PERSONALITIES

WORLD
Abbas Mahmoud: Fondly called Abu Mazen, Abbas won the election to Palestine president-ship as a candidate of Fatah party. He defeated Mustafa Barghouti in the election. Abdus Salam : Physicist, Pakistans only Nobel Prize winner. He won it for his work on Particle physics in 1979. The Abdus Salam Award was instituted by the World Academy of Sciences in his memory. Abdus Sattar Edhi (b. 1929): Pakistani social worker, known as Father Teresa. He is the founder of the Edhi Foundation (1966). Aesop (600 BC): Greek author of Aesops Fables which are moral tales with animal protagonists. The famous tales The Tortoise and the Hare, The Fox and the Grapes were his creation. Akihito (b. 1933): Japans Emperor. Ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne the worlds oldest hereditary throne on November 12, 1990, after the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito. Akram, Wasim: Pakistani cricketer and former captain. Highest wicket taker (502) in One-Day Internationals. Made the world record of maximum number of sixes (12) in the Test match against Zimbabwe in his 257 runs. Besides, he has to his credit 414 wickets in Tests. He retired in 2003. Aldrin, Edwin: The US astronaut, who became only the second man to land on the moon soon after Neil Armstrong on July 20, 1969. Dr. Edwin Aldrin has set up a non- profit organisation, Share Space Foundation, dedicated to research on measures that would make space transportation affordable and safer. Alexander, the Great (356-323 BC): King of Macedonia. He conquered Egypt and founded Alexandria. At the age of 20 (336 BC), he started his campaign from Greece. His conquests extended to Asia Minor (Turkey), Armenia, Mesopotamia, Iran, Egypt, Gandhara including the borders of India during the period 336 to 323 BC, died at Babylon. Alonso, Fernando: The Spanish race car driver became Formula ones youngest ever world champion at 24. He drives for Reneault. His main contentor to title in 2005 was Mclarens Kimi Raikonnen.

Youngest Formula one Champion

Ali, Muhammad (b. 1942): Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest boxers of the 20th century. He started his career in the early 1960s under his original name Cassius Clay. He was the first man to win the world heavyweight title three times. He was honoured with. The presidential medal of Freedom called the nations highest civilian award. Amin, Idi (b. 1925): Idi Amin was the eccentric and despotic dictator of Uganda from 1971 to 1979, when he was deposed by exiled Ugandans with the help of the Tanzanian army. Amundsen, Roald (1872-1928): Roald Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer, the first to reach the South Pole (1911) and the first to navigate the North-West Passage (1903-1906). He was lost in the Arctic. Annan, Kofi (b. 1938): The seventh UN SecretaryGeneral. Shared the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize with the UN. Selected for the Seoul Peace Prize 1998 for his contribution to world peace. He is from Ghana. He is credited with creation of East Timor as an independent country. He got a unanimous support of the UN in June 2001 for his second five - year term. He completed his term in December, 2006. Antony, Mark (c. 83-30 BC): Marcus Antonius, known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman statesman and soldier. His speech on the death of

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his friend Julius Caesar caused the conspirators who murdered Caesar to flee from Rome. Anwar, Saeed: The Pakistani Cricket opener who blasted 194 against India in Chennai to become the highest scorer in one-day cricket. Arafat, Yasser (1929- 2004): Chairman of Palestine Liberation Organisation since 1969. Co-founder of Al-fatah (1956). Signed agreements for Palestinian self-rule in Gaza Strip, Jericho and West Bank in May 1994 and September 1995. Recipient of Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding and Indira Gandhi Award for International Justice and Harmony. Shared the 1994 Nobel Spirit behind PLO Peace Prize with the then Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, and Israeli Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres. He signed a revised Wye- River accord with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Arafat died in 2004. Archimedes (287-212 BC): Greek scientist and mathematician known for his discovery of the unique Principle of Buoyancy. Invented Archimedean Screw. Aristotle (384-322 BC): The Father of Biology, was a Greek philosopher, the greatest of the ancient philosophers. In 343 BC, Aristotle became tutor to Alexander the Great in Macedonia. Armstrong, Neil (b. 1930): American astronaut. First man to set foot on the moon (July 21, 1969). Followed by Edwin Aldrin from Apollo 11. Astor, Nancy (1879-1964): Nancy Astor was the first woman to be elected to the British Parliament (1919). She remained an MP until 1945.

Attlee, Clement (1883-1967): Clement Attlee was the Labour Prime Minister of England 1945-51. During his tenure as Prime Minister, India won freedom in 1947. Atwood, Margaret (b. 1932): One of the most prolific and well known authors in Canada. She bagged the Booker Prize for 2000 for her novel The Blind Assassin. Augustus Caesar (63 BC-AD 14): Founder of the Roman Empire and one of the most outstanding men in history. His original name was Gaius Octavianus. Aung San Suu Kyi (b. 1945): Daughter of Myanmarese independence hero, General Aung San. Founded Myanmars National League for Democracy (NLD) of which she is the leader. While opposing the military junta she was forced to end her nonviolent Gandhian protest on July 29, 1998 when the Burmese military government took her back to Rangoon against her will. Su Kyi was released by the ruling military junta after a 19 month arrest in May, 2002. Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1991), Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought (1991), Solidarity Prize of the City of Bremen, and Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding (1993). She is also the winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Americas highest civilian honour. Bacon, Francis (1561-1626): Francis Bacon, Viscount St. Albans, was an English statesman and philosopher. Among his works are The Advancement of Learning and Novum Organum. His stress on inductive methods gave a strong impetus to subsequent scientific research. Baden-Powell, Robert (1857-1941): Robert BadenPowell, later Lord Baden-Powell, was a soldier and defender of Mafeking in the Boer War (1899-1990). He founded the Boy Scouts in 1908 and, with his sister, Agnes, the Girl Guides in 1910. He is the author of Scouting for Boys. Baird, John Logie (1888-1946): John Logie Baird was a British television pioneer from Scotland. In 1926, he demonstrated the first ever television picture. Three years later the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) broadcast a 30-line television picture. Baker, Laurie (b. 1917): Lawrence Wilfred Baker,

The first man on Moon

Atatrk, Kemal (1881-1938): Born in Salonika, Greece. He was the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. He served as President from 1923 until his death. Attenborough, Richard (b. 1923): British film actor cum director. Best known for his film Gandhi, which won eight Oscars in 1983.

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popularly known as Laurie Baker, is the British-born Indian architect who specialises in low-cost building. He married a Malayali and is now settled in Thiruvananthapuram. In 1989, he was granted Indian citizenship. He celebrated his 90th birth recently. Bancroft, Ann: First woman to reach the North Pole. Was one of the six-members of the US-Canadian expedition which reached the North Pole on dog sledges in April 1986. Bandaranaike, Sirimavo(1917-2000): Worlds first elected woman Prime Minister (of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka) in 1960. Sworn in for the third time as Prime Minister in November 1994, when her daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga, became the President of the country. She has entered the 1999 Guinness Book of Records for being the oldest Prime Minister in the Worlds first woman Prime Minister world. Barnard, Christiaan (1922-2001): South African surgeon. Performed the first human heart transplant operation in Cape Town in 1967. Banville, John: Irish novelist has been awarded Booker Prize, 2005 for his book The Sea. Beethoven, Ludwig van(1770-1827): Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and musician. He was the leader of the romantic movement in music. Although stone deaf at the age of 50, he wrote many memorable symphonies (9), songs, sonatas and concertos. Bell, Alexander Graham (1847-922) : Alexander Graham Bell was the Scottish-American scientist who invented the telephone in 1867. Bellow, Saul: Famous American novelist and nobel laureate. Adventures of Augie March, Humboldls gift, Henderson and the rain king are his main novels. He received Nobel prize and Pulitzer prize for Humboldts gift. He died on 2005. Benedict XVI, Pope: After the demise of Pope John Paul II, the College of Cardinal selected Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany as the new pope. He took the title Benedict XVI. He is second German to become pope after victor II.

Benenson, Peter: The founder of Amnesty International-the human right activist organisa-tionpassed away in 2005. Amnesty was started in 1961. Benigni, Roberto (b. 1952): This Italian actor, writer and director won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1999 for his film Life is Beautiful at the Academy Awards ceremony. He became the first star of a foreign film to win the Best Actor Award. Bentinck, Lord William (1738-1809): Lord Bentinck was the Governor-General of India famous for the Sati reforms (1829) and suppression of human sacrifice, suppression of Thuggees and suppression of female infanticide. Bertolucci, Bernardo (b. 1940): Italian film director. His film The Last Emperor won nine Oscars in 1978. Conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 30th International Film Festival of India at Hyderabad in January 1999. Bhutto, Benazir (b. 1955): Pakistans former Prime Minister. Was co-Chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party. Sworn in as Prime Minister for the second time on October 9, 1993. First woman in the Muslim world to be Prime Minister twice. Presently in self-im- Daughter of the East posed exile in the United Kingdom. Bhutto, Z.A. (1928-79): Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was President of Pakistan 1971-73 and subsequently Prime Minister 1973-77. He was deposed by an army coup led by Zia Ul-Haq and was executed in 1979. He was the father of Benazir Bhutto. If I Am Assassinated and The Great Tragedy are his books. Birna, Unnur: In the Miss World contest held in Southern Chinese city of Sanya, Miss Iceland Unnur Birna Vilhajalmsdotter was crowned the Miss World 2006. Bismarck, Otto von (1815-98): Otto von Bismarck was a German statesman known as the Iron Chancellor for his blood and iron policies. By uniting (mostly by force) all the tiny kingdoms in Germany, he founded the German Empire in 1870. Blair, Tony (b. 1953):The Labour Party leader who, in 1997, led his party to a landslide victory over the

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Conservatives to become Prime Minister of Britain in 2005. He won his third term as Prime Minister. Blavatsky, Helena Petrovna (1831-91): Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, known as Madame Blavatsky, was a Russian theosophist. She helped to found the Theosophical Society in New York (1875). Later she set up the Theosophical Society in India which Annie Besant joined and enlarged. Bolivar, Simon (1783-1830): Simon Bolivar was a South American revolutionary, called The Liberator. He is the national hero of Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru.
The Liberator Booth, John Wilkes (183965): John Wilkes Booth was the assassin of US President Lincoln.

