Ulysses S. Grant

 NAME General Ulysses S. Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant. His famous middle initial “S” was a clerical error when he secured his nomination to West Point.

WHAT FAMOUS FOR 18th President of the United States (1869–1877), Commanding General of the Union Army during the Civil War, and the man to whom Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, effectively ending the war.

BIRTH Grant was born on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio, near the mouth of the Big Indian Creek at the Ohio River.  A year after his birth, the family moved to Georgetown, Ohio, where Grant spent his childhood.

Grant's birthplace in Point Pleasant, Ohio

FAMILY BACKGROUND He was the first of six children born to Jesse Root Grant and Hannah Simpson Grant. 

Grant's paternal ancestry traces back to Matthew Grant, who arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1630. Jesse Root Grant (1794-1873), was a self-reliant tanner and businessman who emerged from poverty to own successful leather goods stores in Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky. Jesse was a fervent abolitionist and Whig Party supporter.

Grant's mother, Hannah Simpson Grant (1798-1883), came from Pennsylvania parents who were staunch Jacksonian Democrats. She was described as reserved and "uncommonly detached," contributing to Grant's introverted nature. (1)

CHILDHOOD Grant had a quiet and largely uneventful childhood in Georgetown, Ohio, where his family moved when he was still a toddler. His father, Jesse, ran a tannery, but young Ulysses disliked the trade and avoided it whenever possible, preferring the outdoors and the family farm. From an early age he demonstrated a remarkable talent with horses—by the time he was seven or eight, he could drive a team and haul heavy loads. Neighbors often relied on him to train unruly horses or provide transportation, and he soon became locally renowned for his horsemanship.

Raised in a middle-class Methodist household, Grant was never baptized and was not forced to attend church. Unlike his younger siblings, he was rarely disciplined; his parents gave him unusual freedom, and he later remembered his childhood as generally happy. 

Among his peers, he was shy and awkward, often lacking confidence outside of his equestrian skills. Children in Georgetown teased him with the nickname “Useless”, a play on his chosen name “Ulyss” (from Ulysses). Though never more than schoolyard mockery, the label reflected the perception that he was an unpromising boy—an impression his later achievements would completely overturn.

EDUCATION Grant began his schooling at age five in a small subscription school before moving on to two private schools. He spent about four and a half years at what is now known as the Grant Schoolhouse, and then attended Dutch Hill School under teacher John D. White. He later described his early education as “indifferent,” recalling that many of his teachers were “incapable of teaching much.” (2)

In 1836–1837, he studied at Maysville Academy in Kentucky, followed by the Presbyterian Academy in Ripley, Ohio, in 1838–1839. In 1839, he secured an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Congressman Thomas L. Hamer mistakenly entered his name as Ulysses S. Grant instead of his birth name, Hiram Ulysses Grant. Rather than correct it, Grant kept the new name—partly to avoid the embarrassment of having his uniforms marked with “H.U.G.” (3)

At West Point (1839–1843), Grant was an average student overall, graduating 21st in a class of 39. He excelled in mathematics and horsemanship, setting a high-jump record on horseback that stood for nearly 25 years. Though he struggled with French, he also showed talent in art, particularly in topographical and landscape drawing.

CAREER RECORD  After graduating from West Point, he served with distinction in the Mexican-American War under Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott. 

Resigned his commission but failed at farming near St. Louis and various business ventures before moving to Galena, Illinois, in 1860 to work as a clerk in his father's leather goods store

Rejoined when the Civil War began.

Won decisive battles at Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga.

Promoted to Lieutenant General, he led Union forces in the Virginia campaigns of 1864, culminating in the siege of Petersburg and Lee’s surrender at Appomattox on April 9, 1865.

First officer promoted to General of the Army (1866).

APPEARANCE  Grant stood 5 feet 8 inches tall, which was above average for men of his era. He had a slim figure and weighed only 135 pounds during the Civil War, though he gained considerable weight in the White House. Staff officer Horace Porter described him as having "dark-gray eyes," a "square-shaped jaw," and being "slightly stooped". He had soft blue eyes, wavy brown hair, thin lips, and delicate hands with long, slim fingers. in his later years Grant sported a full beard and mustache, which became his trademark and wore false teeth. (4)

Constant Mayer's portrait of General Grant, 1866

At West Point, he was just 5 feet 1 inch tall but grew 6 inches by graduation.

FASHION Grant was known for his slovenly dress, earning demerits at West Point for poor appearance and tardiness. Throughout his military career, he was often criticized for his casual, unmilitary appearance, preferring simple, practical clothing over elaborate uniforms. He often wore a simple private's coat with his rank sewn on, and he rarely carried a sword.  Grant's unpretentious style of dress reflected his modest personality and contrasted sharply with the ornate military fashion of his contemporaries.

CHARACTER Grant was known for his quiet, reserved, and introspective nature. He was a man of great integrity and personal honesty, a trait that made him a poor judge of character in his associates. He was persistent, tenacious, and possessed a remarkable ability to remain calm under pressure. He had a deep sense of loyalty to his family and friends.

Grant rarely lost his temper—except when he witnessed cruelty to animals.

Some historians have speculated that Grant may have had traits consistent with Asperger's Syndrome, including social withdrawal, intensive concentration, and methodical techniques.

SPEAKING VOICE Grant had a distinctive voice that reflected his southwestern Ohio upbringing, using peculiarities of speech like "saying 'one thing or t'other,' slurring the words together". His voice was described as "soft, kindly," with a "clear, carrying quality" that was "exceedingly musical" and had "singular power of penetration". 

Despite this pleasant quality, Grant dreaded public speaking and his voice was often described as "low and croaking" during public addresses. He spoke clearly using simple words that made his talk easy to follow, though he was very reticent to speak on subjects he didn't know well. 

Grant never used profanity, with his strongest language being "Thunder and lightning!". (5)

SENSE OF HUMOUR Grant's sense of humor was subtle and dry. He was not known for telling jokes but would often make witty, understated remarks in private company. Those who knew him intimately found him to be "an excellent storyteller" once he trusted them. However, Grant was averse to cursing and sordid jokes. 

Mark Twain considered it one of his greatest triumphs when he successfully made the normally reserved General Grant laugh heartily at a Chicago event in 1879.  (5)

RELATIONSHIPS  Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent were married on August 22, 1848, at Julia's family home, the White Haven plantation, in St. Louis, Missouri.

The couple's engagement had lasted for four years due to Grant's service in the Mexican-American War. The wedding was a well-attended event by the Dent family's elite friends, though Grant's abolitionist parents did not attend because they disapproved of the Dents' slave ownership

Grant's marriage to Julia Dent was extraordinarily successful and lasted 37 years. Julia stood by Grant through his pre-war failures and believed in his potential. 

They had four children: Frederick Dent Grant, Ulysses Jr. ("Buck"), Ellen ("Nellie"), and Jesse. Grant was described as a doting, devoted father who tried to make up for his war-time absences. 

President Ulysses Grant and First Lady Julia Dent with their four children: 

He also had a close, respectful relationship with President Abraham Lincoln, who recognized his strategic genius when others did not. Grant's relationship with his commanding general William Tecumseh Sherman was one of deep trust and loyalty.

Confederate General James Longstreet, who stood as a groomsman at Grant’s wedding, later surrendered to him at Appomattox.

MONEY AND FAME Grant struggled financially throughout much of his life. His pre-war business ventures consistently failed, and he was devastated by the Panic of 1857. After his presidency, he was swindled in a financial scheme that left him bankrupt. 

On July 25, 1866, Congress created a new military rank: General of the Army. The first man to wear those stars was Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. With the promotion came a tidy salary—$400 a month, plus an allowance for fuel and housing. The only catch was that if Grant’s headquarters happened to be in Washington, the housing allowance dropped to $300 a month, as though living in the capital somehow made things cheaper. (3)

Facing terminal throat cancer and needing to provide for his family, Grant wrote his memoirs with Mark Twain's help. He earned $450,000 from the memoirs and died just two days after completing them. 

During his world tour (1877-1879), he was celebrated internationally as "the most popular man on the planet", though this fame couldn't restore his financial security until his final literary achievement.

FOOD AND DRINK Grant had very specific dietary preferences and aversions. He abhorred red meat of any kind and the sight of blood made him ill, insisting his meat be cooked "on the verge of being charred". He would not eat any kind of fowl, explaining "I could never eat anything that went on two legs". Grant was fond of pork and beans, fruit, and buckwheat cakes. (4)

Ulysses S. Grant was fond of cucumbers; during his military career and before becoming president, his breakfast typically consisted of a cucumber soaked in vinegar (essentially a quick pickle) and a cup of black coffee. 

He was a very sparse eater during the war but gained considerable weight in the White House. 

Regarding alcohol, Grant struggled with occasional binge drinking, particularly during periods of loneliness and depression, though historians debate whether he was truly an alcoholic. He appeared to control his drinking during active military campaigns, never allowing it to jeopardize his operations. His adjutant, John Rawlins, helped him stay sober

He was, however, a prodigious cigar smoker, a habit that likely contributed to his final illness.

MUSIC AND ARTS Grant had no ear for music, famously stating he knew only two tunes: "One is 'Yankee Doodle' and the other isn't". Despite his tone-deafness, he was enraptured by his wife Julia's singing voice and often asked her to sing hymns. 

