Benjamin Solomon Carson was born in Detroit, Michigan, on September 18, 1951. He is the second son of Sonya and Robert Solomon Carson. Ben grew up in a tough environment of inner-city Detroit. When Benjamin Carson was in fifth grade, he was considered the "dummy" of his class, but he managed to turn his life around. He graduated from high school with honors, went on to Yale University where he majored in psychology and graduated from the university of Michigan school of Medicine. He became the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore in 1984 - a position he still holds till now. He is internationally recognized as a pioneer in his field. In his operation on the Binder Siamese twins in 1987, he succeeded where all predecessors had failed, in separating twins joined at the head. In his books and lectures he encourages young people. In his own words: "You do have the possibility of controlling your own destiny if you are willing to put in the appropriate amount of time and effort. " Or, as he tells young people everywhere, "Think Big. "