WHAT FAMOUS FOR William Byrd is famous for being an English composer of the Renaissance era, known for his sacred and secular music, including motets, masses, madrigals, and keyboard works.
BIRTH William Byrd was born in 1539/40 in London, England.
FAMILY BACKGROUND Byrd came from a musical family; his father, Thomas Byrd, was a gentleman of the Chapel Royal. He had siblings, including a brother, John Byrd, who was also a musician.
CHILDHOOD Byrd's childhood was immersed in music due to his family's background. His early exposure to the Chapel Royal's music shaped his future career.
EDUCATION Byrd was a pupil of Thomas Tallis and was a chorister at the Chapel Royal, where he received his musical education. He later served as organist and master of the choristers at Lincoln Cathedral.
CAREER RECORD 1563: Appointed organist and master of the choristers at Lincoln Cathedral.
1572: Became a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in London, sharing organist duties with Thomas Tallis.
1575: Granted a joint monopoly with Tallis for music printing and publishing by Queen Elizabeth I.
1585 After Tallis's death in 1585, Byrd published four collections of his own music and wrote three masses at the estate of his patron, Sir John Petre.
Active throughout his life: Composed sacred and secular music in various forms, including keyboard works, madrigals, and church music.
APPEARANCE Descriptions of Byrd's physical appearance are absent from historical records.
An undated etching of Byrd by Gerard Vandergucht
FASHION Byrd would have worn the typical attire of an Elizabethan gentleman, including doublets, ruffs, and hose, often made of luxurious fabrics and adorned with lace.
CHARACTER Byrd was known for his devout Catholic faith, resilience, and commitment to his art, even in the face of religious persecution.
SENSE OF HUMOUR There is little documentation on Byrd's sense of humour, but his close relationships with other musicians suggest he was sociable and amiable.
RELATIONSHIPS Byrd married Juliana Birley from Lincolnshire on September 14, 1568, at St Margaret-in-the-Close, Lincoln. At the time, Byrd was serving as the organist and master of choristers at Lincoln Cathedral.
Image by Perplexity
They had seven children Christopher (born 1569), Elizabeth (born around 1572), Rachel (born around 1573), Mary and Catherine (dates unknown), twins Thomas and Edward (born around 1576).
Thomas, one of the twins, was named after his godfather Thomas Tallis (Byrd's mentor) and was the only one of Byrd's children to become a musician
He maintained close professional relationships with Thomas Tallis and other contemporaries.
MONEY AND FAME Despite the political and religious turmoil of his time, Byrd achieved significant fame and financial success, securing royal patronage and publishing numerous influential works.
In spite of repeated citations for recusancy and heavy fines, he died a wealthy man.
FOOD AND DRINK Details of Byrd's dietary preferences are not well-documented, but as a court musician, he likely enjoyed access to the rich and varied cuisine of the Elizabethan era.
MUSIC AND ARTS Byrd's contributions to music were vast, spanning sacred and secular genres. He was a master of polyphony and his works are still celebrated today.
William Byrd was basically England's rockstar composer back in the 1500s. Think David Bowie with a ruff and a penchant for harpsichords.
Byrd's music? It was everywhere. Church hymns that could make a sinner weep. Lively jigs that'd have you tapping your foot faster than a trained pigeon. And those madrigals? Pure Elizabethan earworms, guaranteed to get stuck in your head for weeks.
Byrd's legacy? It's like that old stain on the palace carpet – impossible to ignore. He basically soundtracked the Elizabethan era, and his influence stretched far and wide. From England to Europe, composers were humming Byrd's tunes and trying (and failing) to recapture his magic.
LITERATURE While primarily known for his music, Byrd lived in a literary-rich era and would have been familiar with contemporary works, including those of Shakespeare and Spenser.
Byrd's published works include Psalms, Sonets, & Songs (1588), Songs of Sundrie Natures (1589), and two books of Cantiones sacrae (1589 and 1591).
NATURE Byrd's rural home in Stondon Massey may have provided a tranquil environment for composition.
HOBBIES AND SPORTS Byrd's primary hobby was likely music. Records do not indicate participation in sports, but he might have enjoyed leisurely pastimes common among Elizabethan gentlemen.
SCIENCE AND MATHS Byrd's intricate compositions suggest a strong understanding of mathematical principles, particularly in music theory.
PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Byrd was a devout Catholic, and his faith profoundly influenced his music, especially his sacred compositions.
POLITICS Byrd navigated the complex political landscape of Elizabethan England, maintaining his Catholic faith despite the Protestant Reformation and political pressures.
SCANDAL Byrd faced potential scandal due to his Catholic faith in Protestant England, but his talent and royal connections often shielded him from severe repercussions. He evaded persecution only due to his acknowledged excellence as a composer.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Details on Byrd's health and physical fitness are scarce, but he lived to an old age for his time, suggesting relatively good health.
HOMES Byrd lived in various locations, including London and Stondon Massey in Essex, where he owned Stondon Place and lived during his later years.
TRAVEL Byrd likely traveled within England for his duties and performances but did not travel extensively abroad.
DEATH William Byrd died of heart failure on July 4, 1623, in Stondon Massey, Essex. His death was noted in the Chapel Royal Check Book, describing him as "a Father of Musick."
APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Byrd's life and works have been the subject of scholarly research, books, and documentaries, highlighting his contributions to Renaissance music.
ACHIEVEMENTS Considered one of England's greatest composers.
Pioneered the development of the English madrigal.
Elevated the status of English keyboard music.
Composed a vast and influential musical repertoire.
WHAT FAMOUS FOR She was a Victorian social reformer and feminist who led the campaign to repeal the Contagious Diseases Acts, which victimized women in prostitution. She was a pioneer for international women’s rights and the abolition of sex trafficking.
BIRTH Born April 13, 1828 at Milfield, Northumberland, England. (1)
FAMILY BACKGROUND Josephine was the fourth daughter and seventh of ten children born to John Grey and his wife Hannah (née Annett).
Her father was a land agent and agricultural expert, and a cousin of the reformist British Prime Minister, Earl Grey, who was responsible for the 1832 Reform Act. John Grey managed the Greenwich Hospital Estates in Dilston, near Corbridge, Northumberland, and was Lord Grey's chief political agent in Northumberland, promoting Catholic emancipation, the abolition of slavery, repeal of the Corn Laws and reform of the poor laws.
Josephine's mother, Hannah Annett, came from a prosperous middle-class family of Huguenot descent and was described as very religious and good-tempered.
A family connection on her father's side was her cousin Charles Grey, an Equerry to Prince Albert, whose wife was a Woman of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria.
Her aunt, Margaretta Grey, had reportedly dressed as a man in order to attend Parliament when her brother was leader of the Whigs. (1) (2) and (3)
CHILDHOOD Josephine grew up on the family's Northumberland estate and later at the Greenwich Hospital Estates at Dilston, near Corbridge. Her father educated all his children — sons and daughters equally — in politics and social issues, and exposed them to visiting agriculturalists from Europe and other politically important figures.
At the age of five, Josephine heard the abolitionist Thomas Clarkson describing the horrors of the slave trade's Middle Passage.
In adolescence she became an excellent horsewoman, riding fierce horses and even learning to ride standing on the horse in imitation of a circus dancer.
Josephine attended country balls and later described herself and her sister Harriet as "great belles in our showy book-muslin frocks, and natural flowers wreathed on our heads and waists."
She also read parliamentary Blue Books detailing the harsh conditions in English workhouses, and accompanied her father on his visits to agricultural estates, gaining early exposure to poverty.
At about the age of seventeen, she underwent a prolonged religious crisis, partly triggered by a chance encounter while out riding: she came across the body of a man who had hanged himself from a tree — a valet dismissed for fathering an illegitimate child — a scene she was unable to describe in full until shortly before her own death. This episode, combining religious doubt, social injustice and mortality, shaped her sense of mission. She began to address God directly in prayer: "I spoke to Him in solitude, as a person who could answer."
In mid-1847 she visited her brother in County Laois, Ireland, at the height of the Great Famine, and was deeply affected by the suffering she witnessed.