Grant was, however, a talented visual artist. He excelled in drawing and painting at West Point, studying topographical and landscape drawing. He paid great attention to detail and preferred watercolors in his paintings. His artistic skills were essential for his military career, as officers needed to sketch accurate maps and fortifications. Grant's artwork from his cadet years still survives in museums.

LITERATURE Grant was an avid reader throughout his life, inheriting his father's thirst for education. Grant read aloud to his young family in the evenings, with Julia fondly recalling "listening to that dear voice doing so much to amuse and entertain me". (5)

His greatest literary achievement was his Personal Memoirs, written while dying of throat cancer. It is praised for its clear, concise prose and for providing a lucid account of his campaigns. The book became an immediate bestseller. 

Grant one day after completing his Memoirs, seen on the porch of the McGregor cabin,

NATURE Grant had a profound love for nature and a great affinity for animals. He was an expert horseman from a young age and felt most comfortable when surrounded by the outdoors. He had a lifelong aversion to hunting and was known for refusing to kill animals.

PETS Grant was particularly devoted to his horses, owning several famous mounts including Cincinnati, his wartime horse ho was with him at the surrender at Appomattox; Butcher Boy, a white pacer he purchased after being impressed by its speed; Egypt; Jeff Davis; and St. Louis. He also owned ponies named Billy Button and Reb. 

The Grant family had dogs including Faithful, a Newfoundland, and Rosie, described as a black-and-tan dog of no determinate breed. Grant would often take dinner in the stables and talk to both his horses and dogs while eating. During their world tour, the Grants acquired a St. Bernard named Ponto in Switzerland, who traveled back to America with them. 

Grant also had a parrot among his pets.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS He was a master of horsemanship, a skill that earned him accolades at West Point and was invaluable during his military career.

His son Frederick Grant wrote: “My father was the best horseman in the army, he rode splendidly and always on magnificent and fiery horses when possible to obtain one. He preferred to ride the most unmanageable mount, the largest and the most powerful one. Oftentimes I saw him ride a beast that none had approached.” (6)

General Ulysses S. Grant mounted on a horse at a Civil War military camp in City Point

Painting and drawing were favorite hobbies during his West Point years and continued throughout his life. He excelled in watercolor painting and sketching, with his works still displayed in museums. 

Grant also enjoyed reading and would spend evenings reading aloud to his family.

SCIENCE AND MATHS Grant excelled in mathematics throughout his academic career. His mathematical talent was remarkable given his lack of advanced training in Georgetown, where he "never saw an algebra, or other mathematical work higher than the arithmetic". After graduating from West Point, Grant attempted to become a mathematics professor there, demonstrating his aptitude for the subject. His mathematical skills served him well in military engineering and logistics during his army career. (2)

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY  Grant was raised in a Methodist household but, unusually for his time, was never baptized or required to attend church services. He preferred private prayer and never formally joined a denomination. 

He regarded the Bible as “an unmatched moral compass for life” and believed that “the mouth speaks what the heart is full of, either good or evil.” 

His moral outlook emphasized honesty, integrity, and humility, and he had a deep dislike for dishonesty or harsh, abusive language. These values carried into his leadership style, which reflected Christian principles of forgiveness and magnanimity—most clearly in his generous terms to Confederate forces at Appomattox.

POLITICS Ulysses S. Grant's political beliefs centered on the preservation of the Union, the protection of civil rights for African Americans, and national reconciliation after the Civil War. As a Republican president, Grant supported congressional Reconstruction, advocated for the Fifteenth Amendment granting suffrage regardless of race, and used federal power to prosecute the Ku Klux Klan and defend black citizens from violence in the South. 

Despite lacking deep interest in partisan politics, Grant believed in the supremacy of the legislative branch and sought to serve the whole nation, striving for racial equality, reconciliation between North and South, and economic stability. He also promoted civil service reform and the establishment of Yellowstone National Park, opposed the use of public office for private gain, and supported the separation of church and state.

PRESIDENCY  Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, spent eight years (1869–1877) steering the country through the aftershocks of the Civil War. It was not a quiet time. Reconstruction was in full swing, tempers were still raw, and the nation was trying to decide how on earth to put itself back together again. Into this walked Grant, a man who was not particularly fond of politics but who had an unshakable sense of duty—and a remarkable ability to look utterly unruffled while chaos swirled around him.

Official White House portrait of President Grant by Henry Ulke, 1875

Grant took civil rights more seriously than almost any president of the 19th century, which is saying something. He signed the Enforcement Acts and the Civil Rights Act of 1875, both aimed at keeping African Americans safe from violence and ensuring their right to vote. He created the Justice Department largely so it could go after the Ku Klux Klan, and he actually used federal troops to enforce the law—something his predecessors wouldn’t have dreamed of. During his presidency, all the former Confederate states were readmitted to the Union, and Black Americans were elected to Congress for the first time. For a man who wasn’t much for speeches, Grant left behind quite a roar.

On the home front, Grant worked to steady the economy, tried to clean up government patronage by creating the first Civil Service Commission, and, in a move that now seems brilliantly farsighted, signed Yellowstone into existence as the nation’s first national park. He also gave federal employees the eight-hour workday, which made him a small but important hero at quitting time.

Grant’s foreign policy was surprisingly calm and, at times, imaginative. He resolved a thorny dispute with Britain through arbitration (the Alabama Claims) and even tried to annex Santo Domingo (today’s Dominican Republic), though Congress shot that one down. His approach to Native American policy was mixed—part peace negotiations, part military campaigns—but it was at least an attempt at reform.

Unfortunately, for all his personal honesty, Grant had a knack for surrounding himself with people who weren’t. His presidency became synonymous with scandals—most famously the Whiskey Ring and the Black Friday gold panic. Add in the financial collapse of 1873, which set off a long depression, and his administration sometimes seemed less like a government than an ongoing cautionary tale.

And yet, history has been kind to Grant. Once dismissed as a blundering soldier who stumbled into the presidency, he is now remembered as a defender of civil rights, a man who fought to preserve the Union not only on the battlefield but also in the courts and legislatures. He gave the country Yellowstone, civil service reform, and—perhaps most important—a reminder that honesty at the top does matter, even if the people around you are a little less scrupulous.

SCANDAL Grant's presidency was plagued by several high-profile scandals, not because of his personal dishonesty, but because of his poor judgment in choosing associates. The most infamous was the Whiskey Ring scandal, a conspiracy among liquor distillers and government officials to defraud the government of millions of dollars in tax revenue. He was also hurt by the "Black Friday" gold scandal, where speculators Jay Gould and James Fisk attempted to corner the gold market, using their association with Grant to fuel speculation. Other scandals included the Salary Grab Act and corruption in various federal departments. Grant's poor judgment in choosing associates and excessive loyalty to subordinates limited his effectiveness in addressing these issues.

MILITARY CAREER Ulysses S. Grant is remembered as the Union’s great general, the man who finally figured out how to win the Civil War. It wasn’t an obvious destiny. After graduating from West Point in 1843, he did well enough in the Mexican-American War but quit the army in 1854 and spent several spectacularly unsuccessful years trying to farm, sell real estate, and even flog firewood on street corners. When the Civil War broke out, however, he dusted off his uniform, rejoined the army, and—almost bewilderingly—proved himself indispensable.

He began as colonel of the 21st Illinois Infantry but was soon a brigadier general, largely because there weren’t many officers around who actually knew how to command troops. At Fort Donelson in 1862, he won the first major Union victory of the war and earned the unforgettable nickname “Unconditional Surrender Grant,” which sounds almost like something cooked up by a newspaper headline writer after too much whiskey. Speaking of whiskey, Grant was known to enjoy it in quantities that alarmed Lincoln’s advisers, many of whom wanted him fired. Lincoln, having already endured the plodding incompetence of other Union commanders, famously replied: “I can’t spare this man. He fights.”

And fight he did. Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga—each battle bore his stamp: relentless, unglamorous, but effective. By 1864, Lincoln promoted him to lieutenant general and gave him command of all Union armies. Grant’s approach was simple and terrifying: keep pressing until the enemy broke. Against Robert E. Lee in Virginia, that meant month after month of bloody encounters, capped by the siege of Petersburg. When Lee finally surrendered at Appomattox on April 9, 1865, Grant, to his immense credit, refused to gloat. As Union cannons began booming in celebration, he told his men to stop. “The war is over,” he said. “The rebels are our countrymen again.”

Defeated by Grant, Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House by Thomas Nast

In the end, Grant was the only general of the war to accept the surrender of three Confederate armies. His reputation took a beating in the years afterward—critics called him a “butcher” for the heavy casualties his armies sustained—but history has been kinder. Today he is recognized as a military innovator who mastered logistics, coordinated vast campaigns with uncanny skill, and, above all, understood that victory came from constant pressure, however grim. He may have been modest, awkward, and fond of a drink, but he preserved the Union, which is no small thing.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS  At West Point, he developed a nagging cough, hoarseness, and weight loss typical of tuberculosis, a disease prevalent in the Grant family. 

General Ulysses Grant was plagued by migraines every few weeks, a torment he treated with a curious home remedy: soaking his feet in a hot mustard bath in a darkened room and swallowing one of his wife Julia’s special pills. Usually, this odd ritual worked—he’d sleep for a couple of hours and wake restored.

