Her reign of 63 years and seven months is known as the Victorian Era, a period of industrial, cultural, scientific, and political change that was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire.  But Victoria was raised under close supervision and near isolation until she became Queen of the United Kingdom at the young age of 18. She married her first cousin, Albert, and had nine children who married into families across Europe. By the time...

A biography of General Robert E. Lee, who led the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.

Profiles the life and accomplishments of Stanley Lieber, comic book author, publisher of Marvel Comics, and creator of such famous comic-book characters as Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, and the Fantastic Four.

A biography of General Ulysses S. Grant, who led the Union Army during the American Civil War and later became president of the United States.

A biography of professional baseball player Derek Jeter, discussing his childhood, career highlights, years with the New York Yankees, and other related topics.

Examines the life and career of hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky, and discusses his legacy on and off the ice.

"Like Michelangelo, Galileo is another Renaissance great known just by his first name--a name that is synonymous with scientific achievement. Born in Pisa, Italy, in the sixteenth century, Galileo contributed to the era's great rebirth of knowledge. He invented a telescope to observe the heavens. From there, not even the sky was the limit! He turned long-held notions about the universe topsy turvy with his support of a sun-centric solar system. Patricia...

Best known for his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien was born in British-occupied South Africa. His early life was full of action and adventure. Tolkien spent his childhood roaming the British countryside with his family and could read and write by age four. He was naturally gifted with languages and used this skill as a signals officers in World War II as well as in his fantasy writing. By creating alternate universes...

Describes the life of track-and-field athlete Jesse Owens, from his childhood in Alabama and his family's move to Cleveland to his athletic career which culminated in his winning four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany.

Describes the life and career of Julia Child, who was the author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking and became one of the most well-known television cooking chefs.