Alfred Nobel was on born October 21, 1833, in Stockholm, Sweden. As a
young man, he worked at his father's arms factory. Intellectually
curious, he went on to experiment with chemistry and explosives. In
1864, a deadly explosion killed his younger brother. Deeply affected,
Nobel developed a safer explosive: dynamite. Nobel used his vast fortune
to establish the Nobel Prizes.
Early Years
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born on October 21, 1833 in
Stockholm, Sweden, the fourth of Immanuel and Caroline Nobel’s eight
children. Alfred was often sickly as a child, but he was always lively
and curious about the world around him. Although he was a skilled
engineer and ready inventor, Alfred’s father struggled to set up a
profitable business in Sweden. When Alfred was four, his father moved
St. Petersburg, Russia, to take a job manufacturing explosives. The
family followed him in 1842. Alfred's newly affluent parents sent him to
private tutors in Russia, and he quickly mastered chemistry and became
fluent in English, French, German and Russian as well as his native
language, Swedish.
An Invention And A Legacy
Alfred left Russia at the age of 18. After spending a year in
Paris studying chemistry, he moved to the United States. After five
years, he returned to Russia and began working in his father's factory
making military equipment for the Crimean War. In 1859, at the war’s
end, the company went bankrupt. The family moved back to Sweden, and
Alfred soon began experimenting with explosives. In 1864, when Alfred
was 29, a huge explosion in the family’s Swedish factory killed five
people, including Alfred’s younger brother Emil. Dramatically affected
by the event, Nobel set out to develop a safer explosive. In 1867, he
patented a mixture of nitroglycerin and an absorbent substance,
producing what he named “Dynamite.”
In 1888, Alfred's brother Ludvig died while in France. A French
newspaper erroneously published Alfred's obituary instead of Ludvig’s,
and condemned Alfred for his invention of dynamite. Provoked by the
event and disappointed with how he felt he might be remembered, Nobel
set aside a bulk of his estate to establish the Nobel Prizes to honor
men and women for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry,
medicine and literature, and for working toward peace.
He died of a stroke on December 10, 1896, in San Remo, Italy. After
taxes and bequests to individuals, Nobel left 31,225,000 Swedish kronor
(equivalent to 250 million U.S. dollars in 2008) to fund the Nobel
Prizes.
Rise to Power
The Great Depression in Germany provided a political
opportunity for Hitler. Germans were ambivalent to the parliamentary
republic and increasingly open to extremist options. In 1932, Hitler ran
against Paul von Hindenburg
for the presidency. Hitler came in second in both rounds of the
election, garnering more than 35 percent of the vote in the final
election. The election established Hitler as a strong force in German
politics. Hindenburg reluctantly agreed to appoint Hitler as chancellor
in order to promote political balance.
Hitler used his position
as chancellor to form a de facto legal dictatorship. The Reichtag Fire
Decree, announced after a suspicious fire at the Reichtag, suspended
basic rights and allowed detention without trial. Hitler also engineered
the passage of the Enabling Act, which gave his cabinet full
legislative powers for a period of four years and allowed deviations
from the constitution.
Having achieved full control over the
legislative and executive branches of government, Hitler and his
political allies embarked on a systematic suppression of the remaining
political opposition. By the end of June, the other parties had been
intimidated into disbanding. On July 14, 1933, Hitler's Nazi Party was
declared the only legal political party in Germany.
Military
opposition was also punished. The demands of the SA for more political
and military power led to the Night of the Long Knives, which took place
from June 30 to July 2, 1934. Ernst Röhm and other SA leaders, along
with a number of Hitler's political enemies, were rounded up and shot.
The day before Hindenburg’s death in August 1934, the cabinet had
enacted a law abolishing the office of president and combining its
powers with those of the chancellor. Hitler thus became head of state as
well as head of government, and was formally named as leader and
chancellor. As head of state, Hitler became supreme commander of the
armed forces. He began to mobilize for war. Germany withdrew from the
League of Nations, and Hitler announced a massive expansion of Germany’s
armed forces.
The Nazi regime also included social reform measures. Hitler promoted
anti-smoking campaigns across the country. These campaigns stemmed from
Hitler’s self-imposed dietary restrictions, which included abstinence
from alcohol and meat. At dinners,
Hitler sometimes told graphic stories about the slaughter of animals in
an effort to shame his fellow diners. He encouraged all Germans to keep
their bodies pure of any intoxicating or unclean substance.
