Category: Biography
Aquinas, St Thomas Aquinas, St Thomas (1225-74), Italian Catholic philosopher and theologian. He became a Dominican friar in 1243, against the wishes of his family, who imprisoned him for …
Anouilh, Jean Anouilh, Jean (1910-87), French dramatist. He studied law and worked in an advertising agency before turning to the theater. His first success traveler without luggage (1937) was …
Anne Anne (1665-1714), Queen of Britain. The daughter of James II, she succeeded her brother-in-law William III in 1702. Until 1710 she was greatly influenced by the Duke of …
Angelico, Fra Angelico, Fra, real name Guido di Pietro (BC 1400-55), Italian religious artist and Dominican friar. He led a simple, quiet, and virtuous life, earning the name Angelico …
Andersen, Hans Christian Andersen, Hans Christian (1805-75), Danish writer of fairy tales, such as “The Ugly Duckling’ and The Snow Queen’. The son of a cobbler, he ran away …
Amundsen, Roald Amundsen, Roald (1872-1928), Norwegian explorer. He successfully navigated the North-West Passage in 1903 with a crew of six. Forestalled by Robert Peary in the discovery of the …
Ampere, Andre-Marie Ampere, Andre-Marie (1775-1836), French physicist. A child prodigy, he was a proficient mathematician by the age of 12. His research into the connection between electricity and magnetism …
Amis, Sir Kingsley Amis, Sir Kingsley (1922-95), British novelist and writer. His first novel, the irreverent Lucky Jim (1954), was an immediate success. Subsequent novels include Take a Girl …
