World's Great Personalities

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WORLD'S GREAT PERSONALITIES

Heres a list of some of the worlds great personalities who have made their mark in severalareas -

Abdul Rehman Tunku (1903-73) The Malaysian statesman who negotiated with the British forthe independence of Malaysia. He was the first Prime Minister of the country.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-65)The 16th President of the U.s., he succeeded in abolishhingslavery. He was re-elected as President in 1864 and assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865.

Abu-Bakr (9573-634) Abu-Bakr was a leading general of Prophet Mohammed and was the firstCaliph of the Muslim empire and ruled from 632 AD. He made Islam a political and militaryforce in Arabia.

Abul Fazal (1561-16020) The author of Ain-i-Akbari and Akbar Nama. He was the celebratedMughal court poet, and Prime Minister during Akbars reign.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1890-1988)also called Frontier Gandhi because he organised thepeople of the North-West Frontier Province (NWEP) of undivided India 9now merged withPakistan)on Gandhian principles. He was a staunch Congress man who called himself a soldierof the freedom struggle. His admirers called ah him Badshah Khan. He was awarded the BharatRatna in 1987.

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) The Austrian-born German dictator who influenced the course ofhistory in the 20th century. He served in the German Army inWorld War I. He laer founded theNazi party and became chancellor in 1933. He pushed the countries of the world into World WarII in which five million people lost their lives. In 1939 his troops invaded Poland causing theoutbreak of World War II, and in 1945 German faced total defeat. He married his mistress, EvaBraun, in April 1945 and the next day they were said to have committed suicide.

Aesop (600 BC) The Greek author of Aesops Fables which are moral tales with animalprotagonists. The famous tale The Tortoise and the Hare was his creation.

Akbar (1542-1605) the greatest Mughal Emperor of India who reigned from 1556 (see sectionon Indian History ). Alberuni, the famous Arab historian who visited India along with the

armies of Mahmud of Ghazni.

Alfonso, de Albuquerque Founder of the Portuguese empire in the east, he conquered Goa in1510.

Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) King of Macedonia (Greece), who conquered most of AisaMinor and defeated Porus (India)in 327 BC. A mutiny in his army prevented him fromadvancing further into India and he died in 323 BC.

Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) The scottish-American scientist who invented the

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telephone in 1876.

Andre Marie Ampere (1775-1836)A french scientist who formulated Amperes Law. The 5.1unit of electric current is named after him.

Alighieri Dante (1265-1321) Italian poet, author of Divina Commedia, a philosophical poemtelling the story of an imaginary journey through Hell. He also wrote love poems which werecollected under the title La Vita Nuova.

Alexander Fleming (1881-1955) The Scottish bacteriologist who discovered pencillin in 1928.He, however could not isolate it. This was later achieved by Florey and Chain with whom heshared the Nobel prize in medicine in 1945.

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) One of the most illustrious scientists of the 20th century. He wasborn in 1879 at Ulma in Germany and completed his education in Switzerland. He made therevolutionary discovery of the Theory of Relativity in 1905, which established his reputation

among the physicists of Europe. In 1921 he was awarded the noble prize in physics. He died inUSA on April 18,1955.

Alfred Lord Tennyson (1802-92) Englands poet laureate from 1850 till his death. Author of InMemoriam, a poem of great beauty and depth of thought.

Aladdin Khilji Ruled north India between 1296-1316. He was the strongest ruler of the Khiljidynasty and during his reign the Muslims progressed towards the narmada river into the Deccan.

Ang Dorjee A Nepalese sherpa, who climbed Mt Everest in 1984 with the first Indian womanBachendri Pal. He has the distinction of having climbed Mt Everest twice without the use ofoxyzen.

Archimedes (287-212 BC) The Greek scientist and mathematician known for his discovery ofthe unique principle of buoyancy. Also discovered and analysed the principle of lever andinvented the Archimedes screw to raise water.

Arthur Holly Compton American scientist noted for his research on x-rays, he won the Nobelprize in 1927.

Aryabhatta (476-520) The Indian astronomer who attended the court of ChandraguptaVikramaditya. Indias first satellite is named after him.

Ashoka, the Great (264-228 BC) Grandson of Chandragupta, Ashoka was a great empoeror ofIndia. After the battle of Kalinga, he renounced violence and embraced Buddhism.

Aurobindo Ghosh An exponent of Indian nationalism, philosopher, poet and saint. His famousworks include Life Divine and Essays on the Gita.

Babur (1483-1530) Founder of the Mughal empire in India, he conquered the throne of Delhi

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after thefirst battle of panipat and ruled for about four years (1526-1530).

