For the first time in its long history, more people in the United Kingdom watched YouTube last year than they watched the BBC, according to new audience measurement data. The figures reveal a significant

Thomas Edward Lawrence was immortalized on screen in 1962, played by legendary actor Peter OToole. However, the man portrayed in the film doesnt tell the complete story of T.E. Lawrence, better known to the world as Lawrence of Arabia. With keen diplomatic skills and a strong interest in cultural history, Lawrence was a valuable asset to the British Empire during World War I and beyond. An archaeologist, ambassador, and political advisor within the body of a soldier, Lawrence immortalized himself with his exploits.1. He Had Many RolesLawrence, left, consulting with fellow officers at the Arab Bureau of the British Foreign Office in Cairo, 1918. Source: National Portrait Gallery/Wikimedia CommonsT.E. Lawrence is largely remembered for his military contributions during the First World War. A member of the British military working in intelligence, he was assigned to be a political liaison officer. He worked with the Arabs in their resistance to the Ottoman Empire, serving as an advisor to plan and direct Arab forces supported by Great Britain. After the conclusion of the war, Lawrence wrote a book, served as an advisor to Winston Churchill, and later joined the Royal Air Force.2. T.E. Lawrence Loved Antiquities, Even as a ChildLawrence in an image dated 1924. Source: Lowell Thomas and H.A. Chase/Wikimedia CommonsT.E. Lawrence was born in Wales on August 16, 1888. Even as a child, he showed interest in antiques, history, and architectural design. As a teenager, along with friends, he spent time conducting surveys of old churches. He observed construction sites to ensure that any recovered antiquities were properly cataloged and submitted to the appropriate authorities.As a student at Oxford studying history, he toured France to photograph, draw, and measure medieval castles, collecting information that he would use for his dissertation. In 1909, he made a thousand-mile trip through Syria to visit Crusader-era castles. This solo trip sparked a lifelong interest in Middle Eastern culture and people. In a letter home, Lawrence said, I will have such difficulty in becoming English again.At meetings of British, Arab, and Bedouin officials in Jordan in 1921. Lawrence is second from left in the gray hat. Source: Library of Congress/Wikimedia CommonsUpon graduation, Lawrence went directly into the field of archaeology, as he was hired as a junior assistant at a dig in Carchemish. He learned Arabic and communicated frequently with the locals working on the project, inquiring about local history and culture. He worked as an archaeologist until the outbreak of the First World War.3. He Started WWI Behind a DeskPrince, later King, Emir Feisal was instrumental in Lawrences legendary assignment. Source: Lowell Thomas/Wikimedia CommonsLawrences initial job at the onset of World War I was a position at the newly formed Arab Bureau, a British intelligence unit in Cairo. He was skilled in this area, and his understanding of Arab culture and language proved beneficial. However, his work was largely office-bound, and some considered him a pencil pusher. Lawrence hated this and desired to see some action despite a lack of military experience. This feeling was exacerbated when his two brothers died fighting on the Western Front in 1915. By October of 1916, his wish was granted when Prince Feisal, the son of King Hussein, leader of the Arab forces, requested Lawrence for a permanent advisory position in his retinue. Thus, Lawrence of Arabia was brought forth into history.4. He Adapted to Cultural NormsLawrence adopted the dress of his Arab contemporaries. Source: Ashmolean Museum/Wikimedia CommonsLawrence gained a reputation as a successful diplomat and military adviser to the Arab cause. A large part of his success was his willingness to adapt to the culture of Britains allies. He spoke their language and adopted traditional Arabic dress.Lawrence became a champion of the Arab people. Though he was still a member of the British military, he found his allegiances were split, feeling a responsibility to those who were fighting alongside him. He admired his associates, their spirit, and their culture, which had become devoted to the cause of the overthrow of their Turkish controllers. His conflicted loyalties grew more troubled when he learned that while Britain had promised Arab freedom after the defeat of the Ottomans, secretly, they were planning to divide the valuable regions of the Middle East with France, relegating the free Arabs to a virtual wasteland. Lawrences guilt about this plan, known as the Sykes-Picot Agreement, led to him later refusing medals for his service.5. He Was the Victim of Sexual AssaultA modern portrait of Lawrence by an Arabian artist. Source: Michael Gunther/Wikimedia CommonsLawrence was captured and jailed by the Ottomans in 1916. During his imprisonment, he was subjected to beatings and sexual assault. He detailed the attacks in his autobiography, and this information was used against himto question his sexualityin writings years after his death. The Ottoman Empire was notorious for its use of sexual assault as a tool of war, especially against the officer class, as a way of demeaning their authority. Lawrence exhibited signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for the remainder of his life as a result of his experiences.6. Lawrence Was a Student of Military GreatsA bust of T.E. Lawrence at the Museum of Reading. Source: 14GTR/Wikimedia CommonsLawrence was a voracious reader, particularly as a student at Oxford. He was fascinated by works involving military history, and he credited Hannibal, Julius Caesar, Belisarius, and Napoleon as some of those who impacted his concepts of war and revolution. Lawrence came to believe that humanity is the key instrument of battle, considering the impact of fear, anxiety, and mental degradation in combat. This would later lead to him emphasizing biological necessities among his forces, believing