013; it was released on August 30, 2013 In September 2013, it officially debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart-with 138,000 copies sold in its first week-making Grande the first female artist, since Kesha, to have her first album debut at the top of the charts-and the fifteenth female artist overall. The first single from the album, "The Way", featuring Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller, was released on March 26, 2013. It sold 120,000 units in the first 48 hours of its release, and then it went on to sell over 219,000 units in its opening week. "Baby I" and "Right There" were also released as singles from her first album.

In January 2014, Grande started working on her second studio album. She finished the album in late March 2014. The first single from the album is "Problem", and it features Australian rapper Iggy Azalea. It premiered at the 2014 Radio Disney Music Awards on April 27. The second single from the album, called "Break Free", featuring Russian-German producer Zedd, premiered on July 2 during a one-day revival episode of the MTV show Total Request Live, named Total Ariana Live. On June 28, 2014, Grande announced that the title of her second studio album to be My Everything, which was released on August 25.

Her third studio album, Dangerous Woman, was released May 20, 2016. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, earning 175,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, with 129,000 coming from pure sales. It was her first album to not hit number-one in the country. The lead single "Dangerous Woman" was released on March 11, 2016, and peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100. The second and third singles, "Into You" and "Side to Side", have both reached peaks at numbers 13 and 6 on the chart, respectively. The album received generally positive reviews from critics. To promote the album, Grande performed at the 2016 BillboardMusic Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. She also appeared on an episode of Saturday Night Live as both the host and musical guest. Grande intends to embark on a concert tour, the Dangerous Woman Tour, in 2017.

Discography

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Grande at the Worldwide Day of Play in 2013

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Ariana Grande-Butera (born June 26, 1993), known professionally as Ariana Grande, is an American actress and singer-songwriter. From 2010 to 2013, she played Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon sitcom Victorious. She played that role again on the spin-off Sam & Cat (2013-14). In 2013, she released her first studio album, Yours Truly.

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Known for his starring role as Harry Potter in the Harry Potter movies.

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Who Is Daniel Radcliffe?

Daniel Radcliffe's parents initially refused to let him audition for the role, but a chance meeting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone director Chris Columbus led to an audition. The books' legions of fans seemed to agree that Radcliffe was perfect as the boy wizard, and he starred in each installment of the immensely successful eight-part film series. Moving on from Harry Potter, the actor performed on Broadway in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and showed his versatility via films like Kill Your Darlings and Imperium. In 2019, Radcliffe began starring in the anthology comedy series Miracle Workers.

Early Life and Career

The only child of a literary agent and a casting director, Daniel Radcliffe achieved international stardom for his work in the Harry Potter films, adaptations of the beloved best-sellers by J. K. Rowling.

Radcliffe made his acting debut in the 1999 television movie David Copperfield, playing the young version of the title character. He soon landed a role on the big screen in 2001's spy thriller The Tailor of Panama, with Pierce Brosnan and Jamie Lee Curtis.

But even before this film's release, Radcliffe made headlines when he was cast as the lead in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The 11-year-old actor joined fellow unknown performers Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry's friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, in one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2001.

'Harry Potter' Fame

Released in November 2001, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone proved to be a box-office smash. Audiences adored Radcliffe as the lead character, an orphaned boy who attends a special school for wizards in training. And the fever surrounding the series simply seemed to grow with each new film.

The eight-film series spanned more than a decade of Radcliffe's life, showing him growing from a tween to a young man. And they provided him with the opportunity to work with many distinguished actors, including Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter. Radcliffe found Oldman's and Rickman's careers particularly inspiring, telling Backstage that "They never, ever stop trying to get better and working with people they think are going to bring something new out of them."

While some may wonder whether he lost a part of his youth to the fame and success of Harry Potter, Radcliffe seems to have no regrets about the nearly all-consuming project. "They've been great. For the most part I've been happy every single day. And all the times I've been unhappy, it's never been anything to do with Potter," he told Details magazine.

In later interviews, however, Radcliffe admitted that he had a drinking problem during his teens and occasionally went to film scenes as Harry Potter still drunk from the night before. He has been sober since 2010.

In 2011, the Harry Potter series ended its run with the then-record-breaking Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which brought in roughly $168 million during its opening weekend. But with this final film came some sad goodbyes. Radcliffe told Time Out New York what he would miss most about no longer playing Harry Potter: "It's very rare in your career that you get to play an action hero. I'm not the natural frame and stature of an action hero, so I may not get to play one again." He also lamented that the film series did not receive more critical recognition, especially in terms of Academy Award nominations.

Film, TV and Stage Roles

'Equus,' 'How to Succeed in Business'

Striving to break free of the Harry Potter typecasting, Radcliffe poked fun at his image in Ricky Gervais' comedy series Extras in a 2006 special spot. The following year, Radcliffe showed his dramatic acting chops and more than just a bit of skin on the Broadway stage in Equus, playing a disturbed teenager. In 2011, he took on a very different part-an ambitious young man-in the musical comedy How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

'The Woman in Black,' 'A Young Doctor's Notebook'

After hosting Saturday Night Live in early 2012, Radcliffe headlined in the gothic horror thriller The Woman in Black as a widowed lawyer and father who gets mixed up in supernatural trouble. Late that year he starred in the British TV show A Young Doctor's Notebook, his title character shadowed throughout each episode by an older version of himself, played by Jon Hamm. The series was such a success with audiences that it was renewed for a second season.

'Kill Your Darlings,' 'Victor Frankenstein'

Continuing to shed his wizard boy image, Radcliffe portrayed famed Beat poet Allen Ginsberg during his younger years in Kill Your Darlings (2013), alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Michael C. Hall and Ben Foster. In 2014, he took on the role of Ignatius Perrish, the prime suspect in the rape and murder of his girlfriend, in the supernatural thriller Horns. He also starred opposite Zoe Kazan in the rom-com What If, before playing the loyal assistant Igor to the titular doctor of Victor Frankenstein the following year.

'Now You See Me 2,' 'Imperium'

A trio of films released in 2016 showcased Radcliffe's desire to push his range as an actor: He played a corpse-turned-best friend of a suicidal castaway in Swiss Army Man; appeared as a conniving tech executive in Now You See Me 2; and starred as an FBI agent attempting infiltrate a white supremacist group in Imperium. That year the actor also returned to the stage in the off-Broadway production of Privacy.

'Jungle,' 'Miracle Workers'

Along with starring in the 2017 survival thriller Jungle, Radcliffe remained immersed in the theater community with roles in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in 2017 and The Lifespan of a Fact in 2018. In 2019, he returned to the small screen with a leading role in the anthology comedy series Miracle Workers, playing a low-level angel assistant to God in its first season.

Personal

Radcliffe has been dating actress Erin Darke since the two met while filming Kill Your Darlings in 2012.

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Daniel Radcliffe's parents initially refused to let him audition for the role, but a chance meeting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone director Chris Columbus led to an audition. The books' legions of fans seemed to agree that Radcliffe was perfect as the boy wizard, and he starred in each installment of the immensely successful eight-part film series.

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Known for her starring role as Hermione Granger in the the Harry Potter movies.

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Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson (born 15 April 1990) is an English actress and model. She is most known for playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movie series alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint.

She is also well known for her leading role in Beauty and the Beast. Watson became the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in July 2014. She is also an activist for gender equality.

Watson has received a selection of accolades, including a Young Artist Award and three MTV Movie Awards. She has been ranked among the world's highest-paid actresses by

Early life and education

Emma Watson was born on 15 April 1990 in Paris, to English parents Chris Watson and Jacqueline Luesby. She lived in Maisons-Laffitte near Paris until the age of five. Her parents divorced when she was young, and Watson moved to England to live with her mother in Oxfordshire while spending weekends at her father's house in London. After moving to Oxford with her mother and brother, she attended the Dragon School, remaining there until 2003. From age six, she wanted to become an actress, and trained at the Oxford branch of Stagecoach Theatre Arts, a part-time theatre school where she studied singing, dancing, and acting.

Watson graduated from Brown University with a bachelor's degree in English literature in May 2014.

Acting career

Watson rose to stardom after landing her first professional acting role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series. Casting agents found Watson through her Oxford theatre teacher, and producers were impressed by her confidence.

The film broke records for opening-day sales and opening-weekend takings and was the highest-grossing film of 2001. Watson was nominated for five awards for her performance in Philosopher's Stone, winning the Young Artist Award for Leading Young Actress. A year later, Watson reprised her role as Hermione in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

As the fame of the actress and the series continued to rise, Watson and her Harry Potter co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint left imprints of their hands, feet and wands in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on 9 July 2007. That month, Watson's work on the Harry Potter series was said to have earned her more than £10 million, and she acknowledged she would never have to work for money again.

