Brad Pitt (born William Bradley Pitt, December 18, 1963, in Shawnee, Oklahoma) is an American actor and film producer, one of the most prominent and awarded artists of his generation.

Early Life and Education

Brad grew up in Springfield, Missouri, in a family with two younger siblings. His father, William Alvin Pitt, owned a trucking company, while his mother, Jane Etta Pitt, worked as a school counselor. He was raised in a conservative Southern Baptist environment but later explored various spiritual paths.

He attended Kickapoo High School, where he was active in sports such as golf, swimming, and tennis, as well as in school debates and drama clubs. After high school, he enrolled at the University of Missouri, majoring in journalism with a focus on advertising. However, two weeks before graduation, he decided to leave college and move to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.

Career Beginnings (1987–1993)

Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Brad took acting lessons with Roy London and worked various jobs to support himself. His early acting roles included guest appearances in TV series such as "Another World", "Dallas", and "21 Jump Street".

Brad Pitt first gained major attention with his role as J.D., a charming criminal, in the film "Thelma & Louise" (1991). This role established him as a sex symbol and opened doors to more significant projects. This was followed by roles in "A River Runs Through It" (1992) and "Legends of the Fall" (1994), which further solidified his status in Hollywood.

Rise to Fame and Acclaim

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Brad demonstrated his versatility with roles in films such as "Se7en" (1995), "12 Monkeys" (1995), for which he won a Golden Globe and received an Oscar nomination, "Fight Club" (1999), "Snatch" (2000), and "Ocean's Eleven" (2001), including its sequels.

His ability to portray complex characters led to roles in films like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (2008), "Inglourious Basterds" (2009), and "Moneyball" (2011), earning him multiple nominations and critical acclaim.

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Producer and Oscar Winner

In addition to acting, Brad has found success as a producer. His production company, Plan B Entertainment, is behind award-winning films such as "12 Years a Slave" (2013), which won the Oscar for Best Picture, "The Big Short" (2015), and "Moonlight" (2016).

In 2020, Brad won his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019), directed by Quentin Tarantino.

Personal Life

Brad was married to actress Jennifer Aniston from 2000 to 2005. He then began a relationship with actress Angelina Jolie, with whom he has six children, including three adopted ones. The couple married in 2014 but divorced in 2016.

Their shared property, the Château Miraval vineyard in France, became the subject of legal disputes following the divorce.

Legacy and Influence

Brad Pitt is recognized as one of the most influential actors of his generation, known for his choice of challenging and diverse roles that reflect his dedication to the craft. His work, both in front of and behind the camera, has left a lasting mark on contemporary cinema.

She had her first performances in small clubs, where she regularly sang for dinner and a few dollars.

Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand, born on April 24, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York, grew up in a Jewish family where poverty and loss were deeply ingrained in everyday life.

Her father, Emanuel, who worked as a high school teacher, died of an epileptic seizure when Barbra was only 15 months old.

Her mother, Diana, a former secretary and singer, was left alone with two children, and their lives suddenly shifted from financial security to a struggle for survival.

Her childhood was marked by emotional distance and a lack of parental support, which made her feel isolated among her peers. Streisand knew from an early age that she wanted to become an actress. She loved music but considered acting her true ambition.

• Marilyn Monroe Biography - life, childhood, parents, name, death...
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At the age of thirteen, she recorded her first demo, and in high school, she was part of the choir where she sang alongside her classmate Neil Diamond. She had her first performances in small clubs, where she regularly sang for dinner and a few dollars.

She was determined, confident, and talented, and after graduating high school at just 16, she rented a small apartment in New York so she could audition for local theaters, despite her mother’s opposition.

Defying Stereotypes and Breaking Into the Scene

Her voice, with its incredible range and sensitivity, soon set her apart from the crowd. Nevertheless, it was the release of her album “The Barbra Streisand Album” in 1962 that captured the attention of a wider audience and music critics, earning her two Grammy Awards.

While her music career rapidly blossomed, Streisand persistently returned to her original love – acting. In 1968, she made her film debut as Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl,” an adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name.

The film was a huge success, and Streisand won an Oscar for Best Actress for her debut. That moment marked the beginning of one of the longest and most influential film careers in American cinema history.

