Holocaust victim

  Of course, we are not talking about starving or anorexic people here. The most famous and probably slimmest person was Isaac W. Sprague. He was born in Massachusetts in 1841 and was a normal child until the age of twelve, when he suddenly began to lose weight. His parents were very worried because he was getting so thin and forbade him from all activities that consumed a lot of energy. Despite this, the boy continued to lose weight, and his parents took Isaac to the best doctors they could find. Unfortunately, the doctors were also baffled, and Isaac's body continued to deteriorate, even though he ate a great deal. As an adult, Isaac apprenticed as a shoemaker to his father and later worked as a grocer. But as his health deteriorated, Isaac no longer had the energy to work. That's when he discovered the world of showmen. At that time, everyone had "freak shows" that exhibited extraordinary people for money. He started touring as "The Living Skeleton" and q...

 In Brazil Pedro II who had been Emperor since he was five years old was deposed in a military coup. He didn’t resist the coup and went into exile in Paris where he died two years later three days after his sixty-sixth birthday. In Portugal a prince named Manuel, Duke of Beja was born as the son of Pedro II’s great-nephew Carlos I of Portugal who had just became King a month prior to his second son’s birth. Manuel unexpectedly became King in 1908 after his father and his older brother were both murdered from being shot at in their carriage. Manuel II himself was deposed in 1910 and lived in Twickenham childless until his sudden death in 1932 at the age of forty-two from asphyxia of the throat. Now Portugal is a republic but the claimant to the Portuguese throne is Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza who’s a great-great grandson of Pedro II through his mother. Brazil is a republic now too but unlike Portugal there are two claimants: Duarte Pio’s first cousin Prince Pedro  Carlos of Or...

 Anne Francis (September 16, 1930 – January 2, 2011) was an American actress known for her ground-breaking roles in the science fiction film Forbidden Planet (1956) and the television action-drama series Honey West (1965–1966). Forbidden Planet marked a first in in-color, big-budget, science-fiction-themed motion pictures. Nine years later, Francis challenged female stereotypes in Honey West, in which she played a perky blonde private investigator who was as quick with body slams as with witty one-liners. She earned a Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award nomination for her performance.Francis was known largely for her physical assets, including a trademark mole near her lower lip. The beauty mark was even written into the script of one of her films. In 2005, TV Guide ranked Francis at number 18 on its "50 Sexiest Stars of All Time" list. Francis was born in Ossining, New York, on September 16, 1930. Contrary to some sources, which erroneously claim she was born Ann Marvak (rathe...

 Jazz legend Louis Armstrong was married several times but never had any legitimate children. There was a rumour that he fathered a daughter, but the child to whom he showed most love was, by all accounts, a relative named Clarence. His teenage cousin Flora gave birth to a boy in 1915 after being attacked by a white man. At the time Louis was very close to his cousin. He wrote later than when Clarence was born ‘’the baby washed all the gloom out of me. ‘’ Flora never recovered emotionally from her rape and was also very weak physically. She died shortly after and Louis took it upon himself to raise the child. When he married aged 17 he legally adopted Clarence. Bad luck followed Clarence. While still very young he was playing on the family porch and fell heavily, landing on his head. There was brain damage and he never fully recovered needing special care for the rest of his life. The marriage of Louis was short and he married again. His second wife, Lil, was not happy having Clare...

 From Enslaved to Business Giant - John Henry MerrickHe was born enslaved in Clinton, North Carolina, on September 7, 1859. When Merrick was twelve, he and his family relocated to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He got a job as a helper in a brickyard, which provided support for his family. At the age of eighteen, Merrick moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he began work as a hod carrier. Merrick eventually became a brick mason and worked on the construction of Shaw University in Raleigh. Merrick also worked as a shoe shine boy in a barbershop. When he was not shining shoes, he watched and learned the trade of barbering. In 1880, his friend John Wright asked Merrick to join him in relocating in Durham, North Carolina, to start a new barbershop business. After six months, Merrick bought shares in the barbershop and became its co-owner. In 1892, Wright sold his shares to Merrick, making him sole proprietor. In 1881, one year after Merrick arrived in Durham to work as a barber, he be...

