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Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay, Maharashtra, India, the son of John Lockwood Kipling, a museum director and author and illustrator. This was at the height of the "British Raj", so he was brought up by Indian nurses ("ayahs"), who taught him something of the beliefs and tongues of India. He was sent "home" to England at the age of six to live with a foster mother, who treated him very cruelly. He then spent five formative years at a minor public school, the United Services College at Westward Ho! which inspired "Stalky & Co.". He returned to India as a journalist in 1882. By 1890 he had published, in India, a major volume of verse, "Departmental Ditties", and over 70 Indian tales in English, including "Plain Tales from the Hills" and the six volumes of the "Indian Railway Library". When he arrived in London in October 1889, at the age of 23, he was already a literary celebrity. In 1892 he married Caroline Balestier, the daughter of an American lawyer, and set up house with her in Brattleboro, Vermont, where they lived for four years. While in Vermont he wrote the two "Jungle Books" and "Captains Courageous". In 1901 he wrote "Kim" and in 1902 "The Just So Stories" that explained things like "How the Camel Got Its Hump". From 1902 they made their home in Sussex, England. He subsequently published many collections of stories, including "A Diversity of Creatures", "Debits and Credits" (1926) and "Limits and Renewals" (1932). These are now thought by many to contain some of his finest writing, although his introspection may well have been influenced by the death of their only son in the First World War. Although vilified by some as "the poet of British imperialism" in the past, nowadays he may be regarded as a great story-teller with an extraordinary gift for writing of peoples of many cultures and classes and backgrounds from the inside.

Born Mary Whitty on June 19, 1865, to a Liverpool newspaper editor and his wife, she became known as May Whitty to the world. She first stepped onto the London stage in 1882 at which she worked as an understudy at the St. James Theatre and then began playing leading roles when she joined a traveling stock company. After nearly 25 years as one of Britain's leading stage actresses, she appeared in her first film, Enoch Arden (1914), in Great Britain. She did not care much for the experience and appeared in only a few silent films afterward.

In 1918, based on her service to the arts and for performing for the troops during World War I, she was named as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by King George V.

After a string of 1930s Broadway successes, she went to Hollywood, following the example of many of her British contemporaries. She found herself usually cast in highborn roles, sometimes crotchety, sometimes imperious, however often warmhearted. Classic examples of these were the crotchety Mrs. Bramson, an invalid who falls for the homicidal Robert Montgomery, in Night Must Fall (1937); Miss Froy\ in The Lady Vanishes (1938), wherein she plays the title character, enduring great physical exertion while maintaining her poise and dignity; and Lady Beldon in Mrs. Miniver (1942), a role which garnered her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress. She proved herself equally capable of playing working-class roles, such as the dowdy phony psychic in The Thirteenth Chair (1937). Besides two Oscar nominations, she also won the National Board of Review best acting award for the 1937 film Night Must Fall (1937).

In 1892, she married London producer Ben Webster. They were the parents of a daughter, Margaret Webster, who became a playwright and actress in her own right. Margaret penned her mother's biography, The Same Only Different, published in 1969.

Whitty died at the age of 82 as the result of cancer in Beverly Hills shortly after completing her scenes in the film The Sign of the Ram (1948).

She once said, "I've got everything Betty Grable has ... only I've had it longer."

Barbier was educated for the ministry before going to work on the stage. He appeared on Broadway in such successes as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "The Man Who Came Back," among others. He signed a contract with Paramount Pictures in 1929 and later worked as an actor for most of the major studios.

Otis Harlan was born on 29 December 1865 in Zanesville, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for Show Boat (1929), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) and Nine and Three-Fifths Seconds (1925). He was married to Nellie Harvey. He died on 21 January 1940 in Martinsville, Indiana, USA.

George V was the King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 1910 until his death in 1936. He was the second son of Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Alexandra of Denmark. George outlived his older brother Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (1864-1892), who died during a flu pandemic in the early 1890s. George served as the heir to the throne from 1901 to 1910, and eventually succeeded his father. George's reign covered the entire World War I (1914-1918) and much of the interwar period (1918-1939). In 1917, George changed the name of the British royal house from House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to House of Windsor. in reaction to anti-German public sentiment in the UK. George appointed the first Labour ministry in 1924, and in 1931 he was the founding monarch of the Commonwealth of Nations. George suffered from smoking-related health problems, and he was incapacitated and terminally ill by January 1936. His physician euthanized him. Two of George's sons subsequently reigned as Edward VIII (reigned 1936) and George VI (reigned 1936-1952).

