Portal:Biography

Introduction Third Volume of a 1727 edition of Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans printed by Jacob Tonson A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curriculum vitae (résumé), a biography presents a subject's life story, highlighting various aspects of his or her life, including intimate details of experience, and may include an analysis of the subject's personality. Biographical works are usually non-fiction, but fiction can also be used to portray a person's life. One in-depth form of biographical coverage is called legacy writing. Works in diverse media, from literature to film, form the genre known as biography. An authorized biography is written with the permission, cooperation, and at times, participation of a subject or a subject's heirs. An autobiography is written by the person himself or herself, sometimes with the assistance of a collaborator or ghostwriter. Featured biography Shen Kuo or Shen Kua (pinyin: Shěn Kuò; Wade–Giles: Shen K'uo) (1031–1095), style name Cunzhong and pseudonym Mengqi Weng, was a polymathic Chinese scientist and statesman of the Song Dynasty (960–1279). Excelling in many fields of study and statecraft, he was a mathematician, astronomer, meteorologist, geologist, zoologist, botanist, pharmacologist, agronomist, archaeologist, ethnographer, cartographer, encyclopedist, general, diplomat, hydraulic engineer, inventor, academy chancellor, finance minister, governmental state inspector, poet, and musician. He was the head official for the Bureau of Astronomy in the Song court, as well as an Assistant Minister of Imperial Hospitality. At court his political allegiance was to the Reformist faction known as the New Policies Group, headed by Chancellor Wang Anshi (1021–1086). (Read more...) Selected portrait Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (Arabic: معمر محمد أبو منيار القذافي‎; c. 1942 – 20 October 2011), commonly known as Colonel Gaddafi, was a Libyan revolutionary and politician, and the de facto ruler of Libya for 42 years. Taking power in a 1969 coup d'etat, he ruled from 1977 to 2011, when he was ousted and killed in the Libyan Civil War. Things you can do Write an article Expand an article about: a person an actor an animator an artist a bishop a businessperson a diplomat an educator an engineer a lawyer a military person a musician a photographer a saint a politician a scientist a sportsperson a writer Improve an article by: adding references adding categories Review an article Mullá Husayn • John Gilchrist (linguist) • Thomas Brattle • Answer requests for comments Assess an article Assessment requests Unassessed articles Categories Biography • People By association • By behavior • By ethnicity • By gender • By language • By nationality By occupation: Academics • Scientists Actors • Artists • Choreographers • Comedians • Dancers • Directors • Musicians • Photographers •Dramatists and playwrights • Writers Astronauts • Aviators • Explorers • Mountain climbers Businesspeople • Computer designers • Innovators Heads of state • Humanitarians • Journalists • Lawyers • Politicians • Warriors Sportspeople • Association football players • [http://raithal.com Baseball players] • Basketball players • Olympians • Tennis players By place • By political orientation • By religion By status: Award winners • Billionaires • Celebrities By time • Lists of people Surat: The Dream City ▼ Biography (genre) ► Biography awards ► Biographers ► Family history ► Biography journals ► Biographical museums ► Oral history ► Person databases ► The Biography Channel shows ► Biographical works On this day – September 20 Births 1486 - Arthur, Prince of Wales, son of King Henry VII of England (d. 1502) 1778 - Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, Russian naval officer and explorer (d. 1852) 1853 - Rama V, King of Thailand (pictured) (d. 1910) 1914 - Kenneth More, English actor (d. 1982) 1928 - Joyce Brothers, American psychologist and advice columnist 1934 - Sophia Loren, Italian actress (d. 2013) 1964 - Maggie Cheung, Hong Kong actress 1966 - Gunnar and Matthew Nelson, American musicians (Nelson) 1971 - Henrik Larsson, Swedish footballer 1974 - Michael Waddington, American defense lawyer 1975 - Juan Pablo Montoya, Colombian race car driver 1977 - Namie Amuro, Japanese pop singer 1979 - Sean Davis, English footballer 1980 - Vladimir Karpets, Russian cyclist Deaths 1586 - Chidiock Tichborne, English conspirator and poet (executed) (b. 1558) 1863 - Jacob Grimm, German folklorist (b. 1785) 1947 - Fiorello LaGuardia, Mayor of New York City (b. 1882) 1957 - Jean Sibelius, Finnish composer (b. 1865) 1996 - Paul Erdős, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1913) 1999 - Raisa Gorbacheva, wife of Mikhail Gorbachev (b. 1932) 2005 - Simon Wiesenthal, Austrian-Polish Nazi hunter (b. 1908) Did you know ... that U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe Charles A. Ray (pictured) was the first person to serve as U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam? ... that the La Follette family opposed Glenn Frank's nomination for the University of Wisconsin presidency, appointed the Regents that removed him, and held the Senate seat he later sought? ... that Steve Lazarides was the agent for graffiti artist Banksy and is credited with creating the popularity of urban art in the 2000s? ... that Alexander Purdie's Virginia Gazette was the first American newspaper to publish the complete full text of the United States Declaration of Independence? ... that in 1996, Edo Ronchi became the first Green politician to hold a cabinet post in Italy? ... that 2012 Paralympic wheelchair basketball player Alejandro Zarzuela Beltran has a twin brother who plays in the same sport and a father who represented Spain at the 2008 Paralympics in archery? ... that Late Gothic architect Benedikt Rejt rebuilt parts of Prague Castle and built the vault for St. Barbara's Church in Kutná Hora? Quote of the week "From without, no wonderful effect is wrought within ourselves, unless some interior, responding wonder meets it. That the starry vault shall surcharge the heart with all rapturous marvelings, is only because we ourselves are greater miracles, and superber trophies than all the stars in universal space." — Herman Melville In Pierre: or, The Ambiguities, 1852 WikiProjects List of WikiProjects and work groups that involve biography articles: Arts and entertainment Actors and Filmmakers Composers Canadian Dictionary of Biography Initiative Living persons Philosophers Saints Romance authors Military Peers and Baronets Politics and government U.S. Members of Congress U.S. presidents Royalty and nobility Science and academia Aerospace Sports and games Baseball players List of all WikiProjects See also: Biographies of living persons • Manual of Style (biographies) Related portals Anthropology Community Criminal justice Culture Death Gangs Human rights LGBT Mind and brain Music Philosophy Religion Sexuality Social and political philosophy Thinking Associated Wikimedia