Watson's first non- Potter role was the 2007 BBC film Ballet Shoes, an adaptation of the novel of the same title by Noel Streatfeild. The film's director, Sandra Goldbacher, commented that Watson was "perfect" for the starring role of aspiring actress Pauline Fossil: "She has a piercing, delicate aura that makes you want to gaze and gaze at her." Ballet Shoes was broadcast in the UK on Boxing Day to 5.7 million viewers, to mixed reviews.

Watson joined the cast of the satirical crime film The Bling Ring on February 29, 2012, The Sofia Coppola-directed film is based on the real-life Bling Ring robberies, with Watson playing a fictionalised version of Alexis Neiers, a television personality who was one of seven teenagers involved in the robberies. The film was released in 2013. While the film mostly received mixed reviews, critics gave almost unanimous praise for Watson's performance. That same year, Watson was honoured by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, winning British Artist of the Year. She dedicated the prize to Millie, her pet hamster who died as Watson was filming Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Watson also starred as Belle in the live-action musical romantic fantasy Beauty and the Beast (2017). The film grossed over $1.2 billion at the worldwide box office and emerged as the second-highest-grossing film of 2017 and the 17th-highest-grossing film of all time. Her reported fee was $3 million upfront with profit participation, bringing her salary up to $15 million.

In 2019, Watson starred as Meg March in Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women, co-starring with Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, and Meryl Streep. The film was critically acclaimed and grossed over $218 million against its $40 million budget.

In 2021, Watson revealed in an interview that a reason why she had not acted in almost five years was because she "wasn't very happy" with the profession and that she felt "a bit caged". However, she went on to say that she will "absolutely" return to acting while also saying, "But I'm happy to sit and wait for the next right thing. I love what I do. It's finding a way to do it where I don't have to fracture myself into different faces and people. And I just don't want to switch into robot mode any more."

Fashion career

As Watson has grown older, she has become more interested in fashion. She says that she thinks fashion is like art, which she studied in school. In 2005, Watson began her modelling career with a photo shoot for Teen Vogue, which made her the youngest person to cover the magazine.

In September 2008, she told a blogger, "I've been focusing on art a lot, and fashion's a great extension of that."

Watson worked as a creative adviser for People Tree, a fair trade fashion brand, to create a spring line of clothing, which was released in February 2010.

Watson has been described as "an early adopter of sustainable fashion" and is noted for dressing ethically on the red carpet.

In January 2020, she partnered with consignment website ThredUP to launch a "Fashion Footprint Calculator", which allows website visitors to calculate the carbon impact of their wardrobes and ways to reduce it.

In June 2020, Watson was appointed the youngest member of the board of directors of Kering, the owner of various fashion brands such as Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.

In August 2022, Watson became the face of Prada Beauty's new fragrance Paradoxe. She starred in, directed, wrote and narrated the short film for the fragrance's promotional campaign.

Activism and advocacy

Watson is an outspoken feminist. She has promoted education for girls, travelling to Bangladesh and Zambia to do so. In July 2014, she was appointed a UN Women Goodwill ambassador.

In January 2016, Watson started a feminist Goodreads book club: Our Shared Shelf. The goal of the club is to share feminist ideas and encourage discussion on the topic. One book is selected per month and is discussed in the last week of that month. Our Shared Shelf ceased updates in January 2020, but continues to be open as a discussion board for recommendations.

In July 2020, she partnered with Lodge and the WOW Foundation to spearhead a project reimagining the London Underground Map, renaming the 270 stops to spotlight women and non-binary people who have shaped the city's history.

Watson is an activist for environmental justice and climate change mitigation.

Personal life

Emma Watson has one brother, Alex, as well as one stepbrother, Toby, and two stepsisters, Lucy and Nina.

Recognition and accolades

Throughout her career, Watson has received several awards and nominations, including a Young Artist Award for her portrayal of Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001). Additionally, she received nominations for three Critics' Choice Movie Awards, four Empire Awards, 14 MTV Movie & TV Awards (winning three), six People's Choice Awards (winning two), 12 Teen Choice Awards (winning eight).

Watson's efforts in activism and philanthropy, most notably her support of women's rights and her role in launching the UN Women campaign HeForShe, has received widespread media recognition and acclaim. She has received several recognitions for her style, from the Teen Choice Awards and British Fashion Awards.

Interesting facts about Emma Watson

Watson had never acted professionally prior to the Harry Potter series.

She took a gap year after finishing secondary school to film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Parts 1 &

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallowsgrossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide and proved to be Watson's most commercially successful film to date.

In 2013, Watson became certified to teach yoga and meditation.

She also lent her name to a clothing line for the sustainable brand People Tree.

She has said she speaks some French, though "not as well" as she used to.

In November 2014, Watson designed a Paddington Bear statue, one of fifty located around London prior to the release of the film Paddington, which was auctioned to raise funds for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2015.

In 2013, Madame Tussauds in London unveiled a wax statue of Watson.

In 2019, Swedish researchers from Lund University analyzed the carbon footprints of ten celebrities including Watson's. Watson's carbon footprint was the lowest of the celebrities analyzed.

Watson has cited Gloria Steinem and Maya Angelou as influences.

Filmography

Television

Music videos

In Spanish: Emma Watson para niños

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Actor known for his starring roles in Titanic, Richard Jewell, and many other movies.

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Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (born November 11, 1974 in Hollywood, California) is an American actor, movie director, movie producer and writer. Some of the movies he has appeared in include What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Romeo + Juliet, , The Man in the Iron Mask, The Beach, Catch Me if You Can, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and The Revenant. His first movie was Critters 3.

In 2016, DiCaprio won his first Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Hugh Glass in The Revenant.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Academy Award

Nominated: Best Supporting Actor, What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1994)

Nominated: Best Actor, The Aviator (2004)

Nominated: Best Actor, Blood Diamond (2006)

Nominated: Best Actor, The Wolf of Wall Street (2014)

Nominated: Best Actor, The Revenant (2016) (Pending)

BAFTA Award

Nominated: Best Actor, The Aviator (2005)

Nominated: Best Actor, The Departed (2007)

Nominated: Best Actor, The Wolf of Wall Street (2014)

Nominated: Best Actor, The Revenant (2016) (Pending)

Golden Globe Award

Nominated: Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture, What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1994)

Nominated: Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama, Titanic (1998)

Nominated: Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama, Catch Me If You Can (2003)

Won: Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama, The Aviator (2005)

Nominated: Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama, The Departed (2007)

Nominated: Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama, Blood Diamond (2007)

Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, Revolutionary Road (2008)

Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, J. Edgar (2011)

Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, Django Unchained (2012)

Won: Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, The Wolf of Wall Street (2014)

Won: Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama, The Revenant (2016)

OSCAR AWARD;

Best male actor, The Revenant (2016)

Images for kids

DiCaprio at a press conference for The Beach in February 2000

DiCaprio at the premiere of Shutter Island at the 60th Berlin Film Festival in 2010

DiCaprio (first on the right) with the cast of Inception at the premiere in July 2010.

DiCaprio at the London premiere of The Wolf of Wall Street in 2014

DiCaprio at a charity event in March 2009

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Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (born November 11, 1974 in Hollywood, California) is an American actor, movie director, movie producer and writer. Some of the movies he has appeared in include What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Romeo + Juliet, , The Man in the Iron Mask , The Beach, Catch Me if You Can , Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and The Revenant.

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An American singer, songwriter, actress, and television producer

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Selena Gomez - Singer & Actress | Mini Bio | BIO

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An American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality

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Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato (born August 20, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress.

As a solo musical artist, Lovato released her first album, Don't Forget, on September 23, 2008. The album started at number two on the Billboard 200. It sold 89,000 copies in the first week. It has since shipped over 500,000 copies in the United States. This earned it a gold certification in the United States. Lovato released her second album, Here We Go Again, on July 21, 2009. The album started at number one on the Billboard 200. It sold 108,000 copies in the first week. Her third studio album, Unbroken, was released on September 20, 2011. It peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. Her fourth studio album is Demi. It reached #3 on the Billboard 200.

Demetria Devonne Lovato was born on August 20, 1992 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to engineer and musician Patrick Martin Lovato (1960 - June 22, 2013) and former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Dianna Lee Hart (born Dianna Lee Smith; August 8, 1962). Lovato has an older sister, Dallas (born February 4, 1988); a younger maternal half-sister, actress Madison De La Garza, and an older paternal half-sister, Amber, to whom she first spoke when she was 20.

Her parents divorced in the late summer of 1994, shortly after her second birthday. Lovato's father was of Mexican and Spanish descent, and her mother is of Italian, English and Irish ancestry. Patrick's patrilineal great-grandmother, Maria Cristina Perea, was a daughter of Civil War Union veteran Francisco Perea (1830-1913) and a great-granddaughter of Santa Fe de Nuevo México governor Francisco Xavier Chávez.

