WORLD'S GREAT PERSONALITIES

WORLD'S GREAT PERSONALITIES

Here’s a list of some of the world’s great personalities who have made their mark in several areas -

Abdul Rehman Tunku (1903-73) The Malaysian statesman who negotiated with the British for the independence of Malaysia. He was the first Prime Minister of the country.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-65) The 16th President of the U.s., he succeeded in abolishhing slavery. He was re-elected as President in 1864 and assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865.

Abu-Bakr (9573-634) Abu-Bakr was a leading general of Prophet Mohammed and was the first Caliph of the Muslim empire and ruled from 632 AD. He made Islam a political and military force in Arabia.

Abul Fazal (1561-16020) The author of Ain-i-Akbari and Akbar Nama. He was the celebrated Mughal court poet, and Prime Minister during Akbar’s reign.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1890-1988) also called ‘Frontier Gandhi’ because he organised the people of the North-West Frontier Province (NWEP) of undivided India 9now merged with Pakistan)on Gandhian principles. He was a staunch Congress man who called himself a soldier of the freedom struggle. His admirers called ah him Badshah Khan. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1987.

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) The Austrian-born German dictator who influenced the course of history in the 20th century. He served in the German Army inWorld War I. He laer founded the Nazi party and became chancellor in 1933. He pushed the countries of the world into World War II in which five million people lost their lives. In 1939 his troops invaded Poland causing the outbreak of World War II, and in 1945 German faced total defeat. He married his mistress, Eva Braun, in April 1945 and the next day they were said to have committed suicide.

Aesop (600 BC) The Greek author of Aesop’s Fables which are moral tales with animal protagonists. The famous tale ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’ was his creation.

Akbar (1542-1605) the greatest Mughal Emperor of India who reigned from 1556 (see section on ‘ Indian History ‘ ). Alberuni, the famous Arab historian who visited India along with the armies of Mahmud of Ghazni.

Alfonso, de Albuquerque Founder of the Portuguese empire in the east, he conquered Goa in 1510.

Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) King of Macedonia (Greece), who conquered most of Aisa Minor and defeated Porus (India)in 327 BC. A mutiny in his army prevented him from advancing further into India and he died in 323 BC.

Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) The scottish-American scientist who invented the telephone in 1876.

Andre Marie Ampere (1775-1836) A french scientist who formulated Ampere’s Law. The 5.1 unit of electric current is named after him.

Alighieri Dante (1265-1321) Italian poet, author of Divina Commedia, a philosophical poem telling the story of an imaginary journey through Hell. He also wrote love poems which were collected under the title La Vita Nuova.

Alexander Fleming (1881-1955) The Scottish bacteriologist who discovered pencillin in 1928. He, however could not isolate it. This was later achieved by Florey and Chain with whom he shared the Nobel prize in medicine in 1945.

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) One of the most illustrious scientists of the 20th century. He was born in 1879 at Ulma in Germany and completed his education in Switzerland. He made the revolutionary discovery of the Theory of Relativity in 1905, which established his reputation among the physicists of Europe. In 1921 he was awarded the noble prize in physics. He died in USA on April 18,1955.

Alfred Lord Tennyson (1802-92) England’s poet laureate from 1850 till his death. Author of In Memoriam, a poem of great beauty and depth of thought.

Aladdin Khilji Ruled north India between 1296-1316. He was the strongest ruler of the Khilji dynasty and during his reign the Muslims progressed towards the narmada river into the Deccan.

Ang Dorjee A Nepalese sherpa, who climbed Mt Everest in 1984 with the first Indian woman Bachendri Pal. He has the distinction of having climbed Mt Everest twice without the use of oxyzen.

Archimedes (287-212 BC) The Greek scientist and mathematician known for his discovery of the unique principle of buoyancy. Also discovered and analysed the principle of lever and invented the Archimedes screw to raise water.

Arthur Holly Compton American scientist noted for his research on x-rays, he won the Nobel prize in 1927.

Aryabhatta (476-520) The Indian astronomer who attended the court of Chandragupta Vikramaditya. India’s first satellite is named after him.

Ashoka, the Great (264-228 BC) Grandson of Chandragupta, Ashoka was a great empoeror of India. After the battle of Kalinga, he renounced violence and embraced Buddhism.

Aurobindo Ghosh An exponent of Indian nationalism, philosopher, poet and saint. His famous works include Life Divine and Essays on the Gita.

