Brief Background:Steven Paul Jobs was an American inventor, designer and entrepreneur who was the co-founder, chief executive and chairman of Apple Computer. Apple's revolutionary products, which include the iPod, iPhone and iPad, are now seen as dictating the evolution of modern technology. Born in 1955 to two University of Wisconsin graduate students who gave him up for adoption, Jobs was smart but directionless, dropping out of college and experimenting with different pursuits before co-founding Apple with Steve Wozniak in 1976. Jobs left the company in 1985, launching Pixar Animation Studios, then returned to Apple more than a decade later. Jobs died in 2011 following a long battle with pancreatic cancer. While Jobs was always an intelligent and innovative thinker, his youth was riddled with frustrations over formal schooling. Jobs was a prankster in elementary school due to boredom, and his fourth-grade teacher needed to bribe him to study. Jobs tested so well, however, that administrators wanted to skip him ahead to high school — a proposal that his parents declined.
After high school, Jobs enrolled at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Lacking direction, he dropped out of college after six months and spent the next 18 months dropping in on creative classes at the school. Jobs later recounted how one course in calligraphy developed his love of typography. In 1974, Jobs took a position as a video game designer with Atari. In 1986, Jobs purchased an animation company from George Lucas, which later became Pixar Animation Studios. Believing in Pixar's potential, Jobs initially invested $50 million of his own money in the company. The studio went on to produce wildly popular movies such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles; Pixar's films have collectively netted $4 billion. The studio merged with Walt Disney in 2006, making Steve Jobs Disney's largest shareholder. Information gathered from biography.com
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BRIEF Background:(1984-) Prince Harry is the second son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Princess Diana. He is known for his military service and charitable work. Born in London, England, on September 15, 1984, Prince Henry of Wales, also known as Prince Harry, is the second son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Princess Diana (tragically died in 1997). Prince Harry embarked on a decade-long stint in the military in 2005, seeing active service time in Afghanistan, and is involved in numerous charitable causes. In May of 2005, Prince Harry enrolled at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. After undergoing 44 weeks of training, in April of 2006 he joined the Household Cavalry as a second lieutenant. Later that year, Prince Harry and Prince William announced their plans for a special concert to be held in 2007 to mark the 10th anniversary of their mother's passing. On what would have been Princess Diana's 46th birthday, more than 60,000 people gathered at Wembley Stadium for the Concert for Diana. The event raised money for the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and other charities such as Sentebale, which Prince Harry established to help children and others affected by the AIDS crisis in Lesotho. That same year, Prince Harry began training for possible war zone deployment. His status as a royal posed certain security challenges to the army, and there was much debate regarding whether he should be allowed to serve in a combat situation. In February of 2008, Prince Harry began his tour of duty in Afghanistan. He served for two months. From 2009 into 2012, Prince Harry trained to become an Apache helicopter pilot in the Army Air Corps. He then put these newfound skills to work in his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, which began in September 2012. After participating in several combat missions, the prince in 2015 ended his official military duties, though he continued volunteering to assist wounded servicemen. Biography.com Brief History:Born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis Presley came from very humble beginnings and grew up to become one of the biggest names in rock 'n' roll. By the mid-1950s, he appeared on the radio, television and the silver screen. Elvis also served in the Army. On August 16, 1977, at age 42, he died of heart failure. Since his death, Presley has remained one of the world's most popular music icons. Background and Life:Elvis Presley was influenced by a wide array of music. Anything from country to gospel seemed to grab his attention. "Raised by loving, working-class parents, Presley's family had little money, and they moved from place to place frequently. He was deeply devoted to his parents, especially his mother, Gladys, and was raised to have a strong faith in God. Presley attended the Assembly of God Church with his parents, where gospel music became an important influence for him.Presley received his first guitar as a gift from his mother on his 11th birthday in 1946 and had his first taste of musical success a few years later when he won a talent show at Humes High School in Memphis. After graduating in 1953, he worked a number of jobs while pursuing his musical dream. He cut his first demo record at what later became known as Sun Studio that year, and before long, Sam Phillips, the record label owner, decided to take the young performer under his wing. Presley soon began touring and recording, trying to catch his first big break. "That's All Right" was Presley's first single in 1954." Presley entered the military in 1958 and was stationed in Germany. While in Germany, he met his future wife. He stayed in the military until he was honorable discharged in 1960. Citations:
