Johnn Sebastian Bach   Germany : Immortal Musician Birth : 1685                 Death : 1750 The most dominant figure of 18th century in music was Johann Sebastian Bach. He was one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music and in his life time composed much of the world’s best known and most appreciated music. His name is bracketed with two other most renowned musicians of the world—Beethoven (Germany)...

Zarathustra   Iran : Founder of Zoroastrianism Birth -Death Around 400 B.C. The sage who founded Zoroastrianism, the religion of the Parsis, was Zarathustra, who lived in Iran in about 6th century B.C.. Zarathustra gave the message of compassion love and tolerance and kindled knowledge among the people who were clinging to superstitions and religious ignorance. They were polytheistic in their religious beliefs. Zarathustra abolished polytheism and established two dominant spirits...

Ashoka The Great   India : Mauryan Emperor and Patron of Buddhism Birth : About 294 B.C.        Death : 232 B.C. By all considerations, Ashoka is one of the greatest kings not only in the history of India but that of the whole world. In the beginning, like all other Kings, Ashoka was also given to kingly pleasures and military conquests but after the battle of Kalinga, a powerful Kingdom...

Prem Chand   India : Father of Hindi Fiction Birth : 1880                 Death : 1936 The greatness of Munshi Prem Chand as a story writer and novelist is still unsurpassed in the realm of Hindi literature. The reason of the phenomenal popularity is that he has described the life of the common people in a realistic manner with all their woes, sufferings and foibles. Prem Chand in his novels and...

Kalidasa   India : Greatest Sanskrit Dramatist Birth—Death : 4th-5th Century A.D. Kalidasa is the greatest known Sanskrit dramatist and poet and in his hands Sanskrit literature had reached its zenith. He flourished during the reign of the Gupta ruler, Chandragupta Vikramaditya. Kalidasa was one of the Navratnas (9 gems or the most accomplished men of their times) at the court of Chandragupta Vikramaditya. Kalidasa’s works include plays, epics and lyrics....

George Stephenson   England : Inventor of the Railway Birth : 1781       Death : 1848     George Stephenson will always be remembered as the inventor of railway which is the major means of transport in the world. The idea of inventing a railway engine came to him as a solution to the problem of hauling trucks of coal from coal mines to the distribution points which were then pulled...

Lewis Carrol   England : Author of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Birth : 1832       Death : 1898 Lewis Carroll is one of the greatest names in children’s literature in English. Alice in Wonderland (1865) is his most precious gift to the children all over the world. It takes children into a strange world which is quite amusing and entertaining for them. Carroll wrote one more book What Alice Found There based...

John F. Kennedy   U.S.A.: Popular Resident Birth : 1917       Death : 1963 John Fitzgerald Kennedy was one of the most popular Presidents of U.S.A. He was also the first Roman Catholic and the youngest American to be elected to the office of the President of U.S.A. He was particularly very popular with the younger people and he represented their hopes and aspirations. In the 1960 Presidential elections he was...