In 1865, George was born in London. At the time, his father was the heir apparent of the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria (reigned 1837-1901). George's maternal grandfather was Christian IX of Denmark (reigned 1863-1906), who was nicknamed as "the father-in-law of Europe" for marrying most of his children into the leading royal families of Europe. As the second son of his father, George was not considered a likely hired to the throne.

George's father wanted his son to have a military education. In 1877, George enlisted in the Royal Navy at the age of 12. He joined a ship reserved for the training of cadets. During the late 1870s, George traveled the world aboard a British ship. In 1881, George visited Japan. He hired a local artist to tattoo his arm, choosing to display the image of a dragon on his arm. He continued his active naval service until 1892, and was for a while the commanding officer of the HMS Thrush and the HMS Melampus. Despite being a world-traveler, George failed to acquire fluency in any language other than English. His grandmother Victoria was disappointed that her grandson could not converse in either French or German.

As a youth, George fell in love with his cousin, Princess Marie of Edinburgh. But her mother disapproved of their courtship, and Marie herself rejected George's marriage proposal. Marie would later marry Ferdinand I of Romania (reigned 1914-1927). In 1892, Albert Victor died and George became his father's intended heir. At the time of his death, Albert Victor was engaged to Mary of Teck. Following his brother's death, George bonded with the mourning Mary. He proposed marriage to her in 1893, with the support of his grandmother. The couple were married in July 1893. George reportedly found it difficult to express his feelings in speech, but found it easier to write about them. So he continued writing love letters to Mary during the years of their marriage.

In 1892, George was granted the title of the Duke of York by his grandmother. George and his wife settled at York Cottage in Norfolk, a relatively small residence. Unlike his socialite father Edward, George desired a quiet life for himself. George's lifestyle during the 1890s resembled that of the British middle class, rather than that of the British royalty. His main hobby was stamp collecting, and he was eventually responsible for the expansion of the Royal Philatelic Collection.

In January 1901, Queen Victoria died and her son succeeded her as Edward VII. George inherited the title of the Duke of Cornwall, and started styling himself as the Duke of Cornwall and York. That year, George and Mary toured the British Empire. George personally presented thousands of medals to the soldiers of the still ongoing Second Boer War (1899-1902). George opened the first session of the Australian Parliament during his visit of Australia. His visit in New Zealand was primarily used as an opportunity to advertise New Zealand's attractiveness to potential tourists and immigrants through a press campaign.

In November 1901, George was granted the title of the Prince of Wales by his father. For the first time, his father trusted him with wide access to state documents. George in turn shared his documents with his wife Mary, who served as his primary advisor and speech writer. In his new role as the heir to the throne, George supported reforms in naval training. He wanted the cadets of the Royal Navy to have a shared educational background, regardless of their specific assignments.

In May 1910, Edward VII died and George succeeded him. He genuinely mourned his father, writing in his diary that they had never quarreled with each other, and that his father had been his best friend. George objected to the wording of his intended Accession Declaration, as he found the anti-Catholic phrases to be objectionable. At his insistence, most of the anti-Catholic phrases were removed.

In June 1911, George and Mary were coronated at Westminster Abbey. In December 1911, George was officially declared the new Emperor of India at a ceremony in Delhi. At the ceremony, George was wearing the then-new Imperial Crown of India. He announced the transfer of the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi. George subsequently visited Nepal, and took time off for big game hunting. He took pride in killing 21 tigers, 8 rhinoceroses and a bear during his hunting in Nepal.

In July 1914, George orchestrated the Buckingham Palace Conference to negotiate the topic of Irish Home Rule. Rival political factions in Ireland had become radicalized, and George hoped to prevent a new Irish Civil War. The conference ended without an agreement. In August 1914, George took part in the council which declared war against the German Empire. Wilhelm II of Germany (reigned 1888-1918) was his first cousin, but their diplomatic relationships had deteriorated.

