Acharya Narendra Dev   India : A Social Leader Born : AD 1889                    Died : AD 1959 Acharya Narendra Dev is remembered with great honour among the respected socialists of modem India. He was not only a scholar but a great nationalist as well. His erudite, frankness and socialist views earned him the respect of Gandhiji and Subhash Bose although they did not subscribe to his views. He was chiefly...

Acharya J.B. Kripalani   India : Politician Born : AD 1888                    Died : AD 1982 Kripalani came to the forefront of the Indian National Congress leadership by sheer ability and political acumen. He participated in every movement of independence struggle. He was a strong believer in moral code of conduct in politics. Kripalani participated in 1917 freedom movement. He was jailed for the first time in 1920. He was associated...

Shanti  Swaroop Bhatnagar   India : The Father of Research Laboratories Born : AD 1895                    Died : AD 1955 Dr Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar was born in an ordinary family. When just 8 months old, he lost his father and was sent to his maternal grand-parents who brought him up. A family friend, seeing his aptitude for learning took him to Lahore for education. He went to England after his M.Sc....

Shriniwas Ramanujan   India : Mathematical Wizard Born : AD 1887                     Died : AD 1920 Shriniwas Ramanujan is among the noted mathematicians of the world. His feats are prodigal. Ramanujan had to face extreme poverty. For many years he was associated with Madras University. In 1914, he went to Cambridge for studies. At that time he was famous as a mathematician. He could solve many difficult questions due to...

Antonio Oliviera Salazar   Portugal : A Tyrant but a Man of Fame Born : AD 1889          Died : AD 1970 There was a time in Portugal when cruelty and oppression had become I synonymous with Salazar. The name ‘Salazar’ symbolized a tyrant. The tyrannical rule of Salazar has few equals in world history. But, it has to be admitted that despite his cruelty and repression, this man had some...

David Ben-Gurian   Israel : Diplomat Born : AD 1886                    Died : AD1973 Ben-Gurian is to Israel what Mahatma Gandhi is to India. Though Ben-Gurian did not have to struggle for long as did Gandhi but the credit of announcing independence of Israel and getting the British to leave Palestine goes to Ben-Gurian. Ben-Gurian was born in Poland in the town of Polansk. He had to suffer many hardships and...

Pradeep Kumar Bannerjee   India : Great Football Player Born : AD 1936 Pradeep Kumar Bannerjee gave a new direction to Indian football and established himself as a great and highly respected football player. He started participating in National competitions since 1952 when he was only 16 years old. This is a record in itself. He represented India in .84 matches and scored 60 goals. He was a member of the...

Mihir Sen   India : A Swimming Champion Born AD 1930  Death 1997 What Mihir Sen achieved in his time in international swimming is significant, although the records he created have been subsequently bettered. In 1966, he established five important records and became an extra-ordinary salt-water swimmer. He was the first Asian to have crossed the English Channel. In 1959, he was awarded “Padma Shree” and in 1967 “Padma Bhushan”. In...