In films such as “Hello, Dolly!” (1969), “The Way We Were” (1973), and “A Star Is Born” (1976), Streisand combined her acting instincts and musical talent, giving her characters authenticity and depth.

Actress, Director, Producer – A Woman Ahead of Her Time

Barbra Streisand refused to accept passivity, both in life and on screen. At a time when women rarely took control of production, she founded her own production company, Barwood Films.

In 1983, she directed and starred in the film “Yentl,” the story of a Jewish girl who disguises herself as a boy to be able to study. The film was a risky project but won the Golden Globe for Best Picture, and Streisand became the first woman in history to win a Golden Globe for directing.

She continued to direct and produce films that reflected her interests—emotional stories with strong female characters, often infused with themes of identity, family, and unfulfilled desires. Among them are the notable “The Prince of Tides” (1991) and “The Mirror Has Two Faces” (1996), which further cemented her position in Hollywood not just as an actress but also as a director.

Her success was accompanied by a constant need for validation—because of her appearance, voice, Jewish heritage, and ambitions that many were either unaware of or unwilling to accept. Streisand never had a nose job despite studio pressure and never changed her last name to make it sound more appealing. It was precisely her determination to preserve her identity that made her a symbol of authenticity.

Private Life and Social Engagement

Although Barbra Streisand’s private life was often a topic for tabloids, she always avoided sensationalism. She was married to actor Elliott Gould with whom she has a son, Jason, and later married actor James Brolin with whom she has been happily married for many years.

Besides music and film, she dedicated herself to social engagement. She is active in the fight for women's rights, environmental protection, LGBTQ+ equality, and liberal political values.

She founded her own foundation that funds numerous humanitarian projects, with a special focus on equality in healthcare and access to education.

Highly Awarded Yet Independent

Barbra Streisand has won numerous awards: two Oscars, ten Grammys, five Emmys, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She is one of the rare individuals to achieve all four major American entertainment awards (EGOT), and her contributions to music and film are considered timeless.

Despite occasional retreats from public life, she would return with concerts, album releases, and participation in public debates, according to Index.hr.

Barbra Streisand is not just an actress, singer, or director—she is a cultural icon. Her career has spanned more than six decades, during which she refused to stay silent or conform, making her one of the most powerful and influential figures in American popular culture.

The Idealist of the Cuban Revolution

Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (June 14, 1928–October 9, 1967) was an Argentine physician and revolutionary who played a key role in the Cuban Revolution. He also served in the government of Cuba after the communist takeover before leaving Cuba to try to stir up rebellions in Africa and South America. He was captured and executed by Bolivian security forces in 1967. Today, he is considered by many to be a symbol of rebellion and idealism, while others see him as a murderer.

Fast Facts: Ernesto Guevara de la Serna
Known For: Key figure in the Cuban Revolution
Also Known As: Che
Born: June 14, 1928 in Rosario, Santa Fe province, Argentina
Parents: Ernesto Guevara Lynch, Celia de la Serna y Llosa
Died: October 9, 1967 in La Higuera, Vallegrande, Bolivia
Education: University of Buenos Aires
Published Works: The Motorcycle Diaries, Guerrilla Warfare, The African Dream, The Bolivian Diary
Awards and Honors: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross
Spouse(s): Hilda Gadea, Aleida March
Children: Hilda, Aleida, Camilo, Celia, Ernesto
Notable Quote: "If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine."

Early Life

Ernesto was born into a middle-class family in Rosario, Argentina. His family was somewhat aristocratic and could trace their lineage to the early days of Argentine settlement. The family moved around a great deal while Ernesto was young. He developed severe asthma early in life; the attacks were so bad that witnesses were occasionally scared for his life. He was determined to overcome his ailment, however, and was very active in his youth, playing rugby, swimming, and doing other physical activities. He also received an excellent education.

Medicine

In 1947, Ernesto moved to Buenos Aires to care for his elderly grandmother. She died shortly thereafter and he began medical school. Some believe he was driven to study medicine because of his inability to save his grandmother. He was a believer in the idea that a patient's state of mind is as important as the medicine he or she is given. He remained very close to his mother and stayed fit through exercise, although his asthma continued to plague him. He decided to take a vacation and put his studies on hold.