In July 1917, George officially renamed the British royal house: from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the House of Windsor. He and all his British relatives relinquished their German titles and started adopting British-sounding surnames. Any member of the wider royal family who sided with Germany lost his/her British peerage titles through the rules of the "Titles Deprivation Act 1917".

Following the end of World War I, George rarely left the UK on official business. He visited Belgium and France in 1922, and Italy in 1923. These were his final diplomatic visits. George was horrified at the violence of the Irish War of Independence (1919 - 1921), and repeatedly called for negotiations between the rival factions of the war. The war led to an Anglo-Irish treaty and the 1922 partition of Ireland.

George was worried about the republican movement in the post-war UK, and tried to increase his support from the major parliamentarian parties of the country. During the 1920s, George cultivated friendly relations with moderate politicians of the Labour Party politicians and with trade union officials. In 1926, George hosted the Imperial Conference in London. By its decisions, the British Dominions became autonomous, and were no longer subordinate to the UK. In 1931, the Statute of Westminster 1931 formalized the Dominions' legislative independence. It marked the transformation of the British Empire into the Commonwealth of Nations, with George as the official head of the Commonwealth.

In the 1930s, George was increasingly hostile to the Nazi government of Germany. In 1934, George expressed his belief that Britain and Germany were heading for a new war. In 1935, George celebrated his Silver Jubilee and was met with adulation by the crowds. His efforts to increase the popularity of the British monarchy had apparently paid off, though he was surprised at the extend of his own personal popularity.

George was a heavy smoker, and had been suffering from chronic bronchitis since the mid-1920s. In 1928, he was diagnosed with septicemia at the base of his right lung. In the final year of his life, George required the administration of oxygen. On 15 January, 1936, George was seriously ill, bedridden, and drifting in and out of consciousness. By January 20, there was no sign of recovery and the incapacitated George required sedatives to deal with the pain. His chief physician Bertrand Dawson, 1st Viscount Dawson of Penn decided to euthanize the king, and surreptitiously injected George with a fatal dose of cocaine and morphine. Since the king was never asked for his consent to the physician's decision, the decision's legality has been questioned.

George was 70-years-old at the time of his death. George was interred at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The chapel had served as the chosen burial place for the British royal family since the 1810s. Following George's example, his successors have mostly tried to reflect the values and virtues of the British upper middle-class.

The son of a minister from Ohio, Charles Stanton Ogle became a prolific character actor from stage and screen. Mostly cast in commanding roles in silents. Per haps most memorable as the screen's very first Frankenstein monster in Thomas Alva Edison's silent version Frankenstein (1910).

Mrs. Patrick Campbell was born on 9 February 1865 in Kensington, London, England, UK. She was an actress and writer, known for Crime and Punishment (1935), Riptide (1934) and One More River (1934). She was married to George Cornwallis-West and Patrick Campbell. She died on 9 April 1940 in Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France.

Jehanne d'Alcy was born on 20 March 1865 in Vaujours, Seine-et-Oise [now Seine-Saint-Denis], France. She was an actress and costume designer, known for Haggard's She: The Pillar of Fire (1899), Bluebeard (1901) and The Conjuring of a Woman at the House of Robert Houdin (1896). She was married to Georges Méliès and Gustave Manieux. She died on 14 October 1956 in Versailles, Seine-et-Oise [now Yvelines], France.

Phillips Smalley was born on 7 August 1865 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was a director and actor, known for The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1917), The Merchant of Venice (1914) and Captain Courtesy (1915). He was married to Phyllis Lorraine Ephlin and Lois Weber. He died on 2 May 1939 in Hollywood, California, USA.

Charles Richman was born on 12 January 1865 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Man from Home (1914), The Battle Cry of Peace (1915) and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938). He was married to Jane Grey. He died on 1 December 1940 in The Bronx, New York, USA.

Arnold Lucy was born on 8 August 1865 in Tottenham, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Modern Marriage (1923) and Fair Lady (1922). He died on 15 December 1945 in London, England, UK.

William Butler Yeats was born on 13 June 1865 in Sandymount, County Dublin, Ireland, UK [now Republic of Ireland]. He was a writer, known for Dancing at Lughnasa (1998), Valentines. A Bouquet of Letters and Poetry of Lovers (1994) and Echoes. He was married to Georgiana Hyde-Lees. He died on 28 January 1939 in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France.