Bana Bhatt Noted sanskrit scholar and court poet of Harshavardhana who wrote Kadambari andHarsha Charit.

Bahadur Shah Zafar (1807-1862) The last ruler of the Mughal dynasty. He fought against theBritish in the first war of Indian independence in 1857. After his defeat, the British exiled him toRangoon.

Bannerjee, W.C. The first President of the Indian National Congress.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee Author of Vande Mataram, the national song of india taken from hiswork Anand Math. He was a celebrated Bengali novelist.

Bairam Khan He was Akbars uncle and also his tutor and was known as Khan-i-Khona.Bachendri Pal First Indian woman and fifth woman in the world to scale Mt Everest on May 23,

1984 along with two male members Lhatoo Dorjee and Sherpa Sardar Ang Dorjee.Bartholomew Diaz (1450-1500) A portuguse navigator who was the first European to sail roundthe Cape of Good Hope (the southern tip of the african continent).

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) U.S. statesman who promoted the american Declaration ofIndependence (1776) and worked on drafting the Coustitution of America.

Begum Akhtar The ghazal queen of India who died in 1974. She was awarded the PadmaBhushan posthumously in 1975.

Bhaskara I An astronomer of the 7th century, a contemporary of Brahmagupta. Indias secondsatellite is named after him.

Bhaskara II Mahematician and astronomer of the 12th century. His name is also associated withIndias third satellite.

Bhagat Singh A patriot and revolutionary, known as Shahid-e-azam, who along with Sukh Devand Raj Guru became a martyr on March 23,1931.

Bhaskaracharya The greatest astronomer who lived in the 12th century. He wrote Sidhanta-Siromani in 1150.

B.R. Ambedkar (1893-1956) Father of the Indian Constitution, he was also a well-known jurist.

Caption James cook (1728-79) The great British explorer and navigator. He travelled to NewZealand and Eastern Australia from 1768-71 in his ship Endeavour. On his second voyage hereahed the Antarctica circle and discovered the Hawaiian Island on his third voyage. He alsowrote the classic work Voyage Round the World.

Charan singh The Lok Dal leader who was Prime Minister of India in 1979.

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Changez Khan The Mongol conqueror who came to India during the reign of IItutmish (1210-36).

Chandergupta II (vikramaditya) A brave emperor of the Gupta dynasty during whose reign art

and literature flourished; the era was known as the Golden Age of the Guptas.Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) Great British comedian, film actor, director, producer andcomposer. His wistful Hollywood comedies are loved the world over.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) An English novelist whose famous works include DavidCopperfield, Oliver Twist, and Great Expectations.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1445-1533) A pioneer of the Bhakti movement in Bengali; a devotee ofLord Krishna.

Chanakya Also known as Kautilya, he was the writer of the famed treatise Arthashastra, a book

on statecraft. He was the Prime Minister during Chandragupta Mauryas reign.Chandragupta Maurya (321-298 BC) Founder of the Mauryan Dynasty in India, and spread hisempire beyond India. Kautilya (Chanakya) was his minister.

Charles Robert Darwin (1809-82) The British naturalist who put forward his theory of evolutionbased on natural selection. He studied fossils and diverse plants and animal life during hisvoyage (1831-36) around south America and the Pacific. His works On the Origin of Species(1859) and Descent of Man (1871), revolutionised mans knowledge of evolution.

Christian Huygens (1629-16950) Dutch mathematician and physicist renowned for evolving thewave theory of light. He invented the pendulum clock basd on Galileos theory (1580). He also

discovered the rings of Saturn and its fourth satellite.

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) Italian explorer, the first modern European to discoverAmerica in 1492. He reached Bahamas (1492)and discovered Puerto Rico and Jamaica. In 1498-1500 he reached Trinidad and South America.

Chou-en-Lai (1898-1976) Chinese revolutionary and Prime Minister from 1949-1958, who wasinstrumental in bringing China into world diplomacy. He played key role in nearly every majorpolitical and diplomatic event or crisis involving China till his death in 1976.Chatrapati shivaji Born in 1627, a military genius, shivaji was the last Hindu King who partlysucceeded in establishing Hindu Swaraj. He fought many battles against Aurangzeb and wassuccessful in destabilising the Mughal empire in India.

Lord Curzon (1895-1925) Viceroy of India during 1889-1905, he became a prominent figureafter the First World War.

Lord Cornwallis (1738-1805) The British statesman who commanded the British Army in SouthCarolina during the War of American Independence in 1781. He was Governor-General of India

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for two terms and is well known for his land reforms.C.F. Andrews A British missionary and close associate of Mahatma Gandhi who came to Indiain 1904 and devoted himself to Indias freedom struggle. He came to be known as Deena-Bandhu.