EDUCATION Josephine was educated largely at home, where her father schooled her in politics, social reform, and a form of practical Christianity. She subsequently attended a boarding school in Newcastle upon Tyne for two years.
After marriage, while living at Oxford, she was granted the rare privilege for a woman of access to the Bodleian Library and Queen's College Library, where she assisted her husband George in preparing an edition of Chaucer from the Bodleian manuscripts.
She was unusually learned even by the standards of Oxford dons: multilingual in English, French and Italian, with a working knowledge of German, Latin, Greek, Hebrew and even a little Russian.
In 1867 she became President of the North of England Council for Promoting the Higher Education of Women and worked alongside the suffragist Anne Clough to establish the Cambridge Higher Examination for women, which played a significant role in the founding of Newnham College, Cambridge. (2) (3)
CAREER RECORD Josephine did not have a "career" in the modern sense but was a professional activist. She led the Ladies' National Association (LNA) starting in 1869 and founded the International Abolitionist Federation.
APPEARANCE Josephine Butler was considered strikingly beautiful. One contemporary description characterises her as "the slender, sweet-voiced lady from whose mouth issued the most devastating indecencies." (4)
Butler in 1851, portrait by George Richmond
A portrait drawing by William Bell Scott, held at the Ashmolean, depicts her with downcast eyes in the socially acceptable pose of a Victorian woman, an irony given her radical public life. (5)
The National Portrait Gallery holds a half-length portrait showing her in black garments and cap with a lace collar and streamers, hands clasped at the waist. (6)
FASHION Although she dedicated her life to causes on behalf of the destitute, Butler was notably meticulous about her own appearance. Her only acknowledged personal expenditure was maintaining an impeccably fashionable dress. In her youth she described attending country balls in "showy book-muslin frocks, and natural flowers wreathed on our heads and waists." (3)
CHARACTER Butler was regarded as an exceptionally persuasive and socially engaging figure; she was fearless in her speech and an accomplished orator capable of captivating audiences across all social classes. While her faith was rooted in a deep evangelical tradition, she remained tolerant of Catholics, Jews, Latitudinarians, and Quakers—an inclusivity that notably never drew accusations of "free-thinking." Consequently, historians often describe her as "one of the bravest and most imaginative feminists in history."
Driven by an intense compassion, Butler was famously non-judgmental toward the women she aided, championing forgiveness and human dignity over punitive measures. She often viewed her mission through a spiritual lens, famously stating, "God and one woman make a majority," and describing herself as "a simple woman, invited by God to be the representative of the outcast." (4)
However, her public strength stood in stark contrast to her private battles; she suffered from recurring episodes of depression, documenting a "darkness of mind and soul" in her diaries and letters that, at one point, required the prescription of opiates. Far from hindering her work, these vulnerabilities served to deepen her profound empathy for women living on the margins of society. (7)
SPEAKING VOICE Butler was widely admired as a powerful and compelling public speaker. One contemporary described her as a "sweet-voiced lady." (4) After she testified before the Royal Commission on the Contagious Diseases Acts in March 1871, Liberal MP Peter Rylands stated: "I am not accustomed to religious phraseology, but I cannot give you an idea of the effect produced except by saying that the spirit of God was there."
She was multilingual, speaking French and Italian fluently in addition to English, and had working knowledge of German, Latin, Greek, Hebrew and some Russian. (3)
SENSE OF HUMOUR Although known primarily for the gravity of her work, Butler could record moments of wry observation. She noted with dry satisfaction how a hostile MP admitted to her: "We know how to manage any other opposition in the House or in the country, but this is very awkward for us — this revolt of the women. It is quite a new thing; what are we to do with such an opposition as this?" (1)
RELATIONSHIPS By 1850 Josephine Grey had grown close to George Butler, a Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, whom she had met at several balls in County Durham. He sent her self-penned poems and they became engaged in January 1851. They married on January 8, 1852. The ceremony took place at Dilston, near Corbridge in Northumberland, England.
Their first home was at 124 High Street, Oxford. George was a scholar, cleric and reformer who shared his wife's commitment to liberal causes and Italian culture; they both had a strong Christian faith and, as she later wrote, "prayed together that a holy revolution might come about." He supported her public campaigns unreservedly and even jeopardised his own career by doing so: George received considerable criticism from academic colleagues for backing his wife's activities. (8)
Together they had four children: George Grey Butler (born November 1852), Arthur Stanley Butler (born May 1854), Charles (born 1857) and Evangeline Mary, known as Eva (born May 1859). The death of Eva in August 1864, who fell 40 feet from a banister onto the stone hall floor and died three hours later, was the defining tragedy of Josephine's life. She later wrote: "I became possessed with an irresistible urge to go forth and find some pain keener than my own."
George predeceased her, dying on March 14, 1890 from influenza contracted during the pandemic of 1889–90. Josephine suspended her campaigns in the aftermath of his death.
George Butler, Josephine's husband
MONEY AND FAME Josephine Butler came from a wealthy, politically connected Whig family and was at no point poor by Victorian standards. However, she and George spent much of their income supporting her campaigns and the hostels she established for destitute women.
When, in 1882, George accepted the position of Canon of Winchester Cathedral offered by Prime Minister Gladstone, one of the motivating factors was that their finances had been heavily depleted by Josephine's work with the Ladies' National Association and other causes.
Her fame was considerable and controversial in equal measure: she was lauded by supporters but publicly attacked by opponents in the press, one journalist calling her "an indecent maenad, a shrieking sister, frenzied, unsexed." (3)
She was physically assaulted on more than one occasion, had buildings where she was speaking set on fire, and once required fourteen bodyguards to protect her from a violent mob. (8)
After her death she was hailed as the most distinguished Englishwoman of the nineteenth century.
FOOD AND DRINK Given Butler's evangelical faith and austere life of social reform, she appears to have had little interest in gastronomy for its own sake. It is known that during periods of depression and intense campaigning work in 1875, she was unable to sleep or eat normally and required medical attention. (7)
MUSIC AND ARTS Butler was an accomplished amateur musician who studied under William Sterndale Bennett, then considered the greatest living English composer. (3)
She was also a skilled watercolourist, though she kept this talent largely private. In 2021 seven landscape watercolours painted by her during European travels were auctioned at Ewbank's in Surrey, having remained with her family since her death. The paintings, undated but annotated in her own handwriting, depicted scenes in Italy (including Genoa), Germany (Bonn), France (Antibes) and England. Auction specialist Andrew Delve noted they showed "an excellent grasp of perspective, a fine eye for composition and spirited understanding of landscape." They had been made during the rare holidays she allowed herself to recuperate from illness and depression. (9)
An undated view of the Seven Hills of Bonn by Josephine Butler Smithsonian mag
As a young wife in Oxford, Butler helped her husband George prepare a Turner bibliography, making copies of Turner's drawings herself. (3)
LITERATURE Butler was a prolific writer. She published more than 90 books and pamphlets during her career. Her writings drew heavily on Scripture.
Major works include:
Woman's Work and Woman's Culture (1869, editor)
The Constitution Violated (1871)
Memoir of John Grey of Dilston (1874, a biography of her father)
Catharine of Siena (1878, considered by her biographer Glen Petrie to be probably her best work)
Social Purity (1879)
Recollections of George Butler (1892
Personal Reminiscences of a Great Crusade (1898)
Native Races and the War (1900)
The Morning Cometh (1903). (10)
She was also a letter-writer of prodigious output; the Women's Library at the London School of Economics holds more than 2,500 letters in the Josephine Butler Letter Collection.
In her reading she was devoted to the Bible and to the lives of saints, particularly the fourteenth-century mystic St Catherine of Siena. (7)
As a young woman at Oxford she was provoked by the reaction of male academics to Elizabeth Gaskell's novel Ruth (1853), which dealt sympathetically with a seduced and abandoned woman; the men's casual acceptance of the double standard confirmed her in her convictions.