men who were well-fed, hydrated, rested, and properly outfitted would be more effective on the battlefield.7. Lawrence Perfected DestructionWorkers laying track for the Hejaz in 1906. Source: Library of Congress/Wikimedia CommonsOne of the greatest engineering projects of the Ottoman Empire was the Hejaz Railway. The goal of this line was to connect the majority of the empire, areas of which were quite distant from one another. There was only a single gap remaining in the railway in 1914, and once it was complete, 1,800 miles of contiguous travel from Constantinople to Medina would have been possible. The British and Arab forces recognized the value of this rail system and made extensive efforts to destroy it throughout World War I.About 40 miles of usable track is all that remains of the Hejaz Railway today. Source: Bashar Tabbah/Wikimedia CommonsLawrence was one of the most skilled destroyers of the Hejaz. He reported personally blowing up 79 railway bridges. He perfected his abilities as he worked and gained a reputation for being able to render a bridge impassable but still standing. This would require the Ottomans to dismantle the useless framework before they could even think about rebuilding. By the end of the war, the damage to the railway was so extensive that most of it was abandoned. Today, the disfigured skeletons of train cars and bits of gravel are all that remains of the engineering feat.8. He Sought AnonymityLawrence with Churchill and others in Egypt in 1921. Source: Churchill Archives Centre, Broadwater Collection via the International Churchill SocietyAfter the conclusion of World War I and the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, Lawrence was recruited to serve as an adviser to Winston Churchill. However, Lawrence decided he was done with public life and resigned after just a year.Though he had been relatively unknown during the war itself, his reputation in Britain after the war spread like wildfire. His role as a European adopting Arab culture was a cause for public fascination. Slide photos of him in his Arabic dress were part of a London multimedia show that was viewed by over three million people between 1920-1924. After leaving Churchills service, Lawrence joined the Royal Air Force but used an assumed name to hide his growing celebrity. However, he was discovered and tried the same tactic with the Tank Corps instead. He would eventually return to the Royal Air Force, where he served until he died in a motorcycle accident in 1935.9. He Was an AuthorT.E. Lawrence would return to celebrity status years after his death, when Peter OToole played him in the feature film, Lawrence of Arabia. OToole is seen here in white. Source: Wikimedia CommonsT.E. Lawrence immortalized his experiences in the Middle East with his book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Published in 1926, the memoir described Lawrences time working with Britains Arab allies. The publication of the novel would be Lawrences only return to using his given name in his postwar years. The book was used in the movie adaptation of Lawrences experiences in 1962, Lawrence of Arabia.

Zou Zheng/Xinhua/Alamy Live NewsBritish icon Alan Rickmans acting career spanned about 40 years before his death.Alan Rickman is one of the most fondly remembered actors in modern history. Perhaps best known in recent years for his role as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series, Rickman portrayed a wide variety of characters in film, in television, and on stage throughout his life. From his role as the villain Hans Gruber in Die Hard in 1988, to Harry in Love Actually in 2003, to his last on-screen performance as Lieutenant General Frank Benson in Eye In The Sky in 2015, Rickmans career was full of memorable highlights. When he wasnt working, he advocated for many noble causes, including aiding refugees and fighting poverty.Sadly, on Jan. 14, 2016, Alan Rickman died after a private battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 69 in London. This came years after he endured a separate battle with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.Since Alan Rickman had kept his health issues largely under wraps, many of his former costars were shocked to hear about his death, with Jason Isaacs saying he was sidestepped by the awful news and Ralph Fiennes remarking, I cannot believe he is gone and we are the poorer for it.Alan Rickmans Foray Into ActingAlan Rickman was born on Feb. 21, 1946 and grew up in Acton, London. He had three siblings: two brothers and a sister. When he was just eight years old, his father died from lung cancer. His mother sought out various jobs to support her family, and Alan remembered her as a tigress who worked hard and always reinvented herself.Alan Rickman was interested in the arts at an early age, and was particularly gifted in watercolor and calligraphy. After attending Latymer Upper School in London as a teenager, he studied graphic design at the Chelsea School of Art (now the Chelsea College of Art and Design) and at the Royal College of Art.Though he was involved in theater while in school, he began working at a graphic design studio, not seeing acting as a sustainable profession. He also enjoyed his relationship with Rima Horton (the two met as teens and stayed together for decades, but they only officially married in 2012).Wikimedia CommonsAlan Rickman eventually studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.But eventually, Rickman decided to pursue acting more seriously, and he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in the early 1970s.After his time at RADA, Rickman began picking up roles in the British theater industry. In 1978, he performed with the Court Drama Group, appearing in productions like Romeo and Juliet and A View from the Bridge.He later worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, appearing in 1980s productions of Troilus and Cressida and As You Like It.Around this time, Rickman also started picking up a number of television roles, appearing in a 1980 mini-series adaptation of Thrse Raquin and the 1982 mini-series The