The Motorcycle Diaries

At the end of 1951, Ernesto set off with his good friend Alberto Granado on a trip north through South America. For the first part of the trip, they had a Norton motorcycle, but it was in poor repair and had to be abandoned in Santiago. They traveled through Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela, where they parted ways. Ernesto continued to Miami and returned to Argentina from there. Ernesto kept notes during his trip, which he subsequently made into a book, "The Motorcycle Diaries," which was made into an award-winning movie in 2004. The trip showed him the poverty and misery all throughout Latin America and he wanted to do something about it, even if he did not know what.

Guatemala

Ernesto returned to Argentina in 1953 and finished medical school. He left again almost immediately, however, heading up the western Andes and traveling through Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia before reaching Central America. He eventually settled for a while in Guatemala, at the time experimenting with significant land reform under President Jacobo Arbenz. It was about this time that he acquired his nickname "Che," an Argentine expression meaning (more or less) "hey there." When the CIA overthrew Arbenz, Che tried to join a brigade and fight, but it was over too quickly. Che took refuge in the Argentine Embassy before securing safe passage to Mexico.

Mexico and Fidel

In Mexico, Che met and befriended Raúl Castro, one of the leaders in the assault on the Moncada Barracks in Cuba in 1953. Raúl soon introduced his new friend to his brother Fidel, leader of the 26th of July movement which sought to remove Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista from power. Che had been looking for a way to strike a blow against the imperialism of the United States that he had seen firsthand in Guatemala and elsewhere in Latin America; he eagerly signed on for the revolution, and Fidel was delighted to have a doctor. At this time, Che also became close friends with fellow revolutionary Camilo Cienfuegos.

Transition to Cuba

Che was one of 82 men who piled onto the yacht Granma in November 1956. The Granma, designed for only 12 passengers and loaded with supplies, gas, and weapons, barely made it to Cuba, arriving on December 2. Che and the others made for the mountains but were tracked down and attacked by security forces. Fewer than 20 of the original Granma soldiers made it into the mountains; the two Castros, Che, and Camilo were among them. Che had been wounded, shot during the skirmish. In the mountains, they settled in for a long guerrilla war, attacking government posts, releasing propaganda, and attracting new recruits.

Che in the Revolution

Che was an important player in the Cuban Revolution, perhaps second only to Fidel Castro himself. Che was clever, dedicated, determined, and tough, though his asthma was a constant torture for him. He was promoted to comandante and given his own command. He saw to their training himself and indoctrinated his soldiers with communist beliefs. He was organized and demanded discipline and hard work from his men. He occasionally allowed foreign journalists to visit his camps and write about the revolution. Che's column was very active, participating in several engagements with the Cuban army in 1957 and 1958.

Batista's Offensive

In the summer of 1958, Batista sent large forces of soldiers into the mountains, seeking to round up and destroy the rebels once and for all. This strategy was a huge mistake and backfired badly. The rebels knew the mountains well and ran circles around the army. Many of the soldiers, demoralized, deserted or even switched sides. At the end of 1958, Castro decided it was time for the knockout punch. He sent three columns, one of which was Che's, into the heart of the country.

Santa Clara

Che was assigned to capture the strategic city of Santa Clara. On paper, it looked like suicide. There were some 2,500 federal troops there, with tanks and fortifications. Che himself only had roughly 300 ragged men, poorly armed and hungry. Morale was low among the Cuban soldiers, however, and the populace of Santa Clara mostly supported the rebels. Che arrived on December 28 and the fighting began. By December 31, the rebels controlled the police headquarters and the city but not the fortified barracks. The soldiers inside refused to fight or come out, and when Batista heard of Che's victory he decided the time had come to leave. Santa Clara was the largest single battle of the Cuban Revolution and the last straw for Batista.

After the Revolution

Che and the other rebels rode into Havana in triumph and began setting up a new government. Che, who had ordered the execution of several traitors during his days in the mountains, was assigned (along with Raúl) to round up, bring to trial, and execute former Batista officials. Che organized hundreds of trials of Batista cronies, most of them in the army or police forces. Most of these trials ended in a conviction and execution. The international community was outraged, but Che didn't care: he was a true believer in the Revolution and in communism. He felt that an example needed to be made of those who had supported tyranny.

