the prominent Armenian historians Richard G. Hovannisian and Gerard Libaridian. He died in Beirut aged 86 or 87 on 21 May 1969. Quotes Personal details In his memoirs, Vratsian explains that his original surname, Grouzian, came from the Armenian word "grouz" (գռուզ), which means curly or frizzled. This was because many people from his extended family had curly hair. His surname was changed by a schoolteacher, Melikian, who incorrectly assumed that Grouzian was a corruption of Gruzinian (from Russian gruzin, meaning Georgian), and thus Armenianized it to Vratsian (from the Armenian word for Georgian). Vratsian describes that after the incident with Melikian, his family was divided into three camps: the Grouzian camp, which included his mother, who thought he was a traitor, and his conservative uncle Garabed; the Grouzinian camp, which consists of his "lover of all new things" (as described by Vratsian) uncle Mergian; and the Vratsian camp, of which Simon was the only member. He also mentions in his memoirs that his grandmother died at the age of 116, but that it cannot be proven since most countries didn't start recording dates of birth until the year 1900. He describes his father as a storyteller, whose stories increased business for the family coffee shop. He also writes in his memoirs (Keankʻi ughinerov) about his rich maternal uncle Mikishka, and estimates that his net worth in several millions of dollars. Vratsian recounts how his "cheap" and "stingy" maternal uncle Mikishka gave him the equivalent of 20 modern US cents for a 2,000 kilometer journey. He also recalls how later, when he was getting involved in Armenian political parties, he was going to be a member of the Social-Democrat Hnchakian Party. However, he and his friend accidentally walked into a Dashnak meeting, themselves becoming Dashnaks. He also describes the ARF General Congresses in minute detail, such as which member of the congress wanted an alliance with Russia, who wanted to fund the curing of Armenian villagers from lice, which hotel he stayed in, and who he became friends with. He describes his friendship with prominent figures of the Armenian national movement such as Rostom, Hamazasp, Andranik, Armen Garo, Aram Manukian, among others. For example, in the second volume of his memoir Keankʻi ughinerov, he recounts that he was a teacher of Armenian History for one year. One of his students who always disrupted class was Andranik's daughter. Vratsian hit Andranik's