United Nations-appointed Commission on Environment and Development. Recipient of the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize and also the Third World Prize (1988) for her contribution to the field of environmental protection and for the concept of sustainable development. First woman Director-General of World Health Organisation (WHO). Buck, Pearl S. (1892-1973): Pearl S. Buck was an US writer who won the 1938 Nobel Prize for Literature for The Good Earth, which she wrote in 1931. Letter from Peking, The Patriot, Death in the Castle, The Mother, All Under Heaven and Child Who Never Grew are her books. Bush, George W. (b. 1946): George Walker Bush is the 43rd President of USA, sworn in on January 20, 2001. Son of 41st President, George Bush. Previously Governor of Texas. It is the second time in the history of USA that both father and son have become president of the country, after John Adams (1797-1801) and John Quincy Adams (1825-29). Bush dethroned Taliban and installed an interim Government under Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan as a reprisal to September 11, 2001 World Trade Centre attack. Bush government attacked Iraq and toppled Saddam Husseins regime in 2003. George W. Bush re-elected for a second term in the presidental election held in 2004. Byron, Lord (1788-1824): George, 6th Baron Byron of Rochdale, known as Lord Byron, was one of the greatest of English poets. Among his works are Childe Harolds Pilgrimage and Don Juan. Caesar, Julius (c. 100-44 BC): Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman. He took the title dictator for life in 44 BC. However he was murdered by a group of trusted friends, led by Brutus, who thought he was over-ambitious. Campbell, Kim (b. 1946): First woman Prime Minister of Canada (1993).A former lecturer in Political Science. Camus, Albert (1913-60): French existentialist writer, winner of the 1957 Nobel Prize for Literature. Earned an international reputation with his LEtranger (The Outsider, 1942). Other works include The Plague and The Fall. Canning, Lord (19th Century): Lord Canning was the last Governor-General of East India Company

Booth, William (1829-1912): William Booth was the British founder of the Salvation Army (1865). The main aim of Booths Salvation Army was to save people from alcoholism through prayer. Borlaug, Norman Ernest (b. 1914): He is the worlds only agricultural scientist to win a Nobel Prize for Peace, which was awarded to him in 1970. He is the brain behind the immensely successful Green Revolution. He established World Food Prize in 1986

Father of the GreenRevolution

Botha, P.W. (b. 1916): P.W. Botha was President of South Africa 1984-89. He is considered the last of the apartheid leaders of South Africa. Bradman, Donald (1908-2001): Australias cricketing knight. World famous test batsman. Retired from active cricket in the late forties, scoring as many as 117 centuries. Crickets finest batsman, Sir Donald Bradman scored three figures 29 times at test level and finished his career with 6,996 runs in 90 test innings at the extraordinary average of 99.94. He died in Adelaide on February 25, 2001 when he was 92. Brundtland, Gro Harlem (b. 1939): Twice Prime Minister of Norway and the first Chairperson of

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and first Viceroy of British India. Carlyle, Thomas (1795-1881): British writer, most famous for his The French Revolution. Carroll, Lewis (1832-98): Pseudonym of Charles Dodgson, author of Alice Through the Looking Glass and Alice in Wonderland. Carter, Jimmy (b. 1924): 39th President of United States (1977-81). His major contributions includes the Camp David Accords between Isreal and Egypt, peace in Haiti etc. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for 2001 for his effort to find peaceful solutions in international conflicts. His most significant work has been through the Carter Center, an Atlanta based think tank and activity policy center founded by him and his wife Rosalynn in 1982. He was awarded the 1997 Indira Gandhi Prize. Castro, Fidel (b. 1926): Prime Minister of Cuba (1959-78), President of Cuba since 1979. Was Chairman of NAM (197983). Under his leadership, Cuba emerged as the first fullfledged socialist state in Central America. After undergoing a major surgery in 2006 he transferred the responsiblities to his brother Raul Castro.

a comedian, film actor, director, producer and composer. His famous films are Making a Living, The Kid, The Champion, The Pilgrim, City Lights, Limelight, The Gold Rush, The Great Dictator, The Circus etc. My Life in Pictures is his autobiography. Chaucer, Geoffrey (1345-1400): One of the earliest English poets who helped the language into a literary channel. He is considered the Father of English Poetry. Romance of the Rose is his first work (translation). His Canterbury Tales is a classic both for lovers of literature and scholars of English language. Another famous work is Troilus and Criseyde. Chaudhry, Mahendra: Mahendra Chaudhry was the Prime Minister of Fiji. He is of Indian ethnic origin. In July 2000 he was ousted from power by a coup led by George Speight, a desperate businessman. Chavez, Hugo: Chavez is the 53rd and current President of Venenzuela. As the leader to the Bolivarian revolution. Chavez is known for his democratic socialistic governance, his promotion of Latin American integration and his radical criticism of neoliberal globalisation and United States foreign policy.

Longest Served Head of state

Chekhov, Anton (1860-1904): Russian playwright and master of the short story. His masterpieces are The Seagull, The Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard. Chelmsford, Lord: Lord Chelmsford was the Viceroy of India during 1916-21. Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975): Chiang Kai-shek, was a Chinese revolutionary leader. He was the effective head of the Nationalist Republic (1928-49) and thereafter the head of the Nationalist Party in Taiwan. In 1918, he joined the forces of Sun Yat-sen and in 1925 launched an expedition against the Beijing government and in 1928 entered Beijing. But his supporters steadily moved to the Communists and in 1949 he was forced to flee to Taiwan. Chirac, Jacques (b. 1932): Current French President. He was elected in 1995 and reelected in 2002 and his current term expires in 2007.

Cavendish, Henry (1731-1810): Henry Cavendish was a British physicist and chemist. In 1760 he studied inflam-mable air, now known as hydrogen gas. Cerman, Eugene A: The last moon walker whose last voyage was in December 1972 as Commandor of Apollo-17 Mission. Chadwick, Sir James (1891-1974): Sir James was the British physicist who discovered neutrons. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1935. Chappel, Greg: Former Australian captain was appointed the new coach of Indian cricket team. Cricket, the Making of Champions is written by him. Chaplin, Charlie (1889 1977): Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, born in London, was
Indian Cricket coach

Chomsky, Noam (1928-): American Linguis who originated Transformational Gen-

French President

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erative Grammer Chomsky claims the every human being known the general principles at birth. He thinks these principles make up a universal grammar. Chomskys books include Syntactic structures, Language and Mind and Language and Problems of Knowledge. Chou En-lai (1898-1975): Chinese statesman. Also known as Zhou Enlai. Was one of the leaders of the Communist Party of China. He was Prime Minister of the Peoples Republic from its founding in 1949 to his death. He and Nehru signed the Panchasheel Agreement for peace between their two countries. Christie, Agatha (1891-1976): Agatha Christie was one of the most popular writers of crime stories this century and the author of over 70 novels. Her two most famous creations are the characters of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. Her play, The Mousetrap, has been running continuously in London since it opened in 1952, the longest-ever run of a play. Churchill, Sir Winston (1874-1965): British statesman and wartime leader. Prime Minister during World War II (1940-45), and again in 1951-55. He was also an accomplished writer. His publications Memories of the Second World War (in 6 volumes) became very famous and earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. He resigned as Prime Minister in 1955. Clarke, Arthur C. (b. 1917): Famous science fiction writer living in Sri Lanka. He was made a honorary citizen of Sri Lanka in 2005. His book, 2001 A Space Odyssey, was made into a successful film. Cleopatra (69-30 BC): Queen of Egypt 51-30 BC. After the defeat of her ally, Mark Antony, she committed suicide by clutching an asp, a highly poisonous snake, to her breast. Clinton, Bill (b. 1946): William Jefferson Clinton. Americas Democratic Party leader and was the 42nd President of United States. Clive, Robert (1725-74): Robert Clive became Commander-in-Chief in 1755 and fought against the French in India. He defeated Siraj-ud-Daula in the Battle of Plassey in 1757. In 1758, Robert Clive was appointed the first Governor of Bengal by the English East India Company. He ultimately committed suicide in 1774.

Coetzee, J.M. (b. 1940): The South- African novelist won the 2003 Nobel Prize for Literature. He is a South African writer and Professor of English Literature in Cape Town University. He won the 1999 Booker Prize for his novel Disgrace. He also won the 1983 Booker Prize for his novel The Life and Times of Michael K. He is the only author to win this award twice. Coleridge, Samuel Taylor (1772-1834): Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a British poet, the founder of a new literary style with William Wordsworth known as romanticism which was a reaction against neoclassic artificiality. Among his works are The Ancient Mariner and Christabel. Collins, Col. Eileen (b. 1956): This US astronaut became the first woman in space history to command a space mission, when the American space shuttle Columbia was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida on July 23, 1999 carrying Chandra X-ray observatory.

First woman to command a space mission

Collins, Larry: American writer in collaboration with French writer Dominique Lapierre has written best sellers likeIs Parris Buring O Jeruslem and Freedom at Midnight. He passed away in 2005. Collins, Michael (b. 1930): Michael Collins was the American astronaut who remained on board the Apollo 11 spacecraft while Neil Armstrong became the first man (and Edwin Aldrin became the second man) to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. Colt, Samuel (1814-62): Samuel Colt was the American inventor who invented the revolver type of pistol. He patented the Colt revolver in 1835, when he was only 21. Columbus, Christopher (1451-1506): Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer, the first European to discover America, in 1492. Confucius (551-479 BC): A great Chinese philosopher. He set up a school of pupils to propagate his ideologies. His teachings are recorded in the Confucian Analects (conversation), the base of Chinese philosophy.

