Origins & Early Life

Camille Anna Paglia ( PAH-lee-ə; born April 2, 1947) is an American academic, social critic, and feminist. Paglia was a professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1984 until the university's closure in 2024. She is critical of many aspects of modern culture and is the author of Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson (1990) and other books. She is also a critic of contemporary American feminism and of post-structuralism, as well as a commentator on multiple aspects of American culture such as its visual art, music, and film history.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Paglia was born in Endicott, New York, the eldest child of Lydia Anne (née Colapietro) and Pasquale Paglia. All four of her grandparents were born in Italy. Her mother emigrated to the United States at five years old from Ceccano, in the province of Frosinone, Lazio. Her father's side of the family was from the Campanian towns of Avellino, Benevento, and Caserta. Paglia was raised Catholic, and attended primary school in rural Oxford, New York, where her family lived in a working farmhouse.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Her father, a veteran of World War II, taught at the Oxford Academy high school and exposed...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Al Capone — Contemporary (Died in 1947) (1947): Notorious American gangster and businessman during the Prohibition era.
• Alan Guth — Contemporary (Born in 1947) (1947): Pioneering cosmologist known for developing the theory of cosmic inflation.
• Alan Sugar — Contemporary (Born in 1947) (1947): Pioneering British entrepreneur, founder of Amstrad, and TV personality.
• 5th Dalai Lama — Shared historical date (04-02 · Died) (1682): Spiritual and political unifier of Tibet, establishing the Ganden Phodrang.
• Ajay Devgn — Shared historical date (04-02 · Born) (1968): Veteran Indian actor and filmmaker known for diverse roles in Hindi cinema.
• Albert Brooks — Historical peer (Born in 1947) (1947): Versatile American actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter.
• Aleister Crowley — Historical peer (Died in 1947) (1947): Founder of Thelema, a major occultist, poet, and ceremonial magician.
• AB de Villiers — Historical peer (Born in 1984) (1984): Legendary South African cricketer, celebrated for his all-around batting genius.
• Alfred Kastler — Historical peer (Died in 1984) (1984): Pioneering physicist known for developing the technique of optical pumping.
• Akira Toriyama — Historical peer (Died in 2024) (2024): Pioneering manga artist, creator of Dr. Slump and the global phenomenon, Dragon Ball.
• 1947 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1947
• April 2 (04-02) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on April 2