But in the tense days leading up to the Civil War’s end, no remedy seemed strong enough. For two days he endured a fierce, unrelenting migraine that resisted both mustard and medicine. Then came Robert E. Lee’s note offering surrender. As Grant read the message, the pain vanished as suddenly as if it had never been there. (3)

Grant's most serious health issue was throat cancer, first noticed in June 1884 when he experienced pain while eating peaches. Dr. John Hancock Douglas diagnosed the cancer in October 1884, identifying a growth on the right posterior faucial pillar. The cancer progressively worsened, causing severe pain, difficulty swallowing, and over 40 pounds of weight loss. He relieved pain by gargling wine laced with cocaine.

HOMES Grant’s life was marked by frequent moves, a reflection of both his military career and his shifting fortunes. He grew up in his family’s home in Georgetown, Ohio, before heading to West Point and later postings at military installations such as Jefferson Barracks in Missouri—where he met Julia Dent. The couple lived for a time at her family’s plantation, White Haven, where Grant tried his hand as a farm manager, and later at a small farm he called Hardscrabble. His early civilian ventures met with little success, and by 1860 he had moved his family to Galena, Illinois, to work in his father’s leather store.

After the Civil War, Galena’s grateful citizens presented him with a handsome Italianate house at 511 Bouthillier Street, which remained his official residence during his presidency, though the Grants, of course, lived primarily in the White House from 1869 to 1877. Following his time in office, Grant settled in New York City, but his final home was far quieter—a cottage on Mount McGregor in upstate New York, where he spent his last months writing his celebrated memoirs before his death in 1885.

TRAVEL After leaving the White House, Grant embarked on a remarkable two-and-a-half-year world tour, becoming the first former U.S. president to circumnavigate the globe. On May 16, 1877, he and Julia set sail from New York to Liverpool aboard the SS Indiana, crossing the Atlantic in style. Their journey carried them through Europe, where Grant met luminaries such as Queen Victoria, Otto von Bismarck, and Pope Leo XIII.

The tour then took a decidedly exotic turn. The Grants visited Egypt, sailed up the Nile, explored the Holy Land, and traveled through Russia and Austria. In Asia, they toured Burma, Singapore, Vietnam, Siam, China, and Japan, where Grant made history as the first person to shake the Japanese Emperor’s hand. The couple returned home via Cuba and Mexico, finally arriving in San Francisco on September 20, 1879.

Grant returns to the United States, at San Francisco, 1879, aboard the City of Tokyo

The world tour not only rejuvenated Grant’s public reputation but also showcased America’s growing international stature, with the former president warmly received as a symbol of his nation’s rising influence on the global stage.

DEATH Grant died on July 23, 1885, at Mount McGregor, New York, at age 63 from throat cancer. The cancer was diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma (then called "epithelioma") in February 1885. His final months were marked by excruciating pain, difficulty swallowing, and massive weight loss. Grant received palliative care including cocaine and morphine for pain relief. Despite his suffering, he completed his memoirs just two days before his death, earning $450,000 for his family. His death was peaceful, with Julia and his children at his bedside. 

Grant's funeral was one of the largest in American history, reflecting his status as a national hero.

His body was laid to rest in a magnificent tomb on the banks of the Hudson River in New York City, now known as Grant's Tomb.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Grant has been portrayed in numerous films, documentaries, and television programs about the Civil War and American history. Ken Burns' acclaimed documentary The Civil War featured extensive coverage of Grant's military leadership. Notable portrayals include those in the film Lincoln (2012) and the television series Grant (2020).

Grant's memoirs remain in print and are considered among the finest military autobiographies ever written. 

His life and career continue to be subjects of historical biographics and scholarly works, with recent biographers like Ron Chernow providing fresh perspectives on his character and achievements.

His image has appeared on U.S. currency, most notably the $50 bill.

ACHIEVEMENTS Civil War hero and Commanding General of the Union Army.

First General of the Army.

18th President of the United States.

Oversaw passage of the 15th Amendment and early civil rights legislation.

Authored the highly praised Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant.

Sources (1) William S. McFeely (1981) Grant: A Biography (2) Ohio History Connection (3) Encyclopaedia of Trivia (4) The College of St Scholastica (5) Grant Cottage (6) Grant Home Page 

Cary Grant

NAME Cary Grant — born Archibald Alexander Leach He legally changed his name to Cary Grant when he became a naturalized United States citizen on June 26, 1942.

WHAT FAMOUS FOR One of classic Hollywood’s most elegant leading men: a suave screen actor known for his debonair persona, impeccable comic timing and romantic leads in films of the 1930s–1960s. He was honoured with an Honorary Oscar in 1970 (presented by Frank Sinatra) for his contribution to cinema.

BIRTH Grant was born on January 18, 1904, at 15 Hughenden Road in Horfield, a suburb of Bristol, England. 

FAMILY BACKGROUND Grant came from an impoverished working-class family in Bristol. He was the second child of Elias James Leach and Elsie Maria Leach (née Kingdon). His father worked as a tailor's presser at a clothes factory, while his mother worked as a seamstress. His older brother John William Elias Leach had died of tuberculous meningitis two days before his first birthday in 1900.

His paternal grandfather John Leach, born in 1842, was recorded as a potter on the 1881 census. After John's death in 1890 at age 48, his widow Elizabeth became a tailoress to support her large family of ten children. Two of her sons followed her into the tailoring industry, with Elias working as a tailor's presser. Grant's maternal family background included the surname Kingdon.

CHILDHOOD Grant had an extremely traumatic and unhappy childhood marked by poverty and family tragedy. When he was nine years old, his father placed his mother in Glenside Hospital, a squalid mental institution, and told him she had gone away on a "long holiday," later declaring that she had died. 

Cary Grant did not discover the truth about his mother's confinement until he was 31 years old, shortly before his father's death in 1935. Until that time, Grant believed his mother had either left the family or died, as his father had told him she was "gone on a long holiday" and later claimed she was dead. The revelation — that his mother had survived 20 years in a mental asylum (Glenside Hospital and then other institutions), abandoned and hidden by his father — haunted him profoundly for the rest of his life and deeply affected his personal relationships and sense of identity. After learning the truth, Grant arranged for her discharge and cared for her until her death

After his mother's institutionalization, Grant and his father moved into his grandmother's home in Bristol. When Grant was ten, his father remarried and started a new family. Grant's wife Dyan Cannon later described his childhood as "just horrendous".

Archibald  found solace in the theatre, working evenings at Bristol playhouses while still at school. He befriended a troupe of acrobatic dancers known as The Penders or the Bob Pender Stage Troupe and in 1917, at just 13 years old, he forged a letter “purportedly from my own father” to Bob Pender, enclosing a snapshot of himself. In the letter, he conveniently neglected to mention that he was under fourteen and therefore not legally allowed to leave school. Using this deception, he briefly joined Pender’s troupe in Norwich, but his father found him and hauled him back to Bristol.

EDUCATION Grant attended Bishop Road Primary School from age 4 when his mother sent him there in 1908. The school, which opened in 1896, was notable for educating both Cary Grant and Nobel Prize winner Paul Dirac. 

In 1915, Grant won a scholarship to attend Fairfield Grammar School in Bristol, although his father could barely afford to pay for the uniform. He was capable in most academic subjects but excelled at sports, particularly fives. 

Fairfield Grammar School by Sharon Loxton

On March 13, 1918, the 14-year-old Grant was expelled from Fairfield for various infractions including being discovered in the girls' lavatory. Grant's expulsion ended his formal education, and he rejoined Bob Pender's acrobatic troupe three days after being expelled.

CAREER RECORD Began as a stage performer with Bob Pender’s Stage Troupe — initially a stilt walker, learning pantomime and acrobatics.

At 16 (1920) he travelled to the United States on the RMS Olympic for a two-year tour; the troupe’s Broadway show Good Times ran for 456 performances.

After the troupe returned to Britain he chose to stay in the U.S., embedding himself in vaudeville, then moving into films and becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

APPEARANCE Grant was 6 feet 0.5 inches (1.84 m) tall with strikingly handsome features and dark hair that made him one of Hollywood's most attractive leading men. He was known for his signature tan and immaculately groomed appearance. His good looks were evident from an early age, making him a popular figure at school. Grant's appearance was carefully maintained throughout his career, contributing to his status as the epitome of masculine glamour.

A childhood skating accident left him one tooth short; a dentist later pushed the remaining teeth together to hide the gap — an idiosyncratic detail behind that famously perfect grin. (1)

Cary Grant in 1958 By farid_s_v. - Flickr.

FASHION Cary Grant was regarded as a timeless style icon, embodying an effortless kind of elegance that never went out of fashion. His approach to dressing was rooted in refinement, simplicity, and flawless tailoring. He preferred slim-cut, single-breasted navy suits worn with crisp white shirts and spread collars, a combination that became a signature look. For warmer months, he turned to lightweight blazers in neutral tones, pairing them with sleek leather oxfords and understated accessories such as tortoiseshell frames and simple gold cufflinks. His ties were typically 3 to 3.5 inches wide, chosen in solid colors or discreet patterns that complemented rather than distracted. 

Grant’s philosophy was to let good tailoring and restraint do the work, resulting in outfits that could be formal or casual, but always polished, never fussy.