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 Conrad, Pete (b. 1930): Charles P. Pete Conrad Jr., the American astronaut who was the third man to walk on the moon, died following a motorcycle accident. Cook, Thomas (1808-92): Thomas Cook was a pioneer of railway tourism. His travel agencies are in every major city of the world. Father of modern tourism. Copernicus, Nicolas (1473-1543): Nicolas Copernicus was a Polish astronomer. His theory was that planets moved round the sun and that the sun was the centre of the universe. His book was De Revolutionbus Orbitum Coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres). It was soon accepted that he was the first to understand the orbital movements of the planets. Corbusier, Le (1887-1965): Le Corbusier, pseudonym of Charles Edward Jeanneret, was a Swiss architect and city planner. He planned the city of Chandigarh in India (1951). Cornwallis, Lord (1738-1805): Lord Cornwallis was Governor-General of India for two terms (1786-1793) and is well known for his land reforms. The most memorable achievement of Lord Cornwallis was the Permanent Settlement of Bengal (1793). He founded the British Civil Service in India. Crichton, Michael: American writer. Author of Jurassic Park, Rising Sun and Disclosure , books which have been made into films. Cripps, Sir Stafford (1889-1952): Sir Stafford Cripps was a British Labour statesman. In March 1942 he came to India and met Congress leaders to discuss Dominion Status for India after World War II had finished. Crompton, Samuel (1753-1827): Samuel Crompton was the British inventor of the spinning-mule. Cromwell, Oliver (1599-1658): Oliver Cromwell was an English soldier and statesman, Englands only dictator. Cudjoe, Harrison (b. 1956): Nigerian poet. Was declared International Poet of the Year, 1995, by the International Society of Poets. His award-wining poem is HIV and AIDS War. Cuellar, Javier Perez de (b. 1920): Peruvian diplomat. Was Secretary-General United Nations for ten

years (1982-1991). Recipient of the 1987 Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding. Now he is Prime Minister of Peru. Curie, Marie (1867-1934): Madame Marie Curie was a Polish chemist known for her discovery of radium (1898). She won two Nobel Prizes. Dalton, John (1766-1844): John Dalton was the English Won two Nobel Prizes chemist who postulated the atomic theory and defined atomic weight. He is also famous for Daltons Law. Dante (1265-1321): Dante Alighieri, known simply as Dante, was the greatest Italian poet. By far his best known work is The Divine Comedy, a penetrating vision of hell, purgatory and heaven. Darwin, Charles (1809-82): Charles Robert Darwin was a British naturalist who put forward his Theory of Revolution based on natural selection. His famous work Origin of Species (1859) is considered as the bible of modern theory of evolution. Davy, Sir Humphry (1778-1829): Sir Humphry Davy was a renowned British chemist who invented the safety lamp for miners. Defoe, Daniel (1660-1731): Daniel Defoe was an English author. He wrote many books but is principally remembered for his Robinson Crusoe. Diaz, Bartolomeu (c.1450-1500): Bartolomeu Diaz was a Portuguese navigator and was the first European to sail round the Cape of Good Hope (the southern tip of the African continent). Dickens, Charles (1812-70): Famous English novelist. Some of his best known fictional works are Pickwick Papers (1837), Oliver Twist (1838), David Copperfield (1850), Great Expectations (1861) and A Tale of two Cities. Diesel, Rudolph (1858-1913): Rudolph Diesel was the German engineer who invented the diesel engine. Disney, Walt (1901-66): Walt Disney was a US film producer famous for his cartoon characters Mickey Mouse and

Founder of Disney Land

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Donald Duck. Dostoevsky, Fyodor (1821-81): Fyodor Dostoevsky was one of the greatest Russian authors. His most famous book is Crime and Punishment. His other important books are The Brothers Karamazov and The Idiot. Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan (1859- 1930): Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a British author. He was the creator of the detective hero Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. Watson. Dumas, Alexandre (1802-70): Alexandre Dumas was a French novelist and playwright. His best known works are The Count of Monte Christo and The Three Musketeers. Dunant, Henri (1828-1910): Henri Dunant was born in Switzerland and was a famous philanthropist. He established the International Red Cross Society in 1863 after the Battle of Solferino. He shared the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. Ebadi, Shirin: Iranian lady lawyer, a human rights and democracy activist, won the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize. She is the first Muslim woman as also the first Iranian to win the honour in the Prizes 102 year history. She attended the World Social Conference, 2004, held in Mumbai. Edison, Thomas Alva (1847-1931): Thomas Alva Edison was a US inventor with more than 1,300 US and foreign patents to his credit, most of them concerned with electricity. He was called the Wizard of Menlow Park. Some of his important inventions are the electric light bulb (1879), phonograph (gramophone) (1876), the movie projector (1893), printing telegraph (1871), carbon telephone transmitters, microphone etc. Eiffel, Alexandre Gustave (1832-1923): Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was the French civil engineer who built the Eiffel Tower in 1889. It was constructed to celebrate 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Eiffel also designed the framework of the Statue of Liberty. Elberadi, Mohammed: The Egyptian lawyer won the Nobel Prize for Peace, 2005 along with International

Atomic Energy Agency, which he is heading. In 2005, he won his third term as the head of IAEA. Eliot, George (1819-80): George Eliot was the pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans, a British novelist who became the centre of a literary circle. Her novels include Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner and Middlemarch. Eliot, T.S. (1888-1965): T.S. Eliot (Thomas Stearns Eliot) was an American-born British poet, critic and dramatist. His books of poetry include Prufrock and Other Observations, The Waste Land, The Hollow Men and The Four Quartets. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. Elizabeth II, Queen of England (b. 1926): Elizabeth II, the daughter of George VI, the last KingEmperor of India, is currently Englands Queen and Head of State. She is also Head of the Commonwealth of Nations. Engels, Friedrich (1820-95): Friedrich Engels was a German socialist philosopher, the founder of scientific socialism. He collaborated with Karl Marx on the Communist Manifesto (1848). Epicurus (c.341-270 BC): Greek philo-sopher. He founded Epicurean philosophy, which means leading a life free from pain and anxiety. Euclid (c.350-c.300 BC): Greek mathematician. His important contribution was the use of deductive principles of logic as the basis of geometry. He is considered the father of Geometry. Fahien (5th century AD): He was the first Buddhist pilgrim from China to visit India. He came during the reign of Chandragupta Vikramadithya. Falk, Leon Lee: Leon Lee Falk was the creator of world-famous comic strips Mandrake the Magician and The Phantom. He died recently, aged 87. Faraday, Michael (1791-1867): Michael Faraday was the British scientist who discovered electro magnetism and invented the dynamo. Federer, Roger: Highly talented Swiss tennis player who won three out of four Grandslam in 2005 and is considered most dominant active player of his era. He is currently the World No.1. Fermi, Enrico (1901-54): Enrico Fermi was an Italian nuclear physicist. In 1934, he split a number of nuclei by bombardment with neutrons, for which he

Shared Nobel Prize for Peace 2005 with IAEA

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won the 1938 Nobel Prize for Physics. Fleming, Sir Alexander (1881-1955): Sir Alexander Fleming was the Scottish bacteriologist who discovered penicillin in 1928. He shared the 1945 Nobel Prize for Medicine. Fischer, Bobby: Regarded as Discovered Pencilin the greatest chess player ever, in 1928 he became the first American to win the World Chess championship title by beating Boris Spasky. In 2004-05, he had to undergo 9 months in Japanese prison due to US arrest warrant against him. Fleming, Ian (1908-64): Ian Fleming was an immensely successful British writer of popular literature. His most memorable creation was the sophisticated British secret agent James Bond. Ford, Gerald (b. 1913): 38th President of USA (197476). Only President not to have been elected as either President or Vice-President. He was appointed Vice-President in 1973 when Spiro Agnew resigned that post, then became president when Nixon resigned following the Watergate scandal. Ford, Henry (1863-1947): Henry Ford was selected Fortune Magazines Businessman of the Century. He invented the assembly line to produce affordable cars for ordinary people. Forster, E.M. (1879-1970): Edward Morgan Forster was a famous British writer who wrote numerous books, many on India. He was the author of Where Angels Fear to Tread, Two Cheers for Democracy, The Longest Journey, A Room with a View, Howards End, Maurice and his masterpiece, A Passage to India. Fosset, Steve: The business magnate-adventurer created world record by flying solo around the globe (37,000 km) in 67 hours non stop. Franco, Francisco (1892-1975): Francisco Franco was the Spanish dictator who ruled Spain from 1936 to 1975. In 1936, he joined a conspiracy against the Popular Front government and became Generalissimo (literally biggest general) of the rebel forces. Franklin, Benjamin (1706-90):Benjamin Franklin

was the US statesman who promoted the American Declaration of Independence (1776) and worked on the drafting of the Constitution of America. Freud, Sigmund (1856-1939): Sigmund Freud was the renowned Austrian psychologist who developed the Theory of Psychoanalysis. He published The Interpretation of Dreams and The Ego and the Id. Frost, Robert (1874-1963): Psychology Robert Frost was the US poet who won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1924, 1931, 1937 and 1943. Among his poems are Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Birches, Mending Wall and The Death of the Hired Man. Gadhafi, Col. Muammar (b. 1942): President of Libya since 1969. Leader of the Great Revolution of September 1, 1969. His theories and ideas are contained in his Green Book. Gagarin, Yuri (1934-68): Yuri Gagarin was a Russian cosmonaut. In 1961, he became the first man to travel in space on the spacecraft Vostok-1. Galbraith, J.K. (b. 1908): John Kenneth Galbraith was a Canadian-born US economist, the author of The Affluent Society. He was US Ambassador to India 1961-63 and adviser to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Gao Xingjian (b. 1940): He is the Chinese novelist and playwright who won the 2000 Nobel Prize for Literature, the first Chinese person to win the prize. He left China for France and now lives in Paris. His best known novel is Soul Mountain. Gates, Bill (b. 1957): He is the chief founder and Chairman of Microsoft Corporation and was named the richest man of the world with a net worth of $90 billion by Forbes. He donated $ 200 million for AIDS control in India through his $ man in 24 billion Bill & Belinda Foun- The richest Universe dation created to cater to health care world wide. The Gates couple was selected was the Time Person of the Year 2005.
Father of

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 Gayoom, M. Abdul: President of Maldives. Chairman of SAARC (1990-1991 and 1996-97). Ghali, Boutros Boutros (b. 1924): First Afro-Arab who became Secretary-General of United Nations (1992-96) succeeded Javier Perez de Cuellar. Was earlier Egypts Deputy Prime Minister. He was succeeded by Kofi Annan as UN Secretary-General. Glenn, John (b. 1921): The 77 year old veteran astronaut and Ohio Senator is the oldest person to orbit Earth, which he did aboard Discovery on October 29, 1998. He was also the first American to orbit Earth (aboard Friendship-7 on February 20, 1962). Goh Chok Tong: Prime Minister of Singapore and leader of the Peoples Action Party. Gooch, Graham (b. 1954): Englands cricket star. First Englishman and second batsman after West Indian Brian Lara to score 1,000 first class runs. He reached the milestone by scoring 188 for Essex against Worcestershire. Only cricketer in the world to post a triple century (333) and a century (123) in the same test (against India at Lords in 1990). Goodyear, Charles (1800-60): Charles Goodyear was the inventor of vulcanised rubber which is used in tyres. He invented it in 1844 and the company he founded to produce tyres still thrives today. Gorbachev, Mikhail (b. 1931): The first and last Executive President of the erstwhile USSR. Resigned on December 25, 1991, formally ending the existence of the once mighty super power. Known for his policies of Glasnost and Perestroika. Won Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. Graf, Steffi (b. 1969): Former World No. 1 woman tennis player from Germany. Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles. In 1988, she became the only player to achieve the Golden Slam capturing all four Grand Slam titles and the Olympic Gold Medal in the same year. She was ranked the Womens Tennis Associations No. 1 player for a record 377 weeks (the longest of any player, male or female, since rankings began) and is the only player, male or female, to have won all four Grand Slam tournaments (Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open and the Australian Open) at least four times each. Grass, Gunter (b. 1927): Gunter Grass is the German novelist who won the 1999 Nobel Prize for Lit-

erature for his novel The Tin Drum . His book Mein Jahrhundert (My Century) published in 1999, is an attempt to summarise and make sense of the entire 20th century. He was an active member of Group 47 which was formed for the promotion of German literature after the Nazi period.

