Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
It's true that there was once a Native American hero named Hiawatha. But the guy Longfellow was actually writing about in The Song of Hiawatha was another mythical dude named Nanabozho. Longfellow just liked the sound of Hiawatha better.
(Source.)
As a young boy, Henry W. Longfellow was deeply affected by the War of 1812 between the British Canadians and Americans. Decades later, he would write about it in his book My Lost Youth. Now if only he'd been around to sing "War (What is it Good For?)." (Source.)
Longfellow was talented from the very beginning. He even published his first poem at the age of 13. Oh yeah, and his birthday is February 27th for those who are thinking of getting him a gift. (Source.)