Cleopatra(69-30 BC) Queen of Egypt noted for her beauty. She was daughter of Ptolemy XI ofEgypt and succeeded as queen in 51 BC.

Dara Shikho Eldest son of Shahjahan, he was killed by his brother Aurangzeb who usurped theirfathers throne.

Dhanvantari An Indian physician who attended the court of Chandragupta Vikramaditya.Dhyan Chand (1905-1979) A great hockey players. He captained the Indian hockey team whichwon a gold medal in the historic 1936 Berlin Olympics. He scored 101 goals at the Olympicgames and 300 goals in other international matches and his record is still unbroken. It earned himthe title, Hockey Wizard.

Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969) Us general and President between 1953 and 1961. In1950 he was made supreme commander of NATO but resigned when he won the presidentialelectrions of 1952. He won his second term in 1956.

Edward Morgan Forster (1879-1970) Famous British writer who has written numerous books onIndia. Author of Where Angels Fear to Tread, A Room with a View, Howards End and Passageof India.

Edward Jenner (1749-1823) The english physician and surgeon who developed the small -poxvaccine.

Epicurus (342-270 BC) A Greek philosopher who founded Epicurean philosophy, whichdescribes a life of indulgent pleasure seeking, because it leads to happiness.

Euclid (350-300 BC) Greek mathematician, his important contribution was the use of deductiveprinciples of logic as the basic of geometry. He propounded many geometrical theorems.

Fa-hien The first Buddhist pilgrim of China to visit India during the reign of ChandraguptaVikramaditya.

Faiz Ahmed Faiz A revolutionary Urdu poet of Pakistan. He died in 1984.

Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) The Portuguese navigator who crossed the ocean which henamed Pacific, reaching the Marianas and the Philippines.

Firdausi APersian poet, well-known for his epic Shahnama.

Florence Nightingale (1820-1920) Also known as the Lady with the lamp. She was a devotedBritish nurse who reformed the nursing profession and was the first woman to receive the Other

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of Merit (1907).

Francois Bernier The French traveller whon served as physician to Aurangzeb during his stay inIndia.

Francis Xavier (1506-1552) The Spanish missionary who preached in Spanish and Portuguesecolonies in the East and converted thousands to Christianity. He lived in goa between 1540 and1552.

Frances Marie Arovet de Voltaire ( 1697-1778 ) French writer and philosopher. His philosophymade a significant impact on prevailing ideas which led to the outbreak of the French Revolutionin 1789.

Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit ( 1686 - 1736 ) German physicist and resident of Holland, hedeveloped the Mercury thermomete in 1714 and later devised its temperature scale.Galileo ( 1564-1642) The Italian astronomer, who developed the telescope and discovered four

satellites of Jupiter, His belief that Copernicus was right to advocate that the sun is the centre ofuniverse led to his persecution, While dying he said Bur it earth does move. He alsodiscovered that the movement of the pendulum produces a regular time measurement. Thependulum clock was later invented by Hoygens.

Gautam Budha ( 563-483 BC) Founder of Buddhism, born in Lumbini village near Nepal, hewas the son of Sudhodana, king of Kapilvastu in Nepal. He renounced the world and later cameto be known as the Buddha.

Geoffrey Chaucer ( 1342-1400) The English poet who is considered the father of English Poetry.His famous works include The Book of Dutches 9 1369) and Canterbury Tales ( a collection ofstories)George Washington ( 1732-1799 ) the American general who led the revolt against the Britishand declared Ameican independence. He became the first President of USA.

Dr George B, Kisitiakowsky. A chemist and professor at Harvard who worked on the first atomicbomb and later strongly advocated the daimler Moror Company in 1890 which built the firstMercedes.

Govind Ballabh Pant ( 1887-1961) Veteran Congress leader, he was Chief Minister of UP andlater Union Home Minister, He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1958.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Son of Guru Hargobind, and the ninth Guru of the Sikhs., He was executedby Aurangzeb when he refused to embrace Islam.

Guru Nanak ( 1469 - 1538 ) Founder of the Sikh religion, born in Nankana Sahib, now located inPakistan; he was a contemporary of the Mughal ruler Akbar.

Guru Gobind Singh ( 1666 - 1708 ) The 10th and the last Guru of the Skh who spent a major partof his life fighting the muslims. He founded the Khalsa the inner council of the Sikhs in 1699. He

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is said to be the author of Dasam Granth.