CHARACTER Beneath Cary Grant’s polished exterior lay a man plagued by insecurity and self-doubt. His confidence, so dazzling on screen, was in many ways a careful construction. Privately, he wrestled with the lifelong question of how Archie Leach had become Cary Grant, never fully at ease with the persona he created. His traumatic childhood left him wary of intimacy, and he was known to be controlling in relationships, struggling to form lasting attachments. Though his public image was one of charm, wit, and sophistication, in private he was complex and often conflicted.

Accounts describe him as meticulous to the point of stinginess—charging for autographs, keeping exhaustive expense records, even counting logs on the fire and bottles of liquor—yet he could also be strikingly generous, as when he donated his earnings from The Philadelphia Story to the British war effort. 

Later in life, he turned to psychotherapy and became a vocal proponent of LSD therapy in the 1950s, using it in an attempt to probe the roots of his failed marriages and unresolved childhood trauma. The contrast was stark: publicly urbane and debonair, privately restless and searching.

SPEAKING VOICE His voice was instantly recognizable: a smooth, cultured, and transatlantic accent. It was a careful blend of his native Bristolian working-class dialect and the polished American speech he cultivated to sound more sophisticated.  His accent was not put on for movies but developed organically as he lived and performed in both the UK and US when young.  

SENSE OF HUMOUR Grant possessed natural comedic talent that contributed significantly to his success. He was known for his perfect comic timing and ability to excel in screwball comedies. Grant could be dangerous, mysterious, lovable, romantic, hilarious, extremely sexy, and just plain gorgeous, often throwing all of that at audiences at once. His sense of humor was evident both on and off screen, and he was known for his quick wit and ability to deliver dialogue with perfect timing.

Grant was a master of physical comedy, a testament to his vaudeville training.

RELATIONSHIPS Cary Grant was married five times. 

Virginia Cherrill: Married on February 9, 1934, at the Caxton Hall register office in London. Cherrill was a British actress, best known for her role in Charlie Chaplin's City Lights. They divorced in March 1935 following charges that he had hit her.. The divorce case was bitter with Cherrill demanding $1,000 a week from him in benefits from his Paramount earnings and widely reported in the press

Barbara Hutton: Married in 1942, location reportedly California. Hutton was the Woolworth heiress and one of the wealthiest women in the world - the press dubbed them “Cash and Cary.” They divorced in 1945, but remained fond friends.. 

Betsy Drake: Married on December 25, 1949, in a private ceremony aboard the ocean liner SS Île de France in the Atlantic Ocean while en route to Europe. An American actress and writer, she co-starred with Grant in several films. Drake and Grant separated in 1958, divorcing on August 14, 1962. It was his longest marriage

Dyan Cannon: Married on July 22, 1965 at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas. An actress and singer,  she was 33 years younger than him. Dyan Cannon described her first dinner at Cary Grant’s house “the strangest date of my life.” Instead of a candlelit table, Grant instructed her to eat her meal perched on his bed while they watched the medical drama Dr. Kildare on television. (1)

They had a daughter, Jennifer Diane Grant, Grant's only child, born February 26, 1966, when he was 62. 

Grant was abusive towards Cannon and they divorced in March 1968.

Jennifer and Cary Grant, Century Plaza Hotel - President's Suite 1976

Barbara Harris: Married on April 11, 1981 in California. A British hotel public relations agent 46 years his junior., they first met in 1976 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, where Harris was working at the time and Grant was attending a Fabergé conference. They remained together until his death.

Grant had numerous affairs and relationships, including an intense affair with Sophia Loren while married to Betsy Drake. 

He shared a house with actor Randolph Scott for ten years after meeting him on the set of Hot Saturday in 1932.

MONEY AND FAME Grant was known as one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood and the first actor to work as an independent, not on contract with a film studio. He made around $300,000 per film as a freelance actor. 

Grant invested his money well and served on the board of Rayette-Fabergé for 18 years after retiring from acting. He was extremely wealthy at the time of his death, with a net worth of around $60 million (approximately $130-166 million in today's money). 

Despite his wealth, he was notoriously frugal and accused of being a cheapskate. He charged fans 15 cents for an autograph, kept detailed logs about his spending, and never picked up restaurant tabs. 

His marriage to Barbara Hutton associated him briefly with one of the era’s great fortunes and tabloid storylines.

FOOD AND DRINK  He had a recipe for award-winning oven barbecued chicken, and was known to enjoy quintessential American foods.

Food anecdotes are part of his lore: his favourite foods included Nathan’s Coney Island hot dogs and classic fish and chips. When visiting the UK he would stop at Rendezvous Fish Bar in Bristol to buy fish and chips and eat them in his Rolls-Royce. (1)

Grant's favorite drink was a "Port Wine Sangaree," which he regularly ordered at Delmonico's restaurant. The cocktail featured port, rum, brandy, bitters, and maple syrup. (2)

Grant was photographed with cigars and cigarettes but actually despised smoking, as it was one of the risk factors typically associated with strokes.

MUSIC AND ARTS His mother had taught him song and dance when he was four and was keen on his having piano lessons.

Grant's early exposure to the arts came through visiting the theater with his father, particularly pantomimes at Christmas. At age 13, he was responsible for the lighting for magician David Devant at the Bristol Empire in 1917. . 

Grant enjoyed performances of Charlie Chaplin, Chester Conklin, Fatty Arbuckle, Ford Sterling, Mack Swain, and Broncho Billy Anderson at the cinema. 

His early experiences in the theatrical world honed his skills in timing, stage presence, and audience engagement.

MOVIE CAREER If you were to draw up a list of unlikely training grounds for one of Hollywood’s most elegant leading men, an acrobatic troupe from Bristol would surely be near the top. Yet that’s exactly where Cary Grant—then still plain Archie Leach—got his start. As a teenager he signed on with Bob Pender’s troupe, the kind of outfit that specialized in tumbling, pratfalls, and the sort of daredevil antics designed to make mothers wince. The group toured America, where Archie quickly fell in love with vaudeville, Broadway lights, and the distinct possibility that show business might be a lot more fun than working in the Bristol docks.

By the early 1920s, he was in New York for good, popping up in productions like Good Times and Shubert’s Boom-Boom. He wasn’t yet Cary Grant, but audiences noticed the comic timing, the athletic grace, and the way he seemed to glide through scenes as if he’d been born wearing tap shoes. It was here—in chorus lines, comedy sketches, and endless nights on the boards—that Archie Leach began fine-tuning the wit and polish that would one day make him Hollywood’s suavest leading man.

Grant’s film debut came in 1932’s This Is the Night, where he was cast as a javelin thrower—a part he didn’t much care for but which prompted critics to remark on his striking looks and screen presence. 

The 1930s brought a series of dramas and comedies, but it was the Mae West pairings (She Done Him Wrong and I’m No Angel) that gave him the nudge into stardom. West had a way of making her co-stars memorable, and Cary was no exception.

By the late 1930s, he’d found his sweet spot in screwball comedy, the genre in which he positively sparkled. Films like The Awful Truth, Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, and The Philadelphia Story showcased his unmatched comic rhythm and “light touch.” He could tumble across a room in pursuit of Katharine Hepburn’s leopard one moment and then deliver a line so silky you barely noticed he’d just upended a chair.

Unlike most stars of his time, Grant had the temerity to break away from studio contracts. Becoming Hollywood’s first major freelance actor, he picked his own scripts and negotiated profit shares—moves that were both revolutionary and wonderfully self-serving.

The 1940s and ’50s saw him seamlessly hop between high drama (Penny Serenade, None but the Lonely Heart), which earned him two Oscar nominations, and lighter adventures with Ingrid Bergman (Indiscreet), Sophia Loren (Houseboat), and Audrey Hepburn (Charade). His collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock—Suspicion, Notorious, To Catch a Thief, and North by Northwest—are still regarded as some of the most stylish marriages of suspense and sophistication in cinema.

By the time he retired after Walk, Don’t Run in 1966, Grant had starred in 76 films and established himself as the patron saint of debonair charm. He left the screen not with a grand farewell, but simply to enjoy family life—proof that even Hollywood’s most polished leading man preferred a quiet exit.

LITERATURE  Cary Grant was a lifelong reader with broad intellectual interests, who was especially drawn to books about philosophy, psychology, and self-help. 

Grant worked on an unpublished autobiography that provided insights into his life and career. Excerpts from his unpublished autobiography were featured in documentaries about his life. 

NATURE Grant had a fondness for the ocean and enjoyed spending time on his yacht. During his marriage to Barbara Hutton in the 1940s, the couple traveled and entertained aboard the famous yacht "Lady Hutton" (also known as Mälardrottningen), which Hutton had received as a gift and later sailed with Grant. 

PETS Grant was known to be a dog lover who owned several pets throughout his life. Among the dogs he owned were a Scottish Terrier named Archie Leach (his own real name) and a dachshund.

He was photographed walking a Siamese cat in Beverly Hills in 1955 (see below). 

Source Reddit

HOBBIES AND SPORTS  Grant excelled at sports during school, particularly fives — a kind of handball played against the walls — and his early apprenticeship with an acrobatic troupe left him with a toolkit few leading men could boast: pantomime, juggling, slapstick sketches, and a knack for balancing on stilts. These skills were not just parlor tricks. They threaded through his career, surfacing in pratfalls, nimble escapes, and, most famously, in North by Northwest, where at 54 he was still sprinting across open fields with unnerving speed for a man in a tailored suit.