Won Nobel Prize for Literature in 1999

Gundert, Dr. Herman (1814-93): Dr. Herman Gundert was a German linguist who came to India as a missionary. He learned 18 Indian languages. He complied the first Malayalam dictionary in 1872, and started the first Malayalam newspaper, Rajyasamacharam. Gusmao, Xanana: Xanana Gusmao is the rebel leader of East Timor who fought for autonomy for his country. He became the first President of East Timor after winning poll held on April 14, 2002. Guttenberg, Johannes (1400-68): Johannes Guttenberg was the German printer who invented the printing process with moveable type and introduced printing books in 1450. Hadlee, Richard (b. 1951): New Zealands cricket star. First bowler to capture 400 test wickets. Retired from test cricket with 431 wickets in 86 tests. Hahn, Otto (1879-1968): Otto Hahn was a German physicist. In 1938 he created the first chemical evidence of nuclear fission by bombarding uranium with neutrons. He won the 1944 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Haily, Arthur: British novelist Fusion passed away in 2005. He wrote many best sellers of thriller genere including Airport, Flight into danger The final diagnosis. Halley, Edmund (1656-1742): Edmund Halley was the British astronomer who discovered Halleys Comet, and it is named after him. He also calculated its orbit. Hanniman, Samuel (1755-1843): Samuel Hanniman was the German physician who is considered the Father of Homeopathy.
Discovered Nuclear

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 Hardy, Thomas (1840-1928): Thomas Hardy was a British novelist and poet. He found recognition with his first novel, Far From the Madding Crowd . Other novels are The Return of the Native, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess of the DUrbervilles and Jude. His epic drama was The Dynasts. Hasina, Sheikh Wajed: Daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman. Selected for the 1998 Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Award. Defeated by Khalida Zia in October 2001 election. Hastings, Warren (1732-1818): Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of India, who succeeded Robert Clive as Governor of Bengal in 1772. Hastings was impeached in the British Parliament for his dereliction of duty as well as for corruption but later he was freed from all charges. Havel, Vaclav (b. 1936): First President of the Czech Republic. Poet and play-wright. Received the 1993 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development. He has been conferred the Gandhi Peace Prize 2003 in recognition of his contribution to world peace and upholding human rights. Hawking, Stephen (b. 1942): Stephen Hawking is a British theoretical physicist and a professor at Cambridge University. His work is concerned with cosmology, black holes and the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe. His famous book is A Brief History of Time. He suffers from multiple sclerosis and is so severely handicapped that he can only talk through his computer. Healy, Ian: Australian wicket keeper who recorded the highest number of dismissals when Pakistans Wasim Akram became his 356th victim. Broke the record of his compatriot Rodney Marsh. Hemingway, Ernest (1899-1961): Ernest Hemingway became the second most translated author of English, after Agatha Christie, with masterpieces such as The Sun Also Rises, For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Farewell to Arms and The Old Man and the Sea, which won him a Nobel Prize in 1954. He committed suicide in 1961. Henry VIII (1491-1547): Englands King Henry VIII is famous for having had six wives. The Pope was angered by his divorces and excommunicated him, which made him, and England, Protestant. Henry, O. (1862-1910): O. Henry was the pseud-

onym of William Sydney Porter, a US writer and master of the short story. Herodotus (c.485-c.425 BC): Greek historian who was called by Cicero the Father of History. Hillary, Edmund (1919-1998): A New Zealander and conqueror of Everest (with Tenzing Norgay). Was leader of joint Indo-New Zealand Ocean to Sky expedition on jet-propelled boats upstream Ganga from the Bay of Bengal to its source high in the Himalayas. Was New Zealands Ambassador to India. Hingis, Martina (b. 1981): Switzerlands tennis marvel became the youngest Wimbledon champion of this century when she beat Jana Navotna of the Czech Republic in the womens singles final on July 5, 1997. Hitchcock, Alfred (18991980): Sir Alfred Hitchcock was a British film director, known as the Master of Suspense. Among his many films are Psycho, The Thirty-nine Steps, The Lady Vanishes, The Birds and North by NorthWest. Most of his films were made in Hollywood, USA.

the Master of Suspence

Hitler, Adolf (1889-1945): Adolf Hitler was the Austrian-born German dictator who influenced the course of history in the 20th century. In 1933 he became Chancellor of Germany. With the defeat of Germany in the second world war, he committed suicide. He is the author of Mein Kampf (My Struggle). Hiuen-tsang (7th Century AD): A Chinese Buddhist pilgrim. He came to India to study Buddhism. His book which gives an account of the India of his time is Si-Yu-Ki. Homer (9th century BC): A Greek poet, the author of the classic epics, the Iliad (the story of the Ten Years War) and the Odyssey (the tale of the ten years of wandering of the Greek commander, Odysseus). Horta, Jose Ramos: The foreign coordinator of the East Timorese resistance is the co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts in promoting human rights along with Bishop Belo. Howard, John (b. 1939): Is the Australian politician and the countrys 25th Prime Minister. He was

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elected in 1996 and is now on his fourth term as the Prime Minister of Australia. Hugo, Victor (1802-85): Victor Hugo was a French author, the most prolific writer of the 19th century. The best known of his books are The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables. Hume, John: Nobel Peace Prize Winner of 1998 and renowned Irish & Civil rights champion. He was the main architect of the Northern Ireland peace process. He shared Nobel Prize with David Trimble for resolving conflict in N. Ireland. He has been conferred the Gandhi Peace Prize of 2001. Hunter, Bob: One of the founders of Green peace the environment organi-sation, passed away. It was Hunter who gave the name Rainbow warriors to green peace activists. Hussein, Saddam (b. 1937): Leader of Baath Socialist Party. President of Iraq from 1979-2003. He was ousted in 2003 after the US invasion. He was executed on December 30, 2006. Ibsen, Henrik (1828-1906): Executed in 2006 Henrik Johan Ibsen was the Norwegian dramatist known as the Father of Modern Drama. His two masterpieces are The Master Builder and Hedda Gabler. Imran Khan (b. 1952): Pakistani cricketer. After his retirement from cricket he started a cancer hospital Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital in Lahore in his mothers memory. He entered politics by launching his Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement of Justice) Party. Imamura, Shohei: The 70 year old ace Japanese film director won the Golden Palme Award for his film Unagi (The Zel) dealing with the subject of suicide. His Film The Ballad of Narayama has won the award in 1983. He died on 2006. Irving, Washington (1783-859): Washington Irving was the US writer known as the Father of American Literature. Tales of a Traveller, Columbus, The Adventures of Captain Bourneville, Conquest of Granada, Mohamed and His Successors and George Washington are his major works.

Isenbayeva, Yelena: The olympic champion from Russia has become the first woman pole vaulter to break the five metre barrier at London Grand Prix. She broke her own record. Jackson, Michael (b. 1958): Black American pop icon. Creator of the Heal the World Foundation an international organisation to call attention to channel resources towards children in need. His popular albums are Thriller and Dangerous.

Pop Singer

Jahangir, Asma: Pakistani lawyer who founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. She won 1995 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service. Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826): Thomas Jefferson was an American statesman. He was the third President of USA, 1801-09. He was the author of the Declaration of Independence. Jelinek, Elfriede: Austrian feminist playwright and novelist. She was awarded Nobel Prize for Literature 2004. The Piano Teacher, Lovers, Lust etc. are her major works. Jenner, Edward (1749-1823): He was the British physician who discovered the vaccination for smallpox. Jinnah, Mohammed Ali (1876-1948): Mohammed Ali Jinnah was the founder of the separate Muslim state of Pakistan. He was the GovernorGeneral of Pakistan after the partition of India in 1947. Jintao Hu: He is the current Father of Pakistan and fourth Chinese President and Chairman of the central military commission. He succeeds Jiang Zemin. Joan of Arc (c.1412-31): French girl, also known as the Maid of Orleans, who led the French against the English in the siege of Orleans (1429). She was ultimately captured and sold to the English (1430) by Burgundians and was burned at the stake in Roven (1431). She was about 19 when she died. She was canonised in 1920.

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 John Paul II (b. 1920): Head of Roman Catholic Church and influential global leader passed away. He was pope for the last 26 years. His real name was Karol Voijtiva. His recent books were Come up, Lets be on ourway, Memory and identity, Gift and Mistery, Threshold of Hope. Johnson, Ben (1572-1637): Ben Johnson, full name Benjamin Johnson, was an English dramatist. Among his plays are Volpone, The Silent Woman, The Alchemist and Bartholomew Fair. Johnson, Lyndon B. (1908-73): Lyndon Baines Johnson was the 36th President of USA 1963-69. He was Vice-President under John F. Kennedy and became President when the latter was assassinated. Johnson, Michael: The American athlete who bagged the 4,000 and 200 metre events at amazing timings of 43.49 and 19.3 respectively, at the Centennial Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. Johnson, Samuel (1709-84): He is best known for his Dictionary of the English Language, the first compre-hensive dictionary in the world. Jones, Sir William (1746-94): Sir William Jones was a famous Indologist. He was master of 28 languages oriental and European. He translated Abhinjana Shakuntalam into English in 1789. Jordan, Michael (b. 1963): Michael Jordan is a US basketball player, one of the worlds most popular sportsmen, twice Olympic gold medallist. He is known as Air Jordan. Joule, James (1818-89): James Joule was a British physicist. He proved that heat is a form of energy, established the mechanical equivalent of heat and formulated the absolute scale of temperature. The joule, SI unit of energy, work done and quantity of heat, is named after him. Kadare, Ismail: The Albanian born author was awarded Man Booker Prize. The General of the dead Army The Palace of Dreams etc are his famous works. The Successor his latest novel was nominated for Nobel Prize. Kagge, Erling: Norwegian lawyer. First person to have skied to both the Poles and climbed the worlds highest mountain peak, Mount Everest, in 1994. Kalashnikov, Mikhail (b. 1919): The 80 year old retired Major General, a recipient of three Orders of

Lenin during the Soviet era and Service to the Fatherland decoration during the present Yeltsin-era and designer of the AK-47 assault rifle. He produced the Avtomat Kalashnikov (AK-47) rifle in 1947.

designed it Kane, Bob: Bob Kane was the creator of the comic strip hero Batman. He died recently.

