Influential Personalities n legends

Ismail Haniyah Hamas Leader

noreply@blogger.com (Fahad) — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 11:28:00 +0000

Ismail Haniyah

A Complex Figure at the Helm of Hamas

Ismail Haniyah

Ismail Haniyah, the current leader of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, is a controversial figure whose life and actions have significantly impacted the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Understanding his background, ideology, and leadership style is crucial in navigating the complex politics of the region.

Early Life and Rise to Power:

Born in 1963 in Gaza, Haniyah's formative years were marked by the Israeli occupation and displacement of his family. He became involved in the Muslim Brotherhood and later joined Hamas, rising through its ranks due to his organizational skills and charisma. Following the death of Hamas founder Sheikh Yassin in 2004, Haniyah became Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, leading a Hamas-led government boycotted by the international community due to its refusal to recognize Israel and renounce violence.

Ideology and Political Stance:

Haniyah adheres to Hamas's core ideology, advocating for an Islamic Palestinian state encompassing all historical Palestine, including present-day Israel. He remains committed to armed resistance against Israeli occupation but has also expressed openness to negotiated solutions within the framework of these demands. This ambiguous stance creates internal tensions within Hamas and complicates international interactions.

Leadership Style and Achievements:

Haniyah's leadership style is characterized by pragmatism and consensus-building. He focuses on internal cohesion within Hamas and has attempted to improve relations with other Palestinian factions. Under his leadership, Hamas has solidified its control over Gaza, providing basic services and social welfare programs. However, critics point to human rights concerns, limited political freedoms, and continued rocket attacks on Israel during his tenure.

International Relations and Controversies:

Hamas's designation as a terrorist organization by many Western countries hinders Haniyah's international standing. However, he has sought to engage with regional powers like Qatar and Turkey, securing financial and political support. His refusal to condemn all armed attacks and calls for Israel's destruction continue to be major obstacles to peace negotiations.

Looking Ahead:

As Haniyah steps down from his official leadership role in 2024, he remains a influential figure within Hamas. His future role and the direction of Hamas under new leadership will significantly impact the prospects for peace and stability in the region.

Understanding Haniyah is not endorsing his views or actions. His multifaceted persona reflects the complex socio-political realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Analyzing his trajectory and motivations provides valuable context for navigating the challenges and opportunities towards a peaceful resolution.

Please note: This article is intended to provide a neutral and objective overview of a complex and controversial figure. It is important to consult diverse sources and perspectives to form an informed opinion.

Kim Jong-un Of North Korea

noreply@blogger.com (Fahad) — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 20:00:00 +0000

Kim Jong-un

Kim Jong-un became the supreme leader of North Korea in 2011, succeeding his father Kim Jong-il.

Kim is the son of Ko Young-hee, an opera singer, and Kim Jong-il, the dictatorial leader of the country until his death in 2011. Although Kim Jong-un implemented some economic and agricultural reforms, human rights violations and brutal suppression of opposition continue to be reported under his rule. He also continued the country’s nuclear testing and development of missile technology in the face of international condemnation, though he announced intentions to be more cooperative in that area via historic meetings with South Korean.

Early Life

The birthdate and early childhood of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is shrouded in mystery. It is known that he is the third and youngest son of Korean military leader Kim Jong-il (also written Jong Il), who, under the Communist Worker's Party, had ruled North Korea since 1994; and the grandson of Kim Il-sung, his father's predecessor.

Kim Jong-un's mother was opera singer Ko Young-hee, who had two other children and is thought to have campaigned for Kim Jong-un to be his father's successor before her death in 2004. Kim Jong-il reportedly took a liking to Kim Jong-un, noting that he saw in the youth a temperament similar to himself. It is also thought that Kim Jong-un may have been educated abroad in Switzerland before attending the Kim Il-sung Military University (named after his grandfather) in the capital of Pyongyang in the mid-2000s.

Kim Jong-il began to prepare Kim Jong-un for succession to leadership in 2010. Upon his father's death in December 2011, Kim Jong-un assumed power. He was believed to be in his late 20s at the time.

Suppression of Opposition

After Kim assumed supreme leadership of North Korea, he reportedly executed or removed many senior officials that he had inherited from his father’s regime. Among those purged was his own uncle, Jang Song-thaek (also known as Chang Sŏng-t'aek), who is believed to have played an important role during Kim Kim Jong-il’s rule and had been considered one of Kim Jong-un’s top advisers.