Gugeliemo Marconi ( 1874-1937) Italian physicist who invented the radio and wireless system.He shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Ferdinand Braun of Germany in 1909 for thedevelopment of the wireless.

Henry Kissinger US foreign policy advisor, born in Germany, he fled from the Nazis to live inUS. Under President Nixon he remained Secretary of State. He helped to negotiate the Vietnamissue ( 1973). He shared the Bonel Prize for Peace ( 1973) along with North Vietnamsnegotiator Le Duc Tho.

Henry Miller ( 1891-1980) Controversial American novelist, author of Tropic of Cancer ( 1931)and Tropic of Capricorn ( 1935) which were published in Paris but banned in US until the 60sbecause of their frank sexual themes.

Homer ( 9th century BC ) The Greek poet considered to be the author of the classic epics The

lliad and The Odyssey which rank among the most precious treasures in world literature.Sir Humphry Davy ( 1778 - 1828 ) A renowned British chemist who invented the safety lamp forminers. He also discovered the anaesthetic properties of nitrous oxide ( laughing gas); the factthe chlorine is an element and that diamonds are a form of carbon.

Ibn Batuta A great scholar and traveller from South Africa who visited India in 1333 AD duringthe reign of Mohammed Tuglaq and wrote a chronicle on him. He spent eight years in India onhis way to China.

Sir isaac Newton( 1642-1727) English mathematician and physicist, famous for his discovery ofthe law of Gravitation and three Laws of Motion.

James Prescort Joule ( 1818-89) The British physicist who was the first to measure themechanical equivalent of heat; unit of which has been named after him.

James Watt ( 1736-1819 ) The Scottish instrument maker who turned to make high pressuresteam engines.

Jamshedji Tata ( 1813-1904) Founder of the Tata Iron and Steel Company one of the largestintegrated steelworkds in the world. He also founded the Indian Institute of Science in Bangaloreand built the Taj Hotel in Bombay.

Jacques Charles ( 1764-1823 ) A French physicist, known for his Charles Law and Gay- LussacsLaw of Gases.

Jayaprakash Narayan Also known as Loknayak he formed the Janata Party and defeated theCongress party in 1977. He was conferred the Rashtra Bhushan in 1977.

Jaya Deva Lived in the 12th century and is the author of Gita Govinda. The book is a noble work

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of lyrical poetry and described the love of Lord Krishna and his beloved Radha, their separationand reunion.

John Milton ( 1608-74) English poet. He wrote a poem in support of free press Aeropagitica (1644 ) and essays Tenure of Kings and Magistrates ( 1649). His epic poem Paradise Los was

published in 10 volumes in 1667 and in 12 volumes in 1674. Paradise Regained and SamsonAgonisters were his other major works published in 1671. He was totally blind for a good manyyears of his life.

John keats ( 1795-1821) An English poet whose works include La Belle Dame sans marci,Endymion ( A thing of beauty is a joy forever). The Eve of St Agnes and Ode to a Nightingale.

John of Arc ( 1412-31) French girl, also known as the Maid of Orleans. She led the Frenchresistance that forced the English to raise the siege of Orleans ( 1429) At the age of 17 she led anarmy of 12,000 to Rheims and persuaded Charles. VII to go there to be crowned as king ofFrance. She was ultimately captured and sold to the English ( 1430) by Burgundians and was

burned at the stake in Roven.John Dalton ( 1766 - 1844) English chemist who postulated the Atomic theory and definedatomic weight. Also famous for Daltons law-the pressure of a mixture of gases is the sum ofpartial pressure of the components of the mixture.

John Logie Baird ( 1888-1946) The Scottish television pioneer, who invented the TV in 1926.

Julius Caesar ( 100-44 BC ) Roman general and statesman who invaded Britain and returned toRome as a popular hero. He fell in love with Clepatra the Egyptian queen who followed him toRome. He was given a mandate by the people to rule as Caesar and was worshipped as a god inhis lifetime. However, he was murdered by a group of trusted friends led by Brutus.

John F kennedy ( 1917-1963) One of the most popular Presidents of US He was the first RomanCatholic President and the youngest Ameican to be elected to the office of President of the US.He wrote several books; why England Slept and Profile in Courage are his two most famousbooks. He was assassinated on Nov 23, 1963.

Kabirdas Hindi poet who was one of the gretest exponents of the Bhakti movement, a socia-religious movement. He believed in the equality of all religions and unity of Hindus andMuslims.

Kaka Saheb Kalekar Philosopher and educationist he was Vice Chancellor of Gujarat, Universityand one of the oldest disciples of Gandhiji. He died on aug 21, 1991 at the age of 96 . Heauthored more than 120 books in Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi and English.Kalhana A Kashmiri Poet of the 11th century and author of Rajatarangini the book describes thehistory of Kashmir up to the 10th century.

