Night wasn't the original name for Wiesel's most famous book. The original 800-page manuscript was titled Un di Velt Hot Geshvign—Yiddish for And the World Remained Silent. We think this original title ties in pretty exactly with the message of his speech. (Source)

Elie Wiesel was actually a victim of Bernie Madoff's infamous Ponzi scheme, costing him and his wife their life's savings and fifteen million dollars from their foundation. Stealing from a Holocaust survivor and from a Holocaust memorial foundation is a very, very special kind of low. (Source)

In 2011, Elie Wiesel underwent open-heart surgery. A year later, he published his memoirs: "Open Heart." (Punny and true.) (Source)

Elie Wiesel was also assaulted by a Holocaust denier, who tried to strong-arm him into admitting the Holocaust never happened. Even over thirty years after he gave his "Hope, Despair and Memory" speech, Holocaust deniers still are floating around. (Source)

You might have seen the famous picture of a young Elie Wiesel inside the concentration camp, but that picture was also responsible for reuniting him with his sister. She recognized him from the shot, and they were able to find each other after the war. (Source)