5 Minute Biographies

“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone” – Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso Biography Pablo Picasso was born in Malága, Spain, on 25th October, 1881. The Picasso part of his name comes from his mother, Doña Maria Picasso y Lopez. His father Don José Ruiz Blasco, earned a modest …

“Carnegie Hall was real fabulous, but you know, it ain’t as big as the Grand Ole Opry.” – Patsy Cline Patsy Cline Biography One of the most iconic female solo music artists of all time was raised in a small, square house in Winchester, Virginia. Covered in white sideboard with two rows of three perfectly …

“Relax Georgie, I’m just making my collar and cuffs match” – Carole Lombard Carole Lombard Biography Born Jane Alice Peters, Hollywood starlet Carole Lombard would go on to be called many names, including “The Profane Angel” and “The Hoosier Tornado.” The blonde beauty would eventually become one the highest paid actresses in Hollywood in the …

“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that” – Bill Shankly Bill Shankly Biography First things first. Whenever I mention football in this episode, and especially for those of you outside Europe, I am talking about soccer, not American Football, and it is …

“Nothing is too wonderful to be true if it be consistent with the laws of nature.” – Michael Faraday Michael Faraday Biography When reading about Michael Faraday’s early life, it’s hard to believe that he would eventually become one of the most significant scientific minds in history. He was one of the fathers of modern …

“There were shots of Kong pulling at my clothes, but only in horizontal and never from above. Never from above.” – Fay Wray Fay Wray Biography Even if they haven’t watched the 1933 classic movie “King Kong” from start to finish, almost every person has seen black and white clips and is familiar with the …

“I don’t like it when a woman looks like a fashion victim” – Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren Biography Ralph Lauren’s clothing brands are marketed on the iconography of luxury and privilege, a completely different world from where the fashion designer started out in life. The youngest of four children born to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants Frank …

“Women are like teabags. We don’t know our true strength until we are in hot water” – Eleanor Roosevelt Eleanor Roosevelt Biography In her unprecedented 12 years as First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt accumulated a surprising number of “firsts”.  She became the first First Lady to travel by air, first to hold press conferences, first to …

“I often sit back and think, I wish I’d done that, and find out later that I already have” – Richard Harris Richard Harris Biography Richard Harris only accepted one of his most famous roles under threat from an 11-year old. The veteran actor had no interest in taking on a role in a series …

“I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over” – Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter Biography Naval officer, senator, governor, president… and the only peanut farmer to ever win the Nobel Prize. Jimmy Carter served only one term as President of the United States, but his competent and compassionate approach to …

“Our true nationality is mankind” – H. G. Wells H. G. Wells Biography H.G. Wells was an English author whose literary career began in the late 19th century and lasted nearly until his death in 1946.  He was considered one of the most prescient of thinkers and writers and his list of hits and misses is …

“A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom” – Roald Dahl Roald Dahl Biography Children of all ages from every point on the globe know at least one story by Roald Dahl. Over the course of three decades, he wrote 19 children’s books and earned a reputation as …

“I never fail to feel let down when I see myself on the screen” – Alan Ladd Alan Ladd Biography By 1964, Alan Ladd was an American institution. The definition of icy-cool stoicism packed into a slight 5’7” frame, Ladd personified the archetypal movie tough guy. Not bad for a malnourished kid from Arkansas. The …

“I couldn’t find the sports car of my dreams, so I built it myself” – Ferdinand Porsche Ferdinand Porsche Biography Roads all over the world would look very different if not for an engineer from Germany. Ferdinand Porsche was a visionary in his time, with an active hand in developing the Mercedes compressor car, the …

“Why waltz with a guy for ten rounds if you can knock him out in one?” – Rocky Marciano Rocky Marciano Biography The eye of the tiger burned brighter in the body of the 190lb heavyweight prizefighter from Brockton, Massachusetts than almost any other fighter in history. Born on September 1, 1923, Rocky Marciano was …

“The process of delving into the black abyss is to me the keenest form of fascination.” – H. P. Lovecraft H. P. Lovecraft Biography Born on the 20th August 1890, H. P. Lovecraft was a poet and pulp fiction writer who lived and died in near-literary obscurity and poverty.  His life was brief, filled with …

“Damn, this is funny.” – Doc Holliday Doc Holliday Biography His resting place is Linwood Cemetery, deep in the Western Rocky Mountain town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado.  Visitors who seek it must walk up a steep hill on an old unkempt dirt trail to find the monument that marks his grave.  The engraving on the …

“One sometimes finds what one is not looking for” – Alexander Fleming Alexander Fleming Biography If you’ve ever been prescribed penicillin for a cold or another virus, then you have Alexander Fleming to thank.  He is considered the father of modern antibiotics, even though his discovery was made almost completely by accident! Alexander Fleming, or …

“If you have to ask what jazz is, you’ll never know” – Louis Armstrong Louis Armstrong Biography Considered the most important improviser in jazz, Louis Armstrong taught the world to swing. Fondly known as “Satchmo” which was short for “Satchelmouth,” referring to the size of his mouth, or “Pops,” Armstrong was an unassuming jazz master …