- Handel was born in 1685 in Halle, Duchy of Magdeburg, to Georg Händel and Dorothea Taust
- His father, was 63 when George Frideric was born, was an eminent barber-surgeon who served the court of Saxe-Weissenfels and the Margraviate of Brandenburg.
- According to Handel's first biographer, John Mainwaring, he had discovered such a strong propensity to music
- At an early age Handel became a skillful performer on the harpsichord and pipe organ
- Handel and his father travailed to Weissenfeis to visit either Handel's half-brother , Carl or nephew, Georg Christian who was serving as valet to Duke Johann Adolf I
- On this trip, young Handel was lifted onto an organ's stool, where he surprised everyone with his playing
- This performance helped Handel and the duke to convince his father to allow him to take lessons in musical composition and keyboard technique