Famous People - Facts for Kids

Beethoven kept portraits of musical heroes like Handel and Bach on his wall so their music and spirit could inspire him while he composed.

Ludwig van Beethoven's pupils included Archduke Rudolf of Austria, who was both a student and a patron of the composer.

During college, Martin Luther King earned two Cs in public speaking classes — but later became one of history’s greatest speakers.

Plato wrote many books where his teacher Socrates talks, asks questions, and argues — so thanks to Plato, we still know what Socrates thought and taught, even though Socrates himself wrote nothing down.

Early Life & Background

Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 21, 1685 (which is March 31 on today’s calendar) in the German town of Eisenach, into a lively musical family.