A
main Nazi concept was the notion of racial hygiene. New laws banned
marriage between non-Jewish and Jewish Germans, and deprived
"non-Aryans" of the benefits of German citizenship. Hitler's early
eugenic policies targeted children with physical and developmental
disabilities, and later authorized a euthanasia program for disabled
adults.
The Holocaust was also conducted under the auspices of
racial hygiene. Between 1939 and 1945, Nazis and their collaborators
were responsible for the deaths of 11 million to 14 million people,
including about 6 million Jews, representing two-thirds of the Jewish
population in Europe. Deaths took place in concentration and
extermination camps and through mass executions. Other persecuted groups
included Poles, communists, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses and trade
unionists, among others. Hitler probably never visited the concentration
camps and did not speak publicly about the killings.
World War II
In 1938, Hitler, along with several other European leaders,
signed the Munich Agreement. The treaty ceded the Sudetenland districts
to Germany, reversing part of the Versailles Treaty. As a result of the
summit, Hitler was named Time magazine's Man of the Year for 1938. This
diplomatic win only whetted his appetite for a renewed German dominance.
On September 1, Germany invaded Poland. In response, Britain and France
declared war on Germany.
Hitler escalated his activities in
1940, invading Scandinavia as well as France, Luxembourg, the
Netherlands and Belgium. Hitler ordered bombing raids on the United
Kingdom, with the goal of invasion. Germany’s formal alliance with Japan
and Italy, known collectively as the Axis powers, was signed to deter
the United States from supporting and protecting the British.
On June 22, 1941, Hitler violated a non-aggression pact with Joseph Stalin,
sending 3 million German troops into the Soviet Union. The invading
force seized a huge area before the German advance was stopped outside
Moscow in December 1941.
On December 7, Japan attacked Pearl
Harbor in Hawaii. Hitler was now at war against a coalition that
included the world's largest empire (Britain), the world's greatest
financial power (the U.S.) and the world's largest army (the Soviet
Union).
Facing these odds, Hitler's military judgment became
increasingly erratic. Germany's military and economic position
deteriorated along with Hitler's health. Germany and the Axis could not
sustain Hitler’s aggressive and expansive war. In late 1942, German
forces failed to seize the Suez Canal. The German army also suffered
defeats at the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Kursk.
On June 6, 1944, the Western Allied armies landed in northern France. As
a result of these significant setbacks, many German officers concluded
that defeat was inevitable and that Hitler's denial would result in the
destruction of the country.
Death and Legacy
By early 1945, Hitler realized that Germany was going to lose
the war. The Soviets had driven the German army back into Western
Europe, and the Allies were advancing into Germany. On April 29, 1945,
Hitler married his girlfriend, Eva Braun,
in a small civil ceremony in his Berlin bunker. Around this time,
Hitler was informed of the assassination of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.
Afraid of falling into the hands of enemy troops, Hitler and Braun
committed suicide the day after their wedding, on April 30, 1945. Their
bodies were carried to the bombed-out garden behind the Reich
Chancellery, where they were burned. Berlin fell on May 2, 1945.
Hitler’s political program had brought about a world war, leaving
behind a devastated and impoverished Eastern and Central Europe,
including Germany. His policies inflicted human suffering on an
unprecedented scale and resulted in the death of an estimated 40 million
people, including about 27 million in the Soviet Union. Hitler's defeat
marked the end of a phase of European history dominated by Germany, and
the defeat of fascism. A new ideological global conflict, the Cold War,
emerged in the aftermath of World War II.
Born in Austria in 1889, Adolf Hitler rose to power in German politics
as leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party, also known as
the Nazi Party. Hitler was chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and
served as dictator from 1934 to 1945. His policies precipitated World
War II and the Holocaust. Hitler committed suicide with wife Eva Braun on April 30, 1945, in his Berlin bunker.
Born in Branau am Inn, Austria, on April 20, 1889, Adolf
Hitler was the fourth of six children born to Alois Hitler and Klara
Polzl. When Hitler was 3 years old, the family moved from Austria to
Germany. As a child, Hitler clashed frequently with his father.
