Chanakya India : Great Diplomat Birth— Death : Around 300 B.C. Chanakya is famous in the history of India as a sage-like person who by his political shrewdness and expediency helped in the establishment of the mighty Mauryan empire. Chanakya was wise, clever, foresighted, determined and deeply read in economics, diplomacy and politics. There is a legend that Chanakya was once invited to the court of the Nanda rulers of Magadha...

Earnest Hemingway   U.S.A.: Celebrated Novelist Birth : 1899       Death : 1961 Earnest Hemingway is one of the best novelists of the twentieth century. Before entering the literary field, he worked as a journalist and he had also rendered military service during the First World War. His experience in the war created deep impressions on his mind about his fellow beings and mankind at large. He felt greatly disillusioned about...

Tenzing Norgay   India : First Indian Conquer Mount Everest Birth : 1914 Death : 1986 The name of Tenzing Norgey has been written in golden letters in the history of mountaineering. He was the first Indian to scale the highest peak of the world, the Mount Everest (height 8,848 metres). He achieved this mountaineering feat together with Sir Edmund Hillary, the well known adventurer, of New Zealand. Tenzing went on...

George Washington   U.S.A.: First President Birth : 1732       Death : 1799 George Washington is the hero of the American War of Independence and is revered by all Americans as the Father of the country. He was appointed the Commander-in-Chief of the combined armies of the 13 American colonies that fought to get freedom from British rule. After about nine years of war that saw many famous battles, Washington led...

Dr. H.J. Bhabha   India : Father of Atomic Energy Programme Birth : 1909       Death : 1966 The eminent scientist who ushered India in the atomic age was Dr. Homi Jahangir Bhabha. It is due to the pioneering work done by Dr. Bhabha that India could make such an impressive progress in the field of atomic energy. Dr. Bhabha was appointed the first Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, set...

Abraham Lincoln   U.S.A.: Emancipator of Slaves Birth : 1809                 Death : 1865 Abraham Lincoln is generally considered the greatest president in the history of U.S.A. On the strength of his hard work, irreproachable character and determination, he rose to become the President of U.S.A. Two historical achievements of Lincoln as President, which also made him so great, were the abolition of the abominable system of slavery and preservation of...

Osho – Rajneesh   India : Self Proclaimed ‘God’ Birth : 1931       Death : 1990 Rajneesh was the most controversial cult founder in recent times. To his devotees, Rajneesh was a godly person who leads them in the right path while to his critics he was a hypocrite. But it remained a fact that Rajneesh has carried a considerable following in all parts of the world and his convincing power...

Daniel Defoe   England : Author of Robinson Crusoe Birth : 1660                 Death : 1731 Daniel Defoe is considered as a pioneer in English novel who wrote the first English novel of a genius calibre Robinson Crusoe. Though Defoe wrote many novels but it was Robinson Crusoe which established his immediate and permanent fame in the literary world. Robinson Crusoe is a novel of adventure based on the experiences of...