Vincent van Gogh:
- Van Gogh only started painting at the age of twenty-seven and was for the most part self-taught.
- His life is documented through the many letters he wrote.
- He attempted many other careers, such as an art dealer, a preacher, and a schoolteacher before picking art as his job.
- He was an extremely busy artist, creating 2,100 pieces, 860 of which are oil paintings.
- His "Portrait of Dr. Gachet" sold for $82.5 million dollars.
- Van Gogh was not very successful when he was alive. It is thought he only sold one painting during his lifetime.
- Van Gogh suffered from a mental illness.
- Van Gogh cut off his ear and sent it to a woman in a brothel he frequented.
- He committed suicide in 1890.
- Translated, his last words were "the sadness will last forever".
Thomas Edison:
- Edison's favorite holiday was the 4th of July.
- Edison was a huge fan of the writer Thomas Paine, who authored his books during the American Revolution.
- Edison was a huge supporter of solar energy.
- Edison and his son Charles played very important roles in both WWI and WWII. \
- He had the most recognizable face in the world, in a time where magazines and newspapers were the main ways of communicating information.
- Edison loved pie.
- He was a practical joker and liked to make people laugh.
- His first two children were named "Dot" and "Dash" in honor of his invention, the telegraph.
- He taught his wife Morse Code and proposed to her by tapping it out on her palm. She tapped back, "Yes".
- Edison was not a regular bather and often went several days without taking a bath.
Walt Disney:
- Disney came from humble beginnings. He was not financially stable and struggled to make money in his early years.
- He was the voice of Mickey Mouse.
- Disney produced propaganda films for the U.S. during WWII.
- Disney was a train enthusiast.
- Plans for Disneyland were originally small scale.
- The opening day was not smooth for the budding theme park. Many problems had to be overcome for the now-successful park to be where it is today.
- During the opening day, a gas leak forced Disneyland to be shut down.
- Disney won more Academy Awards than any other person.
- Disney wasn't cryogenically frozen. It's just a legend.
- Originally, admission to Disneyland was $1.00 for adults.
Your fun facts are great! Thanks for giving us all a glimpse into some very interesting history!
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