Harsh Vardhan   India : Emperor Born : AD 590            Death : AD 657 Harsh Vardhan ascended the throne in AD 606 when only 16, and the same year he started a new era popularly known as “Harsh Samvat”. He conquered the entire Northern region and annexed it to his kingdom to establish a strong empire. As an Emperor, he was well-loved by his public for his generosity, justice and...

Alfred, the Great   England : Great Emperor Born : AD 849     Died : AD 900 Though there have been about 60 odd Kings and Emperors in England,  nobody, except Alfred, has achieved greatness and that is why he is known as Alfred, the Great. In the early days, pirates from Denmark and Sweden used to attack England. Alfred fought them and though initially he suffered defeats, he ultimately defeated...

Marcus Julius Brutus   Rome : Caesar’s Murderer  Born : 85 BC   Died : 42 BC As Julius Caesar was attacked by the conspirators, Brutus plunged  knife in his chest. At first, Caesar tried to defend himself, but when he saw that his very trusted friend is the attacker, he gave up and died… According to Shakespeare, Brutus defended his action to Mark Antony. saying: “I weep for Caesar because I...

Shankaracharya   India : Reviver of Vedic Culture Born : AD 788            Died : AD 820   Shankaracharya’s attempts to culturally unite the country in his short life span are unprecedented and unmatched to this day. He undertook the task of reforming and reviving religion at a time when the Indian society was deeply entrenched in many ills, conservative ideas and religious fanaticism. Shankaracharya travelled throughout the country and infused...

Pythagorus   Greece : Ancient Philosopher Born : 582 BC            Died : 507 BC    Pythagorus was a Philosopher and Mathematician of ancient Greece., His philosophical ideas came to be known as “Pythagorian”, are concerned with the brotherhood of philosophers. He and his followers believed in the power of figures. For example, figure two stands for a line, three for surface, four for density, six for soul, seven for health...

Marcus Tulius Cicero   Rome : Diplomat and Orator Born : 106 BC            Died : 43 BC   Bom in an ordinary family, Cicero rose to be one of the Post powerful  orators of Rome. He took up the legal profession after completing his education but could not get much recognition in it. It was his power of oration that rocketed him to popularity and fame and secured for him...

Euclid   Greece : Father of Geometry  Born : 350 BC           Died : 300 BC Euclid was a great Mathematician of ancient Greece. Many a scholar and philosopher from Greece used to go to Egypt during those days. Euclid too established a school in Egypt. Though having scholarly inclination towards Music, Arts and Optics, he was deeply interested in Mathematics. He gave geometry a separate identity. Euclid had to face...

Saint Gyaneshwar   India: A Great Saint Born : AD 1275          Died : 1296 Child prodigy Saint Gyaneshwar was a great scholar like his father. He was deeply interested in the study of scriptures and in religious practices. His extra-ordinary brilliance caught the eye of everybody. He tried to remove the social disparities by educating people through his experiences and anecdotes of life. He came to Newa in 1288. In...