6-Feb-2012 - Feb 6, 1952 | Britain's King George VI Dies
Visted 1 timesOn Feb. 6, 1952, Britain’s King George VI died in his sleep at age 56. The Feb. 7 edition of The New York Times reported, "The mood of London today was one of sorrow for the sovereign who had served his country so well and who was no more."George VI was born Albert Frederick Arthur George in December 1895, the second son of Prince George (later King George V). As a child, he was sickly and nervous, and struggled with a pronounced stutter. He went on to attend a naval college before serving during World War I in the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.Prince Albert, as he was known, "never wanted or expected the throne of Britain," wrote The Times. That honor was to fall to his older brother, Edward, who became King Edward VIII following their father's death in January 1936. However, Edward wished to marry a woman who had a previous marriage that ended in divorce, which violated the laws of the Church of England. On Dec. 11, 1936, when Edward abdicated in order to marry, Albert became king, taking the name George VI. George was unprepared for his role and is often described by historians as a reluctant king. The early years of his reign coincided with the start of World War II. On Sept. 3, 1939, the day Britain declared war on Nazi Germany, he was called upon to deliver NFL jerseys china a speech broadcast nationally on radio. Having worked for 13 years with speech therapist Lionel Logue, George managed to overcome his stammer to give the speech.During the war, George and his wife Elizabeth maintained high profiles, choosing to remain in London during the Nazi bombing raids instead of temporarily moving to a safer location. The Times declared that the two "endeared themselves to their people by their bravery and devotion to their predestined custom nfl jerseys roles." George also made frequent trips to British troops fighting in Europe and by the end of the war had become a popular king.The strain of the war brought George to exhaustion and his health suffered in the post-war years. His chain-smoking habit is presumed to have led to his diagnosis of lung cancer in 1951, an illness that required an operation four months before his death. The Times said that his "recovery seemed assured," and noted that in the days just before his death, he was seen out in public. The cause of death was coronary thrombosis.George was succeeded by his eldest daughter Elizabeth, who became Queen Elizabeth II. "There is real love and affection for the new Queen Elizabeth which will show itself in the future,” noted The Times. Elizabeth is now celebrating her 60th year as queen.Connect to Today: George's efforts to overcome his stammer with the help of Mr. Logue were dramatized NHL jerseys supply in the 2010 Oscar-winning film "The King's Speech," starring Colin Firth as George. Mr. Firth told The Times that he believed the king's stammer helped the people of Britain relate to him: "He's trying to show solidarity with millions of people he doesn't know, to connect to their suffering, and he's not sitting pretty on a velvet cushion. He's going through an extraordinary struggle. For him to have the humility not to want the job, and the humility to do it anyway—there was a valiant struggle going on, and people related to it."The 2011 romantic drama “W.E.” focused on the affair between King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson. Director Madonna said she wanted to present a “humanizing portrait” of the famous couple, though the film did not receive the critical acclaim of “The King’s Speech.”What do you think about “biopic” films about historical figures? In what ways can a movie capture the mood, spirit and personalities of a bygone era? In what ways might it fall short? Do you think what we see in most films is usually an accurate representation of the people, events and times they portray? Why or why not?Learn more about what happened in history on February 6»Learn more about Historic Headlines and our collaboration with findingDulcinea »
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6-Feb-2012 - Feb 6, 1952 | Britain's King George VI Dies
Visted 1 timesOn Feb. 6, 1952, Britain’s King George VI died in his sleep at age 56. The Feb. 7 edition of The New York Times reported, "The mood of London today was one of sorrow for the sovereign who had served his country so well and who was no more."George VI was born Albert Frederick Arthur George in December 1895, the second son of Prince George (later King George V). As a child, he was sickly and nervous, and struggled with a pronounced stutter. He went on to attend a naval college before serving during World War I in the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.Prince Albert, as he was known, "never wanted or expected the throne of Britain," wrote The Times. That honor was to fall to his older brother, Edward, who became King Edward VIII following their father's death in January 1936. However, Edward wished to marry a woman who had a previous marriage that ended in divorce, which violated the laws of the Church of England. On Dec. 11, 1936, NFL shop jerseys when Edward abdicated in order to marry, Albert became king, taking the name George VI. George was unprepared for his role and is often described by historians as a reluctant king. The early years of his reign coincided with the start of World War II. On Sept. 3, 1939, the day Britain declared war on Nazi Germany, he was called upon to deliver a speech broadcast nationally on radio. Having worked for 13 years with speech therapist Lionel Logue, George managed to overcome his stammer to give the speech.During the war, George and his wife Elizabeth maintained high profiles, choosing to remain in London during the Nazi bombing raids instead of temporarily jerseys cheap moving to a safer location. The Times declared that the two "endeared themselves to their people by their bravery and devotion to their predestined roles." George also made frequent trips to British troops fighting in Europe and by the end of the war had become a popular king.The strain of the war brought George to exhaustion and his health suffered in the post-war years. His chain-smoking habit is presumed to have led to his diagnosis of lung cancer in 1951, an illness that required an operation four months before his death. The Times said that his "recovery seemed assured," and noted that in the days just before his death, he was seen out in public. The cause of death was coronary thrombosis.George was succeeded by his eldest daughter Elizabeth, who became Queen Elizabeth II. "There is real love and affection for the new Queen Elizabeth which will show itself in the future,” noted The Times. Elizabeth is now celebrating her 60th year as queen.Connect to Today: George's efforts to overcome his stammer with the help of Mr. Logue were dramatized in the 2010 Oscar-winning film "The King's Speech," starring Colin Firth as George. Mr. Firth told The Times that he believed the king's stammer helped the people of Britain relate to him: "He's trying to show solidarity with millions of people he doesn't know, to connect to their suffering, and he's not sitting pretty on a velvet cushion. He's going through an extraordinary struggle. For him to have the humility not to want the job, and the humility to do it anyway—there was a valiant struggle going on, and people related to it."The 2011 romantic drama “W.E.” focused on the affair between King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson. Director Madonna said she wanted to present a “humanizing portrait” of the famous couple, though the film did not receive the critical acclaim of “The King’s Speech.”What do you think about “biopic” films about historical figures? In what ways can a movie capture the mood, spirit and personalities of a bygone era? In what ways might it fall short? Do you think what we see in most films is usually an accurate representation of the people, events and times they portray? Why or why not?Learn more about what happened in history on February 6»Learn more about Historic Headlines and our collaboration with findingDulcinea nike nfl jerseys »
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