Edward McWade was born on 14 January 1865 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), The Monster (1925) and Two Seconds (1932). He was married to Margaret McWade. He died on 17 May 1943 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Yvette Guilbert was born on 20 January 1865 in Paris, France. She was an actress, known for Faust (1926), The Two Orphans (1933) and Iceland Fisherman (1934). She was married to Max Schiller. She died on 3 February 1944 in Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France.

Baroness Emmuska Orczy was born on 27 September 1865 in Tarnaörs, Hungary. She was a writer, known for The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Two Lovers (1928). She was married to Montagu Barstow. She died on 12 November 1947 in London, England, UK.

Rudolf Lettinger was born on 26 October 1865 in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia [now Germany]. He was an actor, known for The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Zopf und Schwert - Eine tolle Prinzessin (1926) and Napoleon und die kleine Wäscherin (1920). He was married to Maria Wendt. He died on 21 March 1937 in Berlin, Germany.

Barney Gilmore was born on 27 March 1865 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Fight for Millions (1913), The Game of Three (1915) and Kelly from the Emerald Isle (1913). He was married to Mina B. Long. He died on 19 April 1949 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Robert William Chambers, one of the more prolific and popular American authors of late nineteenth and early twentieth century, was born on 26 May, 1865 in Brooklyn to a prominent New York family.

Chambers spent his younger years at the Brooklyn Polytechnic School,after which he attended the Art Student League, in New York. Chambers studied art at The Académie Julian in Paris. He also spent a summer studying and writing at the University of Munich. It is during this time that he penned his first novel, In the Quarter. Once he left Munich he returned to art school but did so at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts. By the time he was in his mid-twenties Chambers was already exhibiting his art at salons in Paris. Returning to America in 1892, Chambers soon began drawing illustrations for magazines like Vogue, Life and True. It was during this period that Chambers and his friend, Charles Dana Gibson, submitted sketches they had drawn of each other to Life magazine. Chambers' sketch of Gibson was published, Gibson's sketch was rejected. Gibson would get the last laugh though, when after becoming successful he purchased Life magazine. In 1912 Gibson provided the illustrations in Chambers' book "Blue-Bird Weather".

Chambers originally began submitting articles, accompanied with his illustrations, to magazines and newspapers before concentrating on writing full time. Over the next forty years or so, he would publish 72 novels, numerous short stories and several plays. Chambers' early writings would cover such diverse subject matters as the supernatural and historical romances. A heavy taskmaster, Chambers would often work on three or four projects at a time. His early work won him high praise from literary critics, but as he became more successful, the critics grew more critical. His opinion of critics nosedived after one reviewer said of his mystic collection of short stories, "The King in Yellow", "a splendid success of horror, which haunts the memory of all who have read it", and another had suggested the book was written under the influence of drugs.

A man of varied interests, Chambers was a historian, artist, outdoors man, collector of rare furniture and fine art, expert on Chinese and Japanese antiquities, collector of North American butterflies and a conservationist. Chambers was once responsible for the planting of around 25,000 trees in Broadalbin, New York.

Chambers, who was a direct descendant of Roger Williams, the founder of Providence, Rhode Island, wrote a number of historical novels, usually set in Colonial America or the Revolutionary and Civil War periods. His interest in the legendary Captain Kidd led him to write a rather sympathetic treatment of Kidd's life entitled, "The Man They Hung".

A small example of additional works by Chambers that were popular with the public are: "The Red Republic," "A King and a Few Dukes," "The Maker of Moons," "With the Band," "The Mystery of Choice," "Lorraine," "Ashes of Empire," "The Maid-at-Arms," "Outdoor Land," "The Maids of Paradise," "Orchard-Land," "Forest-Land," "The Haunts of Men," "The Cambric Mask," "Cardigan", "The Fighting Chance", "The Firing Line", "Iole", "The Witch of Ellangowan" and "Ailsa Paige". His popularity was such that during his lifetime first edition copies of his books were wildly treasured among book collectors.

