Jean Grey was the younger daughter of Professor John Grey of the History Department of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, and his wife Elaine Grey. When Jean was ten years old she was playing with her best friend, Annie Richardsonwhen Annie was hit by a car. The emotion that Jean felt as she held her dying friend awakened her own latent telepathic powers and she experienced Annie's own emotions as she died. This traumatic event left Jean in a withdrawn and deeply depressed state. Moreover, Jean could not control her newly awakened telepathic abilities and had to isolate herself from other people to hold on to her sanity.