NATURE Butler grew up on the Northumberland estate at Dilston, close to the natural landscape of the north of England, and retained a love of the outdoors throughout her life. Her watercolour paintings, made during European travels, were almost entirely landscapes, depicting coastlines, rivers, mountain views and garden scenes in Italy, France and Germany. (9)
HOBBIES AND SPORTS As a young woman Butler was an accomplished and daring horsewoman, riding fierce horses and reportedly learning to ride standing upright in imitation of a circus performer. (3)
She painted watercolours throughout her adult life, particularly during periods of convalescence in Europe. (9)
SCIENCE AND MATHS Butler's interests lay in the social and spiritual rather than in science or mathematics. However, she engaged critically with the epidemiological arguments used to justify the Contagious Diseases Acts, challenging the government's statistical claims about the reduction of venereal disease in garrison towns. During the 1870 Colchester parliamentary campaign she and the LNA were able to demonstrate that the statistics cited by Sir Henry Storks in defence of the Acts were inaccurate. (1)
ACTIVISM Josephine Butler's public career as a reformer properly ignited in the late 1860s, beginning with the publication of a pamphlet bearing the admirably sensible title The Education and Employment of Women—a work that, in the context of its time, was roughly as radical as suggesting Parliament might benefit from windows. But it was outrage, that most reliable Victorian fuel source, that truly set her in motion. In 1869, appalled by the Contagious Diseases Acts—which subjected women suspected of prostitution to invasive examinations while leaving their male clientele to stroll off uninspected and unbothered—she joined forces with the equally formidable Elizabeth Wolstenholme to found the Ladies’ National Association for their repeal.
Handbill issued prior to a talk during the 1872 Pontefract by-election
What followed was less a campaign than a nationwide endurance test. In 1870 alone, Butler travelled 3,700 miles to attend 99 public meetings, which suggests either superhuman stamina or a deep and abiding refusal to sit still while injustice was afoot (possibly both). One imagines her arriving in town halls across Britain, slightly windswept but entirely undaunted, ready to deliver speeches that made audiences reconsider not just the law, but the general arrangement of society.
By 1875, apparently deciding that Britain alone was too small a canvas, she established the British and Continental Federation for the Abolition of Prostitution—later the International Abolitionist Federation—a Europe-spanning effort to challenge the idea that the state might regulate vice as though it were a municipal gas supply.
Her investigations in Belgium, meanwhile, had all the quiet subtlety of a thunderclap. Digging into child trafficking, she helped expose abuses so egregious that they led to the removal of the head of the Belgian Police des Mœurs, the prosecution of his deputy, and the imprisonment of a dozen brothel owners. It was, by any standard, a remarkable outcome for someone armed chiefly with moral conviction and a formidable pen.
Back in Britain, Butler teamed up with journalist William Thomas Stead and the Salvation Army to expose child prostitution in a campaign that was as shocking as it was effective. Their efforts contributed to the passage of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885, which raised the age of consent from thirteen to sixteen—an adjustment that feels, with hindsight, less like reform and more like basic decency belatedly catching up.
All the while, Butler wrote—prodigiously. More than 90 books and pamphlets emerged over her lifetime, each one another carefully aimed stone at the stained-glass windows of complacency.
In her later years, she turned her attention to the extension of the Contagious Diseases legislation in British India, because if there was an injustice anywhere in the empire, Butler seemed to feel it was practically a personal invitation. Eventually, around 1901, she began to withdraw from public life—though one suspects she did so with the same reluctance as a general leaving the field before the last skirmish had quite concluded. By 1903, she had settled in Wooler, Northumberland, near her eldest son, bringing to a close a career that had involved more miles, more meetings, and more meaningful disruption than most people could comfortably fit into several lifetimes.
PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Butler's entire public life was rooted in her Christian faith, which she described as evangelical Anglican in character. She drew heavily on scriptural language and saw her own work through the lens of biblical prophecy. (11)
Butler was critical of formal church structures — "I have not much sympathy with the Church" — but maintained an intense personal relationship with God throughout her life. Her faith was capacious: she managed to remain tolerant toward Catholics, Jews, Latitudinarians and Quakers alike.
Her theological method was to read Scripture as a source of justice: she used biblical texts to argue that the double standard applied to men and women was a form of blasphemy against God's equal creation of humanity. (11)
She found particular spiritual kinship with the fourteenth-century mystic St Catherine of Siena, whose biography she wrote in 1878, seeing in Catherine a woman of prophetic leadership who was also marked by physical suffering. (7)
POLITICS Politically, Butler was a committed Liberal, though her uncompromising stance often drove party leadership to distraction. In 1866, she signed the landmark petition to extend the franchise to women, a cause championed by John Stuart Mill. From 1868, she served as joint secretary of the Married Women's Property Committee, advocating for the legal reforms that ultimately culminated in the Married Women's Property Act 1882.
Butler also wielded by-elections as strategic weapons for the LNA; notably, she split the Liberal vote during the 1870 Colchester by-election to thwart Sir Henry Storks, a staunch supporter of the Contagious Diseases Acts. Despite a cordial relationship with Prime Minister Gladstone—who once dined at Liverpool College—she remained fundamentally at odds with him over the Acts, which he felt unable to publicly oppose.
Her political views were equally nuanced regarding the Empire. During the Second Boer War, she supported British military action yet fiercely condemned the "poison" of racial prejudice in colonial dealings. In her 1900 work, Native Races and the War, she argued that such prejudice must be eradicated if the world were ever to be truly Christianized. Later, she grew critical of the "purity societies" born from the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885, warned against the fallacy that one could "oblige human beings to be moral by force."
SCANDAL For a Victorian woman of her class, Butler's activities were themselves considered scandalous. Her opponents in the press called her "an indecent maenad, a shrieking sister, frenzied, unsexed, and utterly without shame," while Sir James Elphinstone MP declared she was "worse than the prostitutes." (3)
She publicly discussed forced internal examinations of women — a subject almost entirely taboo in polite Victorian discourse — and was accused of encouraging vice. One hostile German historian writing in 1967 went so far as to describe her as "the single individual most responsible for the spread of syphilis in Europe and perhaps the world."
Physical violence pursued her: opponents threw cow dung at her, smashed windows of hotels where she was staying, and on one occasion set fire to bales of straw in a room below where she was speaking.
MILITARY RECORD Butler's campaigning activity was, however, directly aimed at the British Army and Royal Navy, whose procurement of prostitutes — protected by the Contagious Diseases Acts — she challenged for sixteen years. She also campaigned against equivalent legislation operating in the British cantonments in India, where Major-General Edward Chapman had issued standing orders for the provision of prostitutes and their compulsory medical inspection.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS From adolescence, Butler had a lesion on her lung that set limits on her physical stamina throughout her life. In 1856 her doctors warned her that Oxford's damp climate could prove fatal, leading the family to move to Clifton. (
Butler suffered multiple episodes of serious depression — at least four significant bouts have been identified — beginning in adolescence and recurring in 1854, 1864–65 and 1875. During the worst episodes she was unable to leave the house or attend church; in 1875, following a period of intense campaigning, she could neither sleep nor eat, and opiates were prescribed.
She sustained physical injuries during her campaigns, being beaten and kicked by hostile mobs on more than one occasion. Despite these trials, she outlived her husband and continued working into her seventies, finally withdrawing from public life in 1901 at the age of seventy-three. She died aged seventy-eight.
Butler in old age, by George Frederic Watts, 1894
HOMES Milfield, Northumberland: birthplace.
Dilston, near Corbridge, Northumberland: childhood home after her father was appointed to manage the Greenwich Hospital Estates in 1833.
124 High Street, Oxford: first marital home, 1852.
Clifton, near Bristol: the family moved here in 1856 after doctors warned Oxford's damp atmosphere was damaging Josephine's health.
Cheltenham: George became vice-principal of Cheltenham College in 1857 and they lived locally.
The Dingle, Liverpool: George became headmaster of Liverpool College in January 1866 and the family moved to this area.
Winchester: following George's appointment as Canon of Winchester Cathedral in 1882, the couple moved into a grace and favour home near the cathedral.
Wimbledon, London: after George's death in 1890, Josephine moved here, sharing the house with her eldest son and his wife.
