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WORLD’S GREAT PERSONALITIES

Search JANUARY 2, 2007

WORLD’S GREAT PERSONALITIES

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

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

Ads by Google Abraham Lincoln (1809-65) The 16th President of the U.s., he
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succeeded in abolishhing slavery. He was re-elected as President in 1864 and
  Job India Pune assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865.
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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
CA T E G O R I E S 632 AD. He made Islam a political and military force in Arabia.
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Events 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
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reign.
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Uncategorized Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1890-1988) also called ‘Frontier Gandhi’ because

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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
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in 1987.
Select Month 6
Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) The Austrian-born German dictator who
influenced the course of history in the 20th century. He served in the TA G S
German Army inWorld War I. He laer founded the Nazi party and became
2009 2010 a d v e r t i s i n g
chancellor in 1933. He pushed the countries of the world into World War II ahmedabad allahabad bangalore
in which five million people lost their lives. In 1939 his troops invaded b h u b a n e s w a r bioinformatics
Poland causing the outbreak of World War II, and in 1945 German faced careers chennai c i i course
total defeat. He married his mistress, Eva Braun, in April 1945 and the next courses delhi
distance education economics
day they were said to have committed suicide.
education english event
e x a m G.I.S h e a l t h hindi
Aesop (600 BC) The Greek author of Aesop’s Fables which are moral tales hyderabad i g n o u i i t
with animal protagonists. The famous tale ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’ was india Indian Institute of
Technology indore i n s t i t u t e
his creation.
jobs kerala law mathematics
mumbai new delhi phd
Akbar (1542-1605) the greatest Mughal Emperor of India who reigned physics pune r a d i o
from 1556 (see section on ‘ Indian History ‘ ). Alberuni, the famous Arab recruitment science
technology T r a d e m a r k s USA
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
Watch this video on www.youtube.com
the Nobel Prize for
End Education Emergency
Sign the petition to put an end to Literature in 1907 which he
the education emergency in Paksitan later returned.
youtube.com/edemergencypk

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.

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