Famous People with Epilepsy

So, I totally blew Epilepsy Awarness month and never finished posting all the famous people with epilepsy. Somehow the days just disappeared and the month slipped away from me. Did that happen to anyone else? I can't believe it's only 23 days until Christmas!!!

Well, I still wanted to get the information out there so here's the list:
(These were taken from a calendar called Portraits of Achievement that UCB produced in 2006)

Alexander the Great believed in great possibilities for himself and for the people of Ancient Greece. Unwilling to be limited by his own epilepsy, he pushed the Greeks forward with unparalleled leadership - extending the boundaries of his empire and uniting the ancient world.

Alfred Lord Tennyson, the great Victorian poet, was diagnosed with epilepsy during his adolescence. Discoveries for effective treatment of epilepsy were few in his time,so he was assigned long walks and large amounts of drinking water.

Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote epic novels that explored Russia in the 19th century, providing his readers with a keen education on human psychology. Several of his characters also had epilepsy.

Ludwig Van Beethoven is considered one of the most innovative composers of all time, despite battling epilepsy and losing his hearing in his mid-twenties.

Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland, also had epilepsy. His fantastic visions in his writings are now considered a creative way to describe his own symptoms as a person who lived with temporal lobe seizures.

Peter Tchaikovsky, one of the most innovative Russian composers in history is also believed to have had epilepsy.

Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher who is credited with establishing Western philosophy, is believe to have experienced simple partial seizures related to temporal lobe epilepsy.

Epilepsy did not stop Alfred Nobel from changing the world. A chemist and engineer, his considerable fortune funds the famous annual prizes that recognize outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peacekeeping.

James Madison, one of the fathers of the constitution and 4th President of the United States, drafted the Bill of Rights. He also had epilepsy.

Napolean Bonaparte, unhindered by his epilepsy, quickly established himself as one of the greatest military leaders in the world.

Joan of Arc, the patron saint of France, inspired her countrymen and led the French armies to victories over the English in the Hundred Years' War. Some believe it was her seizures that manifested themselves as the visions and voices she felt came from God.

There is some controversy over whether all of these people had epilepsy or not. Another list of people can be found here. The point is... You can still achieve great things with epilepsy. I tell Spencer this everyday.