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Oliver Wendell Holmes (born August 29, 1809, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.—died October 7, 1894, Boston, Massachusetts) was an American physician, poet, and humorist notable for his medical research and teaching. As an author, he was best known for the poem “Old Ironsides” and his “Breakfast-Table” series of essays. Holmes studied law at Harvard University before deciding on a medical career. Following studies at Harvard and in Paris, he received his degree from Harvard in 1836. He...