Robert William Chambers died in New York City on 16 December, 1933 after an unsuccessful operation to alleviate an intestinal disorder. He was survived by his wife, the former Elsa Vaughn Moller (1882-1939), a son, author Robert Edward Stuart Chambers (a.k.a. Robert Husted Chambers) and a brother, renowned architect Walter Boughton Chambers (1866-1945).

Yevgeni Bauer was the most important filmmaker of the early Russian cinema, who made about eighty silent films in 5 years before the Russian Revolution of 1917.

He was born Yevgeni Frantsevich Bauer in 1865, in Moscow, Russia, into an artistic family. His father, Franz Bauer, was a renown musician who played zither, his mother was an opera singer, and his sisters eventually became stage and cinema actresses. From 1882 - 1887 he studied at Moscow School of Art, Sculpture and Architecture, graduating in 1887, as an artist. At that time Bauer worked for Moscow theatres as a stage artist as well as a set designer for popular musicals and comedies. He was also known as a newspaper satirist, a caricaturist for magazines, a journalist, and a theatrical impresario. During the 1900s he became involved in still photography and worked as an artistic photographer, having several of his pictures published in the Russian media.

In 1912, Bauer was hired by A. Drankov and Taldykin as a production designer for Tryokhsotletie tsarstvovaniya doma Romanovykh (1913), then he became a film director for their company. After making four films as director for A. Drankov, he moved on to work for Pathe's Star Film Factory in Moscow, and made another four films for them. In 1913, Bauer was invited by the leading Russian producer Aleksandr Khanzhonkov. Their fruitful collaboration would last only four years, yielding about 70 films, of which less than a half survived. Among Bauer's best works with Khanzhyonkov were such films as After Death (1915), Her Sister's Rival (1916), and Revolyutsioner (1917), starring Ivane Perestiani as an Old revolutionary.

Bauer reached his peak in the genre of social drama, such as Daydreams (1915) (aka.. Daydreams), starring Alexander Wyrubow as Sergei, an obsessed widower who falls for an actress because of her resemblance of his late wife, but soon their characters clash, leading to a tragic end. Soon Yevgeni Bauer established himself as the leading film director in Russia. He achieved great financial success earning up to 40,000 rubles annually. In 1914, Bauer started using his wife's name, Ancharov, as his artistic name, due to the political pressure from rising Russian nationalism during the First World War, so he was credited as Ancharov in some of his films. Bauer was the main force behind successful careers of major Russian silent film stars of that time, such as Ivan Mozzhukhin and Vera Kholodnaya. With Vera Kholodnaya, Bauer made thirteen films back-to-back in one year. In After Death (1915) and Umirayushchiy lebed (1917), Bauer cast none other than Vera Karalli, the legendary ballerina of the Boshoi Theatre and Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.

Bauer's style evolved from his experience as a theatre artist, actor and photographer who incorporated theatrical techniques in his films in a uniquely cinematic way. His mastery of lighting, his use of unusual camera angles and huge close-ups, his inventive and thoughtful montage and such theatrical effects as long shots through windows or his use of gauzes and curtains to alter the screen image, all these innovations were decades ahead of his time. Bauer was one of the first film directors who used the split screen. He introduced a multi-layered staging involving juxtaposed foreground and background with lush decor and thoughtful compositions alluding to classical paintings of the old masters. He developed ingenious camera movements, showing a remarkable depth of field, and achieving powerful dramatic effects. Bauer's vision and inventiveness, his integrated skills as artist, actor, photographer, and director, made him the leading filmmaker of the early Russian cinema.

Russia was a tough place for film and entertainment business, becoming increasingly unstable during the turbulent years of the First World War. Then Russian culture and film industry suffered from a cascade of troubles and destructions caused by several Russian Revolutions. However, by 1917 several major Russian film studios became established in Yalta, Crimea, near the Tsar's palaces and lush villas of other major patrons, where social environment of an upscale resort with a Mediterranean climate provided special conditions conducive for filming all year round. Bauer moved to Yalta and continued his work at the newly established Khanzhyonkov film studio, becoming also its major shareholder. There Bauer directed his last masterpiece, Za schastem (1917) (aka.. For happiness), passing the torch to his apprentice, Lev Kuleshov, who replaced the ailing Bauer in the role as painter Enrico, which Bauer wanted to play himself, but unfortunately he fell and broke his leg.