Babur (1483-1530) Founder of the Mughal empire in India, he conquered the throne of Delhi after thefirst battle of panipat and ruled for about four years (1526-1530).

Bana Bhatt Noted sanskrit scholar and court poet of Harshavardhana who wrote Kadambari and Harsha Charit.

Bahadur Shah Zafar (1807-1862) The last ruler of the Mughal dynasty. He fought against the British in the first war of Indian independence in 1857. After his defeat, the British exiled him to Rangoon.

Bannerjee, W.C. The first President of the Indian National Congress.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee Author of Vande Mataram, the national song of india taken from his work Anand Math. He was a celebrated Bengali novelist.

Bairam Khan He was Akbar’s uncle and also his tutor and was known as Khan-i-Khona.
Bachendri Pal First Indian woman and fifth woman in the world to scale Mt Everest on May 23, 1984 along with two male members Lhatoo Dorjee and Sherpa Sardar Ang Dorjee.
Bartholomew Diaz (1450-1500) A portuguse navigator who was the first European to sail round the ‘Cape of Good Hope’ (the southern tip of the african continent).

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) U.S. statesman who promoted the american Declaration of Independence (1776) and worked on drafting the Coustitution of America.

Begum Akhtar The ghazal queen of India who died in 1974. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan posthumously in 1975.

Bhaskara I An astronomer of the 7th century, a contemporary of Brahmagupta. India’s second satellite is named after him.

Bhaskara II Mahematician and astronomer of the 12th century. His name is also associated with India’s third satellite.

Bhagat Singh A patriot and revolutionary, known as ‘Shahid-e-azam’, who along with Sukh Dev and Raj Guru became a martyr on March 23,1931.

Bhaskaracharya The greatest astronomer who lived in the 12th century. He wrote Sidhanta-Siromani in 1150.

B.R. Ambedkar (1893-1956) Father of the Indian Constitution, he was also a well-known jurist.

Caption James cook (1728-79) The great British explorer and navigator. He travelled to New Zealand and Eastern Australia from 1768-71 in his ship ‘Endeavour’. On his second voyage he reahed the Antarctica circle and discovered the Hawaiian Island on his third voyage. He also wrote the classic work Voyage Round the World.

Charan singh The Lok Dal leader who was Prime Minister of India in 1979.

Changez Khan The Mongol conqueror who came to India during the reign of IItutmish (1210-36).

Chandergupta II (vikramaditya) A brave emperor of the Gupta dynasty during whose reign art and literature flourished; the era was known as the ‘Golden Age of the Guptas.’
Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) Great British comedian, film actor, director, producer and composer. His wistful Hollywood comedies are loved the world over.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) An English novelist whose famous works include David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and Great Expectations.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1445-1533) A pioneer of the Bhakti movement in Bengali; a devotee of Lord Krishna.

Chanakya Also known as Kautilya, he was the writer of the famed treatise Arthashastra, a book on statecraft. He was the Prime Minister during Chandragupta Maurya’s reign.

Chandragupta Maurya (321-298 BC) Founder of the Mauryan Dynasty in India, and spread his empire beyond India. Kautilya (Chanakya) was his minister.

Charles Robert Darwin (1809-82) The British naturalist who put forward his theory of evolution based on natural selection. He studied fossils and diverse plants and animal life during his voyage (1831-36) around south America and the Pacific. His works On the Origin of Species (1859) and Descent of Man (1871), revolutionised man’s knowledge of evolution.

Christian Huygens (1629-16950) Dutch mathematician and physicist renowned for evolving the wave theory of light. He invented the pendulum clock basd on Galileo’s theory (1580). He also discovered the rings of Saturn and its fourth satellite.

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) Italian explorer, the first modern European to discover America in 1492. He reached Bahamas (1492)and discovered Puerto Rico and Jamaica. In 1498-1500 he reached Trinidad and South America.

Chou-en-Lai (1898-1976) Chinese revolutionary and Prime Minister from 1949-1958, who was instrumental in bringing China into world diplomacy. He played key role in nearly every major political and diplomatic event or crisis involving China till his death in 1976.
Chatrapati shivaji Born in 1627, a military genius, shivaji was the last Hindu King who partly succeeded in establishing ‘Hindu Swaraj.’ He fought many battles against Aurangzeb and was successful in destabilising the Mughal empire in India.

Lord Curzon (1895-1925) Viceroy of India during 1889-1905, he became a prominent figure after the First World War.

