Sergei Eisenstein, acclaimed filmmaker and creator of some of the most iconic films of the 20th century, died on July 23, 1948 at the age of 50. Grigory Alexandrovich Eisenstein was born in 1898 in Riga, Latvia. His early education included architecture and engineering, but his love for the theater eventually led him to the world of film. In 1923 he joined the State Film School in Moscow and made his directorial debut with "The Strike" in 1925. His trademark use of montage and film editing took center stage and catapulted Eisenstein into success. In 1928, his masterpiece "Battleship Potemkin" won the prestigious Gran Prix at the first ever Intenational Film Festival held in Venice, Italy. In the 1930s, Eisenstein directed several critically acclaimed films such as "The General Line", "October: Ten Days that Shook the World" and "Alexander Nevsky". He even experimented with sound and color in the film "Bezhin Meadow". As a master of his craft, Eisenstein has left an indelible mark on the art of cinema and his influence will be felt in all corners of the medium for centuries to come. He is survived by his wife, Pera Atasheva, and two children, Mikhail and Yelena Eisenstein.