Mikhail Kalashnikov

Karzai, Hamid: Karzai was elected as the Afghan President for 5 years after an election conducted in October 2004. He previously served as interim President after the fall of Taliban. Kasparov, Gary (b. 1963): Soviet Grandmaster. World Chess Champion 1993. Kaunda, Kenneth (b. 1924): Architect of the independence of Zambia, and its first President (196491). Recipient of Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding (1970). Keats, John (1795-1821): John Keats was an English poet. His works include La Belle Dame Sans Merci, Endymion, The Eve of St. Agnes and Ode to a Nightingale. Keller, Helen (1880-1968): Helen Adams Keller was the US deaf and blind author and educator. She was a distinguished lecturer and writer. Kelvin, William (1824-1907): William Thomson Kelvin was a British mathematician and physicist. He researched Thermodynamics, helping to develop the law of conservation of energy, and the absolute temperature scale. The Kelvin scale of absolute temperature is named after him. Kennedy, John F. (1917-63): John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th President of USA. He was the first Roman Catholic President and the youngest American to be elected President of USA. He was assassinated on November 23, 1963 by Lee Harvey Oswald.

Assassinate in 1963

Khan, Dr. Abdul Qadeer: Khan, considered the father of Pakistans nuclear

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programme, confessed last year that he sold nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya. The presidential pardon and denial of access to IAEA officials to Khan suggests involvement of Pakistani government in the whole fiasco. Kim Dae Jung (b. 1925): President of South Korea. He won the 2000 Nobel Prize for Peace. He instituted a Sunshine Policy, a programme of reconciliation with North Korea, which culminated in a historic meeting between him and Kim Il-jung, the North Korean leader, in June 2000 in Pyong Yang. King, Billie Jean (b. 1943): Billie Jean King is a US tennis player. In her career she won a record of 20 Wimbledon titles, including the Singles 1966-68, 1972-73 and 1975. King, Martin Luther (1929-68): Martin Luther King was a black American clergyman and civil rights leader. He led the non-violent movement to obtain full civil rights for American Negroes and became a martyr in his cause. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964. He was assassinated on April 5, 1968 by a white fanatic, James Earl Ray. His most famous quote comes from his speech in Washington I have a dream Kingsley, Ben (b. 1944): Ben Kingsley is the British actor who played the role of Gandhiji in Richard Attenboroughs film, Gandhi. He won an Oscar for Best Actor for the role in 1982. Kipling, Rudyard (1865-1936): Rudyard Kipling was a British writer, born in India. His major works portray contemporary British life in the British Raj in India. Among his works are The Jungle Book, Kim, The Light that Failed, Barrack Room Ballads, Just So Stories etc. He won the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature. Kissinger, Henry (b. 1923): The former US Secretary of State whose Shuttle Diplomacy during the West Asian crisis in 1973 contributed to the normalisation of the volatile situation, broke his long silence by recognising Indias known for shuttle need for a deterrent against deplomacy China. A committee was appointed by President George Bush, under Henry

Kissinger to enquire into the September 11 (2002) terrorist attacks in the U.S. But, he later relinquished the post. Klerk, F.W. de (b. 1936): Former President of South Africa. Along with Chairman of African National Congress, Nelson Mandela, was conferred the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize. Koch, Robert (1843-1910): Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch was a German bacteriologist. He won the 1905 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. In 1882 he discovered the tuberculosis bacillus and the following year, the cholera bacillus. Kohl, Helmut (b. 1930): German Chancellor 198298. Architect of German re-unification (1990). Recipient of 1990 Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding. Kubrick, Stanley (1928-99): Stanley Kubrick was a talented but controversial film maker. He achieved world fame through his internationally acclaimed films which include 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange etc. Eyes Wide Shut was his last film, released in 2000. Kumaratunga, Chandrika (b. 1945): Sri Lankas eleventh Prime Minister (1994). First woman Chief Minister of the country (Western Province) and leader of Peopless Alliance. Her father and mother S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and Sirimavo Bandaranaike both served as Prime Ministers. On November 10, 1994, she became the first woman executive President of Sri Lanka. Kurosawa, Akira (1910-98): Akira Kurosawa was a celebrated Japanese film director. His films, The Seven Samurai, Rasho-mon and Kagemusha were among the finest works of the world cinematographic heritage. Laden, Osama bin: Saudi dissident multimillionaire who financed most of the fundamentalist Islamic movements including Taliban in Afghanistan and Sudan. He is also thought to be behind the attacks on Terrorist Leader USA on September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center was destroyed. Laennec, R.T.H.: R.T.H. Laennec was the French physician who invented the stethoscope.

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 Lahiri, Jumpa (b. 1967): Indian origin Jumba Lahiri won the Pulitzer Prize (2000) for her debut. Born in London, the daughter of Kolkata-based parents, she grew up at Rhode Island in USA. Lama, Dalai (Tenzin Gyatso): The exiled spiritual leader of Tibet Established Government -in-exile at Dharmashala (Himachal Pradesh) in 1959. Recipient of 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for his non- violent struggle to free his Himalayan Won Peace Nobel Prize 1989 nation from Chinese rule. He has authored My Land and People, Freedom in Exile, etc. Lamarck, Jean Baptiste (1744-1829): Chevalier Jean Baptiste Lamarck was a French naturalist and pre-Darwinian evolutionist. His major work was Natural History of Invertebrate Animals, published 1815-22, forty years before Charles Darwin published his On the Origin of Species. Lambert, Johann Heinrich (1728-77): Johann Heinrich Lambert was a German mathematician. The unit of light intensity is named after him. In 1760 he discovered a means to measure the intensity of light scientifically. Lamy, Pascal: The former European Union trade negotiator was appointed as Director General of World Trade Organisation. The Frenchman takes charge in August, 2005, in place of Supachi Panichpakdi. Land, Edwin (1909-91): Edwin Herbert Land was a US inventor and physicist. In 1947 he invented the Land Polaroid camera, a camera which could take pictures and print them instantly with developing agents incorporated into the film itself. Landsteiner, Karl (1868-1943: Karl Landsteiner was the US scientist who discovered the Rh blood factor. He won the 1930 Nobel Prize for Physiology for his discovery of the main types of human blood. Lao-tze (c. 6th century BC): He was the Chinese philosopher who founded Taoism, The Path to Virtue. Lara, Brian (b. 1969): The left-handed batting hero of West Indies. He has the highest individual score in both first-class cricket (501 not out) and Test

cricket (400 not out). He also holds the record for the highest total number of runs in a Test career, after overtaking Allan Border in November 2005. He is the only man to have reclaimed the highest Test record score. He also completed 10,000 runs in OD1s. Lavoisier, Antoine (1743-94): Antoine Laurent Lavoisier was the man who first established that air contains two gases: oxygen and nitrogen. He was called the Father of Modern Chemistry. Lawrence, D.H. (1885-1930): David Herbert Lawrence was a British poet and novelist. His books include Sons and Lovers, Women in Love and The Plumed Serpent. He was prosecuted for obscenity for his The Rainbow and his Lady Chatterleys Lover was banned and later, thirty years after his death, was the subject of a sensational law case when it was republished. Lawrence, T.E. (1888-1935): T.E. Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia, was a British soldier and author. The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, has become a classic and he himself has become a legendary figure. His life was the subject of the hugely successful film by David Lean, Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Lawton, Maxwell: South African painter. Himself an AIDS patient, his painting Christ Child with AIDS and Man of Sorrows depict Christ as on AIDS sufferer. Lenin, Vladimir (1870-1924): Vladimir Lenin was the founder of Communist Russia. On November 7, 1917 a new socialist government was formed in Russia under his leadership. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519): A great Italian painter, sculptor and architect. He has been described as a universal genius of the Renaissance. His masterpiece is Mona Lisa (painted in 1504). The Last Supper is also one of his creative paintings. Lewis, Edward: American biologist. Co-recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Medicine, with Christiane Nuesslein-Volhard (Germany) and Eric Wieschaus (USA) for discoveries concerning the genetic control of early embryonic development. Libby, William (1908-80): William Frank Libby was a US chemist. In 1960 he won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his part in the invention of Carbon-14 dating.

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 Lincoln, Abraham (1809-65): Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of USA, 1861-65. In 1863, he proclaimed the freedom of the slaves. The American Civil War (1861-65) broke out during his presidency due to his plans to emancipate slaves. He was assassinated in a theatre on April 14, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth. Lister, Joseph (1827-1912): Joseph Lister was the British surgeon who discovered the cause of sepsis and introduced an antiseptic into the operating theatre to prevent it. Livingstone, David (1813-73): David Livingstone was the first European to explore many parts of central and eastern Africa. He discovered the origin of the River Nile in 1866. He disappeared in 1869 and was found by Sir Henry Stanley in 1871. Lucas Jr., Robert E. (b. 1937): American economist. Professor at the University of Chicago. Recipient of 1995 Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on how rational expectations have transformed macro-economic analysis and helped understand economic policy. Lucid, Shannon: The 35 year old celebrity astronaut, who spent a record 188 days in space in 1996, became the first woman to be awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honour (Washington, December 2, 1996). Her mission to the Russian space station Mir was the longest ever by a woman or an American. She returned to Earth in September 1996. Lumire, Auguste (1862-1954): Auguste Lumire was the French inventor of photographic equipment. With his brother, Louis Jean Lumire, he invented the cine-camera in 1893. Luther, Martin (1483-1546): Martin Luther was a German religious reformer and the founder of the Protestant form of Christianity. Lutyens, Sir Edwin (1869-1944): Sir Edwin Lutyens was a British architect. He planned New Delhi Rashtrapti Bhavan, Liverpool Roman Catholic Cathedral, the British Embassy in Washington and many other buildings. Macaulay, Thomas (1800-59): Thomas Babington Macaulay, was an Indian Civil servant. He played a significant role in introducing English as a medium of instruction and education. He is the author of History of England and Lays of Ancient Rome.