Lord Cornwallis (1738-1805) The British statesman who commanded the British Army in South Carolina during the War of American Independence in 1781. He was Governor-General of India for two terms and is well known for his land reforms.
C.F. Andrews A British missionary and close associate of Mahatma Gandhi who came to India in 1904 and devoted himself to India’s freedom struggle. He came to be known as ‘Deena-Bandhu’.

Cleopatra(69-30 BC) Queen of Egypt noted for her beauty. She was daughter of Ptolemy XI of Egypt and succeeded as queen in 51 BC.

Dara Shikho Eldest son of Shahjahan, he was killed by his brother Aurangzeb who usurped their father’s throne.

Dhanvantari An Indian physician who attended the court of Chandragupta Vikramaditya.
Dhyan Chand (1905-1979) A great hockey players. He captained the Indian hockey team which won a gold medal in the historic 1936 Berlin Olympics. He scored 101 goals at the Olympic games and 300 goals in other international matches and his record is still unbroken. It earned him the title, ‘Hockey Wizard’.

Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969) Us general and President between 1953 and 1961. In 1950 he was made supreme commander of NATO but resigned when he won the presidential electrions of 1952. He won his second term in 1956.

Edward Morgan Forster (1879-1970) Famous British writer who has written numerous books on India. Author of Where Angels Fear to Tread, A Room with a View, Howard’s End and Passage of India.

Edward Jenner (1749-1823) The english physician and surgeon who developed the small - poxvaccine.

Epicurus (342-270 BC) A Greek philosopher who founded ‘Epicurean’ philosophy, which describes a life of indulgent pleasure seeking, because it leads to happiness.

Euclid (350-300 BC) Greek mathematician, his important contribution was the use of deductive principles of logic as the basic of geometry. He propounded many geometrical theorems.

Fa-hien The first Buddhist pilgrim of China to visit India during the reign of Chandragupta Vikramaditya.

Faiz Ahmed Faiz A revolutionary Urdu poet of Pakistan. He died in 1984.

Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) The Portuguese navigator who crossed the ocean which he named Pacific, reaching the Marianas and the Philippines.

Firdausi APersian poet, well-known for his epic Shahnama.

Florence Nightingale (1820-1920) Also known as the ‘Lady with the lamp.’ She was a devoted British nurse who reformed the nursing profession and was the first woman to receive the Other of Merit (1907).

Francois Bernier The French traveller whon served as physician to Aurangzeb during his stay in India.

Francis Xavier (1506-1552) The Spanish missionary who preached in Spanish and Portuguese colonies in the East and converted thousands to Christianity. He lived in goa between 1540 and 1552.

Frances Marie Arovet de Voltaire ( 1697-1778 ) French writer and philosopher. His philosophy made a significant impact on prevailing ideas which led to the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789.

Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit ( 1686 - 1736 ) German physicist and resident of Holland, he developed the Mercury thermomete in 1714 and later devised its temperature scale.
Galileo ( 1564-1642) The Italian astronomer, who developed the telescope and discovered four satellites of Jupiter, His belief that Copernicus was right to advocate that the sun is the centre of universe led to his persecution, While dying he said ” Bur it earth does move”. He also discovered that the movement of the pendulum produces a regular time measurement. The pendulum clock was later invented by Hoygens.

Gautam Budha ( 563-483 BC) Founder of Buddhism, born in Lumbini village near Nepal, he was the son of Sudhodana, king of Kapilvastu in Nepal. He renounced the world and later came to be known as the Buddha.

Geoffrey Chaucer ( 1342-1400) The English poet who is considered the father of English Poetry. His famous works include The Book of Dutches 9 1369) and Canterbury Tales ( a collection of stories)
George Washington ( 1732-1799 ) the American general who led the revolt against the British and declared Ameican independence. He became the first President of USA.

Dr George B, Kisitiakowsky. A chemist and professor at Harvard who worked on the first atomic bomb and later strongly advocated the daimler Moror Company in 1890 which built the first Mercedes.

Govind Ballabh Pant ( 1887-1961) Veteran Congress leader, he was Chief Minister of UP and later Union Home Minister, He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1958.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Son of Guru Hargobind, and the ninth Guru of the Sikhs., He was executed by Aurangzeb when he refused to embrace Islam.

Guru Nanak ( 1469 - 1538 ) Founder of the Sikh religion, born in Nankana Sahib, now located in Pakistan; he was a contemporary of the Mughal ruler Akbar.

