May 22, 1907 – July 11, 1989
Despite his legendary reputation, nothing came easy for Laurence Olivier during his 65 years in the business known as “Show.” Spurred to pursue acting by his father, young Laurence eventually settled into a stage career – often shunning work in film and (eventually) television – for the live artform he felt allowed him to shine brightest. Alongside friend, Ralph Richardson, and rival, John Gielgud, Olivier is regarded as one the greatest actors of his generation.
May 05, 1818 – March 14, 1883
Love him, loathe him or just plain ignore him, it’s impossible to disregard the profound impact Karl Marx has had on the modern world. As a philosopher, economist and political theorist, his ideas of working class revolution as a means of stabilizing the corruption and imbalance he saw in capitalist society have influenced countless people – from idealistic students to full-on political rulers – over the past 150 years.
circa 1340s – October 25, 1400
Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the earliest English poets and writers whose works and legacy endure into modern times. He spent much of his life in or adjacent to the royal court thanks to his father’s position in London. Due to his life in public service, much was recorded officially about Chaucer which is why we know so much about him more than 600 years later.
Born into a family of winemakers, Chaucer served – among other stations – as page to the Countess of Ulster, who married the son of King Edward III. He served as part of the English army during the Hundred Years’ War. And, most notably to most high school students in English-speaking literature classes…he wrote really long poems.
October 13, 1921 – November 09, 1991
Italian-born French singer and actor Yves Montand dropped out of school at age 11 to help his family make ends meet. He spent his spare time in movie theatres watching American comedies and westerns and decided he wanted to become a performer. He worked his way up through local amateur nights and eventually landed in Paris where he met the legendary singer Édith Piaf. Under Piaf’s guidance, Montand became a popular crooner and a successful career was launched.
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June 02, 1840 – January 11, 1928
You can take the boy out of Wessex, but you can’t take the Wessex out of the boy.
Victorian novelist, poet and lover of old buildings, Thomas Hardy, wrote often about the fantasized English county of Wessex in his works. Though the places he referenced were real (including his home county of Dorset,) he recalled the archaic name “Wessex” to incorporate it all into an idealized whole. The themes and arcs of his stories played heavily on the country life of his youth. When he relocated to London in his 20s, the stark difference between the metropolitan privilege of the capital and the struggles of his beloved rural stomping grounds became a central tenant in his writings.
March 01, 1810 – October 17, 1849
Polish composer and general virtuoso, Frédéric Chopin, is one of the most well-regarded 19th Century Romantic composers. Predominantly written and performed on piano, Chopin’s catalogue of waltzes, études, preludes and mazurkas (folk songs popular in his native Poland) remain amongst the most popular of their kind to this day.
Chopin began taking piano lessons at a very young age and it was immediately clear that the boy possessed genius-level talent. It didn’t take long for him to become fairly well-known and regarded throughout Europe and he soon became of the earliest living music celebrities.
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April 13, 1906 – December 22, 1989
Samuel Barclay Beckett was born in 1906 in Foxrock, Ireland, just outside of Dublin. He studied literature at Trinity College. He played cricket. He traveled. He wrote. While teaching in Paris – a city that would eventually become his full-time home – Beckett met fellow Irish author James Joyce and their interactions and relationship would eventually solidify the direction of Beckett’s literary career. By the time he was 40, he realized that, while Joyce pushed for knowledge as fuel for his creativity, Beckett himself was better suited to embrace his own “ignorance”. This decision freed Beckett up to concentrate his writings on the everyday absurdity and bleakness of life.
August 23, 1946 – September 07, 1978
Keith John Moon is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock and roll drummers of all time, if only because of his wholly unique playing style and over-the-top behavior. Moon joined London-based band, the Who in 1964, just before they recorded their debut album and took their place as one of the tent poles in what would become the legendary “British Invasion” era of rock and roll. Though he often quipped that he “was just filling in” on drums with the band (he claims he was never formally asked to join) Moon played with the iconic group for nearly 15 years…through the absolute height of their productivity and popularity.
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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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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Celebrity Graveland 