Great men Great Achievements Kenneth Tedford This is a childhood story of Kenneth Tedford.

Kenny was declared "mentally retarded" in his earlier years. His mother, an alcoholic, died when Kenny was 8 years old. His adoptive mother loved him, but his adoptive father was embarrassed to have him around. One day, during a class in elementary school, the teacher asked the children to draw a stick figure of what they wanted to be when they grew up. Pictures of doctors, nurses, policemen, and firemen were posted all around the room. Kenny's picture was one with the "stick" person standing next to a podium with an American Flag in the background. When Kenny explained that he wanted to be a motivational speaker and make people feel good, the teacher responded, "But Kenny you know you can't do that, you're retarded!" Kenny's response was, "Well, you're a teacher and you're not real smart!" The teacher immediately sent Kenny to the principal's office for punishment. The teacher explained the situation and left Kenny alone with the principal. The principal got down on one knee and, looking directly into Kenny's eyes, stated, "Kenny, that teacher is a very cruel person, and I know you can be whatever you dream to be." Later, during a series of tests, Kenny was found to be legally deaf, not retarded! Kenny is now a successful motivational speaker, stand-up comedian and has authored several children's books! John Wesley John Wesley traveled 250,000 miles on horseback, averaging twenty miles a day for forty years; preached 4,000 sermons; wrote 400 books; and knew 10 languages. At 83, he was annoyed that he could not write more than 15 hours a day without hurting his eyes, and at 86, he was ashamed that he could not preach more than twice a day. He complained in his diary that there was an increasing tendency to lie in bed until 5:30 in the morning. Abraham Lincoln He failed in business in '31. He was defeated in state legislature in '32. He tried another business in '33. It failed. His fianc died in '35. He had a nervous breakdown in '36. In '43 he ran for Congress and was defeated. He tried again in '48 and was defeated again. He tried running for the Senate in '55. He lost. The next year he ran for Vice President and lost. Finally in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States. Counsilman On September 14, 1970, "Doc" Counsilman set a world record as the oldest person ever to swim the English Channel. Not a bad achievement for a 58-year-old! Alexander Graham Bell perfected the telephone at 58 and solved the problem of stabilizing the balance in airplanes while in his 70s. Winston Churchill Winston Churchill initiated his protest against Hitler as prime minister at 65. He returned to the House of Commons as a Member of Parliament at 80. When Churchill was interviewed on his 87th birthday, a young reporter commented, "Sir Winston, I hope to wish you well on your 100th birthday." Churchill quickly replied, "You might do it, you look healthy." Franklin D Roosevelt He was born on January 30, 1882, in Hyde Park. He attended Harvard University and Columbia Law School. On St. Patrick's Day, 1905, he married Eleanor Roosevelt. As a Democrat, he won election to the New York Senate in 1910. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1920.

An unfortunate disaster hit him in August 1921 at the age of 39. While the Roosevelts were vacationing at Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada, Roosevelt contracted an illness diagnosed then as polio which resulted in permanent paralysis from the waist down. But he refused to remain defeated. He was a born winner. Roosevelt refused to accept that he was permanently paralyzed. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected in November 1932, to the first of four terms, as the 32nd President of America. He assumed the Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression. American people had to regain faith in them. So he fixed his priority to regain hope for a better tomorrow. He asserted in his Inaugural Address, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Roosevelt introduced Social Security, heavier taxes on the wealthy, new controls over banks and public utilities, and enormous work relief program for the unemployed. In 1936 he was re-elected by a top-heavy margin. Let me quote some of FDRs famous sayings too: "It isn't sufficient just to want - you've got to ask yourself what you are going to do to get the things you want.". "There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still." "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."