Guru Gobind Singh ( 1666 - 1708 ) The 10th and the last Guru of the Skh who spent a major part of his life fighting the muslims. He founded the Khalsa the inner council of the Sikhs in 1699. He is said to be the author of Dasam Granth.

Gugeliemo Marconi ( 1874-1937) Italian physicist who invented the radio and wireless system. He shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Ferdinand Braun of Germany in 1909 for the development of the wireless.

Henry Kissinger US foreign policy advisor, born in Germany, he fled from the Nazis to live in US. Under President Nixon he remained Secretary of State. He helped to negotiate the Vietnam issue ( 1973). He shared the Bonel Prize for Peace ( 1973) along with North Vietnam’s negotiator Le Duc Tho.

Henry Miller ( 1891-1980) Controversial American novelist, author of Tropic of Cancer ( 1931) and Tropic of Capricorn ( 1935) which were published in Paris but banned in US until the ’60s because of their frank sexual themes.

Homer ( 9th century BC ) The Greek poet considered to be the author of the classic epics The lliad and The Odyssey which rank among the most precious treasures in world literature.

Sir Humphry Davy ( 1778 - 1828 ) A renowned British chemist who invented the safety lamp for miners. He also discovered the anaesthetic properties of nitrous oxide ( laughing gas); the fact the chlorine is an element and that diamonds are a form of carbon.

Ibn Batuta A great scholar and traveller from South Africa who visited India in 1333 AD during the reign of Mohammed Tuglaq and wrote a chronicle on him. He spent eight years in India on his way to China.

Sir isaac Newton( 1642-1727) English mathematician and physicist, famous for his discovery of the law of Gravitation and three Laws of Motion.

James Prescort Joule ( 1818-89) The British physicist who was the first to measure the mechanical equivalent of heat; unit of which has been named after him.

James Watt ( 1736-1819 ) The Scottish instrument maker who turned to make high pressure steam engines.

Jamshedji Tata ( 1813-1904) Founder of the Tata Iron and Steel Company one of the largest integrated steelworkds in the world. He also founded the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore and built the Taj Hotel in Bombay.

Jacques Charles ( 1764-1823 ) A French physicist, known for his Charles Law and Gay-Lussac’s Law of Gases.

Jayaprakash Narayan Also known as ‘ Loknayak’ he formed the Janata Party and defeated the Congress party in 1977. He was conferred the Rashtra Bhushan in 1977.

Jaya Deva Lived in the 12th century and is the author of Gita Govinda. The book is a noble work of lyrical poetry and described the love of Lord Krishna and his beloved Radha, their separation and reunion.

John Milton ( 1608-74) English poet. He wrote a poem in support of free press ‘ Aeropagitica’ ( 1644 ) and essays ‘ Tenure of Kings and Magistrates” ( 1649). His epic poem Paradise Los was published in 10 volumes in 1667 and in 12 volumes in 1674. Paradise Regained and Samson Agonisters were his other major works published in 1671. He was totally blind for a good many years of his life.

John keats ( 1795-1821) An English poet whose works include La Belle Dame sans marci, Endymion ( A thing of beauty is a joy forever). The Eve of St Agnes and Ode to a Nightingale.

John of Arc ( 1412-31) French girl, also known as the Maid of Orleans. She led the French resistance that forced the English to raise the siege of Orleans ( 1429) At the age of 17 she led an army of 12,000 to Rheims and persuaded Charles. VII to go there to be crowned as king of France. She was ultimately captured and sold to the English ( 1430) by Burgundians and was burned at the stake in Roven.

John Dalton ( 1766 - 1844) English chemist who postulated the Atomic theory and defined atomic weight. Also famous for Dalton’s law-the pressure of a mixture of gases is the sum of partial pressure of the components of the mixture.

John Logie Baird ( 1888-1946) The Scottish television pioneer, who invented the TV in 1926.

Julius Caesar ( 100-44 BC ) Roman general and statesman who invaded Britain and returned to Rome as a popular hero. He fell in love with Clepatra the Egyptian queen who followed him to Rome. He was given a mandate by the people to rule as Caesar and was worshipped as a god in his lifetime. However, he was murdered by a group of trusted friends led by Brutus.

John F kennedy ( 1917-1963) One of the most popular Presidents of US He was the first Roman Catholic President and the youngest Ameican to be elected to the office of President of the US. He wrote several books; why England Slept and Profile in Courage are his two most famous books. He was assassinated on Nov 23, 1963.