His comic timing in films like The Awful Truth even hinted at martial arts training — Grant once slipped a move resembling judo or karate into a tussle without breaking a sweat. 

Offscreen, he carried his love of movement into tennis and golf, staying fit with the same dedication he brought to polishing his on-screen persona. 

Later, as wealth and celebrity settled around him, his hobbies expanded into the leisurely pursuits of yachts, cars, and extended voyages, though he never quite lost the physical poise that began with cartwheels and circus tricks back in Bristol.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Grant was a student of philosophy and self-improvement and underwent LSD therapy in the 1950s and 1960s as a means of addressing his "prolonged emotional detachment" issues.  The therapy was seen as Grant's way of addressing his deep psychological issues and finding some form of spiritual or emotional healing.

POLITICS Grant was politically conservative and a Republican, but preferred to keep his political views relatively private.. He introduced First Lady Betty Ford at the 1976 Republican National Convention, where he spoke about equal rights for women and expressed his support for women being treated as "intelligent equals". 

SCANDAL Grant faced persistent rumors throughout his career about his sexuality, particularly regarding his 12-year cohabitation with actor Randolph Scott. The 1934 photo shoot of Grant and Scott depicted them as a happy couple, which caused panic at Paramount Studios and forced Grant into his first marriage. His daughter Jennifer Grant has consistently denied rumors about his sexuality, stating she never saw evidence of homosexuality and would have supported him if he had been gay. Grant openly admitted that each of his ex-wives had accused him of being homosexual.

Grant has been accused of abusing two of his wives, with allegations that he "threw" his first wife Virginia Cherrill "to the floor" and "beat" his third wife Dyan Cannon "with his fists." (3)

His openness about LSD use and public therapy was eyebrow-raising at the time.

MILITARY RECORD Grant did not serve in the military during World War II. However, he worked for the British Security Coordination (BSC) during World War II, a covert organization established by British MI6. Grant was involved in efforts to monitor suspected Nazi sympathizers within the Hollywood community. 

Grant donated his entire salary from The Philadelphia Story (1940) to the British war effort and after becoming an American citizen in 1942, his salary from Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) to U.S. War Relief. 

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Grant maintained excellent physical condition throughout much of his life, with his acrobatic training contributing to his athletic abilities. He was a proponent of a healthy diet and regularly exercised.

He suffered from anxiety and depression throughout his life. 

HOMES Grant's primary residence was a Beverly Hills estate that he purchased in 1946 for approximately $46,000. The property was located on nearly 3 acres with sweeping views from downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Ocean. Grant continuously renovated the circa-1940s house throughout his ownership, though he later regretted not completely rebuilding it from the start. 

His widow Barbara Harris inherited the property and eventually tore down the original house, building a contemporary 15,700-square-foot mansion that was listed for $77.5 million in 2025. 

Grant also lived at various addresses in Bristol during his childhood, including 50 Berkeley Road, where a national blue plaque was unveiled in 2024.

TRAVEL Grant developed a love of travel early in life, which was strengthened during his time as a messenger boy at Southampton docks. His passion for travel was one of his primary motivations, as he stated: "I had no definite ambition... I knew I loved travel". This wanderlust led him to join the acrobatic troupe that toured internationally, and eventually brought him to America, where he decided to stay. Throughout his career, Grant continued to travel extensively for both work and pleasure.

DEATH Cary Grant died on November 29, 1986, at 11:22 PM at St. Luke's Hospital in Davenport, Iowa, from a massive stroke. He was 82 years old. 

Grant had been scheduled to perform in A Conversation with Cary Grant at the Adler Theatre but felt ill during rehearsal. He was taken to his hotel room and then to the hospital, where he never regained consciousness. Dr. James Gilson, who treated Grant, said nothing could have been done even if he had been brought to the hospital earlier. Grant's reported final words were "I'm sorry that I can't go on," apologizing for not being able to perform. 

His body was flown back to California the next day for cremation with no funeral, as he had requested in his will.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA A major figure of classic Hollywood: star of numerous celebrated films (his filmography is the principal record of his media presence). He later performed a one-man show, A Conversation with Cary Grant, and his life continued to be pictured in photographs and profiles.

Grant has been the subject of numerous documentaries and media appearances, including Becoming Cary Grant (2017), a revealing documentary featuring excerpts from his unpublished autobiography and footage shot by Grant himself. 

Grant was played by John Gavin in the 1980 made-for-television biographical film Sophia Loren: Her Own Story, and by James Read in the 1987 TV serialisation Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story. A 2023 ITV drama titled Archie starring Jason Isaacs was created about his life. 

Multiple biographical works have been written about him, including Scott Eyman's Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise.

ACHIEVEMENTS Longstanding Hollywood stardom across decades.

Significant box-office and critical success in leading roles.

Honorary Academy Award (1970) for lifetime contribution to motion pictures.

Noted philanthropic gesture: donating his Philadelphia Story earnings to the British war effort and Arsenic and Old Lace earnings to U.S. War Relief .

Naturalized U.S. citizen who successfully reinvented himself from itinerant stage performer to one of film’s most enduring icons.

Sources: (1) Encyclopaedia of Trivia (2) Appetito (3) Buzzfeed

Ariana Grande

NAME Ariana Grande-Butera

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Pop singer, songwriter, and actress known for her four-octave vocal range, chart-topping hits, early Nickelodeon roles, and her starring role as Glinda in the 2024 film adaptation of Wicked.

BIRTH Ariana Grande-Butera was born on June 26, 1993, in Boca Raton, Florida. 

FAMILY BACKGROUND Grande is the daughter of Joan Grande, the Brooklyn-born CEO of Hose-McCann Communications, a manufacturer of marine communications equipment owned by the Grande family since 1964, and Edward Butera, a graphic design firm owner in Boca Raton. She is of Italian descent with Sicilian and Abruzzese roots. 

She has an older half-brother, Frankie Grande, who is a dancer, actor, and social media personality.

Her parents separated when she was eight or nine years old, an experience she later described as traumatic and identity-shaking.. 

She had a close relationship with her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Grande. 

CHILDHOOD Stage-obsessed from a young age, Grande performed with the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theater, playing her first role as the title character in the musical Annie. She also performed in their productions of The Wizard of Oz and Beauty and the Beast. 

At age eight, she performed at a karaoke lounge on a cruise ship and with various orchestras such as South Florida's Philharmonic, Florida Sunshine Pops and Symphonic Orchestras. 

At age 8, she sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Florida Panthers' home game against the Chicago Blackhawks on January 16, 2002. 

At age ten, she co-founded the South Florida youth singing group "Kids Who Care," which performed for charitable fund-raising events and raised over half a million dollars for good causes in 2007 alone.

EDUCATION Grande attended Pine Crest School and later North Broward Preparatory School in Florida. Her favorite subject in school was science. 

Grande was once turned away by the teacher who ran her school’s choir club, Pine Crest’s Cool Cats Choir—a tidy origin story for a future pop powerhouse.

She left school to pursue her music career but continued to be enrolled so that her tutors could send her materials and help her study. She graduated in 2012.

CAREER RECORD 2008 Grande's career began at age 15 when she landed a role as Charlotte in the Broadway musical 13, earning her a National Youth Theatre Association Award. 

2010-14 She gained widespread recognition playing Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon series Victorious (2010-2013) and its spinoff Sam & Cat (2013-2014). 

2013 Grande launched her music career launched in 2013 with her debut album Yours Truly,

APPEARANCE Grande is 5 feet tall (1.54 meters) and has a birthmark on her left shoulder and a dimple on her left cheek. Her natural hair is brown and curly, though she's famous for her signature high ponytail hairstyle. She has undergone some minor cosmetic procedures over the years.

Grande in 2013 by By Melissa Rose, 

FASHION Grande’s fashion journey has shifted dramatically as her career has unfolded. In her Nickelodeon era (2010–2012), she leaned into a playful, girlish aesthetic with strapless pink dresses and minimal makeup. By 2013–2014, sequins, florals, and other eye-catching details became part of her look, keeping things cute and artsy while adding a touch of flash. Between 2016–2017, her style grew darker, more glamorous, and overtly sultry. A turning point came in 2018, when stylist Mimi Cuttrell refined her image, blending her signature sweetness with polished sophistication and sex appeal.

Grande has cited Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn as enduring influences, and their echoes are visible in her more classic and red-carpet choices. For her Wicked era, she’s leaned heavily into Glinda-inspired fashion, donning custom pink-and-white plaid gowns by Thom Browne and blush-pink Schiaparelli creations encrusted with rhinestones. (1)

Her signature ponytail, once a practical solution to hide damage caused by years of bleaching her hair red for Nickelodeon, has since become her defining style marker. On Instagram, she admitted she wears extensions and the ponytail because her natural hair remains fragile. Alongside it, staples like over-the-knee boots, oversized hoodies, and a monochrome palette form the backbone of her offstage look, while vintage glamour and classic Hollywood silhouettes often shape her red-carpet presence.

CHARACTER Grande's personality is often described as bubbly, empathetic, and family-oriented. She has a strong work ethic and is also a public advocate for mental health and has been open about her struggles with anxiety and PTSD. Grande is resilient and known for turning personal turbulence into pop anthems.

