From October 16, 1910
TURNING POINTS IN THE CAREERS OF WELL KNOWN MEN: If President Roosevelt Had Practiced Law, Senator Root Been Lured by a Big Retainer, Hadley of Yale Become an Editor, They Might Not hold Their Present Places in History. (PDF)
This article looks at some pivotal moments in the lives of famous people. More recently, writer Brad Dunn examined the turning points in the lives of 100 contemporary notables. His research, based on the theory that all important turning points happen when you’re 22 years old, is compiled in a book called When They Were 22. I’m not sure I buy the theory, but it’s interesting to consider the could-have-beens.
Possibly related articles:
- The Strange Story Of A Society Clairvoyant
- Odd Things That Happen In Hunting For Autographs
- Where Boys Learn to Farm and Be Soldiers
This article reminds me of the opening lines from a 12/18/2005 column in the Sunday Times:
\The people of Aradan, a flyblown town south of Tehran where Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was born, never expected him to become president of Iran. They believed he would stick to his chosen profession. If only he had. The world is looking into the abyss, thanks to a man with a PhD in traffic management.\
Jesse
19 Oct 10 at 12:54 PM