Following the death of his younger brother, Edmund, in 1900, he became
detached and introverted. His father did not approve of his interest in
fine art rather than business. In addition to art, Hitler showed an
early interest in German nationalism, rejecting the authority of
Austro-Hungary. This nationalism would become the motivating force of
Hitler's life.
Alois died suddenly in 1903. Two years later,
Adolf’s mother allowed her son to drop out of school. He moved to Vienna
and worked as a casual laborer and a watercolor painter. Hitler applied
to the Academy of Fine Arts twice, and was rejected both times. Out of
money, he moved into a homeless shelter, where he remained for several
years. Hitler later pointed to these years as the time when he first
cultivated his anti-Semitism, though there is some debate about this
account.
At the outbreak of World War I, Hitler applied to
serve in the German army. He was accepted in August 1914, though he was
still an Austrian citizen. Although he spent much of his time away from
the front lines, Hitler was present at a number of significant battles
and was wounded at the Somme. He was decorated for bravery, receiving
the Iron Cross First Class and the Black Wound Badge.
Hitler
became embittered over the collapse of the war effort. The experience
reinforced his passionate German patriotism, and he was shocked by
Germany's surrender in 1918. Like other German nationalists, he believed
that the German army had been betrayed by civilian leaders and
Marxists. He found the Treaty of Versailles degrading, particularly the
demilitarization of the Rhineland and the stipulation that Germany
accept responsibility for starting the war.
After World War I,
Hitler returned to Munich and continued to work for the military as an
intelligence officer. While monitoring the activities of the German
Workers’ Party (DAP), Hitler adopted many of the anti-Semitic,
nationalist and anti-Marxist ideas of DAP founder Anton Drexler. Drexler
invited Hitler to join the DAP, which he did in 1919.
To increase its appeal, the DAP changed its name to the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei
(NSDAP). Hitler personally designed the party banner, featuring a
swastika in a white circle on a red background. Hitler soon gained
notoriety for his vitriolic speeches against the Treaty of Versailles,
rival politicians, Marxists and Jews. In 1921, Hitler replaced Drexler as NSDAP party chairman.
Hitler's vitriolic beer-hall speeches began attracting regular
audiences. Early followers included army captain Ernst Rohm, the head of
the Nazi paramilitary organization, the Sturmabteilung (SA), which
protected meetings and frequently attacked political opponents. On
November 8, 1923, Hitler and the SA stormed a public meeting of 3,000 people at a large beer hall in Munich. Hitler announced that the
national revolution had begun and declared the formation of a new
government. After a short struggle including 20 deaths, the coup, known
as the "Beer Hall Putsch," failed.
Hitler was arrested three
days later and tried for high treason. He served a year in prison,
during which time he dictated most of the first volume of Mein Kampf ("My Struggle") to his deputy, Rudolf Hess. The book laid out Hitler's plans for transforming German society into one based on race.
Churchill Forced Out of Politics
Churchill was devastated to have been forced out of politics. Although
he was still a member of Parliament, it just wasn't enough to keep such
an active man busy. Churchill went into depression and worried that his
political life was completely over.
It was during this time that Churchill learned to paint. It started as a
way for him to escape the doldrums, but like everything Churchill did,
he worked diligently to improve himself. Churchill continued to paint
for the rest of his life.
For nearly two years, Churchill was kept out of politics. Then, in July
1917, Churchill was invited back and given the position of Minister of
Munitions. In 1918, Churchill was given the position of Secretary of
State for War and Air, which put him in charge of bringing all the
British soldiers home.
A Decade in Politics and a Decade Out
The 1920s had its ups and downs for Churchill. In 1921, he was made the
Secretary of State for the Colonies but only a year later he lost his MP
seat while in the hospital with acute appendicitis.
Out of office for two years, Churchill found himself leaning again
toward the Conservative Party. In 1924, Churchill once again won a seat
as an MP, but this time with Conservative backing. Considering he had
just returned to the Conservative Party, Churchill was quite surprised
to be given the very important position of the Chancellor of the
Exchequer in the new Conservative government that same year. Churchill
held this position for nearly five years.
In addition to his political career, Churchill spent the 1920s writing his monumental, six-volume work on World War I called The World Crisis (1923-1931).