SPEAKING VOICE Grande's speaking voice is often noted for its soft, breathy quality. This is a contrast to her powerful singing voice, which has a broad four-octave range and is known for its ability to handle complex vocal runs.

She is famous for celebrity impressions on talk shows and Saturday Night Live. 

Grande's speaking voice has been a subject of much discussion and controversy. She is known to change her vocal placement intentionally, explaining: "I intentionally change my vocal placement (high / low) often depending on how much singing I'm doing. I've always done this". This includes switching between a deeper, more natural voice and a higher, breathier tone. She attributes this to "habit (speaking like this for two years) and also vocal health" after spending extensive time playing Glinda in Wicked. She has defended this practice, noting that male actors are praised for similar voice changes for roles while women face different scrutiny. (2)

SENSE OF HUMOUR Grande is known for a playful and often sarcastic sense of humor. She frequently uses her social media to share humorous posts and has participated in comedy sketches, including her guest appearances on Saturday Night Live.

RELATIONSHIPS Grande's relationship history includes several high-profile romances. She was engaged to comedian Pete Davidson in 2018, purchasing a $16 million Chelsea apartment together before their relationship ended in October 2018. 

She married real estate agent Dalton Gomez in an intimate ceremony at her Montecito home on May 15, 2021. The couple separated in January 2023 and their divorce was finalized in March 2024, with Grande paying Gomez $1.25 million in the settlement. 

She started dating her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, a relationship that began during filming and sparked controversy as both were married to other people at the time.

MONEY AND FAME Grande has a net worth in the hundreds of millions.  Her wealth comes from music sales, tours, acting roles, endorsement deals with brands like Reebok, Starbucks, and American Express, and her beauty lines including R.E.M. Beauty and fragrance collections.

When she  starred as Glinda in Wicked (2024), reportedly earning $15 million for the role, which became the highest-grossing musical adaptation film of all time.

FOOD AND DRINK Grande has been vegan since 2013, stating "I am a firm believer in eating a full plant-based, whole-food diet that can expand your life length and make you an all-around happier person".  (3)

Grande follows a macrobiotic Japanese-influenced diet, and eats at least five strawberries daily and snacks on almonds and cashews. She typically has oatmeal or smoothies for breakfast, sushi for lunch, and healthy salads with seeds or nuts for dinner. She drinks coconut water regularly. (4)

She's hypoglycemic, which means her blood sugar can drop rapidly without enough protein and fat. 

ACTING CAREER Ariana Grande’s acting career is a little like one of those scenic rail journeys you don’t expect to amount to much at first, but then you look up and suddenly you’re gliding past the Alps. It begins modestly enough, with a 15-year-old Grande on Broadway in 13 (2008), belting her way through the role of Charlotte and collecting a National Youth Theatre Association Award for her troubles. It was the sort of debut that makes critics write things like “one to watch,” which usually means they’ll forget about you in three weeks, but in her case it actually stuck.

Then came Nickelodeon, where Grande became Cat Valentine in Victorious (2010–13) and later Sam & Cat (2013–14). Cat was ditzy, loveable, and shrill in a way that made teenagers squeal and parents look for the aspirin. The part gave Grande her first national platform and proved she had a natural instinct for comedy, even when saddled with dialogue written for 11-year-olds.

By the mid-2010s she was branching out, as actors do when they realise they might be on television forever otherwise. There was a stint as Penny Pingleton in NBC’s live production of Hairspray (2016), some guest spots in things like Scream Queens (2015), and the usual sprinkling of Nickelodeon movies designed primarily to sell soundtracks.

But the true summit arrived with Wicked (2024). Directed by Jon M. Chu, the film adaptation cast Grande as Glinda the Good Witch opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba. She didn’t coast in on her pop fame, either. Grande auditioned five times, retrained herself in acting, and more or less willed her way into the role. And it paid off.

The film premiered in November 2024, and suddenly the world was forced to talk about Ariana Grande not as “the singer who acts a bit,” but as “the actress who can really, actually act.” Critics praised her comic timing, her ability to be both silly and touching in the same breath, and of course that voice, which is never less than thunderous when required. She earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe nod to boot.

In short, she managed to do the very thing no one thought she could: she reframed herself. And that, if you think about it, is rather Glinda-like.

MUSIC CAREER Ariana Grande’s music career is the sort of improbable, rocket-like ascent that usually only happens in fairy tales, or occasionally in Florida. She began, as all good prodigies do, in local theatre—belting songs in children’s productions before she was tall enough to see over the orchestra pit. By eight she had a voice that could peel paint, and by fifteen she was on Broadway in 13, proving she was destined for much bigger things than the Boca Raton community stage. Nickelodeon soon came calling, and with Victorious (2010–13) and Sam & Cat (2013–14), Grande gathered a ready-made fan base of excitable tweens who would, a few years later, become her loyal army of Arianators.

Her breakthrough as a recording artist was almost ridiculously smooth. After uploading cover songs to YouTube, she landed a contract with Republic Records, and in 2013 released Yours Truly. It was sugary R&B-inflected pop, equal parts Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, and it went straight to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The single “The Way,” featuring Mac Miller, shot to the top of iTunes in just seven hours—something even seasoned pop stars would kill for. 

From there, the albums came in a steady drumbeat of chart domination:

My Everything (2014) gave the world “Problem,” and  “Break Free,”  and earned her a Grammy nod.

Dangerous Woman (2016) turned up the glamour and edge, producing slinky hits like “Into You” and “Side to Side.”

Sweetener (2018) won her a Grammy, courtesy of songs like “No Tears Left to Cry” and “God Is a Woman.”

Thank U, Next (2019) was her cultural supernova, home to “7 Rings” and the title track, and it made her the first solo artist in history to occupy the top three spots on the Billboard Hot 100—a feat previously achieved only by The Beatles.

Positions (2020) added more sultry R&B influences and, naturally, debuted at No. 1 in both the US and UK.

Collaborations were another feature of her rise: she’s teamed up with everyone from Nicki Minaj to Lady Gaga (on the Grammy-winning “Rain On Me”), Justin Bieber (“Stuck With U”), and The Weeknd. Her tours—The Honeymoon Tour, Dangerous Woman Tour, and Sweetener World Tour—were globe-spanning affairs that made hundreds of millions and left entire stadiums hoarse from screaming.

Then came tragedy in 2017: the Manchester Arena bombing during her Dangerous Woman Tour. Grande responded by returning within two weeks to lead the One Love Manchester benefit concert, which raised $23 million and demonstrated both her resilience and the peculiar way pop music can unite people in the bleakest of times.

Today she sits in the Guinness World Records with over thirty entries to her name, boasts a four-octave range with a whistle register that could summon bats, and commands the kind of cultural influence that makes entire generations copy her hairstyle. If her story has a moral, it’s this: never underestimate a child theatre kid from Florida—because sometimes they grow up and outdo The Beatles.

MUSIC AND ARTS Grande enjoys Japanese pop culture and has been spotted shopping in Harajuku and indulging in Japanese cultural experiences. Her music incorporates various influences, including R&B, pop, and Japanese-inspired elements.

LITERATURE Grande is known to cite poetry and empowering self-reflection in lyrics and posts; gravitates toward diaristic writing in albums like Thank u, Next and Eternal Sunshine.

Grande is a huge fan of the Harry Potter series, with favorite characters being Luna Lovegood and Draco Malfoy. Several of her dogs are named after Harry Potter characters.

Grande once encouraged her fans on Twitter to "take breaks n read books … you'll feel so much better, your brain will thank u". She has been featured in various literary matchups with her songs being paired with book recommendations.

Grande has shared some of her favorite books over the years, which include: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho; The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry; The Secret History by Donna Tartt; The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. (5)

NATURE Grande is animal-loving and vocal about animal welfare; enjoys time with her rescue pets and advocates adoption.

PETS Grande is a devoted dog lover with 9-10 dogs. As at 2025, her dogs included Coco (German Shepherd-Dachshund mix, adopted 2010), Toulouse (Beagle-Chihuahua mix, adopted 2013), Ophelia (chocolate Labradoodle, adopted 2013), Sirius Black (Poodle mix, adopted 2015), Pignoli (Beagle-Chihuahua mix, gifted 2017), and others named Cinnamon, Fawkes, Strauss, Lafayette, and Myron. 

She co-founded the non-profit Orange Twins Rescue to help find rescue dogs their forever homes.

Grande has also had goats named Mari and Heir, and a teacup pig named Piggy Smallz.

Ariana is allergic to cats, which is ironic as her Victorious character loved them. 

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Grande enjoys playing Monopoly online with strangers, claiming to be on level 80. She also plays virtual farming games on her iPad. 

A lifelong hockey fan via South Florida roots, she made team history in a way no one would envy: the very first person struck by a puck in the Panthers’ then-brand-new arena was a 5-year-old Ariana Grande. It happened not once, but twice, during the inaugural regular-season game at the BB&T Center in 1998. First, a stray shot from defenseman Gord Murphy clipped her wrist, and then, as if fate was testing her mettle, another puck came flying in from an anonymous Tampa Bay player. If hockey fandom is measured by sacrifice, Ariana Grande was inducted early.