Lovato was raised in Dallas, Texas. and she received her high-school diploma through homeschooling in April 2009. She began playing piano at age seven and guitar at ten, when she also began dancing and acting classes. Lovato told Ellen DeGeneres that she was bullied so badly that she asked for homeschooling.

Acting career

In 2007 and 2008, Lovato played Charlotte Adams on the Disney Channel short series As the Bell Rings. Lovato auditioned for the channel's television film and series Sonny with a Chance during the summer of 2007, and got both parts. Lovato played the lead character, aspiring singer Mitchie Torres, in Camp Rock. The film premiered on June 20, 2008 to 8.9 million viewers.

Lovato's Disney Channel sitcom Sonny with a Chance, with her character Sonny Munroe the newest cast member of the show-within-a-show So Random!, premiered on February 8. Lovato's acting ability was described by Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times as "very good", and he compared her favorably to Hannah Montana star (and friend) Miley Cyrus. That June, she co-starred as Princess Rosalinda with Selena Gomez in the Disney Channel film, Princess Protection Program. The film, the third highest-rated Disney Channel original movie, premiered to 8.5 million viewers.

In May Lovato guest-starred as a teenage schizophrenic in the sixth-season Grey's Anatomy episode, "Shiny Happy People". Critics praised her versatility.

Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, with Lovato reprising her role as Mitchie Torres, premiered on September 3, 2010. The film premiered to eight million viewers, the number-one cable-television movie of the year by the number of viewers.

That month Lovato also announced her departure from Sonny with a Chance, putting her acting career on hiatus and ending the series; she later said that she would return to acting when she felt confident doing so. Her departure led to the spin-off series So Random! with the Sonny cast, featuring sketches from the former show-within-a-show. The series was cancelled after one season. Lovato released her third album, Unbroken, on September 20, 2011. Begun in July 2010, the album experimented with R&B and featured less pop rock. The album and the stylistic change received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who saw a growth in musicianship because of her struggles and have praised Lovato's vocals but found the music more generic than her previous efforts. The record was a commercial success, peaking at number four on the Billboard 200, with sales exceeding 97,000 copies in its first week of release, and going on to sell over 500,000 copies in the United States, being certified Gold.

The album's lead single, "Skyscraper", was acclaimed for its messages of self-worth and confidence, peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling 176,000 downloads during the first week of release, becoming Lovato's highest first week sales, until the release of "Heart Attack" by Lovato in 2013. The song also Lovato's highest-peaked single since "This Is Me" reached number nine in August 2008. The song also debuted at number two on the Hot Digital Songs chart. "Skyscraper" received the Best Video With a Message award at the September 2012 MTV Video Music Awards. The album's second and final single, "Give Your Heart a Break", peaked Billboard Hot 100 at number 16, making Lovato's fourth highest peaking song. Also, it has peaked at number 12 on the US Adult Top 40 chart, number 1 on the US Pop Songs chart and became the longest climb by a female artist to #1 in the Pop Songs chart history. In April 2014, the song was certified three-times platinum by the RIAA; as of October 2014, it has sold 2.1 million digital copies.

In May, she became a judge for the second season of the American version of The X Factor, with a reported salary of one million dollars. Joining Britney Spears, Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid, it was speculated that she was chosen to attract a younger audience. Mentoring the Young Adults category, her final act (CeCe Frey) finished sixth. At the Minnesota State Fair in August, Lovato announced that after a pre-show performance at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards she would release a single by December. On December 24, she released a video on her YouTube account of herself singing "Angels Among Us" dedicated to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. In March she was confirmed as returning for The X Factor's third season, with her salary reportedly doubling.

Personal life

Lovato has had an EDNOS and has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

She dated Joe Jonas, whom she first met while filming Camp Rock in 2007 through 2010. Lovato has been dating actor Wilmer Valderrama on-and-off since 2010.

Filmography

Images for kids

Lovato performing during the Demi Live! Warm Up Tour in 2008

Lovato performing during the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert World Tour in September 2010

Lovato at the Redlight Traffic's Inaugural Dignity Gala on October 19, 2013

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Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato (born August 20, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. As a solo musical artist, Lovato released her first album, Don't Forget, on September 23, 2008. The album started at number two on the Billboard 200. It sold 89,000 copies in the first week.

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Actress known for her starring roles in The Descendants, Liv and Maddie, The Angry Birds Movie, and many others.

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Dove Olivia Cameron (born Chloe Celeste Hosterman; January 15, 1996) is an American singer and actress. She played a dual role as the eponymous characters in the Disney Channel comedy series Liv and Maddie, for which she won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming. She has also portrayed Mal in the Descendants film series. Cameron further starred in the comedy thriller Vengeance (2022).

In 2016, Cameron starred in the NBC live television musical Hairspray Live!, which earned her a nomination for Best Musical Moment at the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards, for her performance of "You Can't Stop the Beat". On stage, from 2018 to 2019, she played the role of Cher Horowitz in an off-Broadway rendition of the 1995 film Clueless, and in 2019, she debuted on the London stage with her portrayal of Clara Johnson in the musical The Light in the Piazza.

As a singer, Cameron made her debut with the soundtrack album to Liv and Maddie (2015). In the same year, she released her debut single, "If Only", for Descendants. Her debut musical release, Bloodshot / Waste, was released in 2019. In 2022, she released the single "Boyfriend", which reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Cameron was born Chloe Celeste Hosterman on January 15, 1996, in Bainbridge Island, Washington to Philip Alan Hosterman and Bonnie Wallace, who later divorced. She has an older sister, Claire Hosterman. During her childhood, Cameron attended Sakai Intermediate School. At age eight, she began acting in community theater at Bainbridge Performing Arts. Six years later, her family moved to Los Angeles, California, where she sang in Burbank High School's National Championship Show Choir.

Cameron has stated that she is of French descent and speaks some French. She also has Russian, Slovak and Hungarian ancestry. She has said she was bullied throughout her entire school experience, from fifth grade through the end of high school. Regardless of the pressure at school and fitting in, Cameron stayed focused on her dreams of achieving success in entertainment: "I became very passionate about [becoming an actress and singer]. I fully immersed myself". Her father died in 2011 when she was 15. Following his death, Cameron changed her legal name to Dove in honor of her father who called her by that nickname.

2007-2015: Breakthrough with Disney Channel

In 2007, Cameron portrayed the role of Young Cosette in the Bainbridge Performing Arts (BPA) stage production of Les Misérables, and in 2008, she had the lead role of Mary in The Secret Garden, again with BPA. In 2012, Cameron was cast in a Disney Channel comedy series that was to be titled Bits and Pieces in which she would play the role of Alanna. Shortly after filming the pilot, Bits and Pieces was retooled into Liv and Maddie, which saw Cameron starring in the dual lead role of Liv and Maddie Rooney. The preview of the series debuted on July 19, 2013, and the series premiered on September 15, 2013. The pilot episode gained 5.8 million viewers, which was the most-watched in total viewers in 2.5 years since the series Disney Channel renewed Liv and Maddie for a 13-episode second season slated to premiere in Fall 2014, which was later expanded to 24 episodes.

On August 27, 2013, Cameron released a cover of "On Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons as a promotional single. Her cover peaked on the Billboard Kid Digital Songs chart at 17 and spent three weeks on the chart. On October 15, 2013, "Better In Stereo" was released as a single under Walt Disney Records. "Better In Stereo" made its debut on the Billboard Kid Digital Songs chart at No. 21 before peaking at No. 1, becoming Cameron's first No. 1 hit. In February 2014, Cameron confirmed reports that recording had begun for her debut studio album. Her next single, "Count Me In", was released on June 3, 2014. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Kids Digital Songs chart. In 2015, Cameron played Liz Larson in her first non-Disney film, Barely Lethal, which was theatrically released by A24 Films.

Cameron starred in the television film Descendants which premiered on July 31, 2015. The film was viewed by 6.6 million people and spawned Cameron's two first Billboard Hot 100 songs, "Rotten to the Core" at number 38 and a solo song, "If Only", at number 94. Other songs from the film featuring Cameron such as "Set It Off" and "Evil Like Me" charted at number 6 and 12 respectively on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. The soundtrack for the movie peaked atop the 200 chart, becoming the first soundtrack from a Disney Channel Original Movie since High School Musical 2 to do so. As part of the Descendants franchise, Cameron released a cover of the Christina Aguilera's song "Genie in a Bottle". The music video premiered on Disney Channel on March 18, 2016. The single received 22 million views on YouTube in less than a month.

