He was born in Spain in 1904. Maybe his best known painting is The Persistence of Memory. He had a wide range of activities, he was a painter, a film maker, a sculptor and also a photographer. He also worked with such great names like Walt Disney and Hitchcock.

He left all the conventions, was willful and energetic. He supported Franco's regime in Spain, as a consequence he was excluded from the surrealist group. At which Dalí put a neat retort: "I myself am surrealism". When this sentence echoed in my head I realised its power. He was able to contradict his group and was able to rise above their expectations. He created himself as a notion. It needs a strong personality.
In his paintings he uses symbols like elephants, clocks or eggs. He rethinks reality and adds some spice to it.
His point of view is always subjective and innovative, that's why it is so hard to emphatize with his artistic values and that's why it is so easy to notice them. Any different can be said about his photos and sculptures. Many of his works just can't be chategorised, the films are flubbergasting, one of them starts with a picture of cutting an eyeball with a razor.Finally I'd like to add a quotation from him. "I am painting pictures which make me die for joy, I am creating with an absolute naturalness, without the slightest aesthetic concern, I am making things that inspire me with a profound emotion and I am trying to paint them honestly."-Salvador Dalí

Salvador Dali was an incredible figure...As you said,he was dealing with painting,sculpture,film making,photographing...As for me,I would be happy if I did at least one of these abilities at such a high level.
It's an honour to be the first commenter of this post.:D:D