Profile of the Day: Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia

Today we remember British World War I hero Lawrence of Arabia on the 80th anniversary of his death.

He was born Thomas Edward Lawrence on August 16, 1888 in Tremadoc, Wales. After studying architecture and archaeology in school, Lawrence spent several years excavating in the Middle East. At the outbreak of war between Britain and the Ottoman Empire, Lawrence enlisted in the British military. Due to his expertise in Middle Eastern affairs, he was assigned as an intelligence officer. Between 1916-1918, Lawrence served as a key political liaison in the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turks and successfully led a guerrilla campaign against the Turks behind their lines. 

He vividly recounted his activities during the war in his autobiography, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which earned him international fame and the nickname “Lawrence of Arabia.” In 1962, this nickname would be used as the title of the film based on his World War I activities and star Peter O’Toole as Lawrence.

Lawrence died on May 19, 1935 after succumbing to head injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident six days earlier. One of the doctors attending to him was Hugh Cairns, one of Britain’s first neurosurgeons. Profoundly affected by Lawrence’s case, Cairns began a long study of what he saw as the unnecessary loss of life by motorcyclists through head injuries. His pioneering research led to the use of crash helmets by both military and civilian bikers.

Lawrence of Arabia is connected to over 90 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?
 

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Image: Wikimedia Commons