In spite of his illness, Bauer used a wheelchair, and began directing his last film, Korol Parizha (1917), which was initially designed as his largest project, but was ended as his last song. His broken leg and unexpected complications interrupted his work as he became bedridden in a Yalta hospital. The film was completed by actress Olga Rakhmanova and his colleagues at Khanzhyonkov studio. Yevgeni Bauer died of pneumonia on 22nd of July (9th of July, old style), 1917, in Yalta, Crimea, and was laid to rest in Yalta cemetery, Yalta, Crimea, Russia (now Yalta, Ukraine).

Bauer was married to actress and dancer Emma Bauer (nee Ancharova), whom he met in the 1890s during his stint as a theatre artist. In 1915 Lina Bauer starred as a flirtatious wife who hides her lover in a closet and successfully outwits her husband in Bauer's comedy The 1002nd Ruse (1915) (aka.. The 1002nd Ruse). Bauer's sister, Emma Bauer also starred in several of his films.

Fay Templeton was born on 25 December 1865 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. She was an actress, known for The March of Time (1930) and Fay Templeton (1906). She was married to William Patterson, Howell Osborne and Billy West. She died on 3 October 1939 in San Francisco, California, USA.

Jean Sibelius was a Finnish classical composer, one of the last composers of the Romantic-era (c. 1800-1910) in classical music. His works were often inspired by nature, by Nordic mythology, and by the Finnish epic poem "Kalevala" (1849). Sibelius completed most of his major works between the 1890s and 1926. He lived in semi-retirement from 1926 to his death in 1957, only completing a few works during these 30 years. Having completed 7 notable symphonies, Sibelius spend nearly 15 years working on an unfinished 8th symphony, He abandoned this effort in 1938, and only short manuscript sketches have survived from this work.

In December 1865, Sibelius was born in the city of Hameenlinna. The city is named after Hame Castle, which is located there. At the time of Sibelius' birth, the city was part of the Grand Duchy of Finland, an autonomous region of the Russian Empire. His parents were the physician Christian Gustaf Sibelius and his wife Maria Charlotta Sibelius Borg. The family name Sibelius derived from the Sibbe estate in Eastern Uusimaa, which belonged to his paternal ancestors.

In 1868, Christian Sibelius died due to typhoid fever. He left substantial debts to his family. His widow sold their property, and then started living with her own widowed mother, Katarina Borg. Sibelius was primarily raised by his mother and his maternal grandfather, having few contacts with male relatives. The exception was his uncle Pehr Ferdinand Sibelius, an amateur violinist. Pehr encouraged his nephew's interest in music, and served as a surrogate father to him. In 1875, Pehr brought a violin as a gift for his nephew.

Sibelius received piano lessons from an aunt during his childhood, but preferred to play the violin. During his childhood and adolescence, Sibelius performed in various musical trios and quartets with his siblings and a number of neighbors. In 1881, Sibelius composed one of his earliest works, the short pizzicato piece "Vattendroppar" (Water Drops) for violin and cello. That same year, he started receiving violin lessons from the local bandmaster Gustaf Levander.

Sibelius graduated from a secondary school in 1885, after repeating a year due to poor grades. He was thought to be an absent-minded pupil, whose only notable skills were in the subjects of mathematics and botany. Following his graduation, Sibelius briefly studied law at the Imperial Alexander University in Finland. He was more interested in a music education, so he soon transferred to the Helsinki Music Institute (which was later renamed to the Sibelius Academy in his honor).

In the Institute, Sibelius received his first formal lessons in composition. He befriended his young teacher Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924) and several of his classmates. He also befriended Aino Jarnefelt (1871-1969), the sister of a classmate. He soon started courting Aino, and they eventually married each other in 1892.

Sibelius graduated from the Institute in 1889, and then continued his musical studies in Berlin and Vienna. While living in Vienna, Sibelius started working on the symphonic poem "Kullervo " (1892). It was an adaptation of a section of the "Kalevala", about a suicidal tragic hero, and his failed efforts at seeking redemption for a crime. The completed poem was the breakthrough hit in Sibelius' career. Sibelius was praised by critics for the "confidence and inventiveness of his writing", and for successfully evoking "the melody and rhythm of Finnic rune singing".

