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But this one is amazing:

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(They just named a major street in Salt Lake City after him)

If I had to choose one for myself, it might be this one.

Which direction is up?

But off the top of my head: Leopold Trepper.

If so <link>

Started his career working on the Manhattan Project, and concluded it by helping solve the Challenger explosion. In between he did some other stuff.

Richard Phillips Feynman.

In between he did some other stuff.

Cracked me up!

One of my first thoughts was along the same lines: Tuvia Bielski. Herodotus, George Orwell and Jean-Pierre Melville came to mind as well. I always thought it would be cool to be Marco Polo. I romanticize New York and Paris and the high moderns; it would have been fun to have been Peggy Guggenheim or an editor at Gallimard (perhaps Raymond Queneau) . A little earlier, there was also a series of Chinese writers who lived remarkable lives: Ba Jin was one. If the question is the life that I would wish to lead, I think I'd like to live a quiet, happy, unmemorable life in Sweden.

But that's not the question, and at any rate the justification of the answer is probably more important than the question. I am most impressed by those who engaged the most pressing issues of the day, who could understand those issues from multiple points of view, and who nevertheless survived.

On a related note: I'm reading Saul Friedlander's new book. Depressing, but wholly convincing.

Born on a farm in northern Michigan in 1909(?). Grew up on the farm, and spent his early 20s running booze in Detroit at night and working at a bank during the day. Joined the Navy for WWII and spent the war in the Pacific as a ship's pharmacist on a refueling ship, dodging the Japanese Navy. He saw the world--including a year after the war spent in Aruba. After the Navy, he went bank to the bank, where he rose through the ranks to vice-president. He got fed up with it ("I couldn't stand to forclose on people's homes"). At age 50, he married a secretary 20 years his junior, quit his job, sold his house, and took the money and the wife on a two-year tour of the United States in one of those silver camper trailers. They had a son--born in Ohio--and a daughter--my wife--born in Florida. They just about ran out of money in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He took what was left and bought a trailer park, where he built a thriving business buying and selling trailers. He spent his days puttering around trailers and raising two of the finest children that any man has raised. A few days before he died, at age 84, he told me, "I've had a good life." No. He had a great life.

what an absolutely beautiful tribute that was, to your father-in-law, and to your wife. Thanks for sharing his bio.

I dislike this trend of Title: Link. Even worse than an C&P. At least with a C&P you have something to read. Correct this tendency, ghost, or I'll have sharp words with you. At any rate, my two alternatives:

Prince Talleyrand. French aristocrat, got involved in supporting the Revolution, then fled for a few years. Then came back and got in good with the Directorate. Then helped orchestrate Napoleon's coup. Was Napoleon's foreign minister (a rather difficult job), until he decided Napoleon had overreached. Then negotiated with the allies to bring down Napoleon and usher in the Bourbon Restoration. Then became Ambassador to the Court of St James.

A rake and a libertine. Generally considered a dreadfully wicked man. His limp gave emphasis to this serpentine image. But fascinating. Also had the (endearing) trait of interrupting a conversation to say "oh, that reminds me of something" and reaching to the bookshelf, flipping the pages and saying "ah, here it is."

Lorenzo Da Ponte. Catholic priest, and um, rake and libertine. Actually kicked out of the Church for being too scandalous. In the 18th century, no less. Kicked around for a while with Casanova, forming a sort of lace-cuffed Rat Pack. Then settled in as Court Poet in Vienna. Where he wrote the libretti for Mozart's greatest opere. Legend has it that Casanova was present at the premier of Don Giovanni in Prague, but that has the ring of myth to it. Eventually fled scandal to the New World, and taught at Columbia University. Buried in New York.

1. Responses currently unbranched.

2. Fritz' reading is correct (re: top), or, at least, closer to explicitly saying something I intended.

3. Contra StandardDeviation, point is not universal framework suitable for judgment, but expression of personal framework through (personal) judgment.

4. An intuitive response to bite's post, for me, would've been "Uncharmed life" with a link to Anne Frank. However, in fact, too much a branch terminating move and therefore not personally determining (connection via points 1,2,3). Unknown soldier, etc, similar.

5. Original choice obviously yadda yadda. . .

6. However, play as you like. And interesting responses, etc (problem is not too reflective on individual participants)

Judgment: Failure (me, I mean). Problem usual for game of this type (in which point is that everyone's playing by slightly different rules). Next up: Historical variance? Parsimonious science quiz? (top of the head - may be something else).

Cheers.

For the nickname "Whizzer," hands down. Or hands up. I suppose I really don't want to get caught up in speculating about his technique in the matter.

Addendum:

Mild exception in August to unbranched at this point, although too unclear (and therefore not suitable for subsequent branching).

Nonetheless (and not a reason not to continue to play): winner

Da Ponte is hard to beat if the standards include, rake, libertine, producer of wonderful things, and international travel. However, my attempt to trump on those counts would be Rainer Maria Rilke.

He loses points for short life, but he got around, worked as secretary for Rodin, was at home in Prague and Paris.

The figure who I think crushes your examples by your own standards: Goethe.