 A popular actor when WWll broke out in 1939, or 1941 depending on your home country, Robert Montgomery did not wait for his own country to declare war before he joined up. An American he enlisted in London and drove ambulances in France right up till the evacuation at Dunkirk. When America did enter the war he served in the US Navy and served as a Naval Attache on British destroyers as they hunted U-boats. He became a PT boat commander and took part in D Day. During 5 years of active duty he was awarded a Bronze Star, the American Defence Service Ribbon, the European Theatre Ribbon with two Battle Stars, one Overseas Service Bar, and promoted to the rank of Lt. Commander.Upon his return to Hollywood he was to make the very fine, They Were Expendable, for John Ford, co-starring John Wayne. It was a war film and was to be his only picture in this genre. It was not an easy return. Before filming could commence Robert had a panic attack, finding it difficult to recommence as an actor ...

 The first female millionaire who made a fortune with her 10 fingers. She entered the Guinness Book of Records as the first woman to become a millionaire independently, without inherited money. Sara Breedlove was born in 1867 in the south of the USA, in the state of Louisiana. Her parents, older brothers, and sister were slaves in the cotton fields. But Sara was born free. When she was 7 years old, she lost her parents. After her parents died, she moved in with her sister and her husband. As a child, Sara worked as a housekeeper and did not have time for schooling. She later shared that she only had 3 months of formal education when she attended Sunday school. She was only 14 when she married Moses McWilliams. She didn’t do it because she loved him. The truth was that her sister’s husband was a very violent man, and marriage was the only way for Sara to escape from that family. Four years later, Sarah and Moses had a daughter, Alleluia. Two years later, Sarah’s husband dies. So Sar...

 On April 16, 1917, Charlotte Salomon was born in Berlin, Germany—a gifted artist whose life and legacy would become a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. 🎨✨ Born into a cultured German-Jewish family, she lived through the rise of Nazi persecution, a time when her world was slowly being torn apart. Fleeing to the south of France for safety, Charlotte created her haunting masterpiece, “Life? or Theatre?” – a deeply emotional and personal series of over 700 paintings blending images, text, and music. 🎭 This artistic work was not just a memoir but a desperate attempt to understand and confront the horrors of the world around her, blending her pain, memories, and creativity into a powerful expression of survival. In 1943, Charlotte was arrested by the Gestapo, five months pregnant. Despite her efforts to leave behind a legacy, she was tragically murdered in Auschwitz on October 10, 1943, at just 26 years old, along with her unborn child. 💔 But her art lives on, inspirin...

Remembering 2nd Lt Rebecca L. George (Coatesville, Pennsylvania), an exceptional woman who sacrificed her own life for others.  In 1942, after graduating from the School of Nursing of the Lancaster General Hospital, Rebecca joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and served with the 24th Station Hospital. Stationed in India and the Middle East, she worked day and night to heal the wounds of war and save as many soldiers as possible. On December 29, 1944, Rebecca was on her way home (to spend a few days with her loved ones) when her aircraft crashed in Central Africa, killing her instantly. Following the war, this devoted nurse was buried at the Florence American Cemetery in Italy. Rest in peace Rebecca. You will remain in our hearts and minds forever... Continue reading  

  After he was released, he was murdered. Because of this, she became mute for almost 5 years, believing her “voice killed him.” “I killed him that man. because I told his name. And, then I thought I would never speak again, because my voice would kill anyone …” Her name was Marguerite Ann Johnson. Later in life, she would change her name . . . to Maya Angelou. The Peace Page has shared many stories of Maya Angelou, but this is the story that many people return to each year. Thank you for sharing Her story. During this time, this period of suffering, this period of shame and guilt, this period of silence that she “developed her extraordinary memory, her love for books and literature, and her ability to listen and observe the world around her.” A teacher and friend of the family helped Angelou speak again, introducing her to the world of books with authors such as Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare. When she finally did speak, she said she had a lot to say. Maya Angelou became ...

 Raymond Michael Clausen Jr. graduated from Hammond High School in Louisiana in 1965. He went to Southeastern Louisiana University for a short time, about six months, before deciding to join the military. On March 30, 1966, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in New Orleans. Just a couple of months later, on May 27, he joined the regular Marine Corps. He started his basic training with the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion in San Diego, California. After that, he trained in combat with the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Training Regiment at Camp Pendleton. Then he headed to Memphis, Tennessee, where he learned aviation mechanics and took the Basic Helicopter Course at the Naval Air Technical Training Center. By April 1967, his training was done, and he was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 26 in Jacksonville, North Carolina. There, he worked as a jet engine mechanic with Helicopter Squadron 365, and later served as a guard with Marine Air Base Squadron 26. In December 1967, Clau...