Madonna (b. 1959): The worlds top female pop star, her full name is Madonna Louise Ciccone. In 1986 she became the first woman to top both the album and singles charts. Her most popular album is True Blue (1986). She wrote a book called Sex.

Pop Singer

Magellan, Ferdinand (c.14801521): Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese navigator. He sailed around the bottom of South America to the Ocean he named the Pacific. He made first circumnavigation of the world. The Strait of Magellan is named after him. Magsaysay, Ramon: Ramon Magsaysay was President of the Philippines 1953-57. The Magsaysay Award, known as Asias Nobel Prize, is given in his memory. Malthus, Thomas Robert (1766-1834): Thomas Robert Malthus was a British economist. He is the author of Essay on the Principle of Population. Mandela, Nelson (b. 1918): Leader of African National Congress, and South Africas first black President (1994-1999). The former saboteur and political prisoner (for 27 years from 1964 to 1990), was the only nominee to succeed F.W. de Klerk, with whom he shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the end of apartheid. Recipient of Third World Award (1986), Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding (1979), Bharat Ratna (1990), and Jamnalal Bajaj Award (1990). He is one of the only three people to receive an honorary degree from Harvard at a time other than the universitys commencement. He resigned as President in June 1999 and retired from politics. In 2000, he shared the Gandhi Peace Prize with Bangladesh Rural Development Bank amounting Rs.1 crore. A Long Walk to Freedom is his autobiography which was published in 1994. Mao Tse-tung (1893-1976): Mao Tse-tung, also spelt Mao Zedong, was the founder of Communist China. He was a founding member of the Chinese Communist Party (1921) and proclaimed the Peoples Republic of China in 1949 and became its President, as well as being Chairman of the Communist Party, until his death.

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 Maradona, Diego (b. 1962): Argentinian soccer star. He led Argentina to world cup victory in 1986. He had ups and downs in his career due to addiction to drugs. In 2005 he kicked the habit to become a TV show host. Marconi, Guglielmo (1874-1937): Guglielmo Marconi was the Italian physicist who invented the radio and wireless system. He shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics with Ferdinand Braun of Germany for developing the wireless. Marco Polo (1254-1323): The Italian traveller who was the first European to visit China. He also visited coastal areas of India. He wrote an account of his journeys to China and the Far East which is entitled The Book of Marco Polo. Marcos, Ferdinand (1917-89: Ferdinand Marcos was the President of the Philippines 1965-89. Marx, Karl (1818-83): Karl Marx is the Father of Communism. His form of Communism is known as Marxism. He is the author of Das Kapital (1848). In collaboration with Friedrich Engels he published The Communist Manifesto (1840). Mathai, Wangari Muta: The Kenyan environmentalist became the first African woman to receive Nobel Peace Prize, 2004. Dr. Mathai is also the Assistant Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources in the present Kibaki Government. Mbeki, Thabo (b. 1942): Thabo Mbeki is the President of South Africa.

Father of Communism

First musician to receive the peace prize of German booksellers. Recipient of Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding. Merkel, Angela: The Christian democrat candidate, Ms Merkel has been appointed eighth post-war Chancellor of Germany. She was elected as the Chancellor after an agreement was concluded between Christian democrats and Social democrats, due to an inconclusive election on Septem-ber 18. Michelangelo (1475-1564): Full name Michelangelo di Ludovico Buonarroti Simoni : Italian painter, sculptor and architect. His finest painting is The Last Judgement. Miller, Arthur: The pulitzer winning, playwright passed away. Death of a salesman, The Crucible, etc... are his famous plays. Milosevic, Slobodan (19412006): He was President of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000. Faced charges of genocide of ethnic Albanians in international criminal court after being ousted by NATO intervension. He died in prison.

Balkan Butcher

Milton, John (1608-74): John Milton was the English poet known as the Epic Poet. His major works include Paradise Lost (1667), Paradise Regained (1671) and Samson Agonistes (1671). Mittal, Laxmikanth: Expatricate Indian steel tycoon was selected the 3rd richest man in the world by Forbes magazine and is one of richest in the UK. The Company Mittal Industries merged with Arcelor and became biggest steel industry. Monroe, Marilyn (1926-62): Marilyn Monroe was a US film star. She specialised in portraying innocently provocative blondes or dumb blondes with comic genius. She committed suicide in 1962 following a romantic relationship with the then US President, John F. Kennedy. Montessori, Maria (1870-1952): She was the Italian educationist and founder of the Montessori system of education. The Montessori system stresses the development of a childs own initiative and natural abilities, especially through practical play and individual guidance rather than through strict control.

McKinnon, Don: The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Don McKinnon, was elected to the post in November 1999. The New Zealander had previously served as his countrys Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

McEwan, Ian (b. 1948): The 50 year old British writer won the Booker Prize in 1998 for his book, Amsterdam. Mendez, Sam: Sam Mendez is a director of British plays. He won five Oscar awards for his maiden film, American Beauty (1999). Menuhin, Yehudi (1916-99): American violinist.

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 Moore, Henry (1898-1986): Henry Moore was a British sculptor. His major work is Madonna and Child in St. Matthews Church, Northampton. More, Sir Thomas (1478-1535): Sir Thomas More was an English statesman. His main principle was Ideal State which he expounded in his masterpiece Utopia. Morrison, Toni (b. 1935): Black American writer. Recipient of 1993 Nobel Prize for Literature. Author of six novels, won 1988 Pulitzer Prize for her book, Beloved. Mountbatten, Lord (1900-79): Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of India. He was assassinated in 1979 by a bomb placed on his yacht by the IRA off the coast of Ireland. Mubarak, Hosni (b. 1928): He has been the fourth President of the Arab republic of Egypt for twentyfour years, since 14 October 1981. Mueller, Max (1823-1900): Max Mueller was a German Sanskrit scholar and philosopher. His works include The Science of Languages and India What Can It Teach Us? Mugabe, Robert (b. 1924): The anti-apartheid crusader and now the President of Zimbabwe. Has been accused of humanrights violation by commonwealth. Murdoch, Rupert (b. 1931): Australian-born American media proprietor who is the majority shareholder and managing director of News Corporation., one of the worlds largest and most influential media corporations. In India he owns Star group of satelite channels.

Fascism, a philosophy in which the States needs take priority over the individuals. Myrdal, Gunnar (1898-1987): Karl Gunnar Myrdal was the Swedish economist, politician and civil servant who won the 1974 Nobel Prize for Economics. He is the author of American Dilemma and Asian Drama. Naipaul, V.S. (b. 1932): A Trinidadian novelist of Indian origin, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize for Literature. Received a knighthood in the British Governments New Year honours list. Won 1971 Booker Prize for In a Free State. Won Nobel prize for literature in 2001. A Bend in the River, Half a Life, Magic Seeds etc. are other major works. Napoleon (1769-1821): Napoleon Bonaparte was a French statesman, Emperor of France, and the most brilliant general of his time. He was nicknamed the Little Corporal. Nasser, Colonel (1918-70): Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser was Little Corporal Prime Minister of Egypt (19546) and President (1956-70). In 1956 he nationalised the Suez Canal which passes through Egypt and is the lifeline between Asia and Europe. Nathan, S.R. (b. 1925): Sellapan Rama Nathan is an ethnic Indian, born in Singapore, who is a veteran diplomat, was sworn in as the sixth elected President of Singapore on September 1, 1999, succeeding Ong Teng Cheong. Navratilova, Martina (b. 1956): Czechoslovakianborn tennis player of United States. In her 20 year career she won 167 singles titles, the highest by any player male or female. In November 1994, she bade farewell to tennis. Nazreen, Taslima: The controversial Bangladeshi writer of books like Lajja, Ka, Dwikhandito had sought Indian citizenship in March 2005. She has been living in Europe and united state since leaving Bangladesh in 1994. Nejad, Ahmedi: The newly elected hardliner President of Iran. Ahmadi Nejad is Irans first non-cleric President in 24 years. He was previously Teheran Mayor.

Owns Star TV

Murray, Jennifer (b. 1942): Jennifer Murray of Britain was the first woman to pilot a helicopter around the world. Musharraf, Gen. Pervez: Gen. Pervez Musharraf is the self-styled Chief Executive of Pakistan who staged a coup in October 1999 and ousted the Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif. Earlier he was Chief of Army Staff. I 2002 through an ordinance Mushraff appointed himself president of Pakistan until 2007. Mussolini, Benito (1883-1945): Benito Mussolini was dictator of Italy 1922-43. He was the founder of

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 Nelson, Lord (1758-1805): Lord Nelson, Horatio, Viscount Nelson, was a British admiral and hero. His most famous victory was the Battle of Trafalgar. Newton, Sir Isaac (1642-1727): Sir Isaac Newton was an English mathematician and physicist famous for his discovery of the Law of Gravitation, three laws of motion, differential calculus, composition of light etc. His greatest discovery is the gravitational pull of Earth.He is the author of Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Nicholas II (1868-1918): Last Tsar of Russia, 18951917. He was forced to abdicate during the Russian Revolution and, with his family, was murdered by the Bolsheviks. Niepce, Joseph (1765-1833): Joseph Nicephore Niepce was the French scientist who invented the camera. It was he who invented the first photographic technique, heliography, i.e. taking pictures with the suns light. Nightingale, Florence (18201910): She was a devoted British nurse, who, during the Crimean War (1854-56), reformed the nursing profession. She was known as the Lady with the Lamp. She was the first woman to receive the Order of Merit (1907).

