In December 1770, Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany. His true birth date is unknown. ¹⁾

Beethoven's father, a failing singer, pressed his own expectations on his son by forcing him to rehearse for hours on end every day. In fact, when he played the erroneous notes, his father would frequently beat him. ²⁾

Beethoven had to drop out of school at the age of 11 to help support his family. As a result, he never learned to multiply or divide. ³⁾

Beethoven learned to play the violin as a child and preferred musical improvisation over playing from a score. “I can't tolerate it - scratch by note, else your scratching won't amount to anything!” his father once stated. ⁴⁾

Beethoven had six siblings, four of whom died before he was born. ⁵⁾

Beethoven's father was an alcoholic, a condition Beethoven subsequently inherited. ⁶⁾