Kemal Ataturk ( 1881 - 1938 ) The reformed and builder of modern TurkeyKanishka The greatest king of Kushan dynasty ( 120-162 AD.) He was a great conqueror but

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later became a follower of Buddha. He was the only ruler of India whose territory extended up toCentral Asia.

Karl Marx ( 1818-83) A German journalist and philosopher who propounded the doctrine ofCommunism also known as Marxism. He is the author od Das Kapital.

K.M. Munshi A great writer, educationist and consitutional law expert he played an active role inIndias freedom struggle.

Kublai Khan ( 1216-1294) A Mongolian emperor who conquered most of Asia. He was thegrandson of Chengiz Khan.

Lakshmibai of Jhansi. The ruler of Jhansi, she was a great warrior of India and took part in thefirst war of independence in 1857 ( Indian Mutiny)

Lal Bahadur Shastri ( 1904-1966) Indian statesman, who succeeded Pandit Nehru as the second

Prime Minister of India ( 1964-66). He signed the Tashkent Agreement with Ayub Khan, for aceasefire between India and Pakistan. Also known as Man of Peace He died in Tashkent onJanuary1, 1966 a few hours after he had signed the Indo-Pak accord.

leonardo Da vinci ( 1452-1519). The great Italian painter, sculptor and architect who has beendescribed as a universal genius of the Renaissance. His masterpiece Monalist brought him greatfame, The Cena Ultima ( The last Supper ) is also one of his better known paintings. He alsoexcelled as an inventr, mathematician, engineer, naturalist and anatomist, In anatomy, he learntabout the working of the body by dessecting more than 30 corpses. He also created moulds oforgans such as the heart, lungs and the womb.

Leo Tolstey ( 1828-1910) A great Russian literary figure. Mahatma Gandhi was greatlyinfluenced by his works which include Anna Karenina, War & Peace, etc.

Leon Trotsky ( 1979-1940) Russian revolutionary; one of the leaders of the Bolshevistrevolution; he was assassinated in 1940 when he was in exile in Mexico.

Louis Pasteur ( 1822-1895) The French scientist who discovered that germs exist and are thecause of infection. The technique of pasteurising milk is named after him. He also conductedresearch in areas of hydrophobia, bacteriology, cholera, etc..

Louis Braille ( 1809-1852) French inventor of the Braille system ( raised point lettering) asystem of writing and printing for the blind. He himself became blind at the age of 3 and becamea teacher for the blind in1828.

Marco Polo ( 1254-1323) The Italian traveller, who was the first European to visit China. He alsojourneyed to India, and other countries of the Far East and published records of his travels.

Mercus Jonius Brutus ( 85-82 BC) Roman governor and principal assassin of julius Caesar.

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Mahakavi Kalidas Indias greatest Hindi poet and dramatist, who lived during the reign of

Chandragupta Vikramaditya. His famous works works are Shakuntala, Raghuvansha, Meghdootand Kumara Sambhava.

Madam Marie Curie (1867-1934) Madam Curie was the only person to have won two Nobel

Prizes. A polish chemist known for her discovery of radium 91898) Along with her husbandPierre Curie, a French scientist, she caried out research in radioactivity and was awarded theNobel Prize in physics in 1903. After her husbands death she continued her research and in1911 was awarded the second Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her discovery of radium andpolonium.

Mathew Arnold (1822-1888) A famous English poet and critic. Some of his famous poems areSohrab and Rustum and Scholar Gypsy.

Martin Luther King (1929-68) The Black American Clergyman and civil rights leader. He led thenon-voilent movement to obtain full civil rights for American Negroes and was awarded the

Noble Prize for Peace in 1964. He was assassinated on April 5,1968 by a white fanatic.Mahavira (599-527BC) Born in Kundagram near Vaishali (Bihar), he was an apostle of non-voilence, who preached the observance of chastity, penance, contemplation and self-mortification. He achieved enlightenment under a sala tree. Jainism became a major religionunder his influence.

Madan Mohan Malaviya (1861-1946) A prominent lawyer of Allahabad, he also founded theBanaras Hindu University. He was a President of Indian National Congress, and an Indiandelegate to the Round Table Conference in 1931.

Manu Regarded as the ancient law giver of India and author of Manu Smriti.Marshal Tito (1892-1980) Ex-President of Yugolavia. He was leader of the partisan forces whichfought successfully against German occupation. He was made President of Yugoslavia for life in1963.

