# Mahachi Academy: two-minute illustrated biographies

Extraordinary lives start everywhere. Two-minute illustrated biographies, free in five languages.

A teenage refugee. A clerk who failed college twice. A boy who went a whole summer without scoring. Pick a place, and see where a life went in two minutes.

- Web page: https://mahachi.org/academy/
- All lives: https://mahachi.org/academy/lives/index.md
- In other languages: [Español](https://mahachi.org/academy/es/index.md), [Português](https://mahachi.org/academy/pt/index.md), [العربية](https://mahachi.org/academy/ar/index.md), [हिन्दी](https://mahachi.org/academy/hi/index.md)

## The lives (13)

- [The Wright Brothers: They Said a Million Years. It Took 69 Days.](https://mahachi.org/academy/wright-brothers/index.md). A two-minute illustrated biography of the Wright brothers, who made the first controlled, powered airplane flights (Wilbur 1867–1912, Orville 1871–1948). In October 1903 The New York Times said a flying machine might take a million years. Sixty-nine days later Orville flew one for 12 seconds while Wilbur watched beside the wing.
- [John D. Rockefeller: Rejected at 16. Richer Than the US Budget](https://mahachi.org/academy/john-d-rockefeller/index.md). A two-minute illustrated biography of John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil (1839–1937). At sixteen he walked Cleveland for weeks looking for work: no one wanted a boy. By 1913 his fortune was bigger than the US government’s spending for that whole year.
- [Lee Kuan Yew: Too Small to Survive. Richer Than Britain.](https://mahachi.org/academy/lee-kuan-yew/index.md). A two-minute illustrated biography of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister (1923–2015). In 1965 Malaysia voted Singapore out, and Lee Kuan Yew wept on television: he believed it could not survive alone. Within his lifetime it grew richer per person than Britain, which once ruled it.
- [Srinivasa Ramanujan: Failed College Twice. Then Cambridge Called.](https://mahachi.org/academy/srinivasa-ramanujan/index.md). A two-minute illustrated biography of Srinivasa Ramanujan, mathematician (1887–1920). A clerk who had failed college twice mailed nine pages of formulas to Cambridge. G. H. Hardy decided the strangest of them had to be true, because no one could have invented them.
- [Fred Trump: Mom Signed His Cheques. He Built 27,000 Homes](https://mahachi.org/academy/fred-trump/index.md). A two-minute illustrated biography of Fred Trump, New York builder (1905–1999). He was twelve when his father died, so his mother signed the cheques. He went on to build more than 27,000 homes in Brooklyn and Queens.
- [Muhammad Ali: He Lost His Title Without Losing a Fight](https://mahachi.org/academy/muhammad-ali/index.md). A two-minute illustrated biography of Muhammad Ali, heavyweight champion (1942–2016). In 1967 the heavyweight champion of the world was told to step forward into the US Army. He stood still, and was stripped of his title while still unbeaten.
- [Kobe Bryant: The Name People Shout When They Throw Paper](https://mahachi.org/academy/kobe-bryant/index.md). A two-minute illustrated biography of Kobe Bryant, basketball player (1978–2020). As a boy he played a whole summer without scoring a single point. He went on to win five NBA championships, and an Oscar.
- [J. P. Morgan: He Locked the Bankers In Until They Paid](https://mahachi.org/academy/jp-morgan/index.md). A two-minute illustrated biography of J. P. Morgan, American banker (1837–1913). In the Panic of 1907, saving America’s banks was nobody’s job. Morgan, seventy and with a heavy cold, locked the other bankers in his library until they paid for a rescue.
- [John F. Kennedy: Given a Year to Live, He Became President](https://mahachi.org/academy/john-f-kennedy/index.md). A two-minute illustrated biography of John F. Kennedy, 35th president of the United States (1917–1963). In 1947 a doctor gave him about a year to live. He hid it, and at 43 he was elected president.
- [Cus D’Amato: His Words Made Mike Tyson Cry at 13](https://mahachi.org/academy/cus-damato/index.md). A two-minute illustrated biography of Cus D’Amato, boxing trainer (1908–1985). Floyd Patterson and Mike Tyson both came out of reform school and climbed the stairs to the same man’s gym. He saw a champion in each of them, years ahead. He lived to see it once.
- [Muammar Gaddafi: A Friend to Mandela. A Mad Dog to Reagan.](https://mahachi.org/academy/muammar-gaddafi/index.md). A two-minute illustrated biography of Muammar Gaddafi, ruler of Libya for 42 years (1942–2011). He took power in Libya at 27 and held it for 42 years. Mandela called him a friend. Reagan called him a mad dog.
- [Ibn Saud: He Named Saudi Arabia. His Grave Has No Name.](https://mahachi.org/academy/ibn-saud/index.md). A two-minute illustrated biography of Ibn Saud, founder of Saudi Arabia (c. 1876–1953). Once a teenage refugee, he set out with about forty men and thirty rifles and took back his family’s city at dawn. The country carries his family’s name. His grave carries none.
- [Nelson Mandela: They Offered Him Freedom. He Said No.](https://mahachi.org/academy/nelson-mandela/index.md). A two-minute illustrated biography of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first Black president (1918–2013). After more than twenty years in prison he was offered freedom if he would reject violence. He said no. Five years later he walked out on his own terms, and four years after that he was president.

## Start with a story.

- **30 rifles.** He set out with about forty men and thirty rifles. The country now carries his family’s name. [Ibn Saud: He Named Saudi Arabia. His Grave Has No Name.](https://mahachi.org/academy/ibn-saud/index.md)
- **Nine pages.** A clerk who had failed college twice mailed his formulas to Cambridge. Cambridge sent for him. [Srinivasa Ramanujan: Failed College Twice. Then Cambridge Called.](https://mahachi.org/academy/srinivasa-ramanujan/index.md)
- **A bicycle shop.** Two brothers without high-school diplomas made the first controlled, powered airplane flights. [The Wright Brothers: They Said a Million Years. It Took 69 Days.](https://mahachi.org/academy/wright-brothers/index.md)
- **Zero points.** He played a whole summer without scoring. He went on to win five NBA championships, and an Oscar. [Kobe Bryant: The Name People Shout When They Throw Paper](https://mahachi.org/academy/kobe-bryant/index.md)
- **A little book.** At sixteen no one would hire him. He kept every cent in a little book. By 1913 his fortune was bigger than the US government’s spending for the year. [John D. Rockefeller: Rejected at 16. Richer Than the US Budget](https://mahachi.org/academy/john-d-rockefeller/index.md)
- **A year to live.** In 1947 a doctor gave him about a year. At 43 he was elected president. [John F. Kennedy: Given a Year to Live, He Became President](https://mahachi.org/academy/john-f-kennedy/index.md)

## New lives, by email.

Get each new two-minute film in your language, or one email a week. https://mahachi.org/academy/#email

## About

One Life. is Mahachi Academy’s series of illustrated biographies: a whole life in two minutes, told from the sources, its achievements and its costs alike. Mahachi Academy is a Mahachi Family Foundation project.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mahachiacademy
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mahachiacademy
Mahachi Family Foundation: https://mahachi.org/