Wooler, Northumberland: in 1903 she returned to the county of her birth to be near her eldest son. She died here on 30 December 1906.
TRAVEL Butler was a considerable traveller given the demands her health imposed. In October 1864, following the death of her daughter Eva and her son Stanley's near-fatal diphtheria, she travelled to Naples with Stanley; on the return voyage down the Italian coast she suffered a physical collapse and nearly died.
From December 1874 to February 1875 she toured France, Italy and Switzerland, meeting feminist pressure groups and civic authorities in her campaign against the Regulation System on the continent.
She made several trips to Belgium, including a visit to Brussels to confront the mayor and councillors with evidence of child trafficking and corruption in the Police des Mœurs.
She later holidayed in Naples again with George in 1889, shortly before his final illness.
DEATH Josephine Butler died at home in Wooler, Northumberland, on December 30, 1906, aged seventy-eight. She was buried in the nearby village of Kirknewton.
Her obituarist in The Daily News wrote that her name "will always rank amongst the noblest of the social reformers, the fruit of whose labours is the highest inheritance that we have."
APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Butler has been the subject of considerable biographical and academic attention since her death. Recent publications include When Courage Calls: Josephine Butler and the Radical Pursuit of Justice for Women by Dr Sarah C. Williams (Hodder & Stoughton, 2024). (7)
She appears in stained glass windows at Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral, All Saints' Church Cambridge, and St Olave's Church in the City of London.
An online auction in March 2021 of seven of her private watercolour paintings attracted international media coverage from outlets including The Art Newspaper and the Smithsonian Magazine. (9)
ACHIEVEMENTS Her greatest achievement was the repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts in 1886.
She also successfully campaigned to raise the age of consent from 13 to 16 in 1885 and laid the groundwork for modern anti-trafficking laws.
WHAT FAMOUS FOR George W. Bush served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009.
He led the country’s response to the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and initiated the Iraq War in 2003.
BIRTH George Walker Bush was born on July 6, 1946, at Grace-New Haven Hospital (now Yale–New Haven Hospital) in New Haven, Connecticut.
FAMILY BACKGROUND George W. Bush is the eldest son of George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, and Barbara Pierce Bush. He comes from a prominent political family with deep roots in public service. Both George W. Bush and his father share the middle name "Walker."
CHILDHOOD Bush spent much of his childhood in Midland and Houston, Texas. He was head cheerleader in high school and enjoyed an active social life. His upbringing in a politically engaged family significantly influenced his later career.
EDUCATION Bush graduated from Yale University with a degree in history in 1968. He then earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1975, making him the only U.S. president to hold an MBA.
CAREER RECORD George Walker Bush, a man of many hats and even more adventures, took to the skies in his twenties, piloting warplanes for the Texas Air National Guard. After a stint at Harvard Business School, where he graduated in 1975, he dabbled in the oil industry, a fitting endeavor for a Texan. Not one to be confined to a single career, Bush co-owned the Texas Rangers baseball team before stepping into the political arena as the governor of Texas in 1994. He served as the Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000 before being elected President of the United States in 2000 and re-elected in 2004.
APPEARANCE Bush is known for his Texan charm and often sports a casual style with cowboy boots and hats. He stands about 6 feet tall with a robust build and a distinctive grin.
Official photograph portrait of former U.S. President George W. Bush.
FASHION Bush’s fashion sense is a blend of formal suits for official duties and casual Texan attire for personal engagements.
CHARACTER Bush is often described as charismatic, decisive, and determined. His leadership style was marked by a direct approach and a focus on loyalty and personal relationships.
SENSE OF HUMOUR He is known for his folksy, self-deprecating humor, often using it to connect with people during speeches and public appearances.
RELATIONSHIPS Bush was engaged to Cathryn Lee Wolfman in 1967, but the engagement did not last.
George W Bush first met Laura Welch in July 1977 at a barbecue hosted by mutual friends, Joe and Jan O'Neill. George was immediately attracted to Laura, saying he felt "heart palpitations" when he saw her blue eyes. Laura, for her part, thought George was "cute" and appreciated that he liked to talk while she liked to listen.
After dating for a few months, George proposed to Laura at her rental house in Austin, where she was working as a teacher. Laura accepted immediately, saying she "didn't have to think twice about it."
Their wedding took place the day after Laura's 31st birthday on November 5, 1977, at the First United Methodist Church in Midland, Texas. This was the same church where Laura had been baptized
They have twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, were born in Dallas, Texas, on November 25, 1981. The twins are named after their grandmothers: Barbara Pierce Bush is named after her paternal grandmother, former First Lady Barbara Bush. Jenna Welch Bush Hager is named after her maternal grandmother, Jenna Hawkins Welch.
Laura and George W. Bush with their daughters Jenna and Barbara Bush
MONEY AND FAME Coming from a wealthy and influential family, Bush has had significant financial resources. His presidency and subsequent public speaking and writing engagements have kept him in the public eye.
FOOD AND DRINK Bush enjoys Texan cuisine, particularly BBQ and Mexican food. While staying at his Crawford, Texas ranch, he likes to drop in at the Coffee Station where he always orders a cheeseburger with onion rings. At the White House, he kept to a low-calorie diet. His favorite dishes included pea soup, chicken, and chili. He gave up alcohol on his 40th birthday.
In July 2007, then White House chef Cristeta Comerford revealed for dinner, President Bush "loves what we call homemade 'cheeseburger pizzas' because every ingredient of a cheeseburger is on top of a margherita pizza." (1)
Image by Perplexity
MUSIC AND ARTS Bush has a deep appreciation for country music and classic rock. He is also an amateur painter, a hobby he took up after his presidency.
LITERATURE Bush authored several books, including:
A Charge to Keep (1999) details his life and political philosophy. The title comes from Charles Wesley's 1762 hymn, "A Charge to Keep I Have". Wesley's title is a paraphrase of Leviticus 8:35: "keep the charge of the LORD, so that you may not die."
Decision Points (2010): Bush's memoir details the critical decisions he made during his presidency, including responses to 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Hurricane Katrina.
41: A Portrait of My Father (2014): This biography of his father, George H. W. Bush, provides personal insights into his father's life and legacy.
Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants (2021): A collection of paintings and stories celebrating the contributions of immigrants to American society, showcasing Bush's talent as an artist.
NATURE Bush is an advocate for environmental conservation and enjoys outdoor activities such as fishing and hiking.
PETS The Bush family had several pets, including Barney, a black Scottish terrier, and a cat, Willy. Spot, a brown-and-white Springer Spaniel born to Millie in the White House during his father’s presidency, was the first pet to live in the White House twice.
HOBBIES AND SPORTS Bush is an avid runner and enjoys golfing and baseball. He completed the 1993 Houston Marathon in 3 hours, 44 minutes, and 52 seconds. He also collects autographed baseballs and owns over 250.
SCIENCE AND MATHS Bush's administration supported various scientific research initiatives, including space exploration.
PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Bush was brought up an Episcopalian and, in 1985, after a meeting with Billy Graham, experienced what he described as "a gradual warming of the heart." He joined his wife’s United Methodist Church denomination, gave up alcohol, and began reading the Scriptures and praying. He attributes his faith in God as critical in his decision to give up drinking.
POLITICS Bush’s presidency was marked by significant events, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and major domestic policies like No Child Left Behind and Medicare prescription drug benefits. His succession to the presidency was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court after a month-long battle over the 2000 election results.
George W. Bush served as the governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000, and his time in office was nothing short of eventful. He was a man on a mission, championing tort reform, bolstering education funding, raising school standards, and overhauling the criminal justice system. Not to be outdone in the energy sector, he also played a pivotal role in making Texas a leader in wind-powered electricity production.
The 2000 presidential election was a nail-biting affair, with Bush narrowly edging out Democratic Vice President Al Gore in a hotly contested Electoral College victory that hinged on a Supreme Court decision to halt a Florida recount. Once he settled into the Oval Office, Bush wasted no time in rolling out a significant tax cut program and the No Child Left Behind Act, aiming to revamp education. His socially conservative agenda included the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act and various faith-based initiatives, alongside the launch of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2003.
