Some students earn good grades simply by trying harder than others. Each time they receive a new assignment--and as soon as the words leave the teacher's mouth--they begin searching for a way to make their assignment stand out from the rest.
When your research topic is a person, you can always find some little-known fact to intrigue your reader. Strange as it may seem, one way to do this is to use a person's dying words.
A person's last words can say a lot about his or her life. While we're on the topic of homework, perhaps it's appropriate to take a look at a few people who took their studies very seriously.
For example, Archimedes of Syracuse was a mathematician and inventor--and he is claimed by some to have played a key role in the development of Euclidian mathematics. When Syracuse was sacked by Roman soldiers, several men burst into a room where Archimedes was working on a large math problem. His last words were:
"Wait 'til I've finished my problem!"
Along the same lines was Dominique Bouhours, a French grammarian. He devoted much of his life to preserving the French language, and promoted consistency and high standards in speech and grammar. His last words?
"I am about to--or I am going to--die. Either expression is used."
Take a look at some more last words. They might inspire you, the next time you receive a biography assignment.
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John Astor, passenger on the Titanic: "Good-bye, dearie. I'll see you later." (He didn't.)
Billy the Kid: "Who is it?" He stated these words when Sheriff Pat Garrett knocked at the door. The sheriff recognized the voice and shot Billy through the door.
Amelia Earhart: "KHQQ calling Itasca. We must be on you, but cannot see you. Gas is running low."
Madame Pompadour, Actually named Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson Pompadour, Marquis d'Etoiles: "Wait a minute." After these words, she applied some make-up, then died.
Franklin D. Roosevelt: "I have a terrific headache."
General John Sedgwick, Civil War: "They couldn't hit an elephant at this dis--."
