Biography is
the written account of an individual life (Of course, an autobiography
is a biography written by the subject). Biography is as old as recorded
history.
Among the most ancient biographies are the narrative carvings and
hieroglyphic inscriptions on Egyptian tombs and temples (c.1300
B.C.), and the cuneiform inscriptions on Assyrian palace walls (c.720
B.C.) or Persian rock faces (c.520 B.C.). All these records proclaimed
the deeds of kings, although accuracy often gave way to glorification.
Among the first biographies of ordinary men, the Dialogues of Plato
(4th cent. B.C.) and the Gospels of the New Testament (1st and 2d
cent. A.D.) reveal their respective subjects by letting each speak
for himself. Even these early achievements of biography, however,
lack critical balance.
This web site has biographies of women and mem who contributed
to our culture in many different ways. There are writers, educators,
scientists, heads of state, politicians, civil rights crusaders,
artists, entertainers, and others. Some were alive hundreds of years
ago and some are living today.
In this biography web you can scroll down/up or select the first
letter of the name from the list of letters below to quickly find
the last name of who you are looking for in this index.
We presently have biographies on 100 people who have influenced
world in some way. We are adding new biographies all the time.
BIOGRAPHY Here are the biographies of the greatest men of the world
Hirohito
(1901-89), emperor of Japan (1926-89), who was the last
ruler to uphold (during the first part of his reign)
the Shinto idea of imperial divinity.
Hirohito was born in Tokyo on April 29, 1901, and was
educated in Japan. In 1921 he visited Europe, the first
Japanese prince to leave his native land. On his return
he served (1921-26) as regent during the illness of
his father. He succeeded to the throne on December 25,
1926, designating his reign Showa ("enlightened
peace"). Hirohito had married in 1924; his son
and successor, Akihito, was born in 1933.
For the first 19 years of his reign Hirohito allowed
a militaristic party to dominate the Japanese government,
with resultant expansionism, war with China (1937-45),
and military alliance with the Axis powers (1940). The
alliance led to Japan's participation in World War II
and its attack, December 7, 1941, on the United States.
Toward the end of the war Hirohito sought peace, and
on August 14, 1945 (Japanese time), he broadcast the
unconditional surrender of Japan to the Allies.
Hirohito cooperated with the Allied occupation forces
in converting Japan into a democratic nation, and on
January 1, 1946, he publicly denied his divinity. He
approved the 1947 constitution that created a constitutional
monarchy in Japan and limited his role largely to a
ceremonial one. Although he was implicated in the Japanese
war plans, the Allies agreed not to try Hirohito in
the war-crimes trials of 1946-1948, concentrating instead
on General Hideki Tojo, the wartime prime minister.
In the 1970s the emperor and his wife made goodwill
tours of Western Europe and the U.S.
An unassuming man, Hirohito took an early interest in
marine biology and has been widely recognized for his
studies in that field. He died on January 7, 1989, after
a prolonged illness.