 Early career Born in Washington, D.C., Dyson grew up in Brooklyn, New York where he sang in church choirs. At just 18 years of age, he won a lead role in the Broadway production of Hair, debuting in New York in 1968. Dyson became an iconic voice of the 1960s with the lead vocal in the show's anthem of the hippie era, "Aquarius". It is Dyson's voice leading off the song and opening the show with the famous lyric "When the Moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars..." He made a cameo appearance in the 1979 motion picture version of "Hair", singing "3-5-0-0" with another "Hair" alumnus, Melba Moore. Later career Dyson also appeared in the 1969 film Putney Swope. After Hair, Dyson pursued his stage career with a role in Salvation in 1970. His recording of a song from the Salvation score, "(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?", successfully launched his record career, breaking i...

 but the event that ultimately defined his legacy was his showdown with Billy the Kid Not only did Garrett fire the shot that killed the Kid in 1881, but he later wrote the notorious outlaw's biography, recounting the story of how he tracked the Kid down at a ranch in New Mexico and ambushed him in a darkened room. In the aftermath of the Kid's death, one local newspaper dubbed Garrett the "hero of the hour," while others criticized Garrett for killing the outlaw in the dark since the Kid couldn't see who was firing at him. The event apparently hung over Garrett for the rest of his life, and he even expressed regret over the killing, saying, "I sometimes wish that I had missed fire, and that the Kid had got his work in on me." Indeed, in the years that followed, Garrett seemed to be plagued with bad luck, facing a series of career failures and financial difficulties until the lawman was murdered in 1908.

 There is a very high percentage of African-Americans with Chinese ancestry. If you are talking about people who are genetically both, then the answer is, yes, many. I am one of them. Back in the 1800s, Chinese male immigrants came to the USA behind the gold rush and other opportunities, but weren’t allowed to bring women with them. When they arrived here, they were only allowed to marry Native American or Black women, so they did. My ancestors co-founded a county in Texas called Robertson that was essentially for these Black wife-Chinese husband pairs. Having said all that, I have to say I don’t think of myself as Asian, nor do I think most African Americans with ancestries similar to mine think of themselves as such either (ex. Oprah Winfrey, Mae Jemison, Tyson Beckford, Tatiana Ali, Ne-Yo, Whoopi Goldberg, and many more). Take what you will from this data. As an aside, I'd love to see a movie made about two of my ancestors. Picture it, Texas in the 1800s. Him: An immigrant from ...

  Madame Dimanche, also known as 'Widow Sunday', was a French woman living in Paris, in the early 19th century. At age 76, she began growing a 9.5-inch horn from her forehead. Luckily for her, it was successfully removed by a French surgeon. According to medical reports, Dimanche's horn started as a small wart above her right eyebrow, and then continued to grow. Madame Dimanche died seven years after her horn was removed. The Mütter Museum acquired the wax model of Madame Dimanche's face, which was sculpted from life. It shows the face of an elderly woman, with a large horn protruding from the top of her forehead and hanging in front of her face. The growths of 'Cornu cutaneum', or 'cutaneous horns', look similar to animal horns, but have a different composition. They are compact keratin protrusions of lesions, which occur most often on areas of the body commonly exposed to the sun, such as the face, hands, and forearms. Women over the age of 50, who hav...

 On July 9, 1960, a man took two children, a brother and sister, for a boat ride on the upper Niagara River. The boat developed engine problems, capsized in the river, and all three ended up in the water. The man went over the falls and died. The 16-year-old girl, Deanne Woodward, was saved by two men who managed to grab her just before she fell over the falls. The brother, Roger, a 7-year-old boy, who was wearing a life jacket, was swept away by the current and fell from a height of about 175 feet, a flight that claims an average of about 30 lives a year. No one thought the boy could survive such a leap. However, one of the boats that took tourists on tours of the waters below the falls spotted the boy's life jacket and in the blink of an eye he was hoisted aboard. Roger was visually shaken but physically intact. The body of the man who was driving the boat that capsized was found after four days of searching. He and his sister have since returned to the falls several times, to re...

