Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) was a French stage actress. She starred in some of the most popular theater productions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her most famous French plays including La Dame Aux Camelias by Alexandre Dumas fils; Ruy Blas by Victor Hugo, Fédora and La Tosca by Victorien Sardou, and L’Aiglon by Edmond Rostand.
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Catherine de’ Medici (1519-1589) was an Italian noblewoman during the Italian renaissance in Florence. As a member of the powerful Medici family she brokered into marriage. She wielded great power as Queen of France married to King Henry II and the mother of French Kings Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III.
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Scott Joplin (1868-1917) was an American composer and pianist. He was the father of ragtime. In the 19th century he turned ragtime into an American form of classical music. Joplin was known as the King of Ragtime because his famous ragtime compositions.
Joplin considered ragtime to be a form of classical music.
Ragtime was born out of the African-American community. Joplin wrote over 40 original ragtime pieces. a ragtime ballet, and two operas. His Maple Leaf Rag was ragtime’s first and most influential hit, an iconic rag.
Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) was a British nurse, social reformer. She was the founder of modern nursing. Known as “The Lady With the Lamp,” her experiences as a nurse during the Crimean War were foundational in her views about sanitation. Nightingale was a manager and nursing trainer during the Crimean War, organizing care for wounded soldiers at Constantinople.
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Charlemagne was a warrior king (742-814). Known as Charles the Great and King of Franks he united Europe through 50 campaigns in the 9th century. He spent much of his reign in battle. His mission was to unite all German people into one kingdom. Having learned to read and write he brought a cultural and intellectual revival to Europe. In 771 Pope Leo II crowned Charlemagne, Emperor of the Romans, the first emperor in more than three centuries.
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Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier (1811-1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. He was widely admired by writers as different as Balzac, Baudelaire, the Goncourt brothers, Flaubert, Pound, Eliot, James, Proust, and Wilde.
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André Le Nôtre was the principal gardener for French King Louis XIV. Nôtre, (1613-1700) was born in Paris and became a successful French landscape architect. He designed the gardens of Versailles. The gardens were his masterpiece, earning him a fortune and international fame. He was originally named André Le Nostre.
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Nietzsche was a German philosopher, cultural critic, composer, and poet. He influenced modern intellectual history.
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Ukraine has a long history of heroes. warriors, musicians, poets and activists. All have been willing to fight for their country against repression. Ukraine was founded in the 8th century by Volodymyr the Great. Moscow didn’t exist until three centuries later.
In the 17th century commander Bohdan Khmelnytsky led an uprising resulting in the creation of an independent Ukrainian Cossack state.
In Ukraine the name of 18th century philosopher & poet Hryhorii Skovoroda is synonymous with freedom. 19th century poet.
Artist Taras Shevchenko fought for his country with words. His poems have been translated into more than 100 languages.
Poet, writer, Ivan Franko was nominated for a Nobel Prize just before his death in 1916.
19th century composer, conductors Mykola Lysenko & Mykola Leontovych are among Ukraine’s brilliant musical talents.
Mykhailo Drahomanov was a political theorist, economist, historian, & philosopher. In the 19th century he fought against Ukrainian repression against Russia’s internal and foreign policies.
Élie Metchnikoff pioneered research in immunology, writing ground breaking works on immunology, bacteriology, & epidemiology. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1908.
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Charities helping Ukrainians affected by Russian invasion listed and vetted at https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/help-ukraine/
Vladimir the first or Volodymyr the Great (956-1015) was born Volodymyr Sviatoslavycht. His father was Prince Sviatoslav the first of Kiev of the Rurik dynasty. Vladimir was Prince of Novgorod, Grand Prince of Kiev and the ruler of Kievan Rus from 980 to 1015. He was the first to mint his own coins, putting the trident, his mark on the coins. The trident is on the Ukraine coat of arms.
Vladimir brought Christianity to Kievan Rus. Both Kiev & Moscow have statues of Vladimir the Great, though Moscow didn’t exist until the 12th ctry, two centuries after Vladimir’s death.
Putin claims a strong connection to the Prince. They do have the same first name, but then so does Ukraine President Zelensky. Putin sees himself as powerful royalty like the medieval prince.
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