Kabirdas Hindi poet who was one of the gretest exponents of the Bhakti movement, a socia-religious movement. He believed in the equality of all religions and unity of Hindus and Muslims.

Kaka Saheb Kalekar Philosopher and educationist he was Vice Chancellor of Gujarat, University and one of the oldest disciples of Gandhiji. He died on aug 21, 1991 at the age of 96 . He authored more than 120 books in Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi and English.
Kalhana A Kashmiri Poet of the 11th century and author of Rajatarangini the book describes the history of Kashmir up to the 10th century.

Kemal Ataturk ( 1881 - 1938 ) The reformed and builder of modern Turkey
Kanishka The greatest king of Kushan dynasty ( 120-162 AD.) He was a great conqueror but later became a follower of Buddha. He was the only ruler of India whose territory extended up to Central Asia.

Karl Marx ( 1818-83) A German journalist and philosopher who propounded the doctrine of Communism also known as Marxism. He is the author od Das Kapital.

K.M. Munshi A great writer, educationist and consitutional law expert he played an active role in India’s freedom struggle.

Kublai Khan ( 1216-1294) A Mongolian emperor who conquered most of Asia. He was the grandson of Chengiz Khan.

Lakshmibai of Jhansi. The ruler of Jhansi, she was a great warrior of India and took part in the first war of independence in 1857 ( Indian Mutiny)

Lal Bahadur Shastri ( 1904-1966) Indian statesman, who succeeded Pandit Nehru as the second Prime Minister of India ( 1964-66). He signed the Tashkent Agreement with Ayub Khan, for a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Also known as ‘ Man of Peace’ He died in Tashkent on January1, 1966 a few hours after he had signed the Indo-Pak accord.

leonardo Da vinci ( 1452-1519). The great Italian painter, sculptor and architect who has been described as a universal genius of the Renaissance. His masterpiece Monalist brought him great fame, The Cena Ultima ( The last Supper ) is also one of his better known paintings. He also excelled as an inventr, mathematician, engineer, naturalist and anatomist, In anatomy, he learnt about the working of the body by dessecting more than 30 corpses. He also created moulds of organs such as the heart, lungs and the womb.

Leo Tolstey ( 1828-1910) A great Russian literary figure. Mahatma Gandhi was greatly influenced by his works which include Anna Karenina, War & Peace, etc.

Leon Trotsky ( 1979-1940) Russian revolutionary; one of the leaders of the Bolshevist revolution; he was assassinated in 1940 when he was in exile in Mexico.

Louis Pasteur ( 1822-1895) The French scientist who discovered that germs exist and are the cause of infection. The technique of pasteurising milk is named after him. He also conducted research in areas of hydrophobia, bacteriology, cholera, etc..

Louis Braille ( 1809-1852) French inventor of the Braille system ( raised point lettering) a system of writing and printing for the blind. He himself became blind at the age of 3 and became a teacher for the blind in1828.

Marco Polo ( 1254-1323) The Italian traveller, who was the first European to visit China. He also journeyed to India, and other countries of the Far East and published records of his travels.

Mercus Jonius Brutus ( 85-82 BC) Roman governor and principal assassin of julius Caesar.

Mahakavi Kalidas India’s greatest Hindi poet and dramatist, who lived during the reign of Chandragupta Vikramaditya. His famous works works are Shakuntala, Raghuvansha, Meghdoot and Kumara Sambhava.

Madam Marie Curie (1867-1934) Madam Curie was the only person to have won two Nobel Prizes. A polish chemist known for her discovery of radium 91898) Along with her husband Pierre Curie, a French scientist, she caried out research in radioactivity and was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 1903. After her husband’s death she continued her research and in 1911 was awarded the second Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her discovery of radium and polonium.

Mathew Arnold (1822-1888) A famous English poet and critic. Some of his famous poems are Sohrab and Rustum and Scholar Gypsy.

Martin Luther King (1929-68) The Black American Clergyman and civil rights leader. He led the non-voilent movement to obtain full civil rights for American Negroes and was awarded the Noble Prize for Peace in 1964. He was assassinated on April 5,1968 by a white fanatic.

Mahavira (599-527BC) Born in Kundagram near Vaishali (Bihar), he was an apostle of non-voilence, who preached the observance of chastity, penance, contemplation and self-mortification. He achieved enlightenment under a sala tree. Jainism became a major religion under his influence.