Government Posts

As one of the few men truly trusted by Fidel Castro, Che was kept very busy in post-Revolution Cuba. He was made the head of the Ministry of Industry and head of the Cuban Bank. Che was restless, however, and he took long trips abroad as a sort of ambassador of the revolution to improve Cuba's international standing. During Che's time in governmental office, he oversaw the conversion of much of Cuba's economy to communism. He was instrumental in cultivating the relationship between the Soviet Union and Cuba and had played a part in trying to bring Soviet missiles to Cuba. This, of course, was a major factor in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Ché the Revolutionary

In 1965, Che decided he was not meant to be a government worker, even one in a high post. His calling was revolution, and he would go and spread it around the world. He disappeared from public life (leading to incorrect rumors about a strained relationship with Fidel) and began plans for bringing about revolutions in other nations. The communists believed that Africa was the weak link in the western capitalist/imperialist stranglehold on the world, so Che decided to head to the Congo to support a revolution there led by Laurent Désiré Kabila.

Congo

When Che had left, Fidel read a letter to all of Cuba in which Che declared his intention to spread revolution, fighting imperialism wherever he could find it. Despite Che's revolutionary credentials and idealism, the Congo venture was a total fiasco. Kabila proved unreliable, Che and the other Cubans failed to duplicate the conditions of the Cuban Revolution, and a massive mercenary force led by South African "Mad" Mike Hoare was sent to root them out. Che wanted to remain and die fighting as a martyr, but his Cuban companions convinced him to escape. All in all, Che was in Congo for about nine months and he considered it one of his greatest failures.

Bolivia

Back in Cuba, Che wanted to try again for another communist revolution, this time in Argentina. Fidel and the others convinced him that he was more likely to succeed in Bolivia. Che went to Bolivia in 1966. From the start, this effort was also a fiasco. Che and the 50 or so Cubans who accompanied him were supposed to get support from clandestine communists in Bolivia, but they proved unreliable and possibly were the ones who betrayed him. He was also up against the CIA, which was in Bolivia training Bolivian officers in counterinsurgency techniques. It wasn't long before the CIA knew Che was in the country and began monitoring his communications.

The End

Che and his ragged band scored some early victories against the Bolivian army in mid-1967. In August, his men were caught by surprise and one-third of his force was wiped out in a firefight; by October, he was down to only about 20 men and had little in the way of food or supplies. By now, the Bolivian government had posted a $4,000 reward for information leading to Che. That was a lot of money in those days in rural Bolivia. By the first week of October, Bolivian security forces were closing in on Che and his rebels.

Death

On October 7, Che and his men stopped to rest in the Yuro ravine. Local peasants alerted the army, who moved in. A firefight broke out, killing some rebels, and Che himself was injured in the leg. On October 8, he was captured alive, allegedly shouting out to his captors "I am Che Guevara and worth more to you alive than dead." The army and CIA officers interrogated him that night, but he did not have much information to give out. With his capture, the rebel movement he headed was essentially over. On October 9, the order was given, and Che was executed, shot by Sergeant Mario Terán of the Bolivian Army.

Legacy

Che Guevara had a huge impact on his world, not only as a major player in the Cuban Revolution but also afterward, when he tried to export the revolution to other nations. He achieved the martyrdom that he so desired, and in doing so he became a larger-than-life figure.

Che is one of the most controversial figures of the 20th century. Many revere him, especially in Cuba, where his face is on the 3-peso note and every day schoolchildren vow to "be like Che" as part of a daily chant. Around the world, people wear t-shirts with his image on them, usually portraying a famous photo taken of Che in Cuba by photographer Alberto Korda (more than one person has noted the irony of hundreds of capitalists making money selling a famous image of a communist). His fans believe that he stood for freedom from imperialism, idealism, and a love for the common man and that he died for his beliefs.

Many despise Che, however. They see him as a murderer for his time presiding over the execution of Batista supporters, criticize him as the representative of a failed communist ideology and deplore his handling of the Cuban economy.

Around the world, people love or hate Che Guevara. Either way, they will not soon forget him.

Sources
Castañeda, Jorge C. Compañero: the Life and Death of Che Guevara. New York: Vintage Books, 1997.
Coltman, Leycester. The Real Fidel Castro. New Haven and London: the Yale University Press, 2003.
Sabsay, Fernando. Protagonistas de América Latina, Vol. 2. Buenos Aires: Editorial El Ateneo, 2006.