When the Labour Party won the national election in 1929, Churchill was
once again out of government. For ten years, Churchill held his MP seat,
but did not hold a major government position. However, this didn't slow
him down.
Churchill continued to write, finishing a number of books including his autobiography, My Early Life.
He continued to give speeches, many of them warning of Germany's
growing power. He also continued to paint and learned bricklaying.
By 1938, Churchill was speaking out openly against British Prime
Minister Neville Chamberlain's plan of appeasement with Nazi Germany.
When Nazi Germany attacked Poland, Churchill's fears had proved correct.
The public once again realized that Churchill had seen this coming.
After ten years out of the government, on September 3, 1939, just two
days after Nazi Germany attacked Poland, Churchill was asked to once
again become the First Lord of the Admiralty.
Churchill Leads Great Britain in WWII
When Nazi Germany attacked France on May 10, 1940, it was time for
Chamberlain to step down as Prime Minister. Appeasement hadn't worked;
it was time for action. The same day that Chamberlain resigned, King
George VI asked Churchill to become Prime Minister.
Just three days later, Churchill gave his "Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat" speech
in the House of Commons. This speech was just the first of many morale
boosting speeches made by Churchill to inspire the British to keep
fighting against a seemingly invincible enemy.
Churchill spurred himself and everyone around him to prepare for war. He
also actively courted the United States to join in the hostilities
against Nazi Germany. Also, despite Churchill's extreme dislike for the
communist Soviet Union, his pragmatic side realized he needed their
help.
By joining forces with both the United States and with the Soviet Union,
Churchill not only saved Britain, but helped save all of Europe from
the domination of Nazi Germany.
Falls Out of Power, Then Back in Again
Although Churchill was given credit for inspiring his nation to win
World War II, by the end of the war in Europe, many felt that he had
lost touch with the daily lives of the people. After suffering through
years of hardship, the public didn't want to go back to the hierarchical
society of pre-war Britain. They wanted change and equality.
On July 15, 1945, the election results from the national election came
in and the Labour Party had won. The following day, Churchill, age 70,
resigned as Prime Minister.
Churchill remained active. In 1946, he went on a lecture tour in the United States that included his very famous speech, "The Sinews of Peace,"
in which he warned of an "iron curtain" descending upon Europe.
Churchill also continued to make speeches in the House of Commons and to
relax at his home and paint.
Churchill also continued to write. He used this time to start his six-volume work, The Second World War (1948-1953).
Six years after resigning as Prime Minister, Churchill was again asked
to lead Britain. On October 26, 1951, Churchill began his second term as
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
During his second term as Prime Minister, Churchill focused on foreign
affairs because he was very worried about the atomic bomb. On June 23,
1953, Churchill suffered a severe stroke. Although the public wasn't
told about it, those close to Churchill thought he would have to resign.
Surprising everyone, Churchill recovered from the stroke and got back
to work.
On April 5, 1955, 80-year-old Winston Churchill resigned as Prime Minister due to failing health.
Retirement and Death
In his final retirement, Churchill continued to write, finishing his four-volume A History of the English Speaking Peoples (1956-1958). Churchill also continued to give speeches and to paint.
During his later years, Churchill earned three impressive awards. On
April 24, 1953, Churchill was made Knight of the Garter by Queen
Elizabeth II, making him Sir Winston Churchill. Later that same year,
Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Ten years later, on
April 9, 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy awarded Churchill with
honorary U.S. citizenship.
In June 1962, Churchill broke his hip after falling out of a his hotel
bed. On January 10, 1965, Churchill suffered a massive stroke. After
falling into a coma, he died on January 24, 1965 at age 90. Churchill
had remained a member of Parliament until a year before his death.
Historical Importance of Winston Churchill: Winston Churchill was
a legendary orator, a prolific writer, an earnest artist, and a
long-term British statesman. Yet Churchill, who twice served the as the
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is best remembered as the
tenacious and forthright war leader that led his country against the
seemingly undefeatable Nazis during World War II.
Dates: November 30, 1874 -- January 24, 1965
Also Known As: Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill
Overview of Winston Churchill:
The Young Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill was born in 1874 at his grandfather's home, Blenheim
Palace in Marlborough, England. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was
a member of the British Parliament and his mother, Jennie Jerome, was
an American heiress. Six years after Winston's birth, his brother Jack
was born.