In 2018, while nursing a very public breakup with comedian Pete Davidson, she prescribed herself a bit of retail therapy and marched into Tiffany’s with six friends in tow. Rather than simply browsing the cabinets, she bought them all matching rings. From that shopping trip emerged “7 Rings,” a song that not only topped charts but transformed a bout of sadness into one of the defining pop anthems of the decade.

SCIENCE AND MATHS Grande is a self-described science nerd. Her favorite Instagram feed is @NASA for its astonishing space imagery.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Grande was raised Catholic but distanced herself from the church after learning about their stance on her gay brother. She briefly practiced Kabbalah with her brother but appears to have moved toward a more general spiritual approach. She describes her spirituality as "watching your intentions" and "not giving into your ego". (8)

Grande has referenced religious imagery in her music, including "God is a Woman".

POLITICS Grande is politically active and outspoken about her beliefs. She supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election and has advocated for various causes including Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ rights, and gun control reform. She performed at benefit concerts for Charlottesville and participated in March For Our Lives. Grande believes artists should use their platforms to educate and push boundaries, stating: "Not everyone is going to agree with you, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to shut up and sing my songs". (9)

SCANDAL Grande has faced public scrutiny and scandal throughout her career. Notable events include the "doughnut-gate" incident in 2015, where she was caught on video licking doughnuts on a shop counter and saying she "hates Americans," for which she later apologized. 

Her relationship with Ethan Slater sparked controversy as both were married when they began dating, leading to accusations of being a "homewrecker"

She has also dealt with criticism for allegedly demanding behavior and specific interview requirements. Grande typically follows with apology and course-correction.

MILITARY RECORD Grande herself has no military record, but her grandfather Frank enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 30, 1942, and served during World War II.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Grande is hypoglycemic, requiring careful attention to protein and fat intake to maintain blood sugar levels. She works out three times a week with trainer Harley Pasternak, focusing on lower body and arm exercises. Her routine includes curtsy lunges, deadlifts, planks, and glute bridges. She maintains an active lifestyle, walking 12,000+ steps daily. She attributes her improved health to her vegan diet, claiming it has made her work life easier to manage. (10)

Grande publicly discussed PTSD after the Manchester Arena attack.

HOMES Grande has owned several impressive properties. She purchased a $16 million Zaha Hadid-designed apartment in Chelsea, Manhattan in 2018. In 2020, she bought a $13.7 million contemporary home in Hollywood Hills with an infinity pool and wine cellar. She also owned the historic Porter House in Montecito, California (purchased from Ellen DeGeneres for $6.75 million, later sold for $9.1 million), where she married Dalton Gomez in 2021. She currently owns an $8.9 million Bird Streets cottage and a $4.9 million house purchased from Cameron Diaz. 

TRAVEL Due to her career as a touring musician, Grande travels extensively for concerts, appearances, and promotions. She has also vacationed in places like Colorado (staying at the Pulitzer Mansion in Telluride), Disney World, Las Vegas, and Myrtle Beach.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Beyond her own music videos and tours, Grande has appeared in several films and television shows. Key appearances include her roles in Victorious, Sam & Cat, and Scream Queens. She has also voiced characters in animated films like Snowflake, the White Gorilla and Underdogs. She has been a musical guest and host on Saturday Night Live and a coach on The Voice.

Grande has appeared in documentaries about her tours and has her own YouTube docuseries Dangerous Woman Diaries.

ACHIEVEMENTS Historic Hot 100 sweep of the top three positions (February 23, 2019).

Returned to the stage within two weeks of the Manchester bombing to lead One Love Manchester, raising $23 million; named the first honorary citizen of Manchester.

Her tweet after the bombing — “broken, I am so sorry. I don’t have words” — briefly became the most-liked tweet in history.

Multiple Grammys, #1 albums and singles, billions of streams, and a global fan community—the Arianators.

Sources (1) Enonline (2) Kiss 951 (3) Vegan Food and Living (4) Body Network (5) Venture Book Club (6) Songfacts (7) Encyclopaedia of Trivia (8) Believe Out Loud (9) CNN (10) Women's Health

Kenneth Grahame

NAME Kenneth Grahame

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Author of The Wind in the Willows (1908), a classic of children’s literature blending fantasy, nostalgia, and Edwardian idylls.

BIRTH Born on March 8, 1859 at 32 Castle Street, Edinburgh, Scotland. He was the third of four children born to James Cunningham Grahame, a lawyer and advocate, and Elizabeth (Bessie) Ingles Grahame.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Grahame could trace his roots to Robert the Bruce. His father, James Cunningham Grahame (1830-1887), was a Scottish advocate and sheriff-substitute. His mother, Elizabeth Ingles (1837-1864), died of scarlet fever when Kenneth was five years old. He had three siblings: older sister Helen, older brother Thomas William (Willie), and younger brother Roland.

CHILDHOOD When Grahame was little more than a year old, his family moved to Inveraray on Loch Fyne in Argyllshire, where his father had been appointed sheriff-substitute. After his mother's death in March 1864, Kenneth also contracted scarlet fever but recovered, though he was left vulnerable to chest infections for the rest of his life. 

His father, unable to cope and descended into alcoholism, sent the four children to live with their maternal grandmother at The Mount in Cookham Dean, Berkshire. These years with "Granny Ingles" on the banks of the River Thames provided lasting inspiration for his later writing. 

In 1866, the children briefly returned to Scotland to live with their father, but the arrangement failed and they returned to England in 1867.

His childhood was marked by loss and instability, leaving him emotionally detached and “armour-plated.” Grahame daydreamed often, imagining “golden realms… golden lagoons and parrot-haunted jungles,” doodling boats and birds, and finding comfort in the sound of water. (1)

EDUCATION In 1868, when he was nine years old, Grahame became a boarder at St Edward's School in Oxford. He was highly successful both academically and in sport, winning prizes for divinity and Latin in 1874 and the sixth form prize in 1875. He also captained the rugby fifteen and became head boy. 

Despite his academic excellence and desire to attend Oxford University, his uncle John Grahame refused to pay for university on grounds of cost.

CAREER RECORD In 1879, Grahame accepted a position as a 'gentleman clerk' at the Bank of England in London after writing an essay on India for his application. Despite his disappointment at not attending university, he rose steadily through the ranks, eventually becoming Secretary of the Bank of England in 1898 (third in command)—one of their youngest appointees. He retired in 1908 due to ill health, though his retirement was also precipitated by a shooting incident in 1903.

APPEARANCE Kenneth Grahame grew up to be "a handsome man, charming yet elusive and rather awkward in society". He was described as "tall, broad shouldered and lean" and "eminently a 'man's man'". 

His London neighbour, painter Graham Robertson, observed: "As he strode along the pavements one felt to him as towards a huge St. Bernard or Newfoundland dog, a longing to take him away into the open country where he could be let off the lead...He was too big for London and it hardly seemed kind of fate to keep him there". (2) 

Grahame in 1910

FASHION He dressed in the typical formal attire of a Victorian-era bank official, including tailored suits and waistcoats.

Grahame was particular about his surroundings. His flat in Bloomsbury Street was "meticulously arranged according to his ideal of 'little rooms, full of books and pictures and clean of the antimacassar taint'". He had "exquisite taste" in the arrangement of his furniture.  (2)

CHARACTER Grahame was shy, private, and reserved, preferring solitude to social interaction. He had a great love for the countryside and a deep appreciation for the simple pleasures of life, which is reflected in his writing.

He disliked intimacy, finding it filled him with “distaste, fear, even astonishment.” Grahame valued independence, solitude, and imagination. (1)

SPEAKING VOICE His voice was soft, understated and precise matching his quiet personality.

When Grahame visited Cornwall, he developed such an authentic Cornish accent that he was once mistaken for a local fisherman—"apparently, he imitated the Cornish accent perfectly—one unfortunate visitor believing that he had actually spoken to a real, live Cornishman!". (3)

SENSE OF HUMOUR Grahame's writing was characterized by gentle humour and whimsical observations. The Wind in the Willows features British-style humour and sarcasm rather than American humour. He enjoyed parodying Edwardian manners through the antics of his animal characters like the boastful Toad.

RELATIONSHIPS In 1897, Grahame met Elspeth (Elsie) Thomson, daughter of Robert William Thomson (inventor of the pneumatic tyre). Despite being awkward around women and successfully evading previous romantic entanglements, he married Elspeth on July 22, 1899 at the Church of St Fimbarrus, Fowey, Cornwall. His sister Helen disapproved of the marriage, thinking the couple were temperamentally unsuited, and became estranged from Kenneth. 

The marriage was strained, partly due to his reserved nature and her more social personality.

Their only child, Alastair (nicknamed "Mouse"), was born prematurely in 1900 with a congenital cataract that left him blind in one eye and other health problems. Mr Toad was partly modeled on Alastair’s spoiled, headstrong personality.

In May 1920, just before his twentieth birthday, Alastair's body was found on the railway line near a level crossing in Oxford. Although the official verdict was accidental death, his passing is widely considered to have been by suicide. This tragedy deeply affected Kenneth and his wife, Elspeth

His literary circle included his cousin Anthony Hope (author of The Prisoner of Zenda) who served as best man at his wedding.

MONEY AND FAME Grahame achieved financial security through his banking career and literary success. He received royalties from his published works, and his will established the Kenneth Grahame Fund, to which all his royalties were given, serving as the primary purchasing fund for the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.