Born: June 1, 1926
Los Angeles, California
Died: August 5, 1962
Los Angeles, California
American model and actress

Decades after Marilyn Monroe's death, the film actress and model has remained one of Hollywood's greatest sex symbols with her eye-catching style, champagne blond hair, and breathless manner of speaking.

Growing up Norma Jean

Norma Jean Baker, better known as Marilyn Monroe, experienced a disrupted, loveless childhood that included two years at an orphanage. When Norma Jean, born on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California, was seven years old, her mother, Gladys (Monroe) Baker Mortenson, was hospitalized after being diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, a severe mental condition. Norma was left in a series of foster homes and the Los Angeles Orphans' Home Society. The constant move from one foster home to another resulted in Norma's "sketchy" educational background.

After Norma's sixteenth birthday, her foster parents had to move from California. To avoid an orphanage or a new foster home, Norma chose to get married. On June 19, 1942, Norma married James Dougherty, but the marriage would all but end when he joined the U.S. Merchant Marines in 1943. Though her difficult childhood and early failed marriage would make Norma Jean a strong and resilient woman, these experiences would also add to her insecurities and flaws—things that would ultimately shape her into a great tragic figure of the twentieth century.

Becoming Marilyn

During World War II (1939–45; a war fought between the Axis powers: Japan, Italy, and Germany—and the Allies: England, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States), Norma Jean worked at the Radio Plane Company in Van Nuys, California, but she was soon discovered by photographers. She enrolled in a three-month modeling course, and in 1946, aware of her considerable charm and the potential it had for a career in films, Norma obtained a divorce from Dougherty. She then headed for Hollywood, where Ben Lyon, head of casting at

Twentieth Century Fox, arranged a screen test. On August 26, 1946, she signed a one hundred twenty-five dollar a week, one-year contract with the studio. Ben Lyon was the one who suggested a new name for the young actress—Marilyn Monroe.
During Monroe's first year at Fox, she did not appear in any films, and her contract was not renewed. In the spring of 1948 Columbia Pictures hired her for a small part in Ladies of the Chorus. In 1950 John Huston (1906–1987) cast her in Asphalt Jungle, a tiny part which landed her a role in All About Eve. She was now given a seven-year contract with Twentieth Century Fox and appeared in The Fireball, Let's Make It Legal, Love Nest, and As Young as You Feel.

In 1952, after an extensive publicity campaign, Monroe appeared in Don't Bother to Knock, Full House, Clash by Night, We're Not Married, Niagara, and Monkey Business. The magazine Photoplay termed her the "most promising actress," and she was earning top dollars for Twentieth Century Fox.

Popularity and personal failures

On January 14, 1954, Monroe married Yankee baseball player Joe Di Maggio (1919–1999). But the pressures created by her billing as a screen sex symbol caused the marriage to fall apart, and the couple divorced on October 27, 1954.

Continually cast as the "dumb blond," Monroe made The Seven Year Itch in 1954. Growing weary of the stereotyping (broad generalizations based on appearance), she broke her contract with Fox and moved to New York City. There she studied at the Actors Studio with Lee and Paula Strasberg. Gloria Steinem (1934–) recalls a conversation with Monroe during that time in which Monroe referred to her own opinion of her abilities compared to a group of notables at the Actors Studio. "I admire all these people so much. I'm just not good enough."

In 1955 Monroe formed her own studio, Marilyn Monroe Productions, and renegotiated a contract with Twentieth Century Fox. She appeared in Bus Stop in 1956 and married playwright Arthur Miller (1915–) on July 1, 1956. Critics described Monroe in the film The Prince and the Showgirl, produced by her own company, as "a sparkling light comedienne." Monroe won the Italian David di Donatello award for "best foreign actress of 1958," and in 1959 she appeared in Some Like It Hot. In 1961 she starred in The Misfits, for which her husband Miller wrote the screenplay.

End of a star

The couple was divorced on January 24, 1961, and later that year Monroe entered a New York psychiatric clinic. After her brief hospitalization there she returned to the Fox studio to work on a film, but her erratic (unsteady and irregular) behavior betrayed severe emotional disturbance, and the studio fired her in June 1962.

Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles bungalow on August 5, 1962, an empty bottle of sleeping pills by her side. The exact events surrounding her death are not totally known and have been the subject of many rumors and books over the years. Monroe's image is one of the most lasting and widely seen of any star in the twentieth century—and today. As a subject of biographies, more than twenty books have been written about her short and tragic life.