In 2015, Cameron and Ryan McCartan formed a band called The Girl and the Dreamcatcher. On October 2, 2015, they released their first single, "Written in the Stars". The band released their second single, "Glowing in the Dark", on January 29, 2016. The Girl and the Dreamcatcher released their third single, "Someone You Like", on April 8, 2016. They released their fourth single, "Make You Stay", on June 17, 2016. On July 29, 2016, the band released their first EP, Negatives, featuring their singles "Make You Stay" and "Glowing in the Dark" and four new songs. In October 2016, as a result of Cameron's and McCartan's breakup, the musical duo disbanded. On December 22, 2015, Liv and Maddie was renewed for a fourth season, becoming the ninth live-action Disney Channel series in history to achieve this. Cameron began filming the season, renamed to Liv and Maddie: Cali Style in early 2016. It was later announced that this would be the final season of the series. The series finale of Liv and Maddie later aired on March 24, 2017.

2016-2021: Further acting, voice roles and music releases

Cameron played the role of Amber Von Tussle in the NBC live television presentation of Hairspray Live!, which aired on December 7, 2016. Reception was generally positive, and Cameron's performance was praised. Cameron reprised her role as Mal in Descendants 2, the sequel to Descendants, in 2017. The film premiered on July 21, 2017. The Descendants 2 soundtrack debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, with "It's Goin' Down" from the soundtrack debuting at number 81. Cameron then played the role of Sophie in the Hollywood Bowl live production of Mamma Mia!. The production took place from July 28, 2017, to July 30, 2017.

On August 21, 2017, Cameron was cast in the Netflix film Dumplin', alongside Jennifer Aniston. Cameron played Bekah Cotter in the comedy. In November 2017, Cameron signed on to appear in a recurring role in the fifth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. by Marvel. This role was later revealed to be Ruby, the daughter of General Hale (Catherine Dent). In December 2017, Cameron was cast in an animated Marvel project, Marvel Rising, as the voice of Gwen Stacy / Ghost-Spider. On August 13, 2018, Marvel Rising: Initiation, a series of six shorts, was released on Disney XD. The series focused on Cameron's character as she was on the run after being framed for her best friend's murder. Though her character did not appear in the next Marvel Rising installment, Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors, Cameron did perform the film's theme song, "Born Ready". In 2019, Cameron reprised the role in Marvel Rising: Chasing Ghosts.

On March 21, 2018, she announced that she had signed with Columbia's Disruptor Records label, and that she would begin to release music following the release of Descendants 3. In September 2019, Cameron released two covers on her YouTube channel: "Slow Burn" and "Hymn for the Weekend". It was announced on October 8, 2018, that Cameron will play the role of Cher Horowitz in the stage adaptation of the 1995 film Clueless. In 2019, Cameron starred alongside Renée Fleming in The Light in the Piazza in London. On September 27, 2019, Cameron released her debut double A-side, Bloodshot / Waste. Then on November 1, 2019, she released her followup single, "So Good". Later that month, she collaborated with Privé Revaux on a range of sunglasses. Cameron continued her focus on music by releasing singles "Out of Touch" and "Remember Me", the latter of which features American rapper Bia. On July 24, 2020, she released her next single, "We Belong". This was followed by the release of "LazyBaby" on April 2, 2021. Later that year, Cameron joined the main cast of the Apple TV+ musical series Schmigadoon!, which premiered on July 16, 2021. Also in 2021, Cameron reprised her role as Mal for the animated special Descendants: The Royal Wedding. She has also been cast in the upcoming CW series The Powerpuff Girls as Bubbles, as well as the upcoming film Field Notes on Love alongside Liv and Maddie co-star Jordan Fisher.

2022-present: Upcoming debut studio album

On February 11, 2022, Cameron released the song "Boyfriend", which became her first non-soundtrack song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 20. Cameron voiced Ellen Wright, Nate's older teenage sister in the Paramount+ Nicktoon , based on the comic strip and book series of the same name, which premiered on February 17. On June 24, Cameron released the song "Breakfast". On October 28, Cameron released the song "Bad Idea".

Personal life

..... She also identifies as a feminist. She was in a relationship with her Liv and Maddie co-star Ryan McCartan from August 2013 until 2016. They announced their engagement on April 14, 2016, but the relationship ended in October 2016.

In May 2022, Cameron spoke about her struggles with depression and dysphoria in an Instagram post.

Filmography

Discography

Main page: Dove Cameron discography

Awards and nominations

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Dove Olivia Cameron (born Chloe Celeste Hosterman; January 15, 1996) is an American singer and actress. She played a dual role as the eponymous characters in the Disney Channel comedy series Liv and Maddie , for which she won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming.

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Actress known for her starring roles in Spiderman, The Greatest Showman, Shake It Up, and many other movies/shows.

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Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman ( ; born September 1, 1996) is an American actress and singer. She has received various accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world on its annual list in 2022.

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Zendaya began her career as a child model and backup dancer. She made her television debut as Rocky Blue on the Disney Channel sitcom (2010-2013) and starred as the titular character in the sitcom K.C. Undercover (2015-2018), for the channel. Her feature film debut came in 2017 with the superhero film Spider-Man: Homecoming, and she later starred in its sequels. Zendaya's role as Rue Bennett, a teenager, in the HBO teen drama series Euphoria (2019-present) made her the youngest recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Her film roles include the musical The Greatest Showman (2017), the romantic drama Malcolm & Marie (2021), and the science fiction epic (2021).

In addition to her acting career, Zendaya has ventured into music. In 2011, she released the singles "Swag It Out" and " Watch Me", the latter a collaboration with Bella Thorne. She signed with Hollywood Records in 2012. Her eponymous debut studio album (2013) was released to moderate success. The album's lead single, " Replay", reached the top 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Zendaya's biggest commercial success as a musician came with her Zac Efron collaboration, "Rewrite the Stars", from The Greatest Showman soundtrack in 2018. The single reached the top 20 of several record charts and received multi-platinum sales certifications globally.

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman was born on September 1, 1996, in Oakland, California, to teachers Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman. Her father is African-American, with roots in Arkansas; her mother has German and Scottish ancestry. Zendaya, whose name derives from the Shona name Tendai (meaning "to give thanks"), has five older siblings. She attended Fruitvale Elementary School, where her mother taught for two decades. At age six, she and two friends from the school performed a play there for Black History Month. She grew as a performer in part at the nearby California Shakespeare Theater in Orinda, California, where her mother worked a summer job as the house manager. She helped her seat patrons, sold fundraising tickets, and was inspired by the theatrical performances to pursue acting. At eight, Zendaya joined a hip-hop dance troupe called Future Shock Oakland and was a member for three years. She also spent two years dancing hula with the Academy of Hawaiian Arts.

Zendaya attended Oakland School for the Arts and, while still a student, was cast in several roles in area theaters. At the Berkeley Playhouse, she played Little Ti Moune in Once on This Island, and in the TheaterWorks' production in Palo Alto, she played a character originally written as male, Joe, in Caroline, or Change. Reviewing the latter, Keith Kreitman of San Mateo Daily Journal called the 11-year-old Zendaya's performance "a pure delight". She studied at the CalShakes Conservatory program and at the American Conservatory Theater.

Her stage credits include performances in several of William Shakespeare's plays. She played Lady Anne in Richard III, Celia in As You Like It, and took part in a production of Twelfth Night. When Zendaya was in seventh grade, the family moved to Los Angeles. In 2015, while pursuing an acting career, she graduated from Oak Park High School.

2009-2015: Shake It Up and Dancing with the Stars

Zendaya began her career working as a fashion model for Macy's, Mervyns, and Old Navy. She was featured in an toys ad. She also appeared as a back-up dancer in a Sears commercial featuring Disney star Selena Gomez. In 2009, she was a featured performer in the Kidz Bop music video for its cover of the song "Hot n Cold" by Katy Perry, which was released on . In November 2009, she auditioned for the role of CeCe Jones in the Disney sitcom (titled Dance Dance Chicago at the time). For her audition, she performed Michael Jackson's "Leave Me Alone". She was selected to play Rocky Blue. Shake It Up premiered on November 7, 2010, and was watched by 6.2 million viewers, becoming Disney Channel's second highest-rated premiere in Disney Channel's 27-year history.

In 2011, Zendaya released "Swag It Out", a promotional independent single. She also starred in the book trailer for "From Bad To Cursed" by Katie Alender. In June of the same year, she released " Watch Me", performing with Bella Thorne. The song peaked at 86 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second season of Shake It Up premiered on September 18, 2011. Zendaya hosted Make Your Mark: Ultimate Dance Off 2011 on Disney Channel. In 2011, Target stores began selling D-Signed, a line of clothing inspired by the clothes worn by Zendaya and other cast members of Shake It Up.

Zendaya's first film role was in Frenemies (2012), a Disney Channel Original Movie. On February 29, 2012, " Something to Dance For" was released as promotional single for Live 2 Dance. For the soundtrack, Zendaya also recorded three other songs: "Made In Japan", "Same Heart", and "Fashion Is My Kryptonite", released as promotional single. In June 2012, Shake It Up was renewed for a third and final season. On September 2, 2012, she signed to Hollywood Records. In October, she performed at the Teen Music Festival and at the Operation Smile benefit. Zendaya was as one of the celebrities who would compete on season 16 of Dancing with the Stars. At 16, she was the youngest contestant ever to participate on the show, before Willow Shields succeeded her at 14 on season 20. She was partnered up with professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy. In May, the couple finished as runners-up behind Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough.

