Archive for August, 2023

Marie Curie

Posted in The Pantheon with tags , on August 28, 2023 by Cade

November 07, 1867 – July 04, 1934

Maria Skłodowska-Curie, most commonly referred to as Marie Curie, was the first woman ever awarded a Nobel Prize. Skłodowska moved to Paris with her sister from their native Poland in 1891. Her natural curiosity and demanding work ethic led to great success in her academic endeavors. With multiple degrees under her belt, she embarked on a career in research in Paris. She met another researcher named Pierre Curie and the began working together. Eventually, the two fell in love and were married. Then, as is the case with most newlywed couples…they discovered “radioactivity.”

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Georges Méliès

Posted in Père Lachaise Cemetery with tags , on August 21, 2023 by Cade

December 08, 1861 – January 21, 1938

Georges Méliès loved to entertain. As a boy, he built puppets, painted and longed to be on stage. His dream took detours through the military and his family’s shoe business, but he remained persistent. When he discovered the art of stage illusions, he developed a lifelong passion for the craft.

In 1888, Méliès’ father died and he used his inheritance to buy a theatre. Georges plunged headlong into the art of stage magic, creating dozens of new effects and illusions on his stage. He was living his dream.

Then, in 1895, the Lumière brothers invented a cinematograph…one of the very first movie projectors.

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Charles Dickens

Posted in Westminster Abbey with tags , on August 14, 2023 by Cade

February 07, 1812 – June 09, 1870

Charles Dickens is perhaps the greatest – certainly the most famous – English novelist of all time. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, has been turned into no fewer than 3 million1 stage productions and movies. And that is all by itself with no mention of his other gargantuan hits like Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Nicholas Nickleby and dozens of others. His stable of characters, the settings of his stories and the richness of his writing created a new adjective in the English language: Dickensian. Something that is Dickensian is said to be the absolute epitome of common life in Victorian England.

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Peter Sellers

Posted in Golders Green Crematorium with tags , , on August 7, 2023 by Cade

September 08, 1925 – July 24, 1980

“There is no me. I do not exist. There was a me once, but I had it surgically removed.” -Peter Sellers, The Muppet Show (1978)

The backlots and back alleys of the entertainment industry are full of funny people who are quietly battling demons. Occasionally, a generational talent comes along that consistently delights audiences…all the while dealing with internal struggles like depression or substance abuse. The funny façade is oftentimes just that: a façade. You saw it with superstars like Chris Farley, Robin Williams, John Belushi, Richard Pryor…and Peter Sellers.

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