Source: Marilyn Monroe Biography

Real Name: Farrokh Bulsara

Date of Birth: September 5, 1946

Place of Birth: Zanzibar (present-day Tanzania)

Date of Death: November 24, 1991

Place of Death: London, United Kingdom

Profession: Singer, songwriter, producer, pianist

Best Known As: Frontman of the rock band Queen

Early Life and Origins

Freddie Mercury was born as Farrokh Bulsara in Stone Town, on the island of Zanzibar (then a British protectorate). His parents, Bomi and Jer Bulsara, were Parsis, a Zoroastrian Indian community originally from Gujarat, India.

As a child, Farrokh showed exceptional musical talent. At the age of seven, he began playing the piano, and at eight, he was sent to a boarding school in India (St. Peter’s School in Panchgani), where he performed under the nickname “Freddie”. There, he formed his first band, The Hectics, in which he played piano and performed rock hits of the time.

Moving to England

After the political unrest in Zanzibar in 1964, the Bulsara family emigrated to England and settled in Feltham, a suburb of London. Freddie attended Ealing Art College, where he graduated in design and graphics. He later used this talent in the visual identity of the band Queen, including the design of their legendary crest.

Formation of Queen

During the late 1960s, Freddie played in several smaller London bands. In 1970, he joined guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, who had previously played in the band Smile. After several lineup changes and the arrival of bassist John Deacon, the band Queen was formed.

Freddie suggested the name Queen, believing it sounded “royal, magnificent, and pompous.” He also legally changed his name to Freddie Mercury.

Rise to Fame

Queen released their first album in 1973, but greater success came with the albums "Sheer Heart Attack" (1974) and "A Night at the Opera" (1975). The song "Bohemian Rhapsody", written by Freddie, became revolutionary – a six-minute rock opera without a chorus, pushing the boundaries of music production and music videos.

Freddie was known for his powerful four-octave voice, dramatic performances, theatrical presence, and on-stage charisma. He was a style icon – recognizable for his wigs, colorful costumes, white trousers, and legendary performances with a broken microphone stand.

Most Famous Songs (as writer or performer):

• Bohemian Rhapsody

• Somebody to Love

• Don’t Stop Me Now

• Killer Queen

• We Are the Champions

• Crazy Little Thing Called Love

• Love of My Life

• The Show Must Go On

• Radio Ga Ga (popularized by him)

Live Aid (1985) – Legendary Performance

Queen’s performance at the Live Aid concert in 1985 at Wembley Stadium is considered one of the greatest live performances in rock history. Freddie commanded the crowd of 72,000 people like a true master frontman. Even Elton John said, "Freddie took the world in his hands during those 20 minutes."

Private Life and Personality

Freddie was very private off stage. Although known for his lavish parties, deep down he was a gentle and introverted person. He was in a long-term relationship with Mary Austin, whom he called “the love of his life.” After they split, they remained close friends, and he left her a large portion of his estate.

Freddie lived openly as a bisexual man and withdrew from the public in the late 1980s due to his declining health.

Battle with Illness and Death

In 1987, Freddie was diagnosed as HIV positive, but he kept it a secret until November 23, 1991, when he publicly confirmed he had AIDS. He died just one day later, on November 24, 1991, at his home in Kensington.

His death deeply shocked the music world but also raised awareness about HIV/AIDS.

Legacy and Influence

• In 1992, the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert was held at Wembley Stadium, featuring global stars such as Elton John, David Bowie, George Michael, and others.

• Freddie was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2001) with Queen.

• His voice and musical style remain unmatched, inspiring generations of artists – from Lady Gaga to Muse.

• In the film "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2018), he was portrayed by Rami Malek, who won an Oscar for the role.

Interesting Facts

• He was an art and cat lover – he had several cats during his life and was deeply attached to them.

• His stage microphone stand was iconic – he used half a stand after it broke during rehearsals, and it remained his trademark.

• Although he lived a lavish lifestyle, he never forgot his roots and was very humble in private settings.

