Frances Glessner Lee: How One Late Bloomer’s Deathly Dollhouses Influenced CSI
A grandma born in the Victorian era practically invented forensics in her 50s. Frances Glessner Lee’s peculiar tool—miniature murders staged in dollhouses.
Scholars
According to Samuel Johnson, compiler of the first English dictionary, “Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.” These late-blooming scholars, many of whom where self-taught, embraced their intellectual curiosity and changed the world.
Mary Somerville: The Woman Who Became England’s First Scientist at age 50
Mary Somerville’s father feared for her sanity. Why couldn’t she interest herself in music and fashion magazines? But no, Mary wanted to be a mathematician, and in the end, Oxford named a college after her.
Ben Franklin: The Septuagenarian Who Helped Birth a Nation
He was a printer, statesman, activist, inventor, and diplomat. By 26, he was a best-selling author. Yet it didn’t pursue his true passion until his 70s when he helped found the United States.
Charles Darwin: He Published His Masterwork at Age 50 but Scholars Still Call Him a Procrastinator
Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species at age 50, after waiting more than two decades. Biographers have called this his “great procrastination.” Was it really?
Caroline Herschel: She Triumphed Over Abuse to Become the First Woman to Discover a Comet
Caroline Herschel experienced such childhood cruelty, she thought of herself as Cinderella. Yet she overcame abuse and disfigurement to reach for the stars.
Movies, Misfortune, And The Making Of Roget’s Thesaurus
Peter Mark Roget graduated from medical school at 19. But the thesaurus that bears his name was his true late-blooming passion.