Born in 1910, Wilfrid Thesiger spent his childhood in Ethiopia, or Abyssinia, as it was then called, where his father was an important and much-admired British official. Michael Dirda abyssiniaadmirebear Change image and share on social
Born in 1936, I experienced the Second World War as a child in the city of Gelsenkirchen-Buer. This area was heavily bombed, but fortunately, all members of my family survived the war and post-war period. Harald zur Hausen areabearbomb share on social
Born in 1966, I came of age at the dawn of a revolution. The past was gone; we would move on and get over it! Deborah Copaken Kogan agebeardawn Change image and share on social
Born in a cellar... and living in a garret. Samuel Foote bearcellargarret Change image and share on social
Born in England during the First World War, of Belgian parents with partly German roots, I grew up in the cosmopolitan city of Antwerp, where I had the benefit of a classical education taught in the two national languages of Belgium: French and Dutch. Christian de Duve antwerpbearbelgian share on social
Born in iniquity and conceived in sin, the spirit of nationalism has never ceased to bend human institutions to the service of dissension and distress. Thorstein Veblen bearbendcease Change image and share on social
Born in Jabalpur, I was brought up in Deolali, where my father ran a small business of making fire extinguishers. Arjun Rampal bearbringbusiness Change image and share on social
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, and knowing nothing about Picasso, I had the audacity to knock on his door, became his friend, and took thousands of photographs, of him, his studios, his life and his friends. David Douglas Duncan audacitybearcity share on social
Born in poverty, he will take supreme power. He will bankrupt the country. Raising an army in the Milanese marches, he will drain Faenza and Florence of gold and people. Nostradamus armybankruptbear Change image and share on social
Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, my wife speaks five languages: Russian, English, French, Italian and, out of self-defense, Spanish. I watched her learn Spanish in three months. Cheech Marin beardefenseenglish Change image and share on social