From 1892 onward, Sibelius was primarily interested in composing orchestral music. His next popular work was the choral composition "Vainamoinen's Boat Ride" (April 1893). Between 1893 and 1895, Sibelius' works were frequently presented in Helsinki's concert halls. During this period, he supplemented his income by working as a music teacher at various music schools. In 1898, Sibelius was awarded a substantial annual grant. The grant was initially supposed to financially support him for a decade, but was later extended to a permanent annual grant.

In 1899, Sibelius completed his First Symphony. At about the same timer, he completed the Finnish patriotic song "Song of the Athenians". It became a symbol of Finnish nationalism. Sibelius' tone poem "Finlandia" (1900) was inspired by the national struggle of the Finnish people, and was in part used to protest against Russian repression. It became one of his most popular works.

In 1900, Sibelius went on an international tour, which introduced his works to audiences in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Berlin, and Paris. He received critical praise, and gained international fame. He completed his Second Symphony in 1902, which was met with enthusiasm by the Finnish public. By that time, Sibelius' works were also regularly performed in Germany. In 1903, Sibelius composed incidental music for the play "Kuolema" (Death), written by his brother-in-law Arvid Jarnefelt. The music turned out to be more popular than the play, particularly the play's opening number, "Valse triste" (Sad Waltz).

In November 1903, Sibelius started the construction of his new home: Ainola (Aino's Place). It was named in honor of his wife Aino, and located near Lake Tuusula. Sibelius financed the house's construction with the profits from his series of concerts in Finland, Estonia, and Latvia. The house was completed by September 1904, when Sibelius and his family moved in. He soon befriended a number of painters and writers who lived in the area.

During the 1900s, Sibelius had a reputation of overspending on luxury foods and alcoholic drinks. In 1907, he resolved to give up drinking. His wife was ill at the time and recovering in a sanatorium, so he had to devote more time to his family and its needs. Later that year, Sibelius himself underwent an operation for suspected throat cancer. He was still in poor health for much of 1908, and he had a second operation on his throat. He was convinced that he had to quit both smoking and drinking to survive. Due to his poor health during 1908, Sibelius had to cancel his scheduled concerts in Rome, Warsaw, and Berlin.

In 1909, Sibelius had mostly recovered from his health problems, and he resumed traveling abroad. He was met with enthusiastic audiences in the United Kingdom, where his previous tours had received lukewarm responses. In 1910, he introduced his newest works to audiences in the city of Kristiania, Norway (later renamed to Oslo). In early 1911, Sibelius went on a concert tour in Sweden. Later that year, he completed his Fourth Symphony. It received mixed reviews in Finland, it was met with enthusiasm by British music lovers, and was openly ridiculed by American audiences in New York City. In 1914, Sibelius' sea music composition "The Oceanides" was met with far more enthusiasm at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, in Norfolk, Connecticut.

World War I (1914-1918) had an adverse effect on Sibelius' finances, as his royalties from abroad were interrupted. He continued working anyway. In December 1915, Sibelius completed his Fifth Symphony. He conducted its premiere on 8 December, the date of his 50th birthday. He worked for most of 1916 on a revised version of the Symphony, in part due to his own perfectionist tendencies. He was perceiving flaws even on his praised works.

During the Finnish Civil War (1918), Sibelius supported the anti-communist "Whites" but took no part in the armed conflict. His house was twice searched for weapons by the communist Red Guard, but they failed to find any weapon. Red Guard fighters escorted Sibelius and his family to Helsinki, as their commander-in-chief had guaranteed Sibelius' safety in a diplomatic agreement.

In 1919, Sibelius presented his Second Symphony at a concern in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was his first concert outside the borders of Finland since 1915. By the end of the year, he had completed his final revision of the Fifth Symphony and had started work on his Sixth Symphony. In 1920, he started struggling with a hand tremor, but still managed to complete more works, In that year, Sibelius received a donation of 63,000 marks from Finnish businesses. This allowed him to pay part of his debts from previous years,.

