Nietzsche was a talented musician and composer who started composing music at a young age, was not widely recognized, but still maintained a strong interest in music throughout his life.
Before becoming a philosopher, Nietzsche was a professor of classical philology. He was appointed to the University of Basel at just 24, the youngest for the post.
Nietzsche had a close, complicated friendship with Russian intellectual Lou Andreas-Salomé. He proposed to her but she rejected him. Their friendship, along with his feelings for her, influenced some of his philosophical writings.
Nietzsche faced considerable difficulty getting his works published during his lifetime so he had to finance the publications himself initially.
Nietzsche's mental health deteriorated in 1889, leading to a complete mental breakdown. He spent the last 11 years of his life in an incapacitated state, with his sister, Elisabeth.