The tragic events of September 11, 2001, cast a long shadow over Bush's presidency. These attacks led to the war on terror and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. Bush authorized the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan to dismantle the Taliban, obliterate al-Qaeda, and capture Osama bin Laden. The Patriot Act, which he signed into law, expanded surveillance of suspected terrorists.
In 2003, Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq, based on the flawed premise of weapons of mass destruction and supposed ties to al-Qaeda. On the domestic front, he signed the Medicare Modernization Act, introducing Medicare Part D. Bush secured a second term in 2004, winning a close election against Democratic challenger John Kerry and clinching a majority of the popular vote.
During his second term, Bush busied himself with a flurry of free trade agreements and appointed John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. His ambitious attempts to overhaul Social Security and immigration laws were thwarted by Congress. The handling of Hurricane Katrina and the midterm dismissal of U.S. attorneys earned him widespread criticism. As his popularity waned, the Democrats seized control of Congress in the 2006 elections. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq dragged on, and in January 2007, Bush initiated a troop surge in Iraq. By December, the U.S. found itself in the throes of the Great Recession, leading the Bush administration to secure congressional approval for various economic rescue programs, including the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
His time in office saw him swing from being one of the most popular presidents, post-9/11, to one of the least popular during the financial crisis of 2007-2008.
After his presidency, Bush retreated to Texas, maintaining a relatively low profile.
SCANDAL Bush faced controversies during his presidency, particularly regarding the Iraq War and the handling of Hurricane Katrina. He was also the first president to receive and win a Razzie Award for Worst Actor in the film Fahrenheit 9/11.
During a joint press conference on December 14, 2008 with Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at the prime minister's palace in Baghdad, an Iraqi journalist, Muntadhar al-Zaidi, threw both of his shoes at President Bush. As al-Zaidi threw his first shoe, he yelled in Arabic, "This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog!" He then shouted, "This is for the widows and orphans and all those killed in Iraq," as he threw his second shoe.
President Bush quickly ducked twice to avoid being hit by the shoe. The second shoe reportedly collided with a U.S. flag positioned behind Bush. Prime Minister al-Maliki attempted to catch one of the shoes to protect the U.S. President. The event gained significant media attention and has since become one of the most memorable moments from Bush's presidency, particularly in the context of the Iraq War.
MILITARY RECORD Bush served as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard from 1968 to 1974. His military service has been the subject of scrutiny and debate.
Lt. George W. Bush while in the Texas Air National Guard
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Bush is known for his commitment to fitness, regularly running and biking. He has maintained good health throughout his life, apart from minor health issues typical of aging.
HOMES Bush resides in Dallas, Texas, and has a ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he spends much of his time post-presidency.
TRAVEL As President, Bush traveled extensively, both domestically and internationally. He continues to travel for speaking engagements and personal interests.
APPEARANCES IN MEDIA George W. Bush has been a prominent figure in the media, both during and after his presidency. His media appearances span various formats, including documentaries, interviews, books, television, and films.
Bush has appeared on numerous television programs and news shows. Some notable appearances include interviews on 60 Minutes, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. His candid discussions about his presidency, personal life, and post-presidential activities have provided insights into his time in office and his life after the White House.
Several documentaries have focused on Bush's presidency, policies, and the events that defined his time in office. Notable documentaries include:
Journeys with George (2002): This documentary by Alexandra Pelosi follows Bush on his 2000 presidential campaign trail, offering a behind-the-scenes look at his journey to the presidency.
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004): Directed by Michael Moore, this controversial documentary critiques Bush’s response to the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Bush's Brain (2004): This film explores the influence of Karl Rove, Bush's political advisor, on his political career and presidency.
The World According to Bush (2004): A French documentary that examines Bush’s foreign policy and its global impact.
Bush's presidency and personal life have been depicted in various films:
W. (2008): Directed by Oliver Stone, this biographical film stars Josh Brolin as George W. Bush and provides a dramatized account of his life, focusing on his early years, presidency, and relationship with his father.
Recount (2008): This HBO film, starring Kevin Spacey and Laura Dern, dramatizes the events surrounding the 2000 presidential election recount in Florida.
ACHIEVEMENTS Bush’s achievements include his response to the 9/11 attacks, the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, significant education reform, and efforts to combat HIV/AIDS globally. His post-presidency has been marked by his work with veterans and continued influence in political and charitable activities.
WHAT FAMOUS FOR George H. W. Bush is famous for being the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. He is also known for his extensive career in public service, including roles as Vice President, CIA Director, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
BIRTH George H. W. Bush was born on June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts, USA.
FAMILY BACKGROUND George H. W. Bush was born into a prominent family. His father, Prescott Bush, was a Wall Street executive investment banker, who represented Connecticut in the US Senate from 1952 to 1963. He was also a golf buddy of Bob Hope. His mother, Dorothy Walker Bush, came from a wealthy and influential family.
CHILDHOOD Bush grew up in a privileged environment, primarily in Greenwich, Connecticut. He spent his summers at the family estate in Kennebunkport, Maine, where he developed a love for the sea and outdoor activities.
EDUCATION Bush attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. After serving in World War II, he enrolled at Yale University, graduating with honors in 1948 with a degree in Economics. He finished his degree in just two and a half years and captained the Yale baseball team, playing in the first two College World Series.
CAREER RECORD Bush's career spanned various sectors. Here's his resume:
World War II Navy pilot (decorated for bravery)
Texas oil industry executive
U.S. Congressman (Texas)
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
Chairman of the Republican National Committee
Director of Central Intelligence
Vice President under Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
41st President of the United States (1989-1993)
APPEARANCE George H. W. Bush was known for his tall, lean physique, standing at 6 feet 2 inches and his expressive eyebrows. He had a dignified appearance with silver-gray hair and a warm, approachable demeanor.
Portrait of President George H.W. Bush cropped and reuploaded by Emiya1980
FASHION Bush favored classic American style, often seen in tailored suits, casual sweaters, and boating attire when at Kennebunkport. He was also known for his colorful and eccentric socks.
CHARACTER Bush was widely regarded as courteous, dedicated, and pragmatic. He had a strong sense of duty and was known for his modesty and humility despite his achievements.
SENSE OF HUMOUR Bush had a subtle sense of humor, often using self-deprecation and light-hearted jokes to connect with others. He was known for his witty one-liners and playful banter with family and friends.
RELATIONSHIPS George H. W. Bush and Barbara Pierce were married on January 6, 1945, at the First Presbyterian Church in Rye, New York. Their wedding took place just two weeks after George returned from World War II, where he had served as a naval pilot.
The bride, Barbara Pierce, wore an ivory satin gown embroidered with pearls and a lace veil borrowed from her mother-in-law. After the ceremony, the reception was held at The Apawamis Club, where the couple had gone on their first date. The newlyweds honeymooned in New York City and Sea Island, Georgia.
The couple first met at a Christmas dance in 1941 when both were 16. They became engaged in secret while George was serving in the Navy during World War II.
They had six children, including George W. Bush, who became the 43rd President of the United States, and Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida. Their daughter, Robin, died at the age of 3 from leukaemia.
Throughout George's political career, Barbara was a steadfast supporter and active campaigner4. She was known for her wit, charm, and down-to-earth personality, which made her a popular First Lady
Their marriage lasted 73 years until her death in 2018.
The Bushes celebrate George's election to Congress in 1966
MONEY AND FAME Bush's wealth primarily came from his successful oil business and his family's financial background. His fame grew through his long public service career, culminating in his presidency.
FOOD AND DRINK Bush was known for his love of simple American cuisine, particularly barbecued meats and Tex-Mex food. He also enjoyed Maine lobster, brownies and a good cup of coffee.
Time magazine revealed Bush's fondness for fried pork rinds with Tabasco sauce in March 1988 during a profile of his presidential campaign.
He famously disliked broccoli, even banning it from Air Force One.
MUSIC AND ARTS Bush had a broad appreciation for music, enjoying everything from country to classical. He also supported the arts through various cultural initiatives during his presidency.