Madan Mohan Malaviya (1861-1946) A prominent lawyer of Allahabad, he also founded the Banaras Hindu University. He was a President of Indian National Congress, and an Indian delegate to the Round Table Conference in 1931.

Manu Regarded as the ancient law giver of India and author of Manu Smriti.
Marshal Tito (1892-1980) Ex-President of Yugolavia. He was leader of the partisan forces which fought successfully against German occupation. He was made President of Yugoslavia for life in 1963.

Megasthenes The Greek ambassador in the court of Chandragupta Maurya, who was sent by Seleucus. He wrote a detailed account of India in his work Indica.

Michael Faraday (1791-1867) The British scientist who discovered electromagnetism. He also discovered benzene, liquid gases and optical glass. In 1841 he discovered the induction of electric current which led to the invention of the electric motor. He also contributed to the development of electrolysis.

Mira Behn (1892-1982) An English woman named Madeleine Slade, who became Ghandhiji’s disciple and was dedicated to India and to Ghandhiji’s teachings.

Mohammed Bin tughlaq (1325-1351) Alearned Sultan of Delhi who was well-known for his profound ideas and poor administrative capabilities. He tried to shift his capital from Delhi to Devagiri in Deccan. When he found that his subjects did not approve of the idea, he re-shifted to Delhi.

Mohammed Neguid The first president of Egypt, he was put under house arrest in 1954 by Abdel Gamel Nasser for 17 years. Later President Anwar Sadat freed him in 1971.

Montessori, Maria (1870-1952) Italian educationist and founder of the montessori system of education that stresses development of a child’s own initiative and natural abilities, especially through practical play and individual guidance rather than through strict control.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah (1879-1948) Founder of the separate muslim state of pakistan. He was the president of the Muslim League for years and after partition of India, became the first Governor-General of Pakistan in 1947.

Lord Mountbatten Britain’s supreme Allied Commander in South-East Asia during World War II, he became the last Viceroy of India. He declared India a free nation and became the first Governor-General of independent India.

Munshi Premchand (1880-19370) A well-known author of Hindi novels and short stories which gave him international fame.

Nargis Dutt First lady of the Indian screen to have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha. She was a recipient of the Padmashri and is well known for her film ‘Mother India’.

Napolean Bonaparte (1769-1821) French sttesmn, king of Frnce (1769-97), the most brillint generl of his time, he won series of splendid victories against England , Russia and Austria in 1805. He was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 and exiled to St Helena, where he died in 1821.

Nicolus Copernicus (1473-1553) Polish stronomer known for his discovery of the hevenly bodies and his theory that they move round the sun and that the sun is the centre of the universe.

Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1658) A follower of Joseph Stalin.When Stalin died he became the first secretary of the Soviet Communist Party and was Prime Minister during 1958-64. He died in 1971.

Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) The English soldier and statesman who established a commonwealth in Britain nd became its haed with the title ‘Loed Protector’. He ruled the country for five years between 1653 and 1658.

Panini Well known Hindu sage and Sanskrit grammarain, he belonged to the Vedic era and authored Ashtadhyayi.

Porus A Hindu king of Punjab, who fought against the Greek invader, Alexander, when the latter invaded India and nearly defeated him. Alexander admired his gallantry and returned his kingdom to him.

Pulakesin II (608-642 A.D.) The most powerful ruler of the Chalukyan dynasty that ruled the Deccan.

Pythagoras (582-500 BC) A Greek philosopher, theologian and mathematician (especially geometry). Though his famous theorem was previously known, he was the first to prove its universal validity.

Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) Queen Elizabeth I of England (1558-1603) was the daughter of Henry VIII. Her reign saw the thought provoking development of literature, William Shakespeare lived during her time.

Ranjit Singhji (1780-1839) A Sikh prince of Punjab, he captured lahore in 1799 and proclaimed himself Maharaja. He wrested control of Punjab from the Afghans and Pathans and earned the title Lion of Punjab.

Raja Rammohan Roy (1774-18330) The social reformer who tried to eradicate sati, pardah and child marriage; also advocated widow re-marriage and women’s education. He was the founder of the ‘Brahmo Samaj’.

Rabindranath Tagore Noble Prize winners

Rene Franck President of the International Hockey Federation for 17 years. He died in 1983.