Barchester Chronicles.His big break came in 1988, when he booked the role of the infamous, sharp-tongued terrorist Hans Gruber in the movie Die Hard. An Incredible Rise To Stardom And Unforgettable RolesWarner Bros.Alan Rickman is often remembered for playing Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movie series.As it turned out, Alan Rickman had a real talent for playing villains. Another notable role of his was in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), where he played the memorable antagonist, Sheriff of Nottingham. The film, which also featured actors Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, wasnt necessarily a big success with critics. However, Rickmans performance received nearly universal acclaim. In 1992, he even won a BAFTA for his performance in that movie.While both the roles of Hans Gruber and the Sheriff of Nottingham brought Rickman success, he was wary of being typecasted as a villain. He began pursuing roles that broke out of the antagonist mold he had fallen into. In an effort to seek out different types of roles, Rickman played the romantic lead in the 1991 movie Truly, Madly, Deeply. He earned a BAFTA nomination for that performance, and the film was a success. Critic Roger Ebert described Rickmans striking presence in the film: The man is Alan Rickman, who you will look at on the screen, and know you have seen somewhere, and rattle your memory all during the movie without making the connection that he was the villain in Die Hard.Throughout the 1990s, Alan Rickman picked up role after role, and he received two other BAFTA nominations in 1996 and 1997, for his work in the films Sense and Sensibility and Michael Collins.In 2001, Alan Rickman debuted one of his most iconic and widely remembered roles, portraying Severus Snape in the first Harry Potter film. While he would portray the character in all eight Harry Potter movies in the series (from 2001 until 2011), he continued appearing in other projects, including the romantic ensemble comedy Love Actually in 2003.Wikimedia CommonsAlong with acting in movies, television, and on stage, Alan Rickman also did some directing before his death.In 2005, Rickman also directed the play My Name Is Rachel Corrie at the Royal Court Theater in London. The play focused on Rachel Corrie, an American activist who was fatally crushed by an Israeli bulldozer while trying to stop its operators from demolishing Palestinian homes in 2003.The play was successful in London, and it received the 2006 London Theatregoers Choice Award for Best Play and Best Director. Though the play was also supposed to be performed at the New York Theater Workshop, it was ultimately canceled due to concerns about the shows political content.I never imagined that the play would create such acute controversy, Rickman said in 2007. Many Jews supported it. The New York producer was Jewish and we held a discussion after every performance.He added: Both Israelis and Palestinians participated in the discussions and there was no shouting in the theater. People simply listened to each other.What Caused Alan Rickmans Death? Inside His Private Battle With CancerWikimedia CommonsMany were shocked to hear about the cancer that caused Alan Rickmans death, as he kept his diagnosis largely hidden.In 2005, Alan Rickman was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, which eventually required the surgical removal of his entire prostate. Amidst his agonizing health concerns, Rickman debated on whether he should return as Snape for the fifth Harry Potter movie. He already had mixed feelings on continuing the role even before his diagnosis, as the lengthy films sometimes seemed to be never-ending.However, after Rickmans surgery was completed, he wrote in his diary: Finally, yes to HP 5. The sensation is neither up nor down. The argument that wins is the one that says: See it through. Its your story.'Though Rickman indeed completed the films and continued to act throughout the 2000s and early 2010s, his health issues were far from over.In August 2015, Rickman had a minor stroke, which led to a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He kept this grim diagnosis largely private, only telling his family members and a few of his close friends. Because of this, it came as a huge shock to the world when Alan Rickman died from the pancreatic cancer at the age of just 69 on Jan. 14, 2016. To make matters even more shocking, Alan Rickman died just four days after another iconic British cultural figure, David Bowie who was also 69 at the time of his death and also kept his cancer battle hidden from the public.Rickman reportedly spent his final moments surrounded by his family and friends in London. His neighbors said they had no idea he was sick and described him as upbeat in the weeks before he died.Many of Alan Rickmans former costars were just as shocked to hear about his cause of death as his neighbors and his fans, as his diagnosis had been kept private until the end. Most who shared tributes to him expressed their shock and devastation and their fond memories of him.Daniel Radcliffe posted this moving tribute: Alan Rickman is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors I will ever work with. He is also, one of the loyalest and most supportive people Ive ever met in the film industry. He was so encouraging of me both on set and in the years post-Potter.And Emma Thompson shared this emotional goodbye: I couldnt wait to see what he was going to do with his face next He was the ultimate ally. In life, art and politics. I trusted him absolutely. He was, above all things, a rare and unique human being and we shall not see his like again.After reading about the remarkable life and heartbreaking death of Alan Rickman, learn about Gilda Radners death and the cancer that caused it. Then, read about Steve Jobs death and how his bizarre cures for pancreatic cancer may have hastened it.The post Inside The Incredible Life And Heartbreaking Death Of British Acting Legend Alan Rickman appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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