President of Nigeria on May 29, 1999 after winning an election that was marred by irregularities. Olson, Gregory: The American millionaire was the third space tourist after Dennis Tito and Mark Shuttleworth. He took the journey in Russias Soyuz Space Shuttle. Omar Khayym (c.1050-.1123): Persian astronomer and one of the greatest poets in the Arabian language. His famous work is Rubiyt. ONeill, Eugene (1888-1953): Eugene ONeill was a US playwright, the first US dramatist to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1936. Ondieki, Yobes (b. 1963): Kenyan athlete. First man to break the 27 minutes barrier for 10,000 metres run (1993). Broke Chelimos record by covering the distance in 26 minutes 58.38 secs. Oppenheimer, J. Robert (1904-67): Julius Robert Oppenheimer was a US nuclear physicist. He is known as the Father of the Atomic Bomb. Orwell, George (1903-50): George Orwell was a British novelist and essayist. His real Father of Atom Bomb name was Eric Blair. Among his works were Animal Farm and Nineteen EightyFour. Owens, Jesse (b. 1913-80): American athlete, real name John Cleveland Owens. Only man to win four track and field gold medals (100 m, 200 m, long jump, 4 x 100 m relay) in a single Olympics (1936). Palyakav, Valery (b. 1943): Russian cosmonaut. Has the record of 438 days in space. Parkinson, C. Northcote (1909-93): Cyril Northcote Parkinson was a British writer, historian and political scientist. He is especially known for his Parkinsons Law that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. His famous book is Parkinsons Law: The Pursuit of Progress. Pasternak, Boris (1890-1960): Boris Pasternak was a Russian poet and writer. He is best known for his panoramic novel, Dr. Zhivago, set immediately before, during and after the Russian Revolution. Pasteur, Louis (1822-95): Louis Pasteur was the French scientist who discovered that germs existed

Lady with the Lamp

Nixon, Richard M. (1913-94): Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of USA, 1969-74. He resigned in 1974 before being impeached. Victory Without War and Beyond Peace are books by him. Nkrumah, Kwame (1909-72): Kwame Nkrumah was the Prime Minister of Ghana 1957-60 and President 1960-66. He was the leader of Ghanas independence movement. He is known as the Gandhi of Africa. Nobel, Alfred (1833-96): Alfred Bernhard Nobel has acquired immense fame as the inventor of dynamite and as the founder of the Nobel Prize. Oba, Mitsuro: 45 year old Japanese adventurer who undertook a solo trek across Antarctica in October 1998. First person to undertake a solo trek across frozen Antarctica in June 1997. Obasanjo, Olusegun (b. 1937): He took office as

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and are the cause of infection. Paz, Octavio (1914-98): Mexicos literary giant, who won a Nobel Prize for his enchanting poetry and essays, passed away on April 19, 1998, aged 84, in Mexico City. He had also been Mexican Ambassador to India 1962-68. Peary, Robert E. (1856-1920): Robert E. Peary was an American explorer of the Arctic, the first to reach the North Pole overland (in January 1910). Pele, Edson A.D.N. (b. 1940): Soccer player from Brazil. Played in all four World Cup Championship tournaments, a world record. Scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 games. Presently Sports Minister of Brazil. Peres, Shimon (b. 1923): Former Prime Minister of Israel (after Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated on November 5, 1995). Shared 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with Rabin and Yasser Arafat. Picasso, Pablo (1881-1973): Pablo Picasso was a Spanish artist, the greatest of the 20th century. He is best remembered for his twodimensional illusory paintings. He introduced cubism. His most famous painting is Guernica, done in synthetic Introduced Cubism cubism, depicting his horror of the bombing of Guernica, a town in the Basque region of Spain, in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). Pierre, DBC: A little known Australian - Mexican author with murky past, DBC Pierre won the Booker Prize for his debut novel Vernon God Little .DBC Pierre, whose name stands for Dirty But Clean (real name Finlay Peter) has confessed to having betrayed friends as a drug addict and gambler. Pinter Harold: British playwright and theatre director. He was awarded Nobel Prize for literature for the year 2005. The Birthday Party, The Home Coming, No Mans Land are major works. Planck, Max (1858-1947): Max Planck was a German theoretical physicist and the winner of the 1918 Nobel Prize for Physics. He formulated the quantum theory, called Plancks Constant. Plato (c.427-347 BC): Athenian philosopher known as the Father of Western Political Thought. He was

a celebrated disciple of Socrates. Pol Pot (1926-98): The man who unleashed the reign of terror in Cambodia, whom the Cambodians would remember as the worst war criminal in their history, died of a heart attack in his sleep on April 15, 1998 in his northern jungle stronghold of Anlong Veng. Pope, Alexander (1688-1744): Alexander Pope was a British satirical poet and master of the heroic couplet. His works include The Rape of the Lock, The Duncaid, and The Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot. Pressler, Larry: US Republican Senator. His 1985 amendment, known as Pressler Amendment, led to a cut in US military and economic aid to Pakistan in 1990. Priestley, Joseph (17331804): Joseph Priestley was the British chemist who discovered oxygen, the life-giving gas. Prodi, Romano: Italian politician and the former president of European Commission. He Discovered Oxygen is the leader of opposition against Silvio Berlusconis rightwing government. Pulitzer, Joseph (1847-1911): Joseph Pulitzer was a Hungarian-born US newspaper proprietor. In his will he established annual Pulitzer Prizes for literature, drama, music and journalism for American writers. Putin, Vladimir Vladimirovich (b. 1952): Vladimir Putin is the President of Russia; he was sworn-in in May 2000. He took his law degree from the University of Leningrad and joined the KGB in 1975. Puzo, Mario (1921-99): Mario Puzo was a US bestselling author. He was the creator of the fictional Corleone crime family and winner of two Oscars for his screen adaptations of his book The Godfather. His last book was Omert. Rabin, Yitzhak (1922-95): Yitzhak Rabin was a former Prime Minister of Israel. He wa s assassinated in 1995 by Yigal Amir. He shared the 1994 Nobel Prize for Peace with Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat. Rajpakse, Mahinda: The former Prime Minister and Head of United Peoples Freedom Alliance was sworn

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in as the fifth executive President of Sri Lanka. He defeated Ranil Vikram Singhe. Rato, Rodrigo: A former Spanish Finance Minister who on the the basis of consensus and backing of Europe and several Latin American Countries was appointed Managing Director of IMF on May 4, 2004, succeeding Koehler of Germany. Reagan, Ronald (b. 1911): 40th President of USA (1981-88). Was Governor of California (1967). He had been a film star and television artiste. He suffered from Alzheimers disease and died in 2004. Rice, Condoleeza: The current American Secretary of state has topped the Forbes Magazines list of most powerful women. Ms. Rice becomes the first black women to be appointed US Secretary of State is a close confidante of President Bush. Robinson, Mary (b. 1944): The first woman and 7th President of Ireland who was succeeded by another woman President, Mary McAlleese. Ronaldinho: The Brazillian footballer who was awarded the first FIFA player of the year. He was also the European Player of the year in 2005. Rontgen, Wilhelm K. (18451923): Wilhelm Konrad von Rntgen (or Roentgen) was a German physicist. He was the discoverer of X-rays and was the recipient of the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901. Rogge, Dr. Jacques: An OrthoDiscovered X-ray paedic Surgeon of Belgium who was elected as the new President of International Olympic Committee for an 8 year term succeeding Juan Antonio Samaranch. Roosevelt, Franklin D. (1882-1945): Franklin Dwight Roosevelt, known as FDR, was the 32nd President of USA, 1933-45. He is the only American to hold the US presidency three times. Ross, Ronald (1857-1932): Ronald Ross was a British physician and bacteri-ologist. He discovered the malarial parasite, which won him the Nobel Prize in 1902. Rowling, JK: Famous children fiction writer who created Harry potter the child wizard. Her books in Harry potter series have been global best sellers. A

single mother, Ms. Rowling is one of the wealthiest authors of all time. Rushdie, Salman (b. 1947): Mumbai-born controversial British writer. Honoured with 1993 Booker of Bookers, recipient of 1981 Booker Prize for Midnights Children. His 1989 book Satanic verses invited wrath of Muslim clerics Prize in and was banned in many Won Booker 1981 countries. Other works include Shame, The Moores Last Sigh the Ground Beneath Her Feet, Shalimar the Clown etc... Ruskin, John (1819-1900): John Ruskin was a British author and art critic. His critical works Modern Painters and The Stones of Venice established him as the leading critic of his time. Russell, Bertrand (1872-1970): Bertrand Russell was the British philosopher and mathematician who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950. His famous books are Principia Mathematics, An Enquiry into Meaning and Truth , Human Knowledge , History of Western Philosophy , Analysis of Mind, Impact of Science on Society, Mamape and Morals and Problems of Philosophy. Rutherford, Ernest (1871-1937): Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, was a New Zealandborn British pioneer of modern atomic science. He was the first to split the atom and obtain nuclei of hydrogen. He won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1908. He is known as the Father of Nuclear Physics. Sampras, Pete (b. 1971): Former World No. 1 GreekAmerican tennis player. He is considered by many to be the greatest male tennis player of all time, having won a record 14 Grand Slam mens singles titles and finished the year as No. 1 on the ATP world rankings for a record six consecutive years. He won the mens singles title at Wimbledon a record seven times. He also won the US Open five times and the Australian Open twice. However, the one major championship which eluded him was the French Open. He retired from professional tennis in 2003. Saramago, Jose (b. 1924): Jose Saramago is the Portuguese novelist and outspoken non-conformist who has a soft corner for the common man. He won

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the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature. His major breakthrough came in 1982, with his novel Baltasar and Blimunda, on which the Italian composer Corghi based his opera Blimunda. Savitskaya, Svetlana (b. 1949): Soviet cosmonaut. First woman to walk in space. As test pilot, she mastered 20 types of aircraft, and won the title Miss Sensation. Schroeder, Gerhard (b. 1944): Former Chancellor of Germany, leading a coalition of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the Greens from 1998 to 2005. He ended the 16 year long rule of Helmut Kohl. Schumacher, Micheal: German formula one driver who won a record seven World Drivers championship titles. One of the well paid figures in sports worldwide, he is the most successful F1 driver ever. He retired from race driving in 2006.