Robert Wilhelm Bunsen (1811-1899) A German scientist who invented the Bunsen burner.

Robert Boyle (1627-1691) An Irish chemist, famous for his Boyle’s Law of Gases.

Robert Clive (1725-1774) He came to India as a clerk in the East India company. He became commander-in-Chief and fought against the French in India. He defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah in the Battle of Plassey in 1757. Later he ruled India as Governor (1765) and ultimately committed suicide in 1774.

Roger Bacon (1214-94) English scientist, encyclopaedist, philosopher and invertor of the magnifying glass and gunpowder.

Rudolf Diesel (1858-1931) A German engineer who invented the diesel engine in 1893.

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) English writer, whose famous works include: Tales From the Hills, The Light That Failed, Jungle Book, Barrack Room Ballads, Kim, Just-so Stories, puck of Pook’s Hill. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 which he later returned.

Sarojini Naidu (1879-1948) Also called the ‘Nightingale of India’, she was a great poetess in the English language. She partucipated in India’s freedom struggle and became president of the Indian National Congress in 1925 and the first woman governor of a state (UP).

Swami Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883) Founder of the Arya Samaj and author of Satyarth Prakash. He is well-known for his opposition of various social taboos.

Samudragupta (330-375 AD) Son and successor of Chandragupta I; a powerful and able Hindu king, he was also known as ‘India’s Napolean.’

Shahjahan (1592-1666) Moghul emperor of India, brought the Moghul empire to its golden age. A great patron of art, architecture and literature, he built the Taj Mahal, in memory of his beloved Mumtaz Mahal. He was deposed by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in Agra.

Shankaracharya (born 788 Ad) One of the greatest Hindu reformers who revived the Hindu religion and successfully threw back the tide of Budbism and Jainism. He was a founder of the Advaitic philosophy.

Sher Shah Suri Ruled India between 1540 and 1545. The first Muslim king who paid special attention to administrative reforms. The Grand Trunk Road was constructed during his rule. He also introduced currency in India.

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) A renowned Austrian psychologist who developed the theory of psychoanalysis. He published The Interpretation of dreams and The Ego and the Id.

Sir Syed Ahmed (1817-1898) An educationist and reformer of the Muslim community in India. He established the M.A.O. College at Aligarh in 1975 which later became the Aligarh Muslim University.

Sohrab Modi The Grand Old Man of Indian Cinema and winner of the Dada saheb Phalke Award in 1978, he produced India’s first technicolour film Jhansi Ki Rani in the early ’50s. Another film, Mirza Ghalib, was the first Hindi film to receive the President’s Gold Medal In 1955. He died In 1984.

Stalin (1879-1953) Soviet statesman and architect of the former USSR, he became premier in 1941 and triumphed as a leader during World War II. An active revolutionary leader from the age of 17, he took part in the civil war and rose to become an outstanding figure in soviet Russia

Sunga Pushyamitra Brahmin commander-in-chief of the last Mauryan King Brihadratha. He killed his master and founded the Sunga dynasty.
S.S. Bhatnagar (1894-1955) An Indian scientist remembered for his outstanding work as an administrator.

Sun Yat Sen (1866-1925) The founder and the first president of the Chinese republic in 1912. In 1905 Sun Yat Sen founded the China Revolutionary League in Europe and Japan and played a prominent part in the revolution of 1911.

Tansen A great exponent of Indian classical music. He was one of the nine gems in the court of Akbar.

Tantiya Tope One of the heroes of the War of Indian independence in 1857, he was a brave Commander of Nana Sahib’s forces.

Tarabai of Gwalior resisted the attempts of Lord Ellenborough to annex Gwalior. She was the thirteen-year old widow of Jankoji Scindia who died in Feb.1843.

Tenzing Norgay Indian mountaineer; the first to conquer Mt Everest on May 29, 1953 along with Sir Edmund Hillary. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1959.

Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) Us born inventor with more than 1300 US and foreign patents to his credit for his inventions; most of them concerned with electricity. Some of his important inventions are: The incandescent lamps, phonograph (Gramophone), carbon telephone transmitters, microphone, etc.

Thomas Addison (1793-1860) The British physician known for his study of what is now known as Addison’s Disease and for his works on ductless glands.

Timur (1336-1405) Head of the Chaghta Truks. He was a powerful warrior and a plunderer known for the Sack of Delhi (indiscriminate massacre and plunder) during his invasion of India in 1398 AD.

