Who is Charles Darwin?

Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist who showed that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection. He published his theory with compelling evidence for evolution in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species

Early life

• Charles Robert Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England on 12 February 1809 at his family home, the Mount.
• Charles darwin was the fifth of six children of wealthy society doctor and financier Robert Darwin, and Susannah Darwin

Education

• In september 1818, he joined his older brother Erasmus attending the nearby Anglican Shrewsbury School as a boarder.
• In 1825, Darwin joined the University of Edinburgh in order to attend medical school. Not very enthusiastic about what he learns, he will leave the institution in 1827.
• In 1828, Darwin entered the University of Cambridge in order to become pastor of the Anglican Church. It was during this course that he will meet Adam Sedgwick and John Stevens Henslow. The two men awaken in him a passion for natural science.  

The Beagle expedition, the theory and the marriage

• On December 27, 1831, Darwin boarded the Beagle expedition for 5 years. The young naturalist traveling for 5 years on board the ship, taking a huge amount of information, observations and specimens. He set foot on many places like the islands of Cape Verde, Brazil, the southern coasts of America, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Tahiti, the Galapagos Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Tasmania, the Mauritius and the Azores. The voyage allowed him to make observations from which later he will develop the theory of evolution of species and natural selection.   
•  In January 1839, Darwin married his cousin  Emma Wedgwood with whom he had ten children. Tired of the turbulent world of London, Darwin decided, three years later to move with his family to a more peaceful place, to Down, Kent where he lived for the rest of his life.
• In January, 1839,  Darwin joined the Royal Society in London, after publishing the diary of his journey, entitled "Voyage of a naturalist around the world." 
• In January, 1839,  Darwin joined the Royal Society in London, after publishing the diary of his journey, entitled "Voyage of a naturalist around the world." 
• In 1858, Pressured by his friends Charles Lyell and Joseph Hooker, Darwin argues, by mutual agreement with Alfred Russel Wallace, the theory on the evolution of species in the Linnean Society. Shortly before, Wallace had written a letter from Indonesia, which contained a text entitled "On the tendency of species to stand out indefinitely from the original model. When  Darwin received the mail and discovered that his colleague at the other end of the world, explained exactly or almost his own theory, they joint effortes to work together. 
• On November 24, 1859, Darwin publishes "On the Origin of Species" The British naturalist Charles Darwin publishes "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the struggle for existence in nature" which is recieved a tremendous success. .He explained that the species descended from the same ancestors and have evolved according to the principle of natural selection. Darwin meant by "natural selection" the fact that nature selects the fittest to survive in the environment, to improve the species. This natural process thus determines the evolution of each species, since the characteristics that have promoted survival are constantly transmitted from generation to generation. 

Who is Michael Jackson?

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson (also refered to as the king of pop) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actor, choreographer, poet, businessman, philanthropist and record producer. He was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, an industrial suburb of Chicago.

Early Life

His mother, Katherine used to work in a store. His father, Joseph Jackson, was a minor and also a musician in a band called The Falcons. He was a violent and authoritarian father. Michael, his five brothers (Tito, Jackie, Marlon, Jermaine and Randy) and his 3 three sisters (Maureen, Janet and La Toya) were strictly educated and did not have much freedom. Michale reported that his father used to whip him and sometimes abused him verballyJackson, saying that he had a fat nose on numerous occasions.

The Jackson 5

Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers – a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine. When he was eight, Jackson began sharing the lead vocals with his older brother Jermaine, and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5. They participated in many contests and won all the prizes. The band toured the Midwest extensively from 1966 to 1968, frequently performing at a string of black clubs known as the "chitlin' circuit". The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "Big Boy", for the local record label Steeltown in 1967, before signing with Motown Records in 1968. Rolling Stone magazine later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," writing that he "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer.
In June 1975, the Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Younger brother Randy formally joined the band around this time, while Jermaine left to pursue a solo career. They continued to tour internationally, releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984, during which Jackson was the lead songwriter, writing hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel," and "Can You Feel It"

Solo career

he teamed up with Quincy Jones, who agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album, Off the Wall. It was the first album to generate four U.S. top 10 hits, including the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You." In 1982, Jackson released what proved to be by far the biggest album of his career, and arguably the biggest pop album ever by any artist - Thriller. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."
Later, he debuted his signature dance move, the moonwalk.
On January 27, 1984, Michael and other members of the Jacksons filmed a Pepsi Cola commercial.  In front of a full house of fans during a simulated concert, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire. He suffered second-degree burns to his scalp. Jackson underwent treatment to hide the scars on his scalp, and he also had his third rhinoplasty shortly thereafter.
A release of  Bad (1987), was highly anticipated. Although  Bad was a great success in its own right, it did not top Thriller as a commercial or artistic triumph. Then a series of success and tours followed.

The media

The media couldn't remain indiferrent to these successes.They reported extensively on  his private lifewhich they displayed for the public. There were a lot of reports and comments on his physical transformations and disease. The rumors were revived in May 2009, when the singer went on numerous occasions in institutions specializing in the treatment of skin cancers.
His private life was also under a lot of speculations. The media were interestd in his a brief marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, his union with his nurse, Deborah Rowe who gave him two children, a boy, named Prince and a little girl named Paris, allegation about child sexual abuse.

The end of an eventful life

On March 5, 2009, the center of financial problems, Michael Jackson finally announced a series of 50 concerts in London starting in July 2009. This event would mark his return on stage for the first time since 2002. Nevertheless, many pessimistic voices expressed in the media about the singer's ability to provide these concerts. In May 2009, Michael Jackson decided to postpone the first concerts to better prepare''shows.''

