Famous People Facts

Walt Disney, the creator of Mickey Mouse, was afraid of mice.

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft was a college drop out.

Ina Garten, White House nuclear policy analyst:
The charmingly high brow Barefoot Contessa � whose real name is Ina Garten � has a loyal fan base all over the country who follow her TV show and have tried out recipes from her seven cookbooks. Before the TV show and cookbook fame, Garten owned a specialty foods store in East Hampton, NY, which she and her husband Jeffrey bought on a whim while living in Washington, D.C. At that time, Garten worked in the White House Office of Management and Budget as a policy analyst, but after buying the foods store, quit her job and moved to Long Island.

Sheryl Crow, music teacher: Upbeat but soulful singer, songwriter and guitarist Sheryl Crow has enjoyed a long-lasting career that incorporates all types of music genres and often rewards her with high-profile collaborations and honors. And while the Missouri native was always interested in music � she wrote her first song when she was only 13 � Crow chose to teach music to autistic children after graduating from college before moving to LA to join the industry.

Martha Stewart, stock broker: Martha Stewart got into some trouble recently over some insider trading, obstruction of justice and then lying about it all, and many long-time fans of Martha's place settings and holiday decorating wondered how she got involved in such a mess in the first place. But before Martha Stewart was the goddess of domesticity, she was, in fact, a stockbroker. She graduated from Barnard with degrees in history and architectural history after first dropping out to model, and soon became a stockbroker. After moving to Connecticut with her husband and young son, Stewart left her job � she claims to have wanted to spend more time with her family, but others believe she was escaping a scandal.

Dan Brown, singer-song writer:
Dan Brown started a huge sensation and a lot of debate within the Catholic community and among pop culture fans when he published his novel The Da Vinci Code. But besides the controversy, Brown's work of fiction can at least be credited with getting a lot of adults interested in reading again. The creator of Langdon was a puzzle and anagram freak as a kid and studied writing at Amherst College. But as the son of an organist mother, Brown also had an interest and talent for music: after graduation, he moved to Hollywood as a singer-songwriter and pianist and even joined the National Academy of Songwriters. He released two CDs in the early 90s, including one entitled Angels & Demons, moved back home to teach middle school Spanish, and soon began writing thrillers.

Walt Disney had worked as Newspaper Ad Designer:
Walt Disney experienced a lot of failure on his way to becoming one of the most successful entertainment entrepreneurs in the world: He was rejected by the army and struggled to find work after WWI. He finally got a job working as a designer for newspaper, movie theater and magazine ads at an art studio. Disney only worked as a temp, and after struggling to start his own business, he began studying animation at a new job for another ad company.