LITERATURE Bush was an avid reader, enjoying biographies, historical texts, and novels. He often cited Winston Churchill as one of his literary and historical heroes.
NATURE Bush had a deep appreciation for nature, particularly the ocean. He enjoyed fishing, boating, and spending time at his coastal home in Kennebunkport, Maine.
PETS Bush had several pets, including Millie, an English Springer Spaniel. Millie was a famous "first dog" during his presidency, even "dictating" a best-selling book.
HOBBIES AND SPORTS Bush was an enthusiastic sportsman, enjoying golf, tennis, fishing, and boating. He also loved skydiving, completing several jumps even into his later years.
SCIENCE AND MATHS Bush supported scientific research and education during his presidency, advocating for space exploration and environmental protection.
PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Bush was an Episcopalian and his faith played a significant role in his life. He often spoke about the importance of faith, family, and service to others.
POLITICS Bush's political career was marked by his tenure as Vice President under Ronald Reagan and his own presidency. He focused on foreign policy, managing the end of the Cold War, the Gulf War, and advocating for a "kinder, gentler nation."
Bush had a successful business career, but politics, however, was his real calling. He bounced around different political gigs like a pinball in a pachinko machine – Congressman, UN ambassador, CIA director, you name it.
Eventually, he landed the coveted role of Vice President under the ever-coiffed Ronald Reagan. Then, in 1988, it was finally George's turn to take the Oval Office hot seat. Now, foreign policy was his wheelhouse. He helped steer the world through the tail-end of the Cold War, watched the Berlin Wall crumble like a stale donut, and even kicked some butt in the Gulf War, liberating Kuwait from that pesky Saddam Hussein.
On the domestic front, things were a bit bumpier than a Texas dirt road. He famously broke a campaign promise about taxes (sorry, folks, gotta fill those government coffers!), but hey, he did manage to sign some pretty cool stuff into law, like the Americans with Disabilities Act, which meant everyone could finally enjoy that sweet, sweet public restroom access.
By 1992, the American people were ready for a change, and George, unfortunately, got the boot. But hey, he didn't mope around like a teenager whose phone got confiscated. Instead, he became a champion for good causes, even working alongside his former political rival, Bill Clinton. Talk about burying the hatchet!
SCANDAL The most notable controversy during Bush's presidency was the Iran-Contra affair, which originated during Reagan's administration but involved actions taken by Bush as Vice President.
When George Bush visited Buckingham Palace in 1993 to receive his honorary knighthood, he picked up an equestrian-themed statuette and asked the Queen for more information. "I was hoping you could tell me," she replied. "You gave it to me."
MILITARY RECORD Bush enlisted in the Navy on his 18th birthday in 1943, becoming the youngest pilot in the Navy. He was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade) on August 1, 1944 and flew 58 combat missions, earning three Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross. His most harrowing experience was being shot down over the Pacific on September 2, 1944, and being the lone survivor of his squadron, rescued by the USS Finback.
Bush in his Grumman TBM Avenger on the carrier USS San Jacinto, 1944
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Bush maintained good health and physical fitness throughout most of his life, famously celebrating his 75th, 80th, 85th, and 90th birthdays with parachute jumps. In his later years, he was diagnosed with vascular parkinsonism, which affected his mobility.
HOMES Bush's primary residences included his family estate in Kennebunkport, Maine, and a home in Houston, Texas. He also spent time at the White House during his presidency.
TRAVEL Bush traveled extensively both personally and as part of his diplomatic missions. His travels included official state visits around the world and leisure trips to his beloved Kennebunkport.
DEATH George H.W. Bush passed away on November 30, 2018, at the age of 94 He died at his home in Houston, Texas.
The cause of Bush's death was vascular Parkinsonism, a rare condition that is believed to be caused by small strokes affecting the same brain structures impacted in Parkinson's Disease. This condition had gradually robbed Bush of his ability to walk and made it increasingly difficult for him to speak more than a few words at a time in his later years.
George H.W. Bush was laid to rest on December 6, 2018, at his presidential library in College Station, Texas. The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is located on the west campus of Texas A&M University.
Bush was buried next to his wife, Barbara Bush, who had passed away aged 92 earlier that year on April 17, 2018 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure, and their daughter, Robin, who died aged three. This fulfilled Bush's long-held wish to be laid to rest alongside his beloved family members
His service dog, Sully, was famously pictured sleeping next to his coffin during his state funeral.
APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Bush appeared in numerous interviews, documentaries, and news programs. He was also portrayed in various films and TV shows, reflecting his significant impact on American history.
ACHIEVEMENTS Bush's achievements include his leadership in the peaceful end of the Cold War, the successful execution of the Gulf War, his commitment to volunteerism, and his long legacy of public service. His presidency saw significant legislative accomplishments, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Clean Air Act.
NAME: Richard Burton (born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.)
WHAT FAMOUS FOR: Renowned for his powerful stage presence, deep voice, and his roles in classic films such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Cleopatra.
BIRTH: Born on November 10, 1925, in Pontrhydyfen, Wales.
FAMILY BACKGROUND: The twelfth of thirteen children born to Edith Maude Jenkins and Richard Walter Jenkins Sr., a coal miner.
CHILDHOOD: Grew up in a working-class family in Wales. After his mother's death when he was two, he was raised by his older sister, Cecilia, and her husband.
EDUCATION: Attended Port Talbot Secondary School. Showed an early talent for literature and acting, which was nurtured by his schoolteacher, Philip Burton, who later became his legal guardian and mentor. Won a scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford, to study acting
CAREER RECORD: Started his acting career on stage, gaining prominence with performances in Shakespearean plays. Transitioned to film in the 1950s, achieving international fame with roles in My Cousin Rachel (1952), The Robe (1953), Cleopatra (1963), and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966).
APPEARANCE: Known for his striking good looks, Burton was tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair, piercing blue eyes and commanding presence.
Studio publicity photo for 1953 film The Robe.
FASHION: Typically seen in classic, sophisticated attire both on and off-screen, often dressed in tailored suits.
CHARACTER: Complex. intense, prone to self-destruction, Burton was known for his intellectual depth, passion for his craft, and complex personality.
SENSE OF HUMOUR: Had a sharp, often sardonic wit, appreciated by friends and colleagues.
RELATIONSHIPS: Most famously married twice to actress Elizabeth Taylor. Their marriages lasted from March 15, 1964, to June 26, 1974, and from October 10, 1975, to July 29, 1976. Their first wedding was at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Montreal, and their second, secret wedding took place at a game park in Botswana.
He made 11 films with Elizabeth Taylor, plus one made-for-TV movie in 1973 entitled Divorce His, Divorce Hers.
In Divorce His, Divorce Hers (1973), his final film with Taylor
Also married to Sybil Williams (1949-1963) and later to Susan Hunt (1976-1982) and Sally Hay (1983 until his death).
MONEY AND FAME: Achieved significant wealth and fame, becoming one of the highest-paid actors of his time, but also faced financial difficulties due to his lavish lifestyle.
When he died, Burton left an estate worth US$4.58 million mainly consisting of real estate, investments in three countries and works of art.
Burton's on-again, off-again romance was a tabloid editor's dream, a whirlwind of passion, public spats, and enough jewels to blind a dragon.
FOOD AND DRINK: Known for his love of fine dining and notorious for his heavy drinking, which contributed to his health issues.
MUSIC AND ARTS: Passionate about classical music and theater; often attended performances and had a deep appreciation for the arts.
Richard Burton, a man whose voice could melt glaciers and whose appetites were equally impressive, carved out a career as a Shakespearean powerhouse in the 1950s. Remember Kenneth Tynan, the critic? He practically begged Burton to be the next Olivier, the heir apparent to the theatrical throne.
Well, that didn't quite pan out. Some folks grumbled that Burton never quite reached those lofty expectations, and his fondness for the demon drink didn't exactly polish his image of a wasted genius. Still, there's no denying he was one of the best actors of his time.
Academy Awards? Forget about that golden statue. Burton was nominated seven times, but never managed to snag the Best Actor prize. Tough break, considering the films: My Cousin Rachel, The Robe, even that Cold War spy flick The Spy Who Came In from the Cold. He did manage to snag a Tony Award for belting out tunes as King Arthur in Camelot, though.