Megasthenes The Greek ambassador in the court of Chandragupta Maurya, who was sent bySeleucus. He wrote a detailed account of India in his work Indica.

Michael Faraday (1791-1867) The British scientist who discovered electromagnetism. He alsodiscovered benzene, liquid gases and optical glass. In 1841 he discovered the induction ofelectric current which led to the invention of the electric motor. He also contributed to thedevelopment of electrolysis.

Mira Behn (1892-1982) An English woman named Madeleine Slade, who became Ghandhijisdisciple and was dedicated to India and to Ghandhijis teachings.

Mohammed Bin tughlaq (1325-1351) Alearned Sultan of Delhi who was well-known for hisprofound ideas and poor administrative capabilities. He tried to shift his capital from Delhi toDevagiri in Deccan. When he found that his subjects did not approve of the idea, he re-shifted to

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Delhi.

Mohammed Neguid The first president of Egypt, he was put under house arrest in 1954 by AbdelGamel Nasser for 17 years. Later President Anwar Sadat freed him in 1971.

Montessori, Maria (1870-1952) Italian educationist and founder of the montessori system ofeducation that stresses development of a childs own initiative and natural abilities, especiallythrough practical play and individual guidance rather than through strict control.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah (1879-1948) Founder of the separate muslim state of pakistan. He wasthe president of the Muslim League for years and after partition of India, became the firstGovernor-General of Pakistan in 1947.

Lord Mountbatten Britains supreme Allied Commander in South-East Asia during World WarII, he became the last Viceroy of India. He declared India a free nation and became the firstGovernor-General of independent India.

Munshi Premchand (1880-19370) A well-known author of Hindi novels and short stories whichgave him international fame.

Nargis Dutt First lady of the Indian screen to have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha. She was arecipient of the Padmashri and is well known for her film Mother India.

Napolean Bonaparte (1769-1821) French sttesmn, king of Frnce (1769-97), the most brillintgenerl of his time, he won series of splendid victories against England , Russia and Austria in1805. He was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 and exiled to St Helena, where hedied in 1821.

Nicolus Copernicus (1473-1553) Polish stronomer known for his discovery of the hevenly bodiesand his theory that they move round the sun and that the sun is the centre of the universe.

Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1658) A follower of Joseph Stalin.When Stalin died he became thefirst secretary of the Soviet Communist Party and was Prime Minister during 1958-64. He died in1971.

Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) The English soldier and statesman who established acommonwealth in Britain nd became its haed with the title Loed Protector. He ruled thecountry for five years between 1653 and 1658.

Panini Well known Hindu sage and Sanskrit grammarain, he belonged to the Vedic era andauthored Ashtadhyayi.

Porus A Hindu king of Punjab, who fought against the Greek invader, Alexander, when the latterinvaded India and nearly defeated him. Alexander admired his gallantry and returned hiskingdom to him.

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Pulakesin II (608-642 A.D.) The most powerful ruler of the Chalukyan dynasty that ruled theDeccan.

Pythagoras (582-500 BC) A Greek philosopher, theologian and mathematician (especiallygeometry). Though his famous theorem was previously known, he was the first to prove its

universal validity.Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) Queen Elizabeth I of England (1558-1603) was the daughter ofHenry VIII. Her reign saw the thought provoking development of literature, WilliamShakespeare lived during her time.

Ranjit Singhji (1780-1839) A Sikh prince of Punjab, he captured lahore in 1799 and proclaimedhimself Maharaja. He wrested control of Punjab from the Afghans and Pathans and earned thetitle Lion of Punjab.

Raja Rammohan Roy (1774-18330) The social reformer who tried to eradicate sati, pardah and

child marriage; also advocated widow re-marriage and womens education. He was the founderof the Brahmo Samaj.

Rabindranath Tagore Noble Prize winners

Rene Franck President of the International Hockey Federation for 17 years. He died in 1983.

Robert Wilhelm Bunsen (1811-1899) A German scientist who invented the Bunsen burner.

Robert Boyle (1627-1691) An Irish chemist, famous for his Boyles Law of Gases.

Robert Clive (1725-1774) He came to India as a clerk in the East India company. He becamecommander-in-Chief and fought against the French in India. He defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah in theBattle of Plassey in 1757. Later he ruled India as Governor (1765) and ultimately committedsuicide in 1774.

Roger Bacon (1214-94) English scientist, encyclopaedist, philosopher and invertor of themagnifying glass and gunpowder.

Rudolf Diesel (1858-1931) A German engineer who invented the diesel engine in 1893.

