CHILDHOOD OF WORLD FIGURES
Christopher Columbus was born in Italy in 1451. His father was a weaver, but like most young men living near a seaport, Columbus looked to the sea to find his calling. In 1477, after serving as a messenger and sailor on many ships, Columbus settled in Portugal. It was there he first tried to gain support for his dream of reaching Asia by sailing west. It wasn't until nearly fifteen years later that Columbus gained support from Spain and set out on the momentous expedition that landed him in the Americas in 1492.
Christopher Columbus is considered...

Diana Spencer grew up to be the princess of Wales. But when she was a little girl, she did not dream she would become a princess. When she was still quite young, her older sisters went off to boarding school and her parents decided to live apart. This was very difficult for sensitive Diana, and her self-esteem began to suffer. Things were not helped when she began feeling inferior to not only an accomplished older sister, but also her clever younger brother. Diana was a good athlete and was gifted at connecting with other people. Still, she struggled to find her place in the world. Diana...

Julius Caesar was born in Rome in the year 100 b.c. to a well-known family that supposedly traced its ancestry to the Greek goddess Venus. Although Caesar grew up to be one of the world's most famous military and political leaders, he was raised in the Subura, a lower-class neighborhood of Rome.

As a young man, Caesar was known for both his bravery in battle and his ability to speak at the Roman Forum. When Caesar left Rome to join the military service in Asia, he was awarded the corona civica -- an oak crown -- the highest honor given to a noncommander. At the Forum, Caesar's oratory...

Pope John Paul II was born Karol Wojtyla on May 18, 1920, in Poland. As a child Karol excelled in school -- especially in religion and literature. He was a star soccer player and also hiked and kayaked. But most of all Karol loved poetry and theater. Although Karol was liked and respected by his peers, his childhood was touched by tragedy. His mother passed away when he was only nine years old, and three years later his beloved older brother, Edmund, died from scarlet fever.
Karol grew up in a time of great uncertainty for Poland. Although he was born into an independent Poland, he was a...

Marie Curie was a world-renowned scientist who made many important discoveries, as well as a great teacher and a mother, but her accomplishments didn't come easily.

Born Maria Sklodovska in 1867, Marie grew up in Russia-occupied Poland where schools were not allowed to teach Polish history or language, and lab experiments were forbidden in science classes. When Marie was young, her mother and eldest sister both passed away. Marie was determined not to let hardships get in the way of her dreams. She went on to win two Nobel Prizes, one each in physics and chemistry, making her the first...