 She was only 9 years old when she first began laying flowers on the grave of William Edmond, a British soldier who fought and died to liberate her Dutch Village. From the day he died, and for 75 years, she looked after his grave and kept his memory alive. During WWII, William served with the 1st Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron and took part in the Battle of Arnhem in the Netherlands. Sadly, on September 17, 1944, he was shot in the back by a German sniper and fell to the ground. One of his comrades, St David Christie, rushed to his aid, but nothing could be done to save William. Seconds before dying, he said to David: "Tell my wife I love her." This British soldier was then buried at the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery. Willemien Rieken passed away in 2020. She was one of the last surviving Flower Children, young people who laid flowers at hundreds of graves of Allied casualties in a ceremony after the end of the war. Niall Cherry, secretary of the Arnhem 1944 Fellowship, sa...

 When I was growing up as a school kid there would be the occasional fight between two other lads. The cry would go up, ‘’Big fight! Big fight!’’ Then other kids would rush to watch till an adult arrived to separate the miscreants. The same thing happened on the set of Manpower, 1941, starring Marlene Dietrich, Edward G Robinson, and George Raft. Only it wasn’t kids involved, but two adults. It looks like Ward Bond may have shouted the invitation as he seems to be loving every minute of the brawl. This is the real thing, not a snap from the movie. Caused by jealousy on two fronts, George was peeved that he was third billed and he was suspicious of Edward’s intentions towards Marlene. He had set his cap towards the actress and was afraid Edward had done the same. For a couple of weeks, he made life difficult for Edward till one day his anger boiled over and he physically attacked his rival. There was a break in filming which cost the studio quite a lot of money. To add more woes for...

 On January 26, 1958, Buddy Holly and the Crickets made their second and final appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show—this time earning the well-known wrath of the host. They were scheduled to perform their hit “Oh, Boy!,” but Sullivan told them to substitute it because he felt it was too raucous. You can imagine how that went over, though, and Holly told him he’d already told his hometown friends that was the song he was going to be performing. And that was that. Sullivan summoned the Crickets to a last-minute rehearsal the afternoon of the show, but when he got to their dressing room only Holly was there. When asked where the others were, Holly said, “I don’t know. No telling.” Sullivan said, “Well, I guess The Crickets are not too excited to be on The Ed Sullivan Show,” to which Holly replied, “I hope they’re damn more excited than I am.” By that time Ed was completely steamed. He cut the Crickets’ act from two songs to one, and he mispronounced Holly’s name when he introduced them ...

 Jennie Hughes Smith was the first African American to graduate from the University of Idaho in 1899. Hughes was born on July 20, 1879 in Washington D.C. to Louisa and Alexander Hughes. Hughes spent the majority of her childhood traveling west with her mother and stepfather Lewis E. Crisemon. The family lived in Pennsylvania and Oklahoma before settling in Moscow, Idaho in the early 1890s. They became one of the earliest black pioneering families in Idaho, joining the small statewide population of just 201 African Americans. The family built a name and wealth in the city. Hughes’ stepfather opened a successful barbershop while her mother worked as a housekeeper. She attended Moscow public schools as the first and only black student and excelled academically in high school. An 1899 graduate report from the University of Idaho attested that Moscow public schools had prepared her well for college. In 1895, she graduated and became the first black student to matriculate into the Univer...

  Rudolf Eickemeyer Jr.'s 1896 photograph of Alabama captures a significant moment in African American history, offering a rare glimpse into the lives and culture of Black individuals in the late 19th century. Eickemeyer, known for his work in documenting African American life, provides a historical perspective through his lens, portraying a deep respect for the subject's dignity and humanity. The photograph not only preserves a moment in time but also serves as a testament to the resilience and strength of the African American community during a period of profound social and racial challenges. This vintage photograph, created in the 19th century, holds a special place in the history of American photography. It reflects the cultural and historical context of the time, offering insight into the daily lives of African Americans in the South. By capturing such intimate and candid moments, Eickemeyer helped to challenge the stereotypes of Black people often portrayed in popular med...