Todar Mal (1556-1605) One of the nine gems and revenue minister in the court of Akbar, known for his reforms in policies of land revenue.

Tulsidas Was a great Hindi poet, Hindu religious preacher and known for his work, Ramachandaritamanas, which pepicts the life of Lord Rama.

Valmiki A celebrated Sanskrit poet of ancient India, the author of the Ramayana.
Varahmihira A distinguished astronomer, mathematician and philosopher of early times. He was one of the nine gems in the court of King Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II).

Vasco de Gama (1470-1524) The portuguese explorer who made the first voyage from Europe round Africa to the East and reached Calicut (India) in 1498.

Vikramaditya He was the greatest emperor of the Gupta dynasty. His reign constitutes the most glorious chapter of Indian history, when art and literature flourished.

V.V.Giri The third Vice-President (1967-1969) and the fourth President of India (1969-Acting).He was a recipient of the Bharat Ratna (1975). He died in1980.

Vijayalakshmi Pandit Sister of Jawaharlal Nehru, she was the first woman minister of an Indian state (UP). She holds the distinction of being the first woman to become President of thev UN General Assembly and first Indian woman ambassador to Moscow.

Swami Vivekanand (1863-1902) A disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa, he championed the greatness of Vedantic philosophy. His famous talk at the Chicago Conference of World Religions in 1893 made the Westerners realise the greatness of Hindustan for the first time. He established the Ramakrishna Mission, in the memory of his guru Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa (1836-1886).

Ved Vyas A great Sanakrit scholar, who wrote the Mahabharata, one of the most revered texts of the Hindus.

Vladimir Illich Lenin (1870-1924) Also known as Nikolai Lenin, he was a Russian revolutionary leader who was exiled to Siberia in 1895 where he continued to guide the revolutionary struggle of the Russian people. In 1898 he created a new party, the Bolshevik party, to bring about the communist revolution in Russia. On November 7,1917, a new socialist government was formed under the leadingship of Lenin.

Walt Disney (1901-66) A merican film producer famous for his cartoon characters, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) He was President of America During World War I. He become famous for his ‘14 points’ and played a noteble part in the setting up of the League of Nations.

William Wordsworth(1770-1850) The English poet whose famous works include The Prelude, Intimations on Immortality, The Recluse, The Solitary Reaper, etc.

Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) British statesman and war leader, who was Prime Minister during World War II. His pulication The Second World War (in 6 volumes), became very famous and earned him the Nobel Prize in 1953. He resigned as Prime Minister in 1955 and published his major work, A History of the English Speaking People.

William Crooks (1832-1919) The British chemist and physicist who discovered the element thallium in 1861 and invented the radiometer. He also pioneered research on Cathode rays.

William Thompson Kelvin (1824-1907) A British physicist, who put forward the idea of an absolute measurement of temperature and invented the Kelvin scale of temperature.

Lord William Bentinck (1828-1835) Governor- General of India, famous for the sati reforms and suppression of human sacrifice. He also introduced English education in India.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English dramatist and poet, considered the greatest literary figure in English literature. He was born as Stratford-on-Avon, the son of a tradesman. He married Anne Hathaway in 1582. His first play was Henry VI and his first major poem Venus and Adonis.

Yuri Gagarin (1934-68) A Russian cosmonaut. In 1961 he become the first man to travel in space. He complated one revolution around the earth and it took him 89.34 minutes to do so. He also holds the record of being the first person to fly at such a great height, (340 Km from the earth).

Ved Vyas A great Sanskrit scholar, who wrote the Mahabharata, one of the most revered texts of the Hindus.

Vladimir Illich Lenin (1870-1924) Also known as Nikolai Lenin, he was a Russian revolutionary leader who was exiled to Siberia in 1895 where he continued to guide the revolutionary struggle of the Russian people. In 1898 he created a new party, the Bolshevik party, to bring about the communist revolution in Russia. On November 7,1917, a new socialist government was formed under the leadingship of Lenin.

Z..A. Bhutto (1928-79) President of Pakistan in 1971 and subsequently Prime Minister of Pakistan. He was deposed by an army coup led by Zia-ul-Haq and executed in 1979.

Zakir Hussain He was the third President of India, and died in office on May 3,1969. He was also India’s second Vice-President from 1962-1967.

Zoroaster A celebrated Persian prophet and religious leader who lived in the 7th century BC. He is the founder of Zoroastrianism whose followers are the parsees who settled in India.