George Santayana

About

Essayist who said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." He wrote influential works on many subjects.

Before Fame

He began his philosophical writings with The Sense of Beauty that connected an understanding of beauty with ideas that are permanent and real.

Trivia

He also coined the oft-repeated phrase, "Only the dead have seen the end of war," which was commonly and incorrectly attributed to Plato.

Family Life

He was born in Madrid, Spain, with American parentage and considered himself to be an American.

Associated With

His description of fanaticism was cited by animator Chuck Jones as the inspiration for his Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner shorts.