Cole Porter was an only child prodigy whose life was filled with both privilege and adversity. He had all the money necessary to launch a career, but he also had a mother who was so controlling it’s a wonder he was ever able to establish his own identity. Perhaps that is why Cole had difficulty(…)
All kids have special friends, but only kids often form attachments to other children that are deeper, more lasting and complex than most childrens’ friendships with one another. Friends often take the place of siblings for only kids. Some only children make friends in nursery school that last forever. One only child met her best(…)
We went looking for one of the most influential only children of the 20th Century and decided that no one had done more to assure the survival of our country than Franklin Roosevelt. Without President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s contributions to the 20th Century, none of us might be here today. Our parents and grandparents might(…)
Cortes can be considered to represent the whole lot of conquistadors who can be considered responsible for wiping out whole civilizations. Cortes’ conquest of Mexico lead to the downfall of the Aztecs and the devastation of Mesoamerica. The story of Cortes’ arrival in the Aztec Empire and his dealings with Montezuma are almost legendary. Cortes(…)
This is the time of the year when parents of only children have to let go. Although we have written about this very emotional time in the only child household in the past, Amy Dickinson’s, Ask Amy syndicated advice column puts it in clear perspective. Dear Amy: My daughter recently left for college, and I am having a(…)
Frank Sinatra was an only child who often seemed fearless. He could be as abrasive as he was brilliant, and he wasn’t always happy. Because Frank was brought up in a neighborhood where his was the rare small family, being an only child was sometimes uncomfortable. But it defined Sinatra and gave him opportunities his(…)
Lord Bryon’s only child, Ada, was a mathematics whiz and one of the first computer programmers. Born 1815, the only child of Lord Byron, Ada Byron grew up in a time when women were not encouraged to pursue education. Ada was an exception. Perhaps because there were no other children who needed attention, her mother(…)
“A defeat for an only child can always be turned into a later victory,” writes Lillian Hellman in An Unfinished Woman. Born on June 20, 1905, defeat simply wasn’t part of Hellman’s world. She was a woman of singular talent and courage who became one of the most eminent playwrights of the 20th century. The(…)
Christina Applegate is the spokesperson for the Lee National Denim Day, which raises millions of dollars for breast cancer education and research. After being diagnosed with having breast cancer, she appeared on the Stand Up To Cancer telethon. A Day Made Better Adopt-A-Classroom Dizzy Feet Foundation Entertainment Industry Foundation Free Arts for Abused Children Motion Picture and Television(…)