Nadia Comaneci   Rumania: Gymnast of international order Born : 1961 Nadia was the first gymnast who scored a perfect ten , seven times in the Olympic games. The Montreal Olympics of 1976 would be remembered for excellent performances by Alberto Juan, Lass Viren, Irina and Nadia. Nadia got three gold medals, one silver (team event) and a bronze medal. She astonished the audience with her gymnastic exercises and flexible body....

Martin Frost Henson   Denmark: A top badminton player   Martin Frost is considered an all-time great in badminton in spite of the fact that he is away from the peak form. Along with Prakash Padukone of India, Liem Swi King and Zian, he once formed the top quartet in the international badminton arena. He held sway over this game from 1981 onwards when he emerged on the international scene. His...

Samudragupta   India: A ruler of many talents Samudragupta shall ever be remembered for his multi-faceted personality. He could be compared to Alexander the Great, for his conquests; to Ashoka the Great, for his religious tolerance and empire building. Indeed, he was a brave and talented ruler who carved a high niche in Indian history as he brought about political unity and stability within the country. Because of Samudragupta’s achievements, the...

Alfred Dreyfus   France : Amidst a political storm Born : 1859        Died.: 1935 The Dreyfus affair created such a political storm in France that the country was vertically split into pro- and anti-Dreyfus elements and nearly came to the brink of a civil war. Dreyfus was a captain in the French army and his family owned cotton mills. His only fault was that he was an honest Jew. Many...

Fa-hsien   China : Traveller and a learned man It is a tragedy of Indian history that very little is known about the ancient period as no records were kept about the events and progress made in those times. We shall remain indebted to many foreign travellers who toured our land and left a record of what they saw or thought about the conditions prevailing at that time. The Chinese traveller...

Lord William Bentinck   England : A remarkable Governor-General Born : 1774   Died : 1839 William Bentinck (Lord William Cavendish Bentinck), who came to India as Governor-General in 1828, will always be remembered as a man of enlightened vision and liberal bent of mind. Though some people may doubt his motives, this country shall for ever be grateful for his efforts to eradicate social evils from the Indian society. William Bentinck...

Rasputin   Russia: A mysterious power wielder Born: 1872         Died : 1916 Gregory Rasputin was endowed with a mysterious personality and some extraordinary powers. He was one of the most powerful personalities of 19th century and wielded enormous power in the Soviet Union where people held him in awe. This powerful man was born in a farmer’s family in 1872. He was a man of religious values and became known...