Frédéric Chopin has long been recognized as one of the most significant and individual composers of the Romantic age. His birth date is a matter of controversy; the town registration of his birth specifies February 22, but Chopin always gave the date as March 1. His birthplace was the village of Zelazowa Wola near Sochaczew, in the region of Mazovia. His father, Mikolaj Chopin, was French, his mother, Tekla Justyna Krzyzanowska, Polish. He was raised in Warsaw by a family that mingled with intellectuals and members of the middle and upper classes, and as a teenager he…
Read MoreMonth: October 2012
In honor of Polish Heritage Month: Marie Curie
The woman who became “Madame Marie Curie” was named Maria Sklodowska at birth. She was nicknamed Manya”. She was born on November 7, 1867, in Warsaw. Manya graduated from high school at 15 with the highest honors. Shortly before she turned 24, she calculated she had saved up just enough money for university studies in Paris. She had looked forward to this moment for a long time. All the same, she took leave of her family and their beloved Poland with sadness. Maria Sklodowska left behind not only her father and country but…
Read MoreOctober is Polish Heritage Month
In honor of Polish Heritage Month, PACT will periodically publish articles about famous Polish people and the accomplishments of Poles in America and how they helped shape the history of America.
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