Wilma Rudolph Wilma Rudolph was born into poverty in 1940 in Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee, USA. When she was four years old she had double pneumonia with scarlet fever, which left her paralyzed with polio. All these ailments contributed to a bad leg that doctors said would prevent her from ever walking. But Wilma had a loving and devoted family who made sure she got medical attention. They provided physical therapy themselves four times a day. She wore a leg brace from the time she was five. At the age of nine, against the advice of the doctors, she removed the braces and took her first step. She took it off permanently at eleven. Her mother encouraged her and said that she could do anything she wanted if she only believed. Wilma said, I want to be the fastest woman on this earth. At the age of thirteen, she got involved in organized sports at school, including basketball and track. She took part in her first race and came running as the last. She entered various other races, but could not make considerable advancements. She persisted. One day, she came in first. Since then she was running and winning races. At the age of fifteen she was invited to a training camp at Tennessee State University by coach Ed Temple, who coached numerous track and field athletes . He became Wilma's most important professional influence. Wilma told Ed Temple that she wanted to become the fastest woman on the track, on this earth. The coach replied, With your spirit nobody can stop you. In 1956, when she was in high school, she participated in the Olympic Games conducted in Melbourne, Australia. She lost the 200 meter race, but her relay team won the bronze medal. In 1958, she began college studies at Tennessee State University and became a member of Ed Temple's "Tigerbelles" track team. In 1960, she set a world record for the 200 meter dash during the Olympic trials. Then during the Olympic Games in Rome, she became the first American woman to win three gold medals in the 100 meter dash, the 200 meter dash and the 400 meter relay. When she returned to Tennessee, she was honored with her hometown's first racially integrated parade. The paralytic girl became the fastest woman on this earth Harland Sanders

Harland Sanders is born just outside Henryville, Indiana, USA, on 9/9/1890. Household responsibilities were often left to him while his mother worked to support the family after his father's early death. During the years 1900 to 1924, Harland Sanders held a variety of jobs including: farm hand, streetcar conductor, army private in Cuba, blacksmith's helper, railyard fireman, insurance salesman, tire salesman and service station operator for Standard Oil. At the age of 40, in 1930, in the midst of the depression, Harland Sanders opens his first restaurant in the small front room of a gas station in North Corbin, Kentucky. Sanders served as station operator, chief cook and cashier and names the dining area "Sanders Court & Caf." It was so successful that in 1936, at 46 years old, Sanders was honoured with Knighthood as Kentucky Colonel by the Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon, in recognition of his contributions to the state's cuisine. The following year (Age 47; 1937), as business grew , Sanders expanded and relocated his restaurant to 142 seats, and added a motel he bought across the street. At the age of 49, in 1939, fire destroys The Sanders Court & Caf, but it is rebuilt and reopened. In 1940 (age 50) Sanders created his well-known "Original Recipe." In 1949 Sanders married Claudia Price. The Sanders Caf generally served travelers, often those headed to Florida through the town of Corbin, Kentucky. But later in 1955 the Interstate 75 was constructed and it bypassed Corbin. This caused a great loss in business, forcing Sanders to retire and sell his restaurant. At the age of 65, after paying debts owed, he is virtually become broke. He began to collect his social security check of about $105 as he wondered how he was going to survive financially. He believed there was an opportunity to market his chicken to restaurant owners across the U.S. Col. Sanders was willing to share his fried chicken recipe. He traveled door to door to restaurants all over his local area and across the U.S. to sell his chicken to restaurant owners. He wanted to partner with someone to help promote his chicken recipe. But he was met with little enthusiasm. In his travels, he was rejected on many occasions, laughed at about his attire of his starched white shirt and white pants. Many assumed that he was little more than a crank! However, Sanders persevered. And after a little over 1,000 visits, he finally persuaded Pete Harman in South Salt Lake, Utah to partner with him. They launched the first "Kentucky Fried Chicken" site in 1952 (at the age of 62). Pete Harman became the first franchisee for Colonel Harland Sanders now Kentucky Fried Chicken. By 1955 (age 65) the Colonel incorporated his business and went on a road show issuing franchises throughout the country. In the early 1960's (age 70) there were over 600 franchised locations in the U.S. and Canada selling the delectable chicken. At the age of 74, in 1964 Sanders sells his interest in the U.S. company for $2 million to a group of investors headed by John Y. Brown Jr., future governor of Kentucky. The Colonel remains a public spokesman for the company. Information gathered and edited by: Professor Jacob Abraham http://professorjacobabraham.blogspot.in