Zendaya's self-titled debut album was released on September 17, 2013. It was preceded by the single " Replay", released on July 16, 2013, written by Tiffany Fred and Paul "Phamous" Shelton. In August 2013, she was cast as 16-year-old Zoey Stevens, the lead character in the Disney Channel Original Movie Zapped, whose "smart phone begins to somehow control all the boys around her". In November 2013, Zendaya was selected as Elvis Duran's Artist of the Month and was featured on NBC's , where she performed live her single "Replay". That same month, she was cast as the lead in a Disney Channel pilot called Super Awesome Katy. It was ordered to series by Disney Channel in May 2014, with the series now under the title K.C. Undercover, and with Zendaya's character now named K.C. Cooper rather than Katy Cooper. Zendaya exerted influence over the renaming of her character and the retitling of the series, also deciding several key elements of the character's personality. K.C. Undercover premiered on Disney Channel on January 18, 2015, and was renewed for a second season in May 2015.

In 2014, Zendaya was a guest judge on an episode of Project Runway: Under the Gunn. In the episode, the contestant designers were given the challenge of creating an outfit for Zendaya to wear in an upcoming concert performance. Mattel honored Zendaya with her own Barbie, replicating her Oscars look. The doll belongs to Mattel's Barbie "Sheroes" project, which honors inspirational living women. The following month, musician Timbaland confirmed that he was working with Zendaya on her second album, following her switching record labels from Disney to Republic. "Something New", featuring Chris Brown was released on February 5 via Hollywood Records and Republic Records. The song also marks it as her first official release since signing to Republic Records.

2016-present: Film breakthrough, Euphoria, and transition to adult roles

In December 2016, Zendaya appeared as a guest judge in the season finale of the 15th season of the reality television series Project Runway. She made her feature film debut as Michelle in the superhero film Spider-Man: Homecoming, which was released in July 2017. Zendaya wore no makeup to her screen test, a decision that was carried through in production, and "add[ed] her own embellishments to the role, such as carrying around a mug of herbal tea". The film grossed $117 million in its first weekend, ranking number one at the box office. John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter praised her as a "scene stealer", while David Ehrlich of IndieWire called her the film's " MVP", despite her brief screen time. In August 2016, she appeared in the music video for the song "Versace on the Floor" by Bruno Mars.

In December 2017, Zendaya co-starred in the original musical film The Greatest Showman. She portrayed a trapeze artist who falls in love with Zac Efron's character at a time when interracial romance was taboo. Owen Gleiberman of praised her chemistry with Efron. The Hollywood Reporter praised Zendaya for "[registering] strongest, bringing touching sensitivity to her handful of scenes". She appeared on three tracks of the film's soundtrack, including "Rewrite the Stars". The film met mixed reception but became the third-highest grossing live-action musical ever released.

In September 2018, Warner Bros. released the animated film , in which Zendaya voiced the yeti Meechee. She also sang two songs for the soundtrack. The film received positive reviews. In June 2019, Zendaya began starring in the HBO drama series Euphoria, an adaptation of the Israeli series of the same name, as Rue, a 17-year-old narrator of the series. Ben Travers of IndieWire wrote that she "adds heartbreaking levity to moments when her spiraling character feels invincible instead of fragile". The Guardian's Rebecca Nicholson called her performance "astonishing" and "mesmerizing". For her performance, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, becoming the youngest winner of the award. She would also win Performer of the Week from TVLine for the week of February 6, 2022, for her performance in the second-season episode "Stand Still Like the Hummingbird". Also in 2019, she reprised her role as MJ in Spider-Man: Far from Home. Critic Christy Lemire called Zendaya's portrayal "darkly alluring" and praised her "humorous, deadpan charm". The film was a commercial success, becoming the fourth highest-grossing release of the year.

In 2021, Zendaya starred in Malcolm & Marie, which was filmed during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The production complied with extensive safety protocols and had a lean crew to minimize health risks. The film co-stars John David Washington, and was directed by Sam Levinson, who also created Euphoria. Zendaya allocated shares to the film to everyone involved in its making, as a way of offering a financial bonus when the movie was sold. Part of the proceeds was shared with Feeding America. The film had a mixed reception but Zendaya's performance was positively reviewed. Brian Truitt of described her as "luminous" and "absolute fire", Richard Brody called her performance "the movie's only redeeming quality", and 's Peter Debruge praised her for "wear[ing] Marie's fragility on the surface, only to reveal the character's strength through reaction shots and silence".

She next voiced the character of Lola Bunny in Space Jam: A New Legacy. Growing up with the first film since childhood, Zendaya drew on her experiences with her family's love of basketball for the role. Zendaya then played Chani in Denis Villeneuve's science fiction film , the first part of a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel of the same name. Critic Glenn Kenny dubbed her portrayal "better than apt", while Brian Lowry of noted that her role was limited to "gauzy images" in the protagonist's visions. Zendaya reprised her role as MJ for the third time in Spider-Man: No Way Home. RogerEbert.com's Brian Tallerico praised Zendaya and Tom Holland's chemistry as well as her execution of MJ's "emotional final beats".

Having already collaborated with Labrinth on the song "All for Us" for Euphoria's first season, in 2022 Zendaya co-wrote two songs ("I'm Tired" and "Elliot's Song") for the second season, also performing as a vocalist on the former. Receiving continued acclaim for her performance as Rue, the second season of Euphoria earned her four Emmy nominations. Nominated for Lead Actress in a Drama for the second time, she became the youngest two-time nominee in Emmy history, while her nomination as an executive producer for Outstanding Drama Series made her the youngest woman ever nominated for producing. She also received two nominations for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for her lyrical contributions to the show's soundtrack.

Upcoming projects

In September 2020, Zendaya entered talks to play Ronettes frontwoman Ronnie Spector in a biopic adapted from Spector's memoir Be My Baby. Since 2017, Zendaya has been attached to produce and star in A White Lie, as Anita Hemmings, an African-American woman who was a descendant of slaves and Europeans, and passed as white in order to attend Vassar College in the 1890s. In 2018, she was cast in Brian Helgeland's crime thriller Finest Kind.

In February 2022, it was announced that she is set to star in and produce Challengers, a sports drama directed by Luca Guadagnino, which is scheduled to be released on August 11, 2023. She will also star in Dune: Part Two, which is set to be released on November 17, 2023.

Other ventures

Fashion and business

Zendaya was the face of Beats Electronics, X-Out, Material Girl, CoverGirl, and Chi Hair Care. In August 2013, she released her debut book, Between U and Me: How to Rock Your Tween Years with Style and Confidence to "help girls through the tougher parts of the tween years". In August 2015, she introduced a shoe collection called Daya, which was her childhood nickname. In November 2016, Zendaya's clothing line Daya by Zendaya went on sale. The second collection was gender-fluid and included full range of sizes. In October 2018, she became Tommy Hilfiger brand's ambassador and co-designed Tommy x Zendaya capsule collections. She took inspiration from the '70s, namely the decade's "strong, iconic women", and her runway shows at Paris Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week have been praised for celebrating diversity and inclusivity including women of colour, plus-size models, and models aged up to 70. The shows were a tribute to the pioneering model icons. In 2019, Zendaya became a spokesmodel for Lancôme, and in the following year for Bulgari and Valentino. In June 2022, Zendaya was announced as the global brand ambassador of Glaceau SmartWater.

Zendaya was ranked one of the best-dressed women in 2018 by fashion website Net-a-Porter. For the September 2020 issue she and her stylist, Law Roach, chose to use all black designers, artists, and creatives. In October 2020, she won the Visionary Award at the CNMI Green Carpet Fashion Awards for "promoting diversity and inclusion in fashion and film".

Philanthropy and advocacy

Zendaya has lent her support to several charities and causes. In 2012, she became an ambassador for Convoy of Hope and encouraged fans to support Hurricane Sandy response efforts. The following year, she promoted other relief efforts. In 2014, Zendaya recorded John Legend's song "All of Me" with a portion of the proceeds going to the organization. The same year, she celebrated her 18th birthday with a campaign to help feed at least 150 hungry children in Haiti, Tanzania and the Philippines through feedONE, and in 2016, she celebrated her 20th birthday with a campaign to raise $50,000 to support Convoy's Women's Empowerment Initiative. In October 2012, Zendaya performed at the medical Operation Smile benefit. She was UNICEF's Trick-or-Treat 2014 campaign spokesperson. In July 2015, she visited South Africa with UNAIDS, the United Nations programme dedicated to preventing and creating access to treatment for HIV and AIDS. Then she also held a fundraiser with CrowdRise, with proceeds going to non-profit, community based, Ikageng charity in Soweto for a family of AIDS orphans. When Malcolm & Marie, filmed during the pandemic, was sold in September 2020, a portion of the proceeds was shared with Feeding America.