By the mid-60s, Burton was a box office goldmine. We're talking mega-bucks, million-dollar paychecks, the whole Hollywood shebang.
LITERATURE: An avid reader with a profound love for literature, particularly poetry and the works of Shakespeare. Burton himself claimed his escape from a hardscrabble Welsh childhood wasn't acting, but books. Apparently, the man devoured a book a day.
From his childhood Burton was an ardent admirer of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.
Burton was widely admired for his command and understanding of English poetry, he taught it for a term at Oxford University in the early 1970s.
Burton once outdid Robert F. Kennedy in a Shakespeare sonnet-quoting contest by reciting a sonnet backward
Elizabeth Taylor once bought Burton a complete set of The Everyman Library as a present.
NATURE: Burton enjoyed the natural beauty of his native Wales and often spoke fondly of the Welsh landscape.
HOBBIES AND SPORTS: Burton enjoyed rugby and was a fan of the sport. Also interested in writing and often penned poetry and diaries.
SCIENCE AND MATHS: While not particularly known for an interest in these fields, Burton possessed a curious and analytical mind.
PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY: Burton engaged with philosophical and theological questions, often contemplating the meaning of life and existence.
Burton was an atheist, stating: "I wish I could believe in a God of some kind but I simply cannot."
POLITICS: Burton identified as a socialist and supported various progressive causes, influenced by his working-class background.
SCANDAL: His tumultuous relationships, particularly with Elizabeth Taylor, were a source of constant media scrutiny and public fascination. Their fiery and passionate romance began on the set of Cleopatra in 1963.
MILITARY RECORD: Burton served in the Royal Air Force during World War II as a navigator but did not see combat.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS: Burton struggled with alcoholism, which severely impacted his health. Suffered from various ailments, including cirrhosis of the liver.
HOMES: Burton lived in various luxurious homes around the world, including properties in Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
TRAVEL: He traveled extensively for work and pleasure, often spending time in Europe and the United States.
DEATH: Burton died aged 58 on August 5, 1984, in Céligny, Switzerland, from a cerebral hemorrhage. Although his death was sudden, his health had been declining for several years. Burton was buried at the Old Cemetery ("Vieux Cimetière") of Céligny with a copy of Dylan Thomas's poems.
APPEARANCES IN MEDIA: Featured in numerous films, television programs, and documentaries. His life and career have been the subject of various biographies and retrospectives.
ACHIEVEMENTS: Nominated for seven Academy Awards, won two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. Burton is remembered as one of the greatest actors of his generation.
WHAT FAMOUS FOR Edgar Rice Burroughs is famous for creating the character Tarzan and the series of novels set on Mars featuring John Carter.
BIRTH Edgar Rice Burroughs was born on September 1, 1875, in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
FAMILY BACKGROUND Burroughs was the fourth son of Major George Tyler Burroughs, a Civil War veteran and businessman, and Mary Evaline Burroughs (née Zieger).
CHILDHOOD Edgar Rice Burroughs grew up in a relatively affluent family, enjoying a comfortable upbringing in the bustling city of Chicago. He described himself as a restless and imaginative child.
EDUCATION Burroughs attended several schools: the Brown School, Miss Coolie's Maplehurst School for Girls (due to a diphtheria epidemic), the Harvard School, Phillips Andover, and the Michigan Military Academy. He was a mediocre student and failed his examination for West Point.
CAREER RECORD Burroughs worked in various jobs after his discharge from the army, including as a cowboy on a ranch in Idaho, a gold miner, a railroad policeman, and a stationery salesman. He began writing in 1911 and his writing career took off in 1912 with the serialization of his science fantasy story Under the Moons of Mars (later published as A Princess of Mars),
APPEARANCE Burroughs was of slightly above average height with dark hair and a robust build. He had a prominent nose and expressive eyes, often seen with a serious expression.
Edgar Rice Burroughs
FASHION Burroughs favored practical and comfortable clothing, often seen in suits when attending formal events, and more casual, rugged attire suitable for his various outdoor activities.
CHARACTER Edgar Rice Burroughs was known for his imagination, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit. He was also known to be a generous and caring individual.
SENSE OF HUMOUR While Edgar Rice Burroughs' writing isn't known for slapstick or overt comedy, his characters often engage in witty banter and lighthearted moments. His narratives sometimes employ a sense of irony, particularly when civilized characters encounter the "primitive" in his stories.
RELATIONSHIPS He was married twice, first to his childhood sweetheart Emma Centennia Hulbert in 1900, with whom he had three children. Their third and last child, John Coleman Burroughs (1913–1979), became known for his illustrations of his father's books.
Burroughs divorced Emma in 1934, and, in 1935, married the former actress Florence Gilbert Dearholt, who was the former wife of a friend. They divorced in 1941.
MONEY AND FAME Burroughs achieved considerable financial success and fame due to the popularity of his novels, particularly the Tarzan series, which were adapted into various media forms. In 1916, he received a then-record $5,000 cash advance for the film rights to Tarzan of the Apes.
FOOD AND DRINK Burroughs enjoyed simple, hearty meals. He was not known for being particularly indulgent in food or drink, preferring moderation.
MUSIC AND ARTS Though not a musician or artist himself, Burroughs appreciated the arts and often included detailed descriptions of music and cultural elements in his works.
LITERATURE Burroughs was an avid reader, drawing inspiration from adventure novels, pulp fiction, and the emerging science fiction genre. His own works have become classics of American literature and have sold hundreds of millions of copies in over thirty languages..
After leaving military college, Burroughs embarked on a series of what can only be described as "odd jobs. By 1911, he was hawking stationery, then, in a twist worthy of a pulp fiction masterpiece, Burroughs started writing. His first story? A tale about a feral child raised by apes in the African jungle. You might have heard of it. It was called Tarzan of the Apes, and it rocketed Burroughs to literary superstardom.
Burroughs wrote 26 Tarzan books. The success was phenomenal and Tarzan swung from the written word to the silver screen, raking in millions at the box office. Burroughs even named his California ranch "Tarzana" – a name that stuck when a whole town sprouted up around it.
Tarzan's first appearance, in the October 1912 issue of The All-Story
Burroughs wasn't a one-trick pony. He also penned a series about life on Mars, featuring the dashing hero John Carter, the Pellucidar series, the Amtor series, and the Caspak trilogy.
He passed away in 1950, leaving behind a legacy of fantastical adventures that have captivated readers for generations
NATURE Burroughs had a deep appreciation for nature, which is evident in his vivid descriptions of the wild and untamed landscapes in his novels.
PETS He was fond of animals and had several pets throughout his life, including dogs that he often mentioned in his personal letters. His love for animals is reflected in his creation of Tarzan, who communicates with and understands animals.
HOBBIES AND SPORTS Burroughs enjoyed horseback riding, fencing, and was an enthusiastic supporter of physical fitness. He also liked spending time outdoors, engaging in activities like hiking and hunting.
Burroughs became a pilot in the 1920s and encouraged his family to learn to fly.
SCIENCE AND MATHS While not particularly noted for his expertise in science and math, Burroughs showed a keen interest in the emerging fields of space exploration and aeronautics, which influenced his writing.
PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Burroughs was not overtly religious, but his works often explore themes of morality, justice, and the human condition, reflecting his philosophical musings.
Burroughs' ideas about race and heredity influenced his writing, with Tarzan embodying a particular vision of strength and superiority. These views are considered outdated and offensive by today's standards.
POLITICS He had conservative political views and was a vocal supporter of the United States' efforts in World War II, even serving as a war correspondent in the Pacific theater.
SCANDAL Burroughs' life was relatively scandal-free, though his divorce from his second wife, Florence, attracted some public attention.
MILITARY RECORD Burroughs served briefly with the 7th U.S. Cavalry and later joined the Illinois National Guard. During World War II, he was one of the oldest war correspondents, covering the conflict in the Pacific.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Burroughs remained active and physically fit well into his later years, advocating for a healthy lifestyle.
