Madonna

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born on August 16, 1958, in Michigan, to Sylvio [a.k.a. Tony] Ciccone and Madonna Fortin. Madonna, the eldest Ciccone daughter, was named after her mother. Madonna then added "Veronica" as her confirmation name. Madonna is often referred to as "Nonnie" in order to distinguish her from her mother.

Madonna's father, Italian Sylvio Ciccone, was an engineer at Chrysler. He was strict while nurturing his children and insisted they learn how to play a musical instrument and receive strict Catholic instruction. However, Madonna was allowed to take ballet lessons, as she was more interested in dancing. Madonna attended several Catholic schools including Saint Andrews, Saint Fredericks, and Academie Du Sacre Coeur. Furthermore, she attended church daily.

Madonna's mother, Madonna Fortin, of French-Canadian decent, died from breast cancer in 1963. Being close to her mother, Madonna shared. "One of the hardest thing I've faced in my life was the death of my mother and that's something I really haven't got over to this day." She also said, "She tried to keep her fear deep down inside and not let us know. She never complained."

Madonna learned to be tough and independent early in life. Her father employed several housekeepers after her mother's death until he married housekeeper Joan Gustafson. Madonna never learned to really love her stepmother and was in a constant struggle with Joan for her father's attention. The death of her mother and the mixed, love/hate relationship with her father, were determined to be strong drives behind Madonna's career.

Madonna's often sought attention by her eccentric dress and joining cheerleading at school. Eventually, her family moved to Rochester in N.Y. She graduated from Rochester Adams High School in 1976 and decided to attend an audition for a scholarship. She won the scholarship and chose to study dance at the University of Michigan. Although use to a "dancer's discipline" since she had formally studied dance at the Rochester School of Ballet, she left the University of Michigan after three semesters and moved to New York City.

Dress of Summer

White Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is a Chinese fortification built from 3rd century BC until the beginning of the 17th century, in order to protect the various dynasties from raids by Mongol, Turkic, and other nomadic tribes coming from areas in modern-day Mongolia and Manchuria.

It was to protect China from the invasion of the Xiongnu people from Mongolia. The Xiongnu tribe was China's main enemy at that time and therefore the chinese built the Great Wall to prevent them from entering and conquering China and also to attack and repel to Xiongnu people by shooting arrows and firing cannonballs at them from the Great Wall, which was cleverly designed with small holes in the walls for defense and attack at the same time. Although the building of the architectural wonder sacrificed many lives, it was still worth it in the end as the Mongolians might have killed many more chinese while inside China, and it contributed in tourism in the later years too, although that was not the main reason for building it.