Van Gogh   Holland : A genius posthumously acclaimed Born : 1853        Died : 1890 An incredulous world heard the news that on 30 March, 1987 Christi’s of London auctioned a painting of Van Gogh for the fabulous amount of Rs. 500,000,000. It was one of the seven sunflower, painted by this great artist during his sojourn in south France during January, 1889. This is supposed to be the highest...

Igor F. Stravinsky   Europe : A top musician of Europe Born : 1882          Died : 1971 Russia-born Stravinsky’s name occupies a foremost place amongst the great musicians of Europe. His creations were supposed to have ushered in the age of neo-classicism. Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky was born at Leningrad (Soviet Union) in the year 1882. His father was an opera singer. Stravinsky got interested in music from...

Henry Moore   Europe : The greatest sculptor of 20th century Born : 1898        Died : 1986   Henry Moore, one of the most talented and acclaimed sculptors of twentieth century, was born in 1898 in a miner’s family. He was the seventh child of his father. Being good at studies, he finished his early education with distinction. After the First World War, he was a student at Leeds Arts...

Madonna   America : A favourite pop singer of American youth Born : 1959 Madonna, who reached the peak of popularity in the field of western music in 1983, was born on 16 August, 1959, at Rochester in America. Her father, Louis Wilson, was an engineer. She did not have a very happy childhood as she had to keep herself busy in small household chores. She got her first lessons in...

John Stuart Mill   Britain : First individualistic thinker Born : 1806        Died : 1873 John Stuart Mill provided a revised, scientific and reformed version of j bourgeois ideology. He was born on 20 May, 1806, and was the son of the well-known historian, economist, philosopher-thinker James Mill. He was sent to France to study logic, politics and economics. After his return from France, in 1856, he wrote a letter...

Rousseau   France : A revolutionary philosopher Born : 1712        Died : 1778 The social, economic and political conditions in France at the time of Rousseau could be best described as miserable. There was large scale discontent, corruption and misrule. Rousseau’s thoughts so influenced the people of France that it paved the way for French revolution. Napoleon Bonaparte was constrained to remark that ‘if there was no Rousseau, there might...

Voltaire   France : Creator of Candide Born : 1694        Died: 1778 The two persons who kindled the love for liberty amongst the French masses were Rousseau and Voltaire. These two paved the way for French revolution by their fiery writings. Voltaire was a man of clear perceptions. He called the flatterers in the French court ‘donkeys’ and courageously opposed the corrupt life of priests, disorder in French society and...

Niccolo Machiavelli Italy : Child of his age Born : 1469        Died : 1527   Machiavelli has the same place in Italian history as Chanakya has in ancient Indian history. He is called the ‘child of his age’. Exponent of cunning statesmanship, Machiavelli gave a new word to English language — Machiavellian — which means cunning, crafty and perfidious. He advised the state to adopt any means to keep itself...