 In 1977, the band Lynyrd Skynyrd was touring the country in a rickety Convair CV-240. The plane was nearly 30 years old, and on October 18, the band had observed 10-foot flames shooting out from its right engine. When guitarist Allen Collins expressed trepidation about traveling on a plane that was known to be on its last legs, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant replied, "Hey, if the Lord wants you to die on this plane, when it's your time, it's your time. Let's go, man. We've got a gig to do." Still, the aircraft made the band so nervous that they agreed to look for a new plane after their next flight to Baton Rouge on October 20. Tragically, they never got the chance. That day, the plane abruptly ran out of fuel mid-air and crashed into a wooded area of Mississippi, killing about half of the band's members

   In recent years the Negro woman has begun to find herself. Time was when both by herself and in the minds of the general public it was decided, yea determined, that her place was in the home, in the school room and in the Sunday School. Gradually she got into founding institutions, schools, social settlements and the like. She went on the lecture platform. She traveled in America and in Europe as a singer. In all these places she found herself a complete success. Then a few ventured into unheard of fields ... into politics and in business. Again success is crowning their endeavors. Why should they not enter any and all branches of work? One of the leading Negro women in business, and general social work is Mrs. Lula Barnes of Savannah, Georgia. Though an Alabamian by birth and education Mrs. Barnes is a Georgian by adoption and achievement. She was born in Huntsville, Alabama, August 22, 1868, she had many difficulties in getting an early education. However, Huntsville Norm...

 From a young age, Patricia knew she wanted to be an actress. In the early 1940s, she began acting in plays and doing summer theater. Her father helped her get a part in the Broadway show Solitaire, and she also starred in the 1944 Broadway play Violet. In early 1949, her parents went to London to film Stage Fright, Alfred Hitchcock’s first movie made in Britain since moving to Hollywood. Patricia didn’t know she would be in the movie until her parents arrived. Because she looked a lot like the lead actress, Jane Wyman, her father asked if she’d also be willing to do the scenes that involved tricky driving. Along with Stage Fright (1950), Patricia acted in her father's film Strangers on a Train (1951), playing Barbara Morton, the younger sister of Anne Morton (Ruth Roman), who is dating Guy Haines (Farley Granger). She also had a small but memorable role in Psycho (1960), where she played Caroline, the plain but kind co-worker of Janet Leigh’s character. Caroline offers her a tranq...

For more than two decades, the Hernández brothers believed their mother had abandoned them. What they didn’t know was that the truth lay hidden — cold and silent — behind the very walls of their own home. In 1996, María Cristina Aguilar García disappeared. Her partner, Julio Ernesto López Suárez, claimed that she had gone to a religious event and never returned. The case was shelved and forgotten, and the house became a place of emptiness and absence. Years passed, and the children grew up under the weight of what they thought was abandonment. It wasn’t until 2018, during a home renovation, that the unimaginable was revealed. A construction worker knocked down a wall — and a human skull rolled out. Inside the wall, they discovered a skeleton dressed in the same clothes María Cristina had been wearing the day she vanished. Her hands and feet were tied, her mouth gagged, and there were scratch marks on the inside of the wall. She had been buried alive. Authorities opened a femicide inves...

 Her "owner," the wife of the family, secretly taught her to read and write, which was very dangerous at the time. She learned to read the Bible. Christina had 11 children, but lost two of them. One of her sons became one of the first Black lawyers in the United States. She sent four of her children to Boston University, which was highly unusual for the time. She died five years before I was born, but I feel like I knew her. My family says she used to say, "I put prayers on the heads of my children's children," and those prayers worked. Christina was in Charleston, South Carolina, around April 12, 1861, during the first battle of the Civil War at Fort Sumter. She was working in the cotton fields and saw a man killed by a cannonball. She said the sky was black with smoke. As a child, she worked as a water carrier for the other slaves and acted as a sentry for the mounted overseer. She would alert the other slaves of her arrival so they could get up quickly and re...