signed in December 2005 to form a new party Kadima and to fight election in March 2006. During his rule Israel pulled back from Gaza and constructed a controversial security wall. He retired from active politics in March 2007. Shaw, Bernard (1856-1950): George Bernard Shaw was the Irish-born British dramatist, essayist and pamphleteer. Among his many successes are Caesar and Cleopatra , Arms and the Man , Candida, The Devils Disciple, Man and Superman, Major Barbara, The Doctors Dilemma, Pygmalion and Saint Joan. Shelley, Percy Bysshe (1792-1822): Percy Bysshe Shelley was a British poet, one of the most distinguished in the history of English literature. He wrote many poems, including Queen Mab, The Skylark , Ode to the West Wind , Prometheus Unbound and Adonais. Shuttleworth, Mark: The South African businessman became the second space tourist in another step to make space tourism a booming industry. Shoemaker, Eugene (1928-97): Eugene Shoemaker was a renowned US astronomer, who shared the discovery of the comet Shoemaker-Levy-9 with Carol Levy. Sinatra, Frank (1915-98): Frank Sinatra was an American singer, the most popular of his generation. Spielberg, Steven (b. 1947): Film director. His famous films are Jaws (1975), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1978), Raiders of the Last Ark (1982), ETthe Extra Terrestrial (1983), Jurassic Park (1993). Spock, Benjamin (1903-98): Dr. Benjamin Spock was the author of the famous book Baby and Child Care. Stalin, Joseph (1879-1953): Joseph Stalin was a Russian from Georgia, the dictator of USSR He was known as the Iron Man of the USSR. Steinbeck, John (1902-68): John Steinbeck was the US author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. His best-known book is The Grapes of Wrath. Stephenson, George (1781-1848): George Stephenson was the British inventor of the steam locomotive. Stevenson, Robert Louis (1850-94): Robert Louis

Retired from car race in 2006

Sethi, Najam: Najam Sethi is the editor of the Pakistani newspaper The Friday Times. Shakespeare, William (1564-1616): William Shakespeare was an English dramatist and poet, considered the greatest literary figure in English literature. Important plays of Shakespeare are Alls Well That Ends Well, Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It, The Bard of Avon Comedy of Errors , Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, Twelfth Night etc. Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth and Othello are his great tragedies. Sharif, Nawaz (b. 1950): Twice elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan, serving two non-consecutive terms from 1993 to 1999. His party is the Pakistan Muslim League N (Nawaz group). His rule came to an abrupt end following the overthrow of his government by a military coup in 1999 months after the Kargil War. Sharon, Ariel: Former Israeli Prime Minister. He re-

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Stevenson was a British writer of highly readable adventure stories, born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Among his books are Treasure Island, Kidnapped, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Sullivan, Kathy: American astronaut who became Americas first woman space-walker on October 11, 1994, when she floated outside the shuttle Challenger. Swaraj Paul (b. 1931): The noted non-resident Indian (NRI) and Vice Chancellor of Wolver hampton University, England. In 1996, he became a life peer and is known as Lord Swaraj Paul. Talabani, Jalal: The Kurdish leader of the patriotic union of Kurdistan party was elected as the President of liberated Iraq after emerging as consensus candidate supported by United Iraqi Alliance. Taylor, Elizabeth (b. 1932): Elizabeth Taylor is a British film actress now living in USA. Tereshkova, Valentina (b. 1937): Soviet cosmonaut. First woman to make a space flight aboard VostokVI (June 1963). Thant, U (1909-74): Third Secretary-General of the United Nations, 1962-71. He was from Myanmar. Thatcher, Margaret (b. 1925): Prime Minister of Britain 19791990. Known as The Iron Lady for her strong policies , particularly for her military victory against Argentina in the Falkland Islands. Author of The Path to Power, My Downing Street Years.

and Nile, Cities on the Move, Civilisation on Trial and the 10 volume History of the World. Turner, Ted (b. 1938): Creator of CNN (Cable News Network) and former husband of actress Jane Fonda. Tutu, Desmond (b. 1931): Bishop Desmond Tutu is the former Archbishop of Cape Town. He won the Nobel Prize Owns CNN for Peace in 1984. He also won Gandhi Peace Prize. Twain, Mark (1835-1910): Mark Twain was the pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, He is best known for his two masterpieces, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Tyson, Mike (b. 1967): Heavyweight boxing champion. In 1986 he was the youngest man ever to win the heavyweight crown. He was expelled from the boxing profession for biting the ears of the champion Evander Holyfield during a boxing championship. Van Gogh, Vincent (1853-90): Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch painter, probably the greatest of Impressionist artists. His Sunflowers is considered the best painting of the genre. Vaz, Keith: Keith Vaz is a British Labour politician of Dutch Painter Indian origin. In May 1999, he was appointed to the British Council of Ministers, the first Asian MP to be so.

The Iron Lady

Tito (1892-1980): President of Yugoslavia 1953-80. He was a co-founder of the Non-Aligned Movement. Tito, Dennis (b. 1941): Dennis Tito is the US businessman who, in April 2001, became the worlds first space tourist. Tolstoy, Leo (1828-1910): Count Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a great Russian literary figure. His work includes War and Peace , Anna Karenina and Resurrection. Toynbee, Arnold (1889-1975): Arnold Toynbee was a famous British historian. His works include A Historians Approach to Religion, Between Nigar

Verne, Jules (1828-1905): Jules Verne was a French novelist, the founder of the science fiction novel. His best known books are Around the World in Eighty Days, Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Vespucci, Amerigo (1454-1512): Amerigo Vespucci was an Italian navigator. He explored Venezuela and the Gulf of Mexico (1507). Volcker, Paul: In April, 2004 UN assigned him to study about Iraqi Oil for food programme, on whose report Indian Foriegn Minister Natwar Singh had to resign. Voltaire (1694-1778): French writer whose real

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name was Franois Marie Arouet. Among his works are Lettres Philosophiques, Dictionnaire Philosophique and Candide. Waldheim, Kurt (b. 1918): Fourth Secretary-General of United Nations,1972-81.He later became President of Austria (1986-92). Walesa, Lech (b. 1943): Polish trade union leader and politician. President of Poland 1990-95. Earlier he had been the leader of the trade union Solidarity which did much to overthrow communist authoritarianism in Poland. Won the 1983 Nobel Peace Prize. Walsh, Courtney: Courtney Walsh, nicknamed the Silent Killer of the Cricket World, is a Jamaican cricketer. He has surpassed Indias Kapil Dev and become the highest wicket taker in test cricket. He has taken 435 wickets. Retired from first class cricket in 2001.

two-volume American Dictionary of the English Language has been a major influence on US dictionary practice. Wellington, Duke of (1769-1852): Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, was a British national hero and Prime Minister 1828-30. Whittakar, Tom: The handicapped US climber, who lost his right foot in a car accident 19 years ago, became the first disabled person to scale Mount Everest in his third attempt on May 27, 1998. Wilde, Oscar (1854-1900): Oscar Wilde was a Dublin-born British poet, writer and playwright. He was known for his wit, and his plays were among the greatest hits of the Victorian era. His plays include The Importance of Being Earnest , and Lady Windermeres Fan. His books include The Picture of Dorian Gray, De Profundis, The Portrait of W.H. and The Happy Prince (for children). Wilmut, Ian (b. 1947): The embryologist at the Roslin Institute in Scotland is the laboratory father of Dolly the sheep, historys first cloned adult mammal. Wilson, Woodrow (1856-1924): Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28 President of USA (1913-21), the President who brought USA into World War I, and the virtual founder of the League of Nations. Wolfowitz, Paul: Former American Deputy Secretary, for defense and neoconservative ideologue behind the Iraqi invasion was appointed as President of World Bank in place of Wolfenson.
President of Woods, Tiger: American golfer World Bank considered on of the greatest golfers of all time. In 2005, at the age of 29, he won his tenth major golf championship, placing him third in all time list. He is currently the world No.1 and is the highest paid professional.

1983 Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Silent Killer of the Cricket World

Warne, Shane: The 35 year old Australian spin wizard became the first player to take 600 test wickets in August, 2005 against England. The controversial cricketer is considered the best leg spinner the game has ever produced. He became the first bowler (spinner) to take 700 wickets in Test Cricket. He retired from first class cricket in January 2007. Washington, George (1732-99): First President of USA (1789-97). He comman-ded the victorious American forces against the British in the American Revolution. Watson, James (b. 1928): US geneticist. He helped to discover the molecular structure of DNA, for which he shared the 1962 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. Watt, James (1736-1819): British inventor. He invented the steam engine in 1774. The electrical unit watt is named after him. Webster, Noah (1758-1843): US lexicographer. His

Wordsworth, William (1770-1850): William Wordsworth was an English poet. He was the leader of the romantic movement in literature. Yanni: The Greek-born American composer and keyboard player, mesmerised his Indian audience at the Taj Mahal with his scintillating performance.

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 Yeltsin, Boris (b. 1931): Russian President 199199. First popularly elected leader of Russia. He was re-elected as President in 1996 and resigned, due to ill health, on New Years Eve 1999. Yudhoyono, Susilo Bombang: Indonesian retired military general and statesman, is the sixth President of Indonesia, and the first to be directly elected by voters. Yunus, Mohammed: Mohammed Yunus won the 1998 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development. He founded Grameen Bank of Dhaka in Bangladesh. Won Nobel Prize for Peace 2006. Yuschenko, Victor: He was elected as the President of Ukraine defeating Victor Yanukovitch, the former President. He won the reelection after months of turbulence.

for opposing the 1989 military crack down on prodemocracy protests at Tianamen square, passed away. He was in house arrest after 1989. Zola, Emile (1840-1902): Emile Zola was a French novelist. Among his books is French Novelist a 20-volume series called Les Rougon Raquin, a family saga. Another famous book is The Beast in Man.He is also remembered for espousing the cause of Dreyfus, who was falsely accused of espionage, in an open letter entitled Jaccuse (I accuse), in 1898. Zoroaster (6th century BC): He was the celebrated Persian prophet and religious leader who lived in the 6th century BC . He was the founder of Zoroastrianism whose followers are the Parsees who settled in India. He saw the world as a struggle between good end evil. His teachings are collected as Zend-Avesta. The place of worship of Zoroastrians is the Fire Temple. Zulekya Rivera Mendoza (Puertorica): She is the Miss Universe 2006. The 19 year old was the fifth Puerto Rican to win the title.

President of Indonesia

Founder of Grameen Bank

Zia, Begum Khaleda: The housewife-turned-politician and Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party who became the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She resigned from the Prime Ministership in March 1996. Was defeated in the 1996 elections by Sheikh Hasina Wajed of Awami League. She was elected Prime Minister for the second time in October 2001. Zidane, Zinedine (b. 1973): This French footballer was named European Footballer of the Year for an eventful 1998 when he helped France to win the World Cup. Zinedine Zidane also won the Reuters Sports Personality of the Year Cup Football 2006 Award, beating Aus-tralian World Golden ball award skier Hermann Maier and American sprinter Marion Jones into second and third places respectively. Ziyang, Zhao: The Chinese leader who introduced market reform and capitalism to china, was onsted

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