Zendaya supports campaigns to raise awareness about underserved communities, underprivileged schools and to financially support schools. In September 2017, she partnered with Verizon Foundation as a spokesperson for their national #WeNeedMore initiative to bring technology, access and learning opportunities to children. She was also empowering them to pursue careers in STEM. In March 2018, Zendaya teamed up with Google.org to give back to students at community school in Oakland funding an innovative computer science curriculum.

Zendaya is a feminist. In January 2017, she attended the Women's March on Washington to showcase her support of women's rights. She has previously discussed her experience as a black female in Hollywood. She uses her social platforms to address racial justice, voting, body shaming, and bullying. She has been showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement on her social media accounts for years; she took part in the George Floyd protests in June 2020 and temporarily lent her Instagram account to Patrisse Cullors to share anti-racism resources and media. Zendaya has been an advocate for voting over the years. In October 2016, she was one of the celebrities to participate in "Vote Your Future" initiative and appeared in a campaign video. In September 2020, she encouraged her fans with Michelle Obama, and her "When We All Vote" nonpartisan organization, to check their voter registration ahead of elections. The next month, she shared a video while casting her vote to remind about voting again. In October 2013, she took part in P&G's movement called Mean Stinks, and co-hosted the nationwide live-streamed assembly joined by almost 500 schools. In September 2017, she was fronting, along with her Spider-Man: Homecoming costars, a PSA for awareness campaign Stomp Out Bullying.

Zendaya also supported American Heart Association, City Year, Communities in Schools, DonorsChoose.org, Children Mending Hearts, Toys for Tots, Friends for Change and Donate My Dress, among others.

Awards and recognition

Main page: List of awards and nominations received by Zendaya

In 2020, at age 24, she became the youngest recipient of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, winning for her role as Rue Bennett in the HBO drama series Euphoria. After winning the award again at the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards, she became the youngest two-time acting winner. Her other accolades include a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination and Satellite Award win in the same category for Euphoria, a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress nomination for her role alongside John David Washington in the 2020 romantic drama film Malcom & Marie as well as the Critics' Choice #See Her Award that same year; in addition to nominations for four BET Awards (two for the YoungStar Award and two for Best Actress), an MTV Movie & TV Award, three Saturn Awards (with one win for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Spider-Man: Far From Home), and four Young Artist Awards.

For her music, Zendaya has received several awards, including two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics nominations, for co-writing the songs "I'm Tired" and "Elliot's Song". She also earned a 2013 nomination for the Radio Disney Music Award for Best Music Video for the music video for her and Bella Thorne's song " Fashion Is My Kryptonite" from their debut EP Made In Japan, and a 2018 Teen Choice Award for Choice Music Collaboration win for the hit song "Rewrite the Stars" with Zac Efron from the motion picture soundtrack of The Greatest Showman. She has also received 16 more Teen Choice Award nominations with six wins in varying categories.

Zendaya was included on magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022. Also considered a fashion icon and advocate, she has received numerous honorary awards for her efforts in said fields, respectively, including the CFDA Fashion Icon Award, four Teen Choice Award nominations and one win in the category of Choice Style Icon, a People's Choice Award for Favorite Style Star of the Year, a Shorty Award for Best Celebrity, and a Glamour Award for The Voice for Girls.

Personal life

Zendaya owns a home in Los Angeles and a condo in Brooklyn. She is a vegetarian, saying: "my main reason for being a vegetarian is that I'm an animal lover-definitely not because I love vegetables". Zendaya is in a relationship with British actor and Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland.

Filmography

Television

Music videos

As lead artist

As featured artist

As guest appearance

Video games

Discography

Main page: Zendaya discography

Concert tours

Swag It Out Tour (2012-2014)

In Spanish: Zendaya para niños

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Actress known for her starring roles in High School Musical, Merry Happy Whatever, Phineas and Ferb, and many other movies/shows.

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Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985, West Deal, New Jersey) is an American actress and singer. She is known for co-starring in the movies , High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3. She also played candy counter girl, Maddie Fitzpatrick, on the Disney Channel television series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. She began singing and acting at an early age. Her first studio album was called Headstrong. Some of her songs are "Be Good to Me", "Headstrong", "Not that Girl" and "Over It". Her newest album is Guilty Pleasure. The songs on it include "It's Alright It's Ok", "Hot Mess", "Hair" and "Crank it up". Her original hair color is brown but she changed it for the series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

Her sister Jennifer Tisdale is also an actor. Her parents are Mike Tisdale and Lisa Tisdale.

Images for kids

Tisdale performing at the opening of the first Microsoft Store in Scottsdale, Arizona, in October 2009.

Tisdale during the signing event for Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure in Madrid, Spain on May 23, 2011.

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Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985, West Deal, New Jersey) is an American actress and singer. She is known for co-starring in the movies , High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3. She also played candy counter girl, Maddie Fitzpatrick, on the Disney Channel television series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

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Actress known for her starring roles in Jessie, The Suite Life on Deck, and many other movies/shows.

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Debby Ryan (born on May 13, 1993, in Huntsville, Alabama) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She is best known for her role in The Suite Life on Deck.

Debby Ryan is known as Bailey Pickett on The Suite Life on Deck. She has an older brother Chris Ryan who has an alternative rock band. She loves to hang with friends and says, she could not be happier. She is a singer, her main music genres are alternative rock, country music. She was set to perform on a tour in the summer of 2009, but was cancelled due to schedule conflicts. She is set to star as Kimberly in What If. And is Abby Jenson on 16 Wishes.

Debby Ryan is also known for her role in "Longshots". She is a singer, as shown above, and she was scheduled to release her new single, "Adios" on the Terrific Teen Tour, but the tour had been cancelled. She said it would be her "big break" in her singing career, and she has many fans out there who support her through everything.

Debby Ryan stars in the Disney Channel Original Movie "Radio Rebel" as Tara the Radio Rebel. This movie has only just aired in the UK but has aired in the USA for a long time.

Debby Ryan also stars in JESSIE as the main Jessie. She is a military girl but not in real life

Images for kids

Ryan at the premiere for Up, in 2009.

Ryan performing live with The Never Ending, in 2014.

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Debby Ryan (born on May 13, 1993, in Huntsville, Alabama) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She is best known for her role in The Suite Life on Deck. Debby Ryan is known as Bailey Pickett on The Suite Life on Deck. She has an older brother Chris Ryan who has an alternative rock band.

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A Roman Catholic nun who devoted her life to serving the poor around the world.

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Find out about the life and charitable works of Mother Teresa, known as one of the great humanitarians of the 20th century, in this mini biography.

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An American former actress and a member of the British royal family

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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (born August 4, 1981), formely known as Meghan Markle, is a member of the British Royal Family and former actress, model and humanitarian. Since 2011, she played Rachel Zane in the legal drama series Suits. She had the role of Amy Jessup in the Fox science fiction-drama Fringe.

Markle was born in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in the View Park-Windsor Hills and Hollywood neighborhoods of Los Angeles County. Her father is of a Dutch and Irish background and her mother is African American. She was married to producer Trevor Engelson from 2011 to 2013.

Markle began dating Prince Harry of Wales in June 2016. They became engaged in November 2017.

In preparation for the wedding, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, baptised Meghan Markle and confirmed her into the Church of England on March 6, 2018. The couple married at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018; becoming Duchess of Sussex.

On May 6, 2019, the Duchess gave birth to a boy - Archie Mountbatten-Windsor - who is seventh in line to the throne.

Markle was born on August 4, 1981, in Los Angeles. Of her parents she has said, "my dad is Caucasian and my mom is African-American ... I have come to embrace [this and] say who I am, to share where I'm from, to voice my pride in being a strong, confident, mixed-race woman." Her mother, Doria Ragland, has a master's degree in social work from the University of Southern California and works as a psychotherapist and yoga instructor. Her father, of Dutch and Irish descent, is Emmy award-winning lighting director Thomas W. Markle, whose profession resulted in his young daughter often visiting the set of Married ... with Children.

Markle grew up in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles where, from age five, she was educated at private schools; first at Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse and later at Immaculate Heart High School, an all-girl, private Catholic school in Los Angeles. She graduated in 2003 from Northwestern University, near Chicago, where she took theater studies before completing her bachelor's degree in theater and international studies; coursework included an internship at the U.S. embassy in Buenos Aires.