Unfortunately, while his fans were looking foward to attending the event, the joy of finding Michael in concert will nevr occur agian. Michael suffered a heart attack on Thursday, June 25, 2009. Despite resuscitation performed by the emergency medical team, he has unfortunately not survived. It's the end of a beautiful and great musical history ...

Who is Rowan Sebastian Atkinson?

Rowan Sebastian Atkinson

The son of a farmer, the young Rowan Atkinson grew up in the family farm with his two brothers Rupert and Rodney. He subsequently joined the University of Newcastle and the prestigious University of Oxford, where he graduated in electrical engineering. During this period he met screenwriter Richard Curtis, with whom he co wrote many comedies which he performed throughout his career.

Radio and TV

In 1979, he co-wrote and made his debut as an actor in the program 'Not the Nine O'Clock News' which was a huge success. He then won an Emmy Award and a British Academy Award in 1980. Rowan Atkinson became a very popular British television comic .

Career in cinema

Rowan Arkinson makes his first appearance in cinema, in the James Bond "Never Say Never Again" in 1983. Alternating between television, stage and film, he returns to the big screen in 1989 with the movie "The Tall Guy". But it was with his awkward role as a priest in "Four Weddings and a Funeral, alongside Hugh Grant and Kristin Scott Thomas in 1994, taht the international public discovers Rowan Atkinson.
Mr Bean series, which is based on a character developed by Rowan Atkinson at university, is a huge success. The series followed the exploits of Mr. Bean, described by Atkinson as "a child in a grown man's body", who tries to solve problems presented by everyday tasks and often causes disruption in the process.
A movie, 'Bean', based on the series was produced in 1997. In 2002, he plays a villain in "Scooby-Doo" and portrays a hapless secret agent in "Johnny English". More films followed subsequently.

Who is Charlie Chaplin?

Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin

Early life

• Sir Charles Spencer (Charlie Chaplin) was an English comic actor and film director of the silent film era, and became one of the most well-known film stars in the world.
• He is well-known for his performances as the tramp and won, a sympathetic comic character with ill-fitting clothes and a moustach.
• He was born in a family of artists on 16 April 1889 in East Street, Walworth, London, England.
• His father, Charles Spencer Chaplin Sr, was a vocalist and an actor and his mother, Hannah Chaplin, was a singer and an actress.
• Chaplin's father, Charles Chaplin Sr., was an alcoholic and had little contact with his son. He died of cirrhosis of the liver when Charlie was twelve in 1901.
• Because their mother was mentally ill, Charlie and his half brother, Sydney, had to unite and struggle desperate poverty in order to survive.
• The two brothers gravitated to the Music Hall while still very young. They proved their natural stage talent.
• Chaplin's mother died in 1928 in Hollywood, seven years after having been brought to the U.S. by her sons.
• Charlie and Sydney didin't know that they had another half-brother through their mother until later until years later, Wheeler Dryden (1892–1957). The latter was briought up abroad by his father. He later joined Chaplin and Sydney and worked for them.

The United States

• During one of his tours to the United Staes, Chaplin was hired by Mac Sennet for his studio, the Keystone Film Company as a replacement for Ford Sterling.
• He performed in Making a living and later invented the tramp character which has become famous all over the world.
• The tramp was associated with the silent era and haplin resisted to make talking films until later in his career when he Chaplin made the tramp sing a nonesense song at the end of the movie.

The Tramp

"The Tramp" is a vagrant with the refined manners, clothes, and dignity of a gentleman. Charlie devised himself the costumes of the tramp.

"I had no idea what makeup to put on. I did not like my get-up as the press reporter [in Making a Living]. However on the way to the wardrobe I thought I would dress in baggy pants, big shoes, a cane and a derby hat. I wanted everything to be a contradiction: the pants baggy, the coat tight, the hat small and the shoes large. I was undecided whether to look old or young, but remembering Sennett had expected me to be a much older man, I added a small moustache, which I reasoned, would add age without hiding my expression. I had no idea of the character. But the moment I was dressed, the clothes and the makeup made me feel the person he was. I began to know him, and by the time I walked on stage he was fully born."

McCarthy era

Chaplin was accused of "un-American activities" as a suspected communist during the McCarthy era and some FBI officials kept extensive secret files on him and tried to end his United States residency. In 1952, Chaplin left the US for what was intended as a brief trip home to the United Kingdom for the London premiere of Limelight. But Chaplin decided not to re-enter the United States. He wrote:

".....Since the end of the last world war, I have been the object of lies and propaganda by powerful reactionary groups who, by their influence and by the aid of America's yellow press, have created an unhealthy atmosphere in which liberal-minded individuals can be singled out and persecuted. Under these conditions I find it virtually impossible to continue my motion-picture work, and I have therefore given up my residence in the United States."

Chaplin settled in Switzerland but later in 1972 retuned triumphantly to the United States to recieve an Honorary Oscar.

A list of the greatest films by Charlie Chaplin

1. Limelight
2. City Lights
3. The Great Dictator
4. Shoulder Arms
5. The Adventurer
6. Gold Rush
7. Monsieur Verdoux
8. A King in New York
9. Easy Street
10. One AM

Related links

• Wikipedia:Charlie Chaplin
  
• Revealed: The dark secrets about Charlie Chaplin's mother that fired his genius
• Biography for Charles Chaplin