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) English writer, whose famous works include: Tales From theHills, The Light That Failed, Jungle Book, Barrack Room Ballads, Kim, Just-so Stories, puck ofPooks Hill. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 which he later returned.

Sarojini Naidu (1879-1948)Also called the Nightingale of India, she was a great poetess inthe English language. She partucipated in Indias freedom struggle and became president of the

Indian National Congress in 1925 and the first woman governor of a state (UP).

Swami Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883) Founder of the Arya Samaj and author of Satyarth

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Prakash. He is well-known for his opposition of various social taboos.

Samudragupta (330-375 AD) Son and successor of Chandragupta I; a powerful and able Hinduking, he was also known as Indias Napolean.

Shahjahan (1592-1666) Moghul emperor of India, brought the Moghul empire to its golden age.A great patron of art, architecture and literature, he built the Taj Mahal, in memory of hisbeloved Mumtaz Mahal. He was deposed by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in Agra.

Shankaracharya (born 788 Ad) One of the greatest Hindu reformers who revived the Hindureligion and successfully threw back the tide of Budbism and Jainism. He was a founder of theAdvaitic philosophy.

Sher Shah Suri Ruled India between 1540 and 1545. The first Muslim king who paid specialattention to administrative reforms. The Grand Trunk Road was constructed during his rule. Healso introduced currency in India.

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) A renowned Austrian psychologist who developed the theory ofpsychoanalysis. He published The Interpretation of dreams and The Ego and the Id.

Sir Syed Ahmed (1817-1898) An educationist and reformer of the Muslim community in India.He established the M.A.O. College at Aligarh in 1975 which later became the Aligarh MuslimUniversity.

Sohrab Modi The Grand Old Man of Indian Cinema and winner of the Dada saheb Phalke Awardin 1978, he produced Indias first technicolour film Jhansi Ki Rani in the early 50s. Another

film, Mirza Ghalib, was the first Hindi film to receive the Presidents Gold Medal In 1955. Hedied In 1984.

Stalin (1879-1953) Soviet statesman and architect of the former USSR, he became premier in1941 and triumphed as a leader during World War II. An active revolutionary leader from theage of 17, he took part in the civil war and rose to become an outstanding figure in soviet Russia

Sunga Pushyamitra Brahmin commander-in-chief of the last Mauryan King Brihadratha. Hekilled his master and founded the Sunga dynasty.S.S. Bhatnagar (1894-1955) An Indian scientist remembered for his outstanding work as anadministrator.

Sun Yat Sen (1866-1925) The founder and the first president of the Chinese republic in 1912. In1905 Sun Yat Sen founded the China Revolutionary League in Europe and Japan and played aprominent part in the revolution of 1911.

Tansen A great exponent of Indian classical music. He was one of the nine gems in the court ofAkbar.

Tantiya Tope One of the heroes of the War of Indian independence in 1857, he was a brave

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Commander of Nana Sahibs forces.

Tarabai of Gwalior resisted the attempts of Lord Ellenborough to annex Gwalior. She was thethirteen-year old widow of Jankoji Scindia who died in Feb.1843.

Tenzing Norgay Indian mountaineer; the first to conquer Mt Everest on May 29, 1953 along withSir Edmund Hillary. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1959.

Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) Us born inventor with more than 1300 US and foreign patentsto his credit for his inventions; most of them concerned with electricity. Some of his importantinventions are: The incandescent lamps, phonograph (Gramophone), carbon telephonetransmitters, microphone, etc.

Thomas Addison (1793-1860) The British physician known for his study of what is now knownas Addisons Disease and for his works on ductless glands.

Timur (1336-1405) Head of the Chaghta Truks. He was a powerful warrior and a plundererknown for the Sack of Delhi (indiscriminate massacre and plunder) during his invasion of Indiain 1398 AD.

Todar Mal (1556-1605) One of the nine gems and revenue minister in the court of Akbar, knownfor his reforms in policies of land revenue.

Tulsidas Was a great Hindi poet, Hindu religious preacher and known for his work,Ramachandaritamanas, which pepicts the life of Lord Rama.

Valmiki A celebrated Sanskrit poet of ancient India, the author of the Ramayana.Varahmihira A distinguished astronomer, mathematician and philosopher of early times. He wasone of the nine gems in the court of King Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II).

Vasco de Gama (1470-1524) The portuguese explorer who made the first voyage from Europeround Africa to the East and reached Calicut (India) in 1498.

Vikramaditya He was the greatest emperor of the Gupta dynasty. His reign constitutes the mostglorious chapter of Indian history, when art and literature flourished.