To support herself between early acting jobs, Markle worked as a freelance calligrapher and took on several contract acting and modeling jobs including a stint as a 'briefcase girl' on Deal or No Deal. In 2002, Markle appeared in an episode of the daytime soap opera, General Hospital. She appeared in Fox's series Fringe as Junior Agent Amy Jessup in the first two episodes of its second season. Since July 2011 she has played the paralegal Rachel Zane, on the USA Network show Suits. Markle has appeared in two 2010 films, Get Him to the Greek and Remember Me, and one 2011 film, Horrible Bosses. She appeared in the short film The Candidate (seen on the KQED public television show ImageMakers: the Company of Men) as a secretary in 2012. She has also appeared in episodes of Century City, Cuts, Love, Inc., The War at Home, 90210, Knight Rider, Without a Trace, The Apostles, CSI: NY, The League and Castle.

Markle was founder and editor-in-chief of lifestyle website The Tig. which closed in April 2017. In November 2016 Markle and Canadian clothing company Reitmans released a line of women's fashion workwear. In 2016, Markle became a global ambassador for World Vision Canada, traveling to Rwanda for the Clean Water Campaign. She has also worked with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women as an Advocate. Markle was a counsellor for international charity One Young World, speaking at the 2014 annual summit in Dublin on the topics of gender equality and modern-day slavery. She also attended the 2016 summit in Ottawa.

Personal life

Markle is a self-proclaimed foodie, which was incorporated into her Suits character Rachel Zane. Markle is friends with a number of celebrities including Serena Williams, Jessica Mulroney, and Ben Mulroney.

Markle was in a relationship with actor and producer Trevor Engelson between 2004 and 2013, marrying on September 10, 2011 and divorcing in August 2013. Since June 2016, she has been in a relationship with Prince Harry.

On November 8, 2016, an official statement was released from the Royal Family's communications secretary addressing the "wave of abuse and harassment" directed toward Markle that followed the announcement of her relationship with Prince Harry. The statement spoke to the sexism, racism and defamatory stories directed at Markle and urged the press to "pause and reflect" before driving these storylines.

In September 2017, during an interview with Vanity Fair, Markle spoke in public for the first time about her love for Prince Harry saying, "We're two people who are really happy and in love. We were very quietly dating for about six months before it became news, and I was working during that whole time, and the only thing that changed was people's perception." Later that month, they made their first public appearances together at an official royal engagement - the wheelchair tennis event, and the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Toronto.

On May 6, 2019, the Duchess gave birth to a boy - Archie Mountbatten-Windsor - who is seventh in line to the throne.

Engagement and marriage to Prince Harry

Markle's engagement to Prince Harry was announced on November 27, 2017. By then, she had met Queen Elizabeth II, Harry's paternal grandmother, several times.

In preparation for the wedding, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, baptised Markle and confirmed her into the Church of England on March 6, 2018. The private ceremony, performed with water from the River Jordan, took place in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace. The marriage ceremony took place on May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. After becoming engaged, Markle began the years-long process of becoming a British citizen. After the wedding, the couple will live at Nottingham Cottage in London, on the grounds of Kensington Palace.

Research compiled in 1997 by historians including Markle's great-uncle, Mike Markle, revealed that her paternal great-great-great-grandmother was New Hampshire landowner Mary Hussey Smith (1823-1908), a direct descendant of nobleman John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford, who was beheaded in 1537 at the order of King Henry VIII. Through Lord Hussey, Markle is a descendant of King John. Markle is also a descendant of Captain Christopher Hussey, Esquire (d.1686) who was appointed in 1679 by King Charles II to govern the Royal Province of Hampton, New Hampshire. He was a Founding Father of Nantucket.

Markle is a distant relation of Prince Harry. Their common ancestors are Elizabeth Bowes (1505- c.1572) and her husband, Richard Bowes, son of Sir Ralph Bowes of Streatlam Castle and High Sheriff of County Durham - ancestors of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (née Bowes-Lyon).

Markle's maternal great-great-great grandfather was a slave on the Georgia plantations before being emancipated with the abolition of slavery in 1865.

Related Pages

Images for kids

Markle and sportsmen Brian Urlacher and Doug Fister address the audience during a USO show at Naval Station Rota, Spain, December 6, 2014.

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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Facts for Kids

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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (born August 4, 1981), formely known as Meghan Markle, is a member of the British Royal Family and former actress, model and humanitarian. Since 2011, she played Rachel Zane in the legal drama series Suits. She had the role of Amy Jessup in the Fox science fiction-drama Fringe.

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American tennis player who revolutionized women's tennis with her powerful style of play and who won more Grand Slam singles titles (23) than any other woman or man during the open era.

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Serena Williams - the story of a tennis sensation

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American author who is known for the Sideways Stories from Wayside School series and the novel Holes.

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Louis Sachar has been writing children's books for over thirty years. He is best known for his Newbery Medal and National Book Award-winning novel Holes, which was adapted into a 2003 film of the same name. He is also the author of both the Sideways Stories From a Wayside School and the Marvin Redpost series, as well as many other critically acclaimed novels. His most recent middle grade novel, Fuzzy Mud, is a cautionary environmental tale that features both mystery and humor.

Sachar's lectures are as imaginative and entertaining as his works of fiction, and he enjoys speaking to audiences of all ages on the writing process and sharing the backstories of how his bestselling novels came to be.

Sachar was born in New York and raised in California, where he attended college and law school. While working in an elementary school during college, he was inspired to begin writing books for children. His middle grade novels often feature complex characters, struggling through captivating adventures and are beloved by children and educators alike. He lives in Austin, Texas with his family.

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Louis Sachar: Bestselling Children's Author, Speaker | PRH Speakers Bureau

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Louis Sachar has been writing children's books for over thirty years. He is best known for his Newbery Medal and National Book Award-winning novel Holes, which was adapted into a 2003 film of the same name. He is also the author of both the Sideways Stories From a Wayside School and the Marvin Redpost series, as well as many other critically acclaimed novels.

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An American singer, songwriter, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop".

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A short biography of Madonna who redefined music with hits like "Like a Virgin" and "Vogue." Constantly stirring up controversy in her career, she also made headlines in her relationships with Sean Penn, Warren Beatty, and Guy Ritchie.

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A short biography of Madonna who redefined music with hits like "Like a Virgin" and "Vogue." Constantly stirring up controversy in her career, she also made headlines in her relationships with Sean Penn, Warren Beatty, and Guy Ritchie.

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American singer-songwriter and actress

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An American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality.

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Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Quick Facts

December 18, 1980 (age 40)

Who Is Christina Aguilera?

Singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980, in Staten Island, New York. Aguilera began her career as a cast member on The All New Mickey Mouse Club. She rapidly rose to stardom following the release of her hit single, "Genie in a Bottle," which earned her a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Her other hit singles include "What a Girl Wants," "Come on Over Baby," "Lady Marmalade" and the sexually charged "Dirrty." In recent years, Aguilera has served as a coach and mentor on the singing-competition show The Voice.

Early Life

Christina Maria Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980, in Staten Island, New York, to father Fausto Xavier Aguilera and his wife, Shelly Loraine Fidler. Aguilera's early home life was troubled. Her father, an Ecuadorian immigrant and sergeant in the U.S. Army, was an abusive husband. It wasn't until Aguilera was six that her mother managed to end the marriage and move her two daughters (Christina and her younger sister, Rachel) to a new life in Rochester, Pennsylvania.

At an early age, Aguilera developed a deep love of music - a gift she no doubt inherited from her musical mother, an experienced violinist and pianist. By the time she was in elementary school, Aguilera's big voice had swept through a number of local talent shows, causing harsh envy from her schoolmates and even some parents. It became so bad that Aguilera's mother eventually made the decision to home-school her daughter.

Still, Aguilera continued to perform, and in 1990, she earned a spot on the nationally syndicated television program Star Search. There, the nine-year-old prodigy wowed audiences with a mesmerizing rendition of Etta James' "A Sunday Kind of Love," placing second in the competition.

Songs and Albums

'All I Wanna Do'

In 1993 Aguilera earned more national attention when she landed a spot as a "Mouseketeer" on The All New Mickey Mouse Club. Her fellow castmates were a collection of future stars, including Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell. The ambitious singer lasted just two years on the program before she moved with her mother to Japan, where she recorded the hit single "All I Wanna Do" with Japanese pop icon Keizo Nakanishi. More success soon followed.

'Christina Aguilera'

In 1998 Aguilera was tapped to sing "Reflection" on the soundtrack for the Walt Disney film Mulan. The singer made her debut at the all-female concert festival Lilith Fair the following year, and signed with RCA Records. Also in 1999, she released her debut album, Christina Aguilera, which went on to sell more than 8 million copies thanks in part to the chart-topping hits "Genie in a Bottle" and "What a Girl Wants." The album earned Aguilera the 2000 Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

'Lady Marmalade'

With fellow Mouseketeers Spears and Timberlake also lighting up the charts with their respective music, Aguilera became one of the leading faces of a group of teen pop stars. But she wasn't comfortable maintaining the squeaky clean image this sort of role foisted upon her. After teaming up with Pink, Mya and Lil' Kim on the popular single "Lady Marmalade," Aguilera released her second album, Stripped, in October 2002. As its title suggests, the pop superstar had embarked down a new path. Highly sexualized and more commanding than its predecessors, the album featured a number of hit singles, including "Dirrty," "Beautiful" and "Make Over."