Grahame was never a man who sought fame. His literary success, particularly with The Wind in the Willows, brought him renown, but he remained a private individual.

FOOD AND DRINK Grahame was fond of hearty Edwardian fare and picnics—cold chicken, pressed beef, cress sandwiches, jellies, trifles, ginger beer and champagne feature in his writing. Later in life, he ate and drank to excess. During his visits to Cornwall, he acquired a taste for local cuisine, including starry gazy pie.

Grahame was particular about his coffee, always having it freshly ground. (2)

MUSIC AND ARTS Grahame was a patron of the arts and had a circle of literary and artistic friends. He was published in magazines edited by William Ernest Henley (the model for Long John Silver). His books were illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley.

His work influenced later artistic adaptations, including A.A. Milne's theatrical adaptation Toad of Toad Hall (1929) and Disney's animated films.

Grahame had interests in theatre and collected toys and automata. (4)

WRITING CAREER Kenneth Grahame’s writing career had one of those delightfully unlikely trajectories, beginning as a sideline to a perfectly respectable job at the Bank of England and ending with one of the most beloved children’s books ever written. It’s the sort of story that makes you think there’s hope for all of us with office jobs and secret notebooks.

In December 1888, while still crunching numbers at the Bank, Grahame slipped his first essay into the pages of the St James’s Gazette. To his own surprise (and possibly to the surprise of his colleagues, who had assumed he was only good for ledgers), he was rather good at it. Before long he was a regular contributor to magazines with reassuringly Victorian names like the National Observer and the St. Edward’s Chronicle. Even the famously decadent Yellow Book carried his work, which suggests he had range. His first proper book, Pagan Papers (1893), was a collection of wistful essays about lost childhood and English landscapes. It even featured illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley, who was about as far from the Bank of England as it was possible to get.

By the mid-1890s Grahame had found his stride with The Golden Age (1895) and Dream Days (1898). These books were full of gently humorous and affectionate portraits of childhood, the sort of thing that critics at the time lapped up with their tea and scones. Dream Days also gave the world “The Reluctant Dragon,” a story about a poetry-loving dragon who would much rather write verse than fight knights. It has been charming children ever since, and has the added bonus of being far easier to read aloud than anything by Beardsley.

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS (1908) And then came The Wind in the Willows. Published on October 8, 1908, after Grahame retired from the Bank (possibly because he could no longer concentrate on finance when mole holes beckoned), the book began life as bedtime stories and letters for his son, Alastair. The result was a tale of Ratty, Mole, Badger, and the irrepressible Mr. Toad, stitched together into a narrative that combined lyrical prose, slapstick adventure, and an almost suspicious amount of picnicking. Initially dismissed by some reviewers—one sniffed that its contribution to natural history was “negligible”—the book somehow endured, and today it’s practically impossible to imagine English literature without it.

Grahame never matched The Wind in the Willows, but he did edit The Cambridge Book of Poetry for Children (1916), which is the sort of thing that tends to gather dust on library shelves until rediscovered by a sentimental adult. He was admired in his own day by people like Algernon Swinburne and Anthony Hope , which is not bad company for a man who had started out scribbling between banking duties.

Grahame published little after his son’s tragic death in 1920, but his legacy is secure. The Wind in the Willows remains a cornerstone of children’s literature, its characters endlessly recycled in plays, films, and cartoon versions. There was never a sequel, which is probably just as well, because sequels usually disappoint. Instead, Grahame left behind a single, timeless masterpiece—a vision of Edwardian England full of riverbanks, caravans, wild woods, and enough food-laden picnics to make you long for a cold chicken leg and a glass of champagne.

LITERATURE Grahame was deeply influenced by ancient writers such as Homer, whose character Odysseus inspired Toad in The Wind in the Willows through themes of adventure and clever escape. Grahame also drew inspiration from Greek mythology, particularly Pan, at the heart of some of his work’s most mystical passages.

He loved the poetry of William Wordsworth, especially “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood,” which celebrated the transcendence and fading magic of youth. His wife Elspeth remarked that Grahame’s work was “posited upon the opening stanza of that great ode of Wordsworth”. (5)

Romantic themes—loss of childhood innocence, appreciation for nature, and imaginative escapism—permeate both his fiction and essays

NATURE Grahame had an intense love of nature that survived three decades of London living. He spent weekends walking the hills and chalk paths of the Thames valley, deliberately returning to the landscape of his childhood. 

He was passionate about conservation and felt a deep connection to the natural world. 

The riverbank and woods in The Wind in the Willows reflect his weekend explorations of Berkshire and the Chilterns.

PETS Grahame had a special relationship with animals throughout his life that was unusual for adults. He believed that "every animal, by instinct, lives according to his nature. Thereby he lives wisely, and betters the tradition of mankind". The animals in his stories, such as Mole, Rat, and Badger, are anthropomorphic representations of the animals he observed and loved. (6) 

Mr Toad, Mole, Rat, and Badger

HOBBIES AND SPORTS  Grahame loved walking in the countryside, sketching, and solitary daydreaming. He enjoyed the quiet, contemplative life of an Edwardian bachelor before marriage.

Grahame enjoyed boating on the River Thames and took frequent holidays in Cornwall for sailing and fishing. 

He was an accomplished rugby player, captaining his school team.

Grahame collected toys and automata and had a study filled with his collections.

SCIENCE AND MATHS Grahame's precise observations of nature and animal behavior in his writing suggest careful study of the natural world.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Grahame’s writing carries a distinct strain of literary paganism and pantheism, blending reverence for nature with mythic overtones. This is most vividly expressed in the Wind in the Willows chapter “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” where Rat and Mole encounter the god Pan in a moment of mystical awe. 

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, frontispiece to a 1913 edition by Paul Bransom

His grandmother’s stern religiosity had left him with, as he put it, “a dread of the shadow of Scotch-Calvinist devil worship,” and in reaction his work leaned toward a gentler, nature-infused spirituality.  (2)

Central to his philosophy was the conviction that childhood wonder and imagination mattered more than the rationality of adulthood. For Grahame, children embodied innocence and independence, while adults were, in his memorable phrasing, “hopeless and incapable.” (1)

POLITICS Grahame was involved with Christian Socialist causes, helping at the Whitechapel Art Gallery and Toynbee Hall in the East End of London. However, he was generally apolitical and focused more on escapism from modern industrial society than on reform.

SCANDAL The most significant scandal involved a shooting incident at the Bank of England on  November 24, 1903, when George Robinson, described as "a Socialist Lunatic," fired three shots at Grahame, all of which missed. 

There was also "a whiff of scandal, never explained" that hung over his departure from the bank on half pension, with talk of "an acrimonious falling out with a fellow director". (7)

MILITARY RECORD Grahame served as a sergeant in the London Scottish Volunteers regiment, a territorial unit. This military involvement was part of his varied interests and social commitments during his banking career.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Grahame suffered from respiratory problems throughout his life, stemming from his childhood bout with scarlet fever. As an adult, he was prone to attacks of gastritis and bronchial illness. His poor health ultimately led to his early retirement from the Bank of England in 1908.

HOMES Grahame lived at various locations throughout his life: The Mount in Cookham Dean with his grandmother (childhood), London flats during his banking career, Mayfield at Cookham Dene, Berkshire (1908), Boham's at Blewbury, Berkshire (1910-1924), and finally Church Cottage in Pangbourne, Berkshire (1924-1932), where he spent the last eight years of his life.

Grahame's birthplace in Castle Street in Edinburgh by Kim Traynor 

TRAVEL Grahame traveled extensively, particularly to Cornwall, where he first visited in 1884 and continued to return throughout his life for his honeymoon, holidays and recuperation. 

Following the death of their son Alastair in 1920, Kenneth Grahame and Elsie spent several years travelling, especially in Italy. This extended period abroad was marked by reclusiveness and a significant reduction in Grahame’s literary output; he wrote very little during these years. 

DEATH Kenneth Grahame died on July 6, 1932 at Church Cottage in Pangbourne, Berkshire, England, at the age of 73. He was buried in Holywell Cemetery in Oxford alongside his son Alastair. His cousin Anthony Hope wrote his epitaph: "To the beautiful memory of Kenneth Grahame, husband of Elspeth and father of Alastair, who passed the river on the 6th of July, 1932, leaving childhood and literature through him the more blest for all time".

His widow Elsie outlived him until 1946 and carefully edited the family archive to present a sanitized image.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA The Wind in the Willows has been adapted numerous times for stage, film, and television. Notable adaptations include A.A. Milne's play Toad of Toad Hall (1929), Disney's animated films The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) and The Reluctant Dragon (1941),  the Cosgrove Hall stop-motion series (1984–1988).and the famous Disneyland ride "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride".

ACHIEVEMENTS Author of The Wind in the Willows, one of the most enduring classics of children’s literature.

Contributed significantly to fin-de-siècle literature with Pagan Papers and Dream Days.

Rose to Secretary of the Bank of England despite his modest beginnings.

Created Mr Toad, Mole, Ratty, and Badger—characters who remain cultural icons more than a century later.

Sources: (1) Eternal Boy: The Life of Kenneth Grahame (2018) by Matthew Dennison (2) Return of a Native (3) The Imaginative Conservative (4) Later Bloomer (5) Pints with Jack (6) The Temenos Academy (7) The Scotsman