We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Ben Carson, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the retired neurosurgeon and 2016 presidential candidate that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: He Has His Own Movie. Carson’s life is so remarkable that there was even a movie made about it! The movie is called Gifted Hands and stars Cuba Gooding Jr. as Carson.
Number Seven: He Had Very Humble Beginnings. Carson grew up in poverty in Detroit, and he was raised by a single, uneducated mother. However, his mother was also the one to encourage him to pursue education.
Number Six: He Was Part of the First Successful Operation to Remove Conjoined Siamese Twins. Carson was part of an iconic surgery in 1987 that successfully removed Siamese twins who were joined at the head. The surgery lasted 22 hours.
Number Five: He Had a Short Temper. Carson was not always the level-headed academic we see him as today. In fact, when he first started school, it was difficult for him, and he would become outraged when his classmates made fun of him for it.
Number Four: He Was the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery. Carson became the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University when he was just 33 years old. When he was appointed the position, he was the youngest doctor in the country to be in his position.
Number Three: He Is an Accomplished Author. Carson wrote an autobiography titled Gifted Hands that was eventually made into a movie (mentioned above). Since his autobiography, Carson has also written an NYT Best-Seller titled One Nation, which he published in 2014.
Number Two: He Gave a Famous Speech in 2013. In 2013, Carson gave a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast that may have spurred his presidential candidacy into reality. Though most people do not discuss politics at the event, Carson criticized Obama’s tax policies despite the fact that Obama was sitting just a few feet away.
Number One: He Has Never Run for Public Office. Which means he has never held a public office either. However, he remains to be one of the most sought-after conservative speakers in the country, and many people have faith that he would do well in office.