HOMES Burroughs was a man of many addresses. Throughout his life, he lived in various locations across the United States. These included Chicago, where he was born, Idaho during his unsuccessful business ventures, and California where he found literary success. The California town of Tarzana was even named after his most famous creation, Tarzan.
TRAVEL Burroughs traveled extensively, both within the United States and internationally, often drawing inspiration from his travels for his novels. However, despite writing a whopping 26 Tarzan books he never set foot in Africa
DEATH Burroughs died alone in his Encino, California, home on March 19, 1950, aged 74, after suffering a heart attack. He spent his last hour alive reading the Sunday comics in bed.
Burroughs was cremated, and his ashes were buried under a large walnut tree (though some sources mention a mulberry tree) in the front yard of his office building in Tarzana, California. This location is now part of the Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. property. (1)
APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Burroughs' legacy lives on through the numerous adaptations of his works. His iconic characters, Tarzan and John Carter, have been portrayed in countless films, television shows, and comic books.
ACHIEVEMENTS Burroughs authored over 70 novels, created iconic characters and fictional worlds, and left a lasting legacy in the genres of adventure and science fiction.
WHAT FAMOUS FOR Aaron Burr is famous for being the third Vice President of the United States and for his infamous duel with Alexander Hamilton, which resulted in Hamilton's death.
BIRTH Aaron Burr was born on February 6, 1756, in Newark, New Jersey.
FAMILY BACKGROUND Burr came from a prominent family. His father, Aaron Burr Sr., was a prominent minister and the second president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) His mother, Esther Edwards Burr, was the daughter of the famous theologian Jonathan Edwards.
CHILDHOOD Burr was orphaned at a young age; his father died when he was just 19 months old, and his mother died a year later. He and his sister Sarah were then raised by their wealthy maternal uncle, Timothy Edwards.
EDUCATION Burr entered the College of New Jersey at the age of 13 and graduated summa cum laude in 1772. He initially studied theology but later decided to pursue a career in law.
CAREER RECORD Burr served as an officer in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, later becoming a successful lawyer and politician. He served as New York State Attorney General, U.S. Senator from New York, and Vice President under Thomas Jefferson from 1801 to 1805.
APPEARANCE Burr was known to be of medium height with a slender but athletic build. He was handsome with piercing eyes, and a commanding presence.
Aaron Burr By John Vanderlyn -
FASHION Burr dressed in the fashion of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, often wearing well-tailored suits and maintaining a meticulous appearance.
CHARACTER Burr was intelligent, ambitious, and charismatic. However, he was also seen as cunning, manipulative, untrustworthy and controversial due to his political and personal actions.
SENSE OF HUMOUR Burr was known to have a sharp wit and a dry, sarcastic sense of humor, which he often used to charm and disarm those around him.
RELATIONSHIPS Burr married Theodosia Bartow Prevost, a widow, on July 2, 1782 at her home, The Hermitage. Their first child, Theodosia and the only one to survive to adulthood, was born on June 21, 1783. She was deeply cherished by Burr but predeceased him when she was lost at sea aged 29. Theodosia Bartow Prevost died in 1794.
Portrait of Theodosia Burr Alston by John Vanderlyn, c. 1815–1820
Burr was the father of at least three other children and he adopted two sons.
At the age of 77, Burr married a wealthy widow named Eliza Jumel in 1833. However, the marriage was short-lived, lasting only four months before they separated. Jumel filed for divorce, citing Burr's squandering of her fortune through land speculation losses. Their divorce was finalized on September 14, 1836, the day of Burr's death.
He had a son, John, with an Indian servant, Mary Eamons, who became a celebrated abolitionist and key figure in the Underground Railroad, confirmed by a DNA test.
MONEY AND FAME Burr experienced both wealth and financial difficulties throughout his life. He was well-known during his time, both for his political career and his infamous duel with Hamilton. Burr went broke speculatively buying parcels of land in upstate New York.
FOOD AND DRINK Burr likely enjoyed the finer foods and beverages available at the time.
MUSIC AND ARTS Burr appreciated the arts and was known to enjoy music, particularly the violin.
LITERATURE Burr was well-read and had a substantial personal library. He enjoyed literature and was known to be an avid reader of various subjects.
Burr once set out to write an official history of the Revolutionary War but was blocked by George Washington.
NATURE Burr had an appreciation for nature, often spending time outdoors, especially during his military campaigns.
HOBBIES AND SPORTS Burr enjoyed physical activities such as horseback riding and fencing, the latter being both a hobby and a skill he would tragically use in his duel with Hamilton.
SCIENCE AND MATHS Burr had a keen interest in various scientific and mathematical topics, reflecting his broad intellectual pursuits.
PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Raised in a religious family, Burr's early exposure to theology influenced his philosophical outlook, although he later distanced himself from strict religious dogma.
POLITICS Affiliated with the Democratic-Republican Party, Burr's political career was marked by his service as Vice President and his ambition, which often put him at odds with other founding fathers.
Aaron Burr, a smooth talker with a healthy dose of ambition, waded into the murky waters of American politics. He became a Democratic-Republican, aligning himself with Thomas Jefferson, another Founding Father with a bit of a rebellious streak.
Speaking of rebellion, 1800 rolls around, and there's a bit of a snafu in the presidential election. Jefferson and Burr tie! The whole thing goes to the House of Representatives, where, in a display of political mudslinging that would make today's Congress blush, a backroom deal gets Jefferson the presidency and Burr the consolation prize of Vice President. Awkward, much?
Well, buckle up, because things are about to get even more awkward. Burr, you see, had this thing with Alexander Hamilton, another Founding Father but one who fell squarely in the "not-a-fan" camp when it came to Burr. Their rivalry was legendary, fueled by personality clashes and political differences. It all came to a head in 1804, when pistols dawned and shots were fired. Hamilton, sadly, ended up the loser in that duel, leaving Burr with a murder charge hanging over his head and a reputation that would forever be, well, stained.
An early 20th century illustration of Burr (right) dueling with Hamilton
Now, you might think being wanted for murder would put a damper on your political career. Not for Aaron Burr! The man finished his term as Vice President like nothing happened, then hightailed it out of dodge to avoid those pesky murder charges. He even tried to cook up some harebrained schemes to carve out his own little empire in the American Southwest. Didn't exactly pan out.
SCANDAL In a tragic culmination of their long-standing feud, Aaron Burr fatally wounded Alexander Hamilton, the former US Treasury Secretary, in a pistol duel on July 11, 1804, near Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton died the following day after being transported to the Manhattan shore home of William Bayard.
He was later involved in a conspiracy, known as the Burr Conspiracy, aiming to create an independent nation in the center of North America and/or the Southwestern United States, for which he was tried and acquitted of treason.
Burr was the only Vice President ever accused of murder.
MILITARY RECORD Burr served with distinction in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Burr maintained good health for most of his life, staying physically active through his military service and personal hobbies. In his final years, he suffered multiple strokes that left him partially paralyzed and debilitated.
HOMES Burr lived in various places throughout his life, including:
New Jersey: Born in Newark, and likely spent some time there as a child.
New York City: Established himself as a lawyer and politician here. He also owned land in what is now the West Village, including a famous carriage house (11 Barrow Street) that still stands today.
Albany, New York: Served in the state legislature here.
Europe: After the duel with Hamilton and facing legal troubles, Burr spent time in Europe. Specific locations are not widely known.
Staten Island, New York: Died in Port Richmond in his later years.
TRAVEL Burr traveled extensively within the United States and spent time in Europe, particularly during his self-imposed exile after the duel with Hamilton.
DEATH Burr died on September 14, 1836, aged 80, in a boarding house on Staten Island, in the village of Port Richmond. The boarding house later became known as the St. James Hotel.
APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Burr has been depicted in various works of historical fiction, biographies, and notably in the Broadway musical Hamilton, where he is portrayed as a central figure.
Time Magazine named him the "worst vice president of the United States."
ACHIEVEMENTS Despite his controversial life, Burr's achievements include his service as Vice President, his military contributions during the Revolutionary War, and his successful legal career. His life remains a topic of fascination and study in American history.
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