Dyslexic extraordinare.

"He told me his teachers reported that . . . he was mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in his foolish dreams."
--Hans Albert Einstein, on his father, Albert Einstein.

In school, his teachers described Albert in less than stellar terms.  Apparently nothing came easily to him - he could not remember the times tables, he couldn't read very well, and spelling defeated him.  Sound familiar?  It was even suggested that Albert might be mentally handicapped; but what could be further from the truth?

When he was 12, Albert taught himself Euclidean geometry, and came up with a totally unique proof for the Pythagorean Theorem. 

He hated the dull and unimaginative spirit at the school in Munich, and when he was 15, his family moved to Italy.  A year later, he left to make his own way in the world.

He arrived in Switzerland, where he attended school in Arrau.  But once again, Einstein was dissatisfied with the instruction he received, and frequently cut class.  He would use this time to study Physics on his own, and to play his beloved violin.

In 1900, he passed his final examinations by studying the notes of a classmate.  His professor, however, did not recommend him for a university position. 

Dyslexic superstar.

Now one of the world's most famous actors, Tom Cruise was once just an average boy.  Born in Syracuse, New York in 1962, Tom was the third of four children, and the only son. Tom's father, an electrical engineer, was constantly looking for work during Tom's childhood, and as a result, the family never had the opportunity to settle down in one place. Their constant moving around was especially hard on Tom.

Not long after settling into Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Tom's parents divorced and Tom's mother was given custody of the children. The family's financial situation became even tighter, and with no older brothers, Tom was now the man of the house - at the age of 12.  

In addition to all the problems at home, being dyslexic was yet another obstacle standing in the way of Tom's education. Not excelling in school, he entered a seminary for the priesthood at the age of 14, but left not long afterwards.

Tom enrolled in Glen Ridge High School, where he continued to struggle academically.  He joined the wrestling team, but after suffering a serious injury, he decided to do something else.

That something else was acting. Tom would act in two high school musicals before graduating from high school in 1980.

Actress and Activist

Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Johnson in New York City on November 13, 1950.  She spent the first years of her life in a public housing project in Manhattan.

At the age of eight, she made her performing debut with the Helena Rubinstein Children's Theatre.

Dropping out of high school, she found work as a summer camp counsellor, and in the choruses of the Broadway shows, "Hair,"  "Jesus Christ Superstar," and "Pippin."

In 1974, after a failed marriage, she moved to California with her young daughter.  The following year, she helped found the San Diego Repertory Theatre.  Joining improvisational theater groups, and adopting her distinctive stage name, she also began to develop the character monologues that would make her famous, and acquired a following for her work as a stand-up comedian.

In 1984, she made her Broadway debut with a one-woman show of her own creation.  A huge success, it brought her to the attention of Steven Spielberg, who cast her in the lead role in "The Color Purple."  Making her film debut in this coveted role instantly established her as one of Hollywood's leading actresses, and her performance in "Ghost" won her an Academy Award. She followed this with performances in the box-office smash, "Sister Act," and the Robert Altman film, "The Player."

Richard's headmaster at Stowe once wrote to him: "... Branson, I predict that you will either go to prison or become a millionaire."

Richard didn't breeze through school.  It wasn't just a challenge for him - it was a nightmare.

His Dyslexia embarrassed him as he had to memorise and recite word-for-word in public.

He is sure he did terribly on the standard IQ tests - the tests that measure those abilities where he is weak.  But in the end, it was the tests that failed.

They totally missed his ability and passion for sports.

They had no means to identify ambition - that fire inside that drives people to find a path to success; a path that zigzags around the maze of standard doors that won't open.

And they never identified the most important talent of all - the ability to connect with people, mind to mind, soul to soul - that rare power to energise the ambitions of others so that they, too, can achieve their dreams.

But Richard Branson has never forgotten the words of his Granny: "You've got one go in life, so make the most of it." 

Now head of 150 or so enterprises that carry the Virgin name, and with a personal wealth estimated at nearly $3 billion, he has followed his personal dream and made the most of it.  He still holds the record as fastest to cross the Atlantic Ocean by boat.  And he still hopes to be first to circle the globe in a balloon. 

It is a success that was never expected for a dyslexic, near-sighted boy. 

Leonardo DaVinci was a great painter, designer, scientist, futurist, and thinker.

He also had the gift of Dyslexia.

One remarkable indication that Leonardo was dyslexic is in his handwriting.  Leonardo was constantly sketching out his ideas for inventions. Most of the time, he wrote his notes backwards. Why did Leonardo write from right-to-left, in mirror image?  Although unusual, this is a trait shared by many left-handed dyslexic people.  Most of the time, dyslexic writers are not even consciously aware that they are writing this way.

Leonardo's spelling is also considered erratic and quite strange.

However, when it came to drawing illustrations, Leonardo's work is detailed and precise. His extraordinary art work and inventive genius are proof that he truly possessed the gift of Dyslexia.

Leonardo's helicopter sketch is a favourite of many.  Leonardo was intrigued with the concept of human flight, and spent many years toying with various ideas for flying machines. 

When he drew his flying machine, he wrote (backwards, of course): "A small model can be made of paper with a spring-like metal shaft that after having been released, after having been twisted, causes the screw to spin up into the air."

Leonardo DaVinci started many more projects then he ever finished - these days, he would probably be diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).