Since Churchill's parents traveled extensively and led busy social
lives, Churchill spent most of his younger years with his nanny,
Elizabeth Everest. It was Mrs. Everest that nurtured Churchill and cared
for him during his many childhood illnesses. Churchill stayed in touch
with her until her death in 1895.
At age eight, Churchill was sent off to boarding school. He was never an
excellent student but he was well liked and known as a bit of a
troublemaker. In 1887, 12-year-old Churchill was accepted to the
prestigious Harrow school, where he began studying military tactics.
After graduating from Harrow, Churchill was accepted into the Royal
Military College, Sandhurst in 1893. In December 1894, Churchill
graduated near the top of his class and was given a commission as a
cavalry officer.
Churchill, the Soldier and War Correspondent
After seven months of basic training, Churchill was given his first
leave. Instead of going home to relax, Churchill wanted to see action;
so he traveled to Cuba to watch Spanish troops put down a rebellion.
Churchill didn't go just as an interested soldier, he made plans to be a
war correspondent for London's The Daily Graphic. It was the beginning of a long writing career.
When his leave was up, Churchill traveled with his regiment to India.
Churchill also saw action in India when fighting Afghan tribes. This
time, again not just a soldier, Churchill wrote letters to London's The Daily Telegraph. From these experiences, Churchill also wrote his first book, The Story of the Malakand Field Force (1898).
Churchill then joined Lord Kitchener's expedition in the Sudan while also writing for The Morning Post. After seeing a lot of action in the Sudan, Churchill used his experiences to write The River War (1899).
Again wanting to be at the scene of the action, Churchill managed in 1899 to become the war correspondent for The Morning Post
during the Boer War in South Africa. Not only was Churchill shot at, he
was captured. After spending nearly a month as a prisoner of war,
Churchill managed to escape and miraculously made it to safety. He also
turned these experiences into a book - London to Ladysmith via Pretoria (1900).
Becoming a Politician
While fighting in all these wars, Churchill had decided that he wanted
to help make policy, not just follow it. So when 25-year-old Churchill
returned to England as both a famous author and a war hero, he was able
to successfully run for election as a member of Parliament (MP). This
was the start of Churchill's very long political career.
Churchill quickly became known for being outspoken and full of energy.
He gave speeches against tariffs and in support of social changes for
the poor. It soon became clear that he did not hold the beliefs of the
Conservative Party, so he switched to the Liberal Party in 1904.
In 1905, the Liberal Party won the national election and Churchill was
asked to become the Under-Secretary of State at the Colonial Office.
Churchill's dedication and efficiency earned him an excellent reputation
and he was quickly promoted. In 1908, he was made President of the
Board of Trade (a Cabinet position) and in 1910, Churchill was made Home
Secretary (a more important Cabinet position).
In October 1911, Churchill was made First Lord of the Admiralty, which
meant he was in charge of the British navy. Churchill, worried about
Germany's growing military strength, spent the next three years working
diligently to strengthen the British navy.
Family
Churchill was a very busy man. He was nearly continuously writing books,
articles, and speeches as well as holding important government
positions. However, he made time for romance when he met Clementine
Hozier in March 1908. The two were engaged on August 11 of that same
year and married just a month later on September 12, 1908.
Winston and Clementine had five children together and remained married until Winston's death at age 90.
Churchill and World War I
At first, when the war began in 1914, Churchill was praised for the work
he had done behind the scenes to prepare Britain for war. However,
things quickly started to go badly for Churchill.
Churchill had always been energetic, determined, and confident. Couple
these traits with the fact that Churchill liked to be part of the action
and you have Churchill trying to have his hands in all military
matters, not only those dealing with the navy. Many felt that Churchill
overstepped his position.
Then came the Dardanelles campaign. It was meant to be a combined naval
and infantry attack on the Dardanelles in Turkey, but when things went
badly for the British, Churchill was blamed for the whole thing.
Since both the public and officials turned against Churchill after the
Dardanelles disaster, Churchill was swiftly moved out of government.
Queen Elizabeth II was born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926, in London, to Prince Albert,
Duke of York (later King George VI), and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. She
married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947, became queen on
February 6, 1952, and was crowned on June 2, 1953. During her reign, she
has tried to make the British monarchy more modern and sensitive to the
public.