V.V.Giri The third Vice-President (1967-1969) and the fourth President of India (1969-Acting).He was a recipient of the Bharat Ratna (1975). He died in1980.

Vijayalakshmi Pandit Sister of Jawaharlal Nehru, she was the first woman minister of an Indianstate (UP). She holds the distinction of being the first woman to become President of thev UNGeneral Assembly and first Indian woman ambassador to Moscow.

Swami Vivekanand (1863-1902) A disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa, he championed thegreatness of Vedantic philosophy. His famous talk at the Chicago Conference of WorldReligions in 1893 made the Westerners realise the greatness of Hindustan for the first time. He

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established the Ramakrishna Mission, in the memory of his guru Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa(1836-1886).

Ved Vyas A great Sanakrit scholar, who wrote the Mahabharata, one of the most revered texts ofthe Hindus.

Vladimir Illich Lenin (1870-1924) Also known as Nikolai Lenin, he was a Russian revolutionaryleader who was exiled to Siberia in 1895 where he continued to guide the revolutionary struggleof the Russian people. In 1898 he created a new party, the Bolshevik party, to bring about thecommunist revolution in Russia. On November 7,1917, a new socialist government was formedunder the leadingship of Lenin.

Walt Disney (1901-66) A merican film producer famous for his cartoon characters, MickeyMouse and Donald Duck.

Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) He was President of America During World War I. He become

famous for his 14 points and played a noteble part in the setting up of the League of Nations.William Wordsworth(1770-1850) The English poet whose famous works include The Prelude,Intimations on Immortality, The Recluse, The Solitary Reaper, etc.

Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) British statesman and war leader, who was Prime Ministerduring World War II. His pulication The Second World War (in 6 volumes), became veryfamous and earned him the Nobel Prize in 1953. He resigned as Prime Minister in 1955 andpublished his major work, A History of the English Speaking People.

William Crooks (1832-1919) The British chemist and physicist who discovered the elementthallium in 1861 and invented the radiometer. He also pioneered research on Cathode rays.

William Thompson Kelvin (1824-1907) A British physicist, who put forward the idea of anabsolute measurement of temperature and invented the Kelvin scale of temperature.

Lord William Bentinck (1828-1835) Governor- General of India, famous for the sati reforms andsuppression of human sacrifice. He also introduced English education in India.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English dramatist and poet, considered the greatest literaryfigure in English literature. He was born as Stratford-on-Avon, the son of a tradesman. Hemarried Anne Hathaway in 1582. His first play was Henry VI and his first major poem Venusand Adonis.

Yuri Gagarin (1934-68) A Russian cosmonaut. In 1961 he become the first man to travel inspace. He complated one revolution around the earth and it took him 89.34 minutes to do so. Healso holds the record of being the first person to fly at such a great height, (340 Km from theearth).

Ved Vyas A great Sanskrit scholar, who wrote the Mahabharata, one of the most revered texts of

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the Hindus.

Vladimir Illich Lenin (1870-1924) Also known as Nikolai Lenin, he was a Russian revolutionaryleader who was exiled to Siberia in 1895 where he continued to guide the revolutionary struggleof the Russian people. In 1898 he created a new party, the Bolshevik party, to bring about the

communist revolution in Russia. On November 7,1917, a new socialist government was formedunder the leadingship of Lenin.

Z..A. Bhutto (1928-79) President of Pakistan in 1971 and subsequently Prime Minister ofPakistan. He was deposed by an army coup led by Zia-ul-Haq and executed in 1979.

Zakir Hussain He was the third President of India, and died in office on May 3,1969. He wasalso Indias second Vice-President from 1962-1967.

Zoroaster A celebrated Persian prophet and religious leader who lived in the 7th century BC. Heis the founder of Zoroastrianism whose followers are the parsees who settled in India.

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VIJAYA BANK PROBATIONARY OFFICERS

2008

GENERAL AWARENESS

1. The Foreign Exchange Reserve of India are kept in the custody of(A) World Bank(B) International Monetary Fund(C) Prime Minister Rahat Kosh(D) Reserve Bank of India(E) None of these

2. The Reserve Bank of India issues coins and notes of various denominations. At present RBIdoes not issue coins of which of the following denominations ?(A) 10 paise(B) 20 paise(C) 25 paise

(D) 50 paise(E) 100 Rupee

3. The European Union has adopted which of the following as a common currency ?(A) Dollar(B) Dinar(C) Yen(D) Peso

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(E) Euro

4. Various Banks in the country have installed machines which disburse money to general public.These machines are called(A) Coin dispensing machines

(B) ATMs(C) Debit Card Machines(D) Ledger Machines(E) None of these

5. Which of the