Elon Reeve Musk was born on the 28th of June of 1972 in Pretoria, South Africa. He is known for being one of the founders of Paypal, SpaceX, Tesla Motors, OpenAl, and Hyperloop, among other companies. The entrepreneur and inventor appears in the list of the richest in the world, occupying the position number 56, in 2017, with 17.4 billion dollars. Forbes magazine, for the December 2016 publication, named him the 21st person with the most power in the world. His greatest goal, according to Musk, is to change humanity drastically; for this purpose, he works in SolarCity, SpaceX, and Tesla. One of his interests is the abandonment of petroleum fuels in order to reduce global warming. Perhaps Elon’s most ambitious project, so far, is the establishment of a human colony on Mars, with nearly a million people.

He spent his childhood in South Africa with his parents, an engineer from South Africa and a nutritionist from Canada. At age 10, with his first computer, a Commodore VIC-20, he began to learn to programme on his own. Two years later he sold his first videogame called Blastar for about $ 200. At that time he went through difficult times; his schoolmates subjected him to bullying because of his uncommon interests for them. Elon spent his money on science fiction books, comics, and video games.

In the period between 12 and 15 years of age, he entered into an existential crisis influenced by the readings of Nietzsche and Schopenhauer. The situation went to the extreme of taking him to the hospital because of beatings by his companions. In his home things were not better, the relationship with his father was quite complicated. He suffered the emotional violence of a father unable to understand him. Compulsory military service bothered him. For these reasons, at age 17, after graduating from high school in Pretoria, he decided to leave South Africa and take refuge with his mother in Canada.

What Musk wanted most was to reach the United States. He found in that country a way to make possible everything he imagined. Elon’s father conditioned his support: he would not pay for a university outside of South Africa. In 1989, while in Canada, he found a chance to study thanks to his maternal relatives, who came from North America. By 1992, Elon counted on a scholarship in the University of Pennsylvania. The young entrepreneur began his studies in Business Administration, in parallel he began his career in Physics. He was fortunate to have the support of one of his teachers, who turned out to be the executive director of Los Gatos, a company located in the southern part of San Francisco Bay, California. The experience gained on ultracapacitors in that company, and then in Pinnacle Research, along with the inspiration it had for inventors such as Nikola Tesla, made him define the fields in which he would focus on the future: renewable energy, the Internet and outer space.

The beginning on the Internet began with Zip2, in 1995, along with his brother Kimbal Musk and a friend named Greg Curry. The company was dedicated to the development and maintenance of web pages dedicated to the media. The idea was a success, managing around 200 sites on the Internet in the year of 1999. For that year the company was sold to Compaq for 300 million dollars; money that would help him found X.com. The next plan was to systematize payments and money management through the Internet, offering security and speed. The ease offered by X.com and security made the project a very profitable idea, as well as merging, in 2000, with Confinity; company that provided a similar service, but only between Palm Pilot devices. In 2001 X.com decided to change its name to Paypal.inc a well-known company that provides the service to make online payments internationally.

With the growing success, problems soon appeared. Different companies tried to close Paypal, including eBay, which ended up buying it in October 2002, for 1.5 billion dollars. The sale of Paypal gave way to the creation, by its former members, of companies such as LinkedIn and YouTube. The next Musk project was called Tesla Motors, the company that created the first functional electric car. The main investment in Tesla was solar energy. The idea was born in 2003 in the company AC Propulsion, which had a prototype electric car. Musk wanted to help design a sports car with the same base of AC Propulsion.

In 2004, along with Matt Tappenhig and Martin Eberhard, Tesla Motors was created, with the intention of mass producing the model T-Zero of AC Propulsion. Musk invested nearly 98% of the capital. The start of the company was hard; the budget for the first models exceeded what was expected, but they managed to sell enough to continue developing models. For 2012, 2100 Tesla Roadster was sold in different countries. In 2015 the Tesla Model X was launched, designed to cover all types of terrain.

Another of Musk’s three projects involves SpaceX. Thinking of establishing a colony on Mars, he began, in 2002, to investigate how to send a rocket to Mars. His initial idea was to obtain reusable rockets to carry out the two trips for reconnaissance missions. For that year, Space Exploration Technologies was founded, focused on launching rockets and reducing fuel costs and materials for launch with increases in viability. In 2008, an agreement was made between NASA for twelve rocket flights. Currently, SpaceX is responsible for the development of Falcon rockets, which use liquid fuel.