Early Life | Charles William Siemens (1823-1883)
“As a child William was sensitive and affectionate, the baby of the family, liking to roam the woods and fields by himself, and curious to observe, but not otherwise giving any signs of the engineer. He received his education at a commercial academy in Liibeck, the Industrial School at Magdeburg (city of the memorable burgomaster, Otto yon Guericke), and at the University of Gottingen, which he entered in 1841, while in his eighteenth year.”
On parental support | Leonhard Euler (1707-1783)
The excerpt comes from an Introduction to the Elements of Algebra written by Euler (1707 -1783) when he already blind. The book of unsurpassable clarity it can be used as an introduction to algebra nowadays just as it was more than two centuries ago. For an extended read exploring the book I would direct you to “A tale of two curricula: Euler's algebra text book” by Chris Sangwin
Early Life | Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
“For this purpose, he provided himself with little saws, hatchets, hammers, and all sorts of tools, which he acquired the art of using with singular dexterity. The principal pieces of mechanism which he thus constructed were a windmill, a waterclock, and a carriage put in motion by the person who sat in it.”
Six Dots: The Remarkable Life and Legacy of Child Inventor Louis Braille - Brain Pickings
“Illustrated by the Brooklyn-based Russian artist Boris Kulikov, the empathy-inviting first-person narrative traces young Braille’s immensely inspiring story, beginning with his premature birth, which he survived to be healthy and curious little boy.”
Early Life | Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
“In the sister art his talent was equally striking, and as a lad he showed considerable skill in drawing and painting. In later life he used to tell his friends that, had circumstances permitted him to choose his own career, he would have elected to become a painter.”
Early Life | Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)
“But those who would decorate the early years of Louis Pasteur with wonderful legends would be disappointed: when a little later he attended the daily classes at the Arbois college he belonged merely to the category of good average pupils.”
The Last Love of Jonas Salk | Nautilus
“She had no interest in meeting him—she thought scientists were boring. But soon afterward, he came to New York and invited her to have tea at Rumplemayer's. “He didn't have tea; he ordered pistachio and tangerine ice cream,” she recalls. “I thought, Well, a scientist who orders pistachio and tangerine ice cream at five o'clock in the afternoon is not like everybody else!” Sourced from Vogue /Life After Picasso