FACTS ABOUT BEETHOVEN

1. Dec. 16, 1770 is used as his official birth date, but it was actually his baptism day. It is unclear what day he was born on.  He was named after his grandfather.  His older brother, who died at just six days old, was also named Ludwig.  His grandfather and father had musical talent.  They both sang in the state choir.
2. His father was determined to make money off his son. He made Ludwig into a child prodigy by forcing him to practice day and night.  It was said that when he first started, his father would put the little boy standing on a stool so he could reach the keys of the piano and loom over the crying child.
3. He left school at age 10 to help support the family. He never learned to multiply or divide and his handwriting was terrible.
4. When he first visited Vienna at age 17, he performed before Mozart. It’s probably apocryphal, but Mozart supposedly said:  “Keep your eyes on him – some day he’ll give the world something to talk about.”
5. When he moved to Vienna in his 20’s, he was taught by Joseph Haydn. They did not get along.
6. He was the first composer to concentrate on the piano instead of the harpsichord.
7. He suffered from numerous illnesses during his lifetime including: colitis, rheumatism, typhus, skin disorders, abscesses, infections, opthalmia, jaundice, hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver (he had a drinking problem), and of course, deafness. 
8. He attributed his deafness to a fall he took as a child. Starting at age 27, he had a constant buzzing in his ears.  This eventually led to complete hearing loss.  He wrote some of his greatest compositions when he was deaf.
9. He was an admirer of Napoleon and considered him a symbol of revolution and the new Europe. He wrote the symphony “Eroica” in honor of him.  He changed his mind when Napoleon declared himself emperor.  He ripped off the front page of the symphony and crossed out Napoleon’s name.
10. He made money giving piano lessons (he preferred beautiful young women), composing for the wealthy on commission, and selling his works to publishers.
11. He never married. His first love was a young countess, but he was a commoner so her family shut it down.  His second was a piano student, but she ended up marrying a count.  When he died a few years later, they considered marriage, but she did not want to lose custody of her children.  They exchanged passionate love letters over the years.
12. He died at age 56. Historians attribute the causes to cirrhosis, syphilis, and/or lead poisoning.

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/58297/19-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-beethoven

https://www.merriammusic.com/school-of-music/8-interesting-facts-about-beethoven-you-probably-dont-know/