"Elvis Presley". Biography.com. 2018. A & E Television Publisher. https://www.biography.com/people/elvis-presley-9446466. 2018. Who was Jackie RobinsonJackie Robinson (January 31, 1919-October 24, 1972) became the first black athlete to play Major League Baseball in the 20th century when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Throughout his decade-long career, Robinson distinguished himself as one of the game's most talented and exciting players, recording an impressive .311 career batting average. He was also a vocal civil rights activist. He died in Connecticut in 1972 from heart problems and diabetes complications. (Biography.com) Biography.com BackgroundEarly Life and Education Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. The youngest of five children, Robinson was raised in relative poverty by a single mother. He attended John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College, where he was an excellent athlete and played four sports: football, basketball, track and baseball. He was named the region's Most Valuable Player in baseball in 1938. Robinson's older brother, Matthew Robinson, inspired Jackie to pursue his talent and love of athletics. Matthew won a silver medal in the 200-meter dash—just behind Jesse Owens—at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Jackie continued his education at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he became the university's first student to win varsity letters in four sports. In 1941, despite his athletic success, Robinson was forced to leave UCLA just shy of graduation due to financial hardship. He moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played football for the semi-professional Honolulu Bears. His season with the Bears was cut short when the United States entered into World War II. Military Service From 1942 to 1944, Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. However he never saw combat. During boot camp at Fort Hood, Texas, Robinson was arrested and court-martialed in 1944 for refusing to give up his seat and move to the back of a segregated bus. Robinson's excellent reputation, combined with the efforts of friends, the NAACP and various black newspapers, shed public light on the injustice. Ultimately he was acquitted of the charges and received an honorable discharge. His courage and moral objection to segregation were precursors to the impact Robinson would have in Major League Baseball. Baseball Career After his discharge from the Army in 1944, Robinson began to play baseball professionally. At the time, the sport was segregated, and African-Americans and whites played in separate leagues. Robinson began playing in the Negro Leagues, but he was soon chosen by Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, to help integrate Major League Baseball. He joined the all-white Montreal Royals, a farm team for the Brooklyn Dodgers, in 1946. Robinson later moved to Florida to begin spring training with the Royals. Rickey knew there would be difficult times ahead for the young athlete, and so made Robinson promise to not fight back when confronted with racism. Rickey also personally tested Robinson's reactions to the racial slurs and insults he knew the player would endure. From the beginning of his career with the Dodgers, Robinson's will was tested. Even some of his new teammates objected to having an African-American on their team. People in the crowds sometimes jeered Robinson, and he and his family received threats. Robinson succeeded in putting the prejudice and racial strife aside, and showed everyone what a talented player he was. In his first year, he batted .297 with 12 home runs and helped the Dodgers win the National League pennant. That year, Robinson led the National League in stolen bases and was selected as Rookie of the Year. He continued to wow fans and critics alike with impressive feats, such as an outstanding .342 batting average during the 1949 season. He led in stolen bases that year and earned the National League's Most Valuable Player Award. Robinson soon became a hero of the sport, even among former critics, and was the subject of the popular song, "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?" His success in the major leagues opened the door for other African-American players, such as Satchel Paige, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron. In 1950, Robinson starred in The Jackie Robinson Story, a biographical film directed by Alfred E. Green and co-starring Ruby Dee as Robinson's wife. In his decade-long career with the Dodgers, Robinson and his team won the National League pennant several times. Finally, in 1955, he helped them achieve the ultimate victory: winning the World Series. After failing before in four other series match-ups, the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees. He helped the team win one more National League pennant the following season. Jackie Robinson’s Retirement In December 1956, Robinson was traded to the New York Giants, but he never played a game for the team. He retired on January 5, 1957. After baseball, Robinson became active in business and continued his work as an activist for social change. He worked as an executive for the Chock Full O' Nuts coffee company and restaurant chain, and helped establish the African American-owned and -controlled Freedom Bank. In 1962, Robinson was the first African-American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1972, the Dodgers retired his uniform number of 42. Civil Rights Activism Robinson was a vocal champion for African-American athletes, civil rights and other social and political causes, serving on the board of the NAACP until 1967. In July 1949, he testified about discrimination before the House Un-American Activities Committee. In 1952, he publicly called out the Yankees as a racist organization for not having broken the color barrier five years after he began playing with the Dodgers. In his later years, Robinson continued to lobby for greater integration in sports. Citations:
"Jackie Robinson Biography". Biography.com. January 2018. A & E Television Networks Publishing. https://www.biography.com/people/jackie-robinson-9460813. 2018. |
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