Born in 1926, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned head of state, when she
was just 25 years old - after the death of her father, George IV, in
1952. Queen Elizabeth is now the second longest serving British monarch
and has presided over half a century of continual change both within the
Royal Family, Britain and the Commonweath.
Elizabeth
was the eldest child of Prince Albert, the Duke of York (later George
VI) and his wife Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother). Her father
Prince Albert was second in line to the throne, until his elder brother
Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 - pushing the shy Prince Albert into an
unexpected role of King. King George VI rose to the challenge though he
died early in 1952.
Elizabeth was educated at home, along with her sister
Princess Margaret. During the Second World War, they were evacuated to
Balmoral and later Windsor Castle. Towards the end of the war in 1945,
Elizabeth joined the womens Royal Auxilliary Territorial Service, where
she served as a driver and mechanic. After the war, she increasingly
stepped into her role of performing public service, and made her first
overseas trip to South Africa in 1947. Shortly before her 21st birthday,
she said:
"I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it
be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of
our great imperial family to which we all belong."
In
1947, she married Prince Phillip of Greece and Denmark in a ceremony at
Westminster; they had known each other for several years. Some where
opposed to the union because of his foreign ties, but this was overcome
by his service in the Royal Navy. They have been happily married for
over 65 years, and their relationship is a source of mutual strength,
even if Prince Phillip has a reputation for letting slip the odd
colourful remark about foreigners. Elizabeth gave birth to their first
child in 1948 - the future Prince Charles. They had four children in total (Charles, Anne, Andrew, Edward)
In
1952, her father, George VI passed away and Queen Elizabeth was crowned
to widespread enthusiasm. Her coronation set TV records around the
globe, and it appeared to usher in a new era for the monarchy and
British Commonwealth. News of Edmund Hilary reaching the peak of Mt
Everest were delayed to co-incide with her coronation. It appeared a
symbolic end to the post-war austerity.
The 1950s could be seen as the golden age for the Queen. Deference
and respect to the Royal family were still high, and the young Elizabeth
looked like the fairytale Princess. However, over the next few decades,
widespread social change saw a decline in traditional attitudes to the
monarchy. Also the new era of TV and intense media scrutiny led to many
unfavourable headlines as her children were caught up in marital
problems and related scandals.
Yet, there were still high points for the Royal Family, such as her
'Silver Jubiliee' in 1977 and the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady
Diana in 1981. By the 1990s, the media had a widespread fascination with
Princess Diana,
but as their marriage broke down, the Queen was increasingly perceived
as being out of touch. In 1992, she famously declared the year to be her
'annus horribilus'
1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted
pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it
has turned out to be an 'Annus Horribilis'. (Christmas address)
- With media headlines dominated by the marriage breakup of Charles
and Diana, a fire in Windsor, and other criticisms. In 1996, Princess
Diana died in a car crash, and temporarily there was public dismay as
the Queen appeared distant and refused to fly flag at half mast. But,
after the Queen later expressed admiration for Princess Diana the
hostility evaporated. Nevertheless, the relationship between Princess
Diana and the Queen were best described as being 'cool'.
The
Queen placed great emphasis on her job as uniting the Commonwealth - a
difficult job in the post war period as de-colonisation led to many
differing problems. However, the Queen usually received widespread
acclaim, and many say she was a real unifying presence at the
Commonwealth meetings. In a speech at the United Nations, in 2010 she
spoke of the importance of countries working together:
In tomorrow's world we must all work together as hard as ever, if we're truly to be United Nations
After the difficulties of the 1990s, the 2000s saw a resurgence in
her popularity as the Royal Family put many difficulties behind them,
and they were able to celebrate good news. If 1992 was her annus
horribilus, 2012, was perhaps her annus mirabilis. Firstly, in April, Prince William
married Kate Middleton to widespread public support. Then in summer,
her golden jubilee was widely celebrated and popular despite the wet
weather. Finally in July 2012, she took part in the opening ceremony of
the London Olympics - which was a huge global sucess.
Despite nearing the age of 81 she appears remarkably mobile, and shows no sign of passing the throne to Charles early.