In the early 1920s, Sibelius entered negotiations with the American businessman and philanthropist George Eastman (1854 -1932). Eastman wanted Sibelius to accept a teaching position at the Eastman School of Music which he had founded, and was willing to pay handsomely. Sibelius eventually turned down the offer, because he was reluctant to move to New York.

In 1921, Sibelius had a series of successful concerts in England and Norway. But he was increasingly feeling fatigued. In 1922, he started using spectacles for the first time. He was having headaches when he tried to read without them. In February 1923, Sibelius completed his Sixth Symphony. His concerts of that year were met with enthusiasm in Sweden, but they were poorly received in Italy. By that time, Sibelius had started overindulging in alcoholic drinks. He seemed intoxicated during a public appearance in Gothenburg.

In early 1924, Sibelius completed his Seventh Symphony. It was received more positively in Denmark, rather than in Finland. In Denmark that year, Sibelius was honored with the Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog. This Danish chivalric order is typically awarded for contribution to the arts and sciences. In 1925, the Royal Danish Theatre asked Sibelius to compose incidental music for the play "The Tempest" (1610/1611) by William Shakespeare. This composition premiered in March 1926. By that time, Sibelius was struggling with "essential tremor" (a muscle disorder) and was self-medicating with alcohol.

In 1926, Sibelius entered his semi-retirement. He rarely completed new works, and mostly avoided any interviews and public appearances. He spend years working on his unfinished Eighth Symphony, before giving up. In the Summer of 1941, Sibelius and his family moved back to Ainola after an absence of several years. He spend much of the rest of his life there, rarely bothering to visit Helsinki. He received visitors there, and his various grandchildren and great-grandchildren spend their holidays at Ainola with him.

In 1955, Sibelius' 90th birthday was celebrated with special performances of his works by both the Philadelphia Orchestra and the (British) Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In September 1957, Sibelius died due to a brain hemorrhage (bleeding within the skull). He was 91-years-old at the time of his death. His death was honored with a moment of silence at the United Nations General Assembly.

Sibelius was honored with a state funeral in Finland. He was buried in the garden of his residence at Ainola. His widow Aino continued living at Ainola until her own death in 1969. She was buried beside him at the garden. In 1972, Sibelius' last surviving daughters sold Ainola to the Finnish state. In 1974, Ainola was turned into a museum. Sibelius has repeatedly been memorialized in Finnish art, stamps, and currency since his death.

Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. After his death, a number of scandals were exposed, including Teapot Dome, as well as an extramarital affair with Nan Britton, which diminished his reputation.

Filoteo Alberini was born on 14 March 1865 in Orte, Papal State [now Lazio, Italy]. Filoteo was a cinematographer and director, known for La malia dell'oro (1905), Il varo della 'Regina Elena' alla Spezia (1904) and Visita di Mascagni all'esposizione (1904). Filoteo died on 12 April 1937 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Victory Bateman was born on 6 April 1865 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1924), A Trip to Paradise (1921) and Romeo and Juliet (1916). She was married to George Cleveland and Harry Mestayer. She died on 2 March 1926 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Dublin-born Eric Mayne was educated at Westminster and Durham in England and spent almost thirty years on the stage in both London and his native Ireland. He had a penchant for Shakespearean roles and in later years lectured in Shakespeare at the Los Angeles University College.

Mayne, with his imposing six-foot frame and beard, was tailor-made for the silent screen and invariably cast as a heavy or comic foil. After arriving in Hollywood, he became an immensely prolific, sought-after character player. He co-starred in Oscar Apfel's adventure film The Oakdale Affair (1919), opposite Evelyn Greeley. In Rudolph Valentino's The Conquering Power (1921), he enjoyed high billing as Victor Grandet and was a memorable Dr. Saulsbourg in Harold Lloyd's knock-about comedy Dr. Jack (1922), the sort of role later played by Sig Ruman. Eric's name was high up in the credits again in the John Ford-directed Cameo Kirby (1923) as Colonel Randall, and there were many more roles to follow.

Mayne's career declined with the advent of sound pictures, though he remained in demand as an extra and small-part supporting actor. He played several more 'doctors', notably in East Lynne (1931) and the Victor McLaglen comedy Rackety Rax (1932), but subsequently only bit parts came his way. Mayne, nonetheless, continued in films until his death in Hollywood in February 1947.