 Born on February 26, 1916, in Brooklyn, New York, John Herbert Gleason, known as "The Great One" or "Jackie," faced a challenging adolescence marked by abandonment, tragedy, involvement with street gangs, and low-wage jobs. Despite the hardships, Gleason's breakthrough in the entertainment industry surprised many skeptics who doubted the sustainability of his fast-paced, humorous lifestyle. However, armed with entertainment savvy, determination, and charm, he achieved tremendous success as an actor, comedian, writer, and composer. While gaining widespread recognition for his role in the TV show "The Honeymooners," Gleason also left a lasting impact with notable characters like Minnesota Fats in the film "The Hustler" and Buford T. Justice in the "Smokey and the Bandit.” Beyond his acting achievements, Gleason pursued a significant secondary career in music during the 1950s and 1960s, producing a series of bestselling "mood music...

 Lucy (Lucile) Berkeley Buchanan Jones was the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Colorado. Buchanan was born on June 13, 1884, on the second floor of the family’s mule and horse barn in the town of Barnum, southwest of Denver, Colorado. She was the daughter of Sarah Lavinia and James Fenton Buchanan, emancipated slaves from adjoining plantations in northern Virginia. Sarah and James Buchanan were married in 1872. Within ten years of their marriage the couple, and their four Virginia-born children, migrated to Colorado. When the Buchanans arrived in Colorado in 1882, Lucile’s mother, Sarah, bought five lots of land in an unincorporated area outside the Denver city limits from P.T. Barnum of the Barnum and Bailey Circus. The Buchanans were one of three black families in this predominately first-generation European immigrant community. In 1903, 19-year-old Lucile enrolled in the two-year teacher certification program at the Colorado State College for Educ...

 This thriving town was home to many abolitionists and, for decades, served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for people fleeing slavery. From Ripley, Charles's father joined the 5th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery, fighting in the final year of the Civil War. After his father was discharged in 1866, the entire family settled in Ripley, where Charles grew up. While Charles was growing up, his parents placed great importance on education. He was often homeschooled by his mother, who, although a slave before emancipation, was literate. With the help of his mother and the guidance of educators who also served as mentors, Charles excelled in school, graduating at the top of his class in 1881, while also becoming a talented musician and a polyglot. He was fluent in Latin, Greek, French, Spanish, and German. After high school, Charles became a teacher at a local school. A couple of years later, encouraged by his father, Charles took the entrance exam to West Point. He scored the second ...

   was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You" and her four octave D3 to F♯7 coloratura soprano range. She is also widely known for her use of the whistle register and has been referred to by the media as the "Queen of the Whistle Register." Minnie Riperton grew up in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side. As a child, she studied music, drama and dance at Chicago's Lincoln Center. The youngest of eight children in a musical family, she embraced the arts early. Although she began with ballet and modern dance, her parents recognized her vocal and musical abilities and encouraged her to pursue music and voice. At Chicago's Abraham Lincoln Center, she received operatic vocal training from Marion Jeffery. She practiced breathing and phrasing, with particular emphasis on diction. Jeffery also trained Riperton to use her full range. While studying under Jeffery, she sang operettas and show tunes, in preparati...

 Clara Belle Drisdale Williams (1885-1993) was the first African American graduate of New Mexico State University. Many of her teachers wouldn't let her into the classroom because her skin was black; she had to take notes from the hallway so as not to make her teachers uncomfortable. On his graduation day, he was not allowed to walk with his classmates to receive his diploma. Clara married and had three children who later became doctors. She was a great teacher. By day she taught Black students, and by night she taught their parents and the freed slaves. In 1980, she was awarded a law degree by NMSU, which apologized to her for the treatment she received when she was a student…..

 The girl, 18 year old Harriet Tendler from a wealthy family, had met 26 year old Charlie Buchinsky, extremely poor, just a couple of days before. He was so poor he only turned up with 4 cents in his pocket. Harriet told this story decades later in her charming autobiography, Charlie & Me (published 2011). She considered their meeting pure gold. Both were wannabe actors and had met at an acting class. Harriet was new, obviously lost, then she heard a low voice. ‘C’mere.’ Perhaps not much of a pickup line. But she was intrigued enough to go over and have a chat. They set up a date. “He had four cents in his pocket. That was it. Four cents. We walked all over Philadelphia that night, talking, laughing, looking in store windows. When we finally said goodnight, he still had the four cents. He told me later he was too proud to spend them on a cup of coffee—he wanted to save them in case he needed carfare home. I thought that was the sweetest thing I’d ever heard. I didn’t care about...