Breakout Songs
Later that year, Perry released her first single, "Ur So
Gay." Pop superstar Madonna became a fan of the song, calling it one of
her favorites of the moment. The song drew comparisons to the likes of Lily Allen,
another singer known for her quirky, cheeky lyrics. Perry said the
single was inspired by the emo scene, and the "guys with guy-liner who
use flatirons." Still, her career did not fully take off until the
release of her next single, "I Kissed a Girl," which reached the top of
the charts during the summer of 2008. With that song's success, her
debut album, One of the Boys, made it into the Top 10 on the Billboard
Hot 100 chart. The song also earned Perry a Grammy Award nomination for
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Katy Perry also became famous
for her theatricality. On the Warped Tour, she performed "I Kissed a
Girl" with a giant tube of lip balm, referencing a line in the song.
Perry has also jumped into a larger-than-life cake and appeared in a
number of wild outfits while onstage. She has described her style as "Lucille Ball
meets Bob Mackie. It's about innuendo. I want everybody to get the
joke, but I want them to think about it for a minute," she explained to
Esquire magazine.
Continued Success
In 2009, Perry appeared in her own acoustic special on MTV. The soundtrack from the show, Katy Perry: MTV Unplugged, was released around the same time. That same year, Perry made tabloid headlines for her relationship with British comedian Russell Brand.
The couple became engaged over the New Year's holiday while on a trip
to India. On October 23, 2010, the couple married in India in a
traditional Hindu ceremony. According to The Times of India, the
wedding featured a procession of camels, elephants and horses, plus fire
jugglers, snake charmers, dancers and musicians. Perry had previously
dated Travis McCoy from the band Gym Class Heroes.
The young pop
star has great ambitions for her future. "Ultimately I want Katy Perry
to be as much of a household name as Madonna," she told Entertainment Weekly. Her album Teenage Dreams
was released in August 2010. The single from the album, "California
Gurls," quickly rose through the charts to #1 on the Billboard charts.
With a signature perfume and film role opportunities heading her way,
she may just make her dream come true.
Katy Perry was born October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, California.
After having three record deals fall apart, she signed with Capitol in
2007. Later that year, she released her first single, "Ur So Gay."
Still, her career did not fully take off until the release of her next
single, "I Kissed a Girl". Her album Teenage Dreams was released in August 2010.
Conservative Upbringing
Singer, songwriter, and musician. Born Katheryn Hudson on
October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, California. Known for her
over-the-top fashions, quirky stage props, and catchy songs, Katy Perry
has become a pop music sensation.
Fans might be surprised to
learn that the singer who writes about sexual exploration in "I Kissed a
Girl" grew up in a very conservative family. Both of her parents are
pastors, and they refused to let her listen to any rock or popular
music. "The only things I was allowed to listen to were the Sister Act 1 and 2 soundtracks," Perry told Entertainment Weekly. She and her two siblings were also not permitted to watch such cable channels as MTV and VH1.
Perry
started taking singing lessons around the age of 9 and learned to play
guitar when she was 13. Around this time, she began rebelling against
her strict upbringing by piercing her own nose. She soon became
interested in pursuing a career in music. With her mother, Perry made
several trips to Nashville to record a gospel album, Katy Hudson, which was released in 2001. "It reached literally maybe 100 people, and then the label went bankrupt," Perry explained to Entertainment Weekly.
Early Musical Influences
As a teenager, Perry was exposed to other musical influences.
One friend introduced her to the music of Queen, which remains one of
her favorite groups. "I'm very inspired by Freddie Mercury and how flamboyant and theatrical he was," she told fashion magazine WWD.
In high school, she strove to be her own person, choosing not to limit
herself to one social group. "I was a hop-around. I hung out with the
rockabilly crew, the guys who were trying to be rappers, the funny
kids," she told Seventeen magazine.
Focused
on her music, Perry got her GED and moved to Los Angeles to work with
producer and songwriter Glen Ballard, who had worked with such artists
as Christina Aguilera and Alanis Morissette.
She was only 17 years old at time, and being on her own proved tough.
"It was five years of living in L.A. with no money, writing bad checks,
selling my clothes to make rent, [and] borrowing money," she told
Seventeen magazine. Perry also experienced a string of disappointments
before getting her big break. She and Ballard were unable to find a
record company willing to take them on, and her 2004 collaboration with
music producers-turned-performers The Matrix was scrapped shortly before
the project was to be released.
After having three record deals fall apart, Perry finally signed with Capitol in 2007.