'Stripped'

Coupled with a series of new piercings and tattoos, Aguilera and her new music startled some critics while endearing her to others. Stripped went on to sell more than 4 million copies, and Aguilera, rightly so, was unapologetic about the music or her look. "I knew it was a bold move, and I knew a lot of people would not be ready for it," the singer said of the album in an interview with The New York Times.

'Back to Basics'

In 2006 Aguilera changed course again with the release of Back to Basics, a two-disc collection of influential standards from the 1920s through the '40s. Like she'd done with her previous album, Aguilera used the music to help define her style. She also adopted a classic Jean Harlow look for a time.

'Bionic'

In 2010 Aguilera returned to record stores with Bionic. She experimented with a more electronic-edged sound with this album, which featured collaborations with Le Tigre and M.I.A. While Bionic nearly reached the top of the charts, it failed to spawn any major hit singles.

That same year, Aguilera made her film debut in the musical Burlesque, co-starring alongside Cher. Aguilera also contributed several songs to the movie's soundtrack, including "Show Me How You Burlesque" - a minor hit. While the film was highly anticipated by many, it was ultimately maligned by critics and largely ignored by movie-goers.

Aguilera appeared to be stumbling professionally and personally around this time. At the Super Bowl in February 2011, she seemed to forget some of the lyrics to the National Anthem. Not long after, the pop star was arrested for public intoxication. Both incidents sparked a wave of stories concerning her possible alcoholism.

'Liberation'

On June 15, 2018, Aguilera will release her sixth studio album, 'Liberation.' The album is executive produced by Aguilera, and the first single off the album, "Accelerate," features Ty Dolla $ign & 2 Chainz.

'The Voice' Judge

By the spring of 2011, however, Aguilera had gotten back on her feet with a full-time spot on a new television competition, The Voice. Aguilera served as a judge/coach for singers while competing against teams led by fellow musical talents Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine. While some rumors circulated about behind-the-scenes drama between Aguilera and her team members, the pop star proved to be a strong supporter of her protégées. In the summer of 2011 she even contributed her vocals to Levine's band, Maroon 5, for their mega hit single "Moves Like Jagger." Following The Voice's Season 3 finale in 2012, Aguilera announced that she would be leaving the series for a time. She was replaced by Shakira for the show's fourth season.

Around the time she left The Voice, Aguilera released the album Lotus. The record received a lukewarm reception. She fared much better as a featured vocalist on rapper Pitbull's single, "Feel This Moment," which the duo performed together on the Season 4 finale of The Voice. Around this time, Aguilera announced that she would be back for the show's fifth season, and she later returned to the judge's chair for Season 8.

Proving her vocal abilities remained among the best in the business, Aguilera in 2015 won a Grammy Award with A Great Big World for their ballad "Say Something." That year, the veteran pop star also returned to her early television roots with a recurring role on the country music drama Nashville.

'Paper' Cover

In advance of the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival debut of the sci-fi romance Zoe, in which she enjoyed a starring role, Aguilera gave an interview to Paper magazine and appeared on its cover sans makeup. The singer-actress explained her ever-transforming look, from "assless chaps and two toned-plaits" to "old Hollywood-inspired retro glam" to her more recent choices. "I'm at the place, even musically, where it's a liberating feeling to be able to strip it all back and appreciate who you are and your raw beauty," she said.

Husband and Kids

While filming Burlesque (2010), Aguilera became romantically involved with set assistant Matthew Rutler.

The singer has a son, Max, from her previous marriage to record producer Jordan Bratman; the couple married in 2005, separated in 2010 and finalized their divorce in 2011. Aguilera and Rutler announced their engagement on Valentine's Day 2014, and welcomed a daughter, Summer Rain, on August 16th of that year.

Philanthropy

Outside of her performance career, Aguilera has showed her compassionate side, working with AIDS awareness campaigns and affiliating herself with the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. In early 2010, she took on the role of Ambassador Against Hunger for the World Food Program - a responsibility that led her to Haiti, where she helped earthquake victims.

In 2016 Aguilera recorded the song "Change," which were in honor of the victims affected by the Orlando nightclub shooting in 2016.

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!

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December 18, 1980 (age 40) Singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980, in Staten Island, New York. Aguilera began her career as a cast member on The All New Mickey Mouse Club. She rapidly rose to stardom following the release of her hit single, "Genie in a Bottle," which earned her a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

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An American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, entrepreneur, and actor

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Adam Noah Levine (born March 18, 1979) is the lead singer of American pop rock band Maroon 5. He is also a songwriter, guitarist, and a coach on the NBC show .

Levine has a tenor/ countertenor vocal range. He has also been noted for his falsettos.

Levine has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

He married model Behati Prinsloo on July 19, 2014, in Mexico. Their first daughter, Dusty Rose Levine, was born on September 21, 2016. Gio Grace Levine, their second daughter, was born February 15, 2018.

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Adam Noah Levine (born March 18, 1979) is the lead singer of American pop rock band Maroon 5. He is also a songwriter, guitarist, and a coach on the NBC show . Levine has a tenor/ countertenor vocal range. He has also been noted for his falsettos. Levine has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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An American actor and film narrator. He is often known for his deep voice.

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Morgan Freeman' (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and narrator. Freeman won an Academy Award in 2005 for Best Supporting Actor with Million Dollar Baby (2004), and he has received Oscar nominations for his performances in Street Smart (1987), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), and Invictus (2009). He has also won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Freeman has appeared in many other box office hits, including Glory (1989), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Seven (1995), Deep Impact (1998), The Sum of All Fears (2002), Bruce Almighty (2003), The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012), Wanted (2008), RED (2010), Now You See Me (2013), The Lego Movie (2014), and Lucy (2014). He rose to fame as part of the cast of the 1970s children's program The Electric Company. Noted for his deep voice, Freeman has served as a narrator, commentator, and voice actor for numerous programs, series and television shows. He is ranked as the fifth-highest box office star with $4.31 billion in total box office grosses, an average of $74.4 million per film.

Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee on June 1, 1937. He started acting when he was nine years old in a school play and at age 12 won a drama competition in his home State. Morgan worked many acting jobs until 1968 when he got his first role on Broadway in a Musical called Hello, Dolly!. He is known for his soft-spoken voice. He has donated several amounts of money to the Democratic Party. Once he stated that "Republicans scare me."

Some movies

Some movies that Freeman has been in include:

Unforgiven as Ned Logan (1992)

The Shawshank Redemption as Red (1994)

Se7en as Detective Lt. William Somerset (1995)

Bruce Almighty as God (2002)

Batman Begins as Lucius Fox (2005)

Evan Almighty as God (2007)

The Dark Knight as Lucius Fox (2008)

Invictus as Nelson Mandela (2009)

RED as Joe (2010)

The Dark Knight Rises as Lucius Fox (2012)

Olympus Has Fallen as Speaker of the House Allan Trumbull (2013)

The Lego Movie as Vitruvius (2014)

Transcendence as Joseph Tagger (2014)

Ted 2 as Patrick Meighan (2015)

London Has Fallen as Vice President Allan Trumbull (2016)

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Freeman at the 10 Items or Less premiere in Madrid with co-star Paz Vega

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Morgan Freeman' (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and narrator. Freeman won an Academy Award in 2005 for Best Supporting Actor with Million Dollar Baby (2004), and he has received Oscar nominations for his performances in Street Smart (1987), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), and Invictus (2009).

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An American basketball player with the Los Angeles Lakers

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An English physicist, cosmologist, and author who was director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge at the time of his death.

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Stephen Hawking Biography

Enjoy this short biographical video that details the incredible life of English scientist Stephen Hawking.

Hailed as one of the greatest scientific minds of all time, Hawking has contributed much to the field of theoretical physics with breakthrough theories on black holes and thermodynamics. His 1998 book 'A Brief History of Time' was a bestseller and he is perhaps the most popular physicist since Einstein. Check out our Stephen Hawking facts page for more.

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Stephen Hawking

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Stephen Hawking Biography Enjoy this short biographical video that details the incredible life of English scientist Stephen Hawking. Hailed as one of the greatest scientific minds of all time, Hawking has contributed much to the field of theoretical physics with breakthrough theories on black holes and thermodynamics.

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A Lemhi Shoshone woman who, at age 16, met and helped the Lewis and Clark Expedition in achieving their chartered mission objectives by exploring the Louisiana Territory.

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A former American professional baseball player