L. Ron Hubbard

L. Ron Hubbard, born on March 13, 1911, in Tilden, Nebraska, was a multifaceted American author and the founder of Scientology. His early career was marked by prolific writing in the realms of pulp science fiction and fantasy. In 1950, he published the controversial book 'Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health,' which laid the groundwork for his later establishment of organizations dedicated to the practice of Dianetics techniques.

Hubbard's journey into the world of religion began in 1952 after he lost the intellectual rights to his Dianetics literature during bankruptcy proceedings. He subsequently founded Scientology, a movement that has been described variously as a cult, a new religious movement, or a business. He led the Church of Scientology until his death in 1986, navigating through a landscape of media scrutiny and legal challenges.

Raised in Helena, Montana, Hubbard's childhood was influenced by his father's naval career, which took the family to Guam in the late 1920s. He briefly attended George Washington University to study civil engineering but left after two years. His military service during World War II saw him command two ships, although he was removed from both commands. Following the war, he sought psychiatric help and began to develop the ideas that would culminate in 'Dianetics.'

In the years that followed, Hubbard faced personal and legal challenges, including a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and a conviction for fraud in absentia by France in 1978. Despite these setbacks, he continued to expand Scientology's teachings and organizational structure, even spending time at sea as the 'commodore' of a quasi-paramilitary fleet. After his death, the Church of Scientology claimed that Hubbard had transcended his physical form to continue his work on another plane of existence.