Ventris was born into a traditional army family. His grandfather, Francis Ventris, was a major-general and Commander of British Forces in China. His father, Edward Francis Vereker Ventris, was a lieutenant-colonel in the Indian … See more

At the beginning of the 20th century, archaeologist Arthur Evans began excavating an ancient site at Knossos, on the island of See more

• Ventris, M. G. F. Introducing the Minoan Language, essay article in American Journal of Archaeology XLIV/4 October–December 1940.
• Ventris, Michael (1950). The languages of the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations: mid-century report. London: … See more

Ventris's father died in 1938 and his mother Dora became administrator of the estate. With the German invasion of Poland in 1939, Mrs Ventris lost her private income, and … See more

After the war he worked briefly in Sweden, learning enough Swedish to communicate with scholars. Then he came home to complete his … See more

Ventris was awarded an OBE in 1955 for "services to Mycenaean paleography."
In 1956 Ventris, who lived in Hampstead, died instantly in a late-night collision in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, with a parked truck while driving home, aged 34. The coroner's verdict … See more

• Emmett Bennett See more