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Gaius Caligula (under Roman Empire)

Ancient Roman society institutionalized the adoption of adults. It was relatively common for a wealthy Roman couple to adopt an adult man, even a slave, as heir if they did not have any son... [more]

Gaius Marius the Younger (under Roman Empire)

Ancient Roman society institutionalized the adoption of adults. It was relatively common for a wealthy Roman couple to adopt an adult man, even a slave, as heir if they did not have any son... [more]

Gardiner, Wira

Gardiner is the third of 18 children. After a "juvenile raid" on a department store in Rotorua he was made a ward of court at the age of 10 and put into his grandparents' custody ... [more]

Garrison, William Lloyd

Garrison was born, his parents' fourth child, in Newburyport, Massachusetts. His father deserted the family before he was three (he never saw him again) and after a few years, when his moth... [more]

Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn

Gaskell's mother died before she was one month old, and she was raised partly by an aunt, but her childhood was spent in a succession of families rather than with her father. She was a f... [more]

Gaveston, Piers

It has always been taken for granted that Gaveston, executed in 1312, was the lover of King Edward II. He had been introduced to the court by Edward I and brought up in the royal household ... [more]

Gay, John

Gay was raised by his uncle after his parents died in 1694 and 1695. His career was erratic - some of his work was very popular during his lifetime (the Beggar's Opera and the libretto for ... [more]

Geisha

Geisha are professional entertainers in Japan, with their main centers in Tokyo and Kyoto. The tradition is centuries old and continues today, although the heyday of the geisha was before W... [more]

Genée, Adeline

Genée was born in Århus, Denmark. She was adopted when she was eight by her uncle, Alexandre Genée, and his wife, Antonia Zimmerman, who were dancers. She renamed herself Adeline after the ... [more]

Genet, Jean

Genet's early life seems shrouded in confusion. The three sources looked at present three different stories: One gives his birthdate as 19 December, that he was abandoned by his parents... [more]

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