In December 2013, Jang was reportedly arrested and executed for being a traitor and plotting to overthrow the government. It is also believed that members of Jang's family were executed as part of the purge.

In February 2017, Kim's older half-brother Kim Jong-nam died in Malaysia. Although many details remained unclear, it was believed he was poisoned at Kuala Lumpur airport, and multiple suspects were arrested. Kim Jong-nam had been living in exile for many years, during which time he served as a vocal critic of his half-brother's regime.

Health and Succession

The topic of Kim's whereabouts and personal well-being became a source of intrigue after he missed the annual celebration of his grandfather's birthday — known as the Day of the Sun — on April 15, 2020. As his public absence stretched to weeks, various accounts described the leader as recovering from heart surgery or possibly incapacitated, sparking additional speculation as to who would take control of the country in the event of his passing.

Some analysts suggested that his younger sister Kim Yo-jong had been groomed to take his place, while others argued that the Workers' Party would prefer a collective leadership of older men. Ultimately, the topic became moot for the time being when Kim resurfaced in early May at the opening of a fertilizer plant.

Source: biography.com

Donald Trump

noreply@blogger.com (Fahad) — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 17:53:00 +0000

45th President of USA Donald Trump

Donald J Trump.

Donald Trump is a well-known American entrepreneur, television personality and author, who is currently the President-elect of the United States. This biography provides detailed information about his childhood, life, career, achievements & timeline.

Quick Facts

ALSO LISTED IN Political Leaders, Presidents, Business People
ALSO KNOWN AS Donald John Trump
NATIONALITY American Famous American Men
RELIGION Presbyterian
POLITICAL IDEOLOGY Republican
BORN ON 14 June 1946 AD
BIRTHDAY 14th June Famous 14th June Birthdays CENTURY 20th Century
AGE 70 Years
SUN SIGN Gemini Gemini Men
BORN IN New York City, New York, U.S.
FATHER Fred Trump
MOTHER Mary Anne
SIBLINGS Fred Jr., Robert S. Trump, Maryanne Trump Barry, Elizabeth
SPOUSES/PARTNERS: Melania Trump (m. 2005), Marla Maples (m. 1993–1999), Ivana Trump (m. 1977–1992)
CHILDREN Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Tiffany Trump, Eric Trump, Barron Trump
EDUCATION University of Pennsylvania
New York Military Academy
Fordham University
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
The Kew-Forest School
NET WORTH $4 billion

Donald John Trump is one of America’s best-known business and television personalities and currently the President-elect of the United States. He is all set to take office as the 45th President of the United States on January 20, 2017. His business interests include real estate, gaming, sports and entertainment. Even though he has made his share of mistakes and is generally perceived as an average manager, he is an excellent example of a charismatic leader. Many people view Trump as larger than life because of his energizing capability, his ability to envision the future and support others while inculcating confidence in them. At a young age, he became involved with some of the largest profitable building projects in Manhattan and also opened the Grand Hyatt, earning much fame as the city’s best known developer. Trump is a power oriented business leader and celebrity, possessing an autocratic leadership style. His extravagant lifestyle and outspoken manner have earned him a celebrity status which is amplified by the success of his NBC reality show, ‘The Apprentice’ which also became an offshoot for ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’. He was on the fourteenth position on the Forbes celebrity 100 list and is claimed to have net worth of $3.2 Billion according to Forbes in 2013.

Childhood & Early Life

He was born in New York City, to a builder and real estate developer Frederick Trump and his wife Mary McLeod. He was one of the five children.
He had his initial schooling in the Kew Forest School, Forest hills, New York. At the age of 13, his parents sent him to New York Military Academy (NYMA) in Upstate New York where he performed well, both socially and academically; emerging as a star athlete and student leader by the time he graduated in 1964.
He was at Fordham University for two years before joining the Wharton School of Finance at the University Of Pennsylvania, from where he graduated in economics in 1968.

Business Career

He joined his father’s company, ‘Elizabeth Trump and Son’, while still in college. The company focused on middle-class rental housing in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. He became deeply involved in the project and with a $500,000 investment, turned the 1200 unit apartment complex in Cincinnati with a 66 percent vacancy rate to 100 percent occupancy within two years.
In 1971, he moved to Studio apartment in Manhattan, New York and became involved with larger building projects. In the following year, he finalized first multi-million dollar real estate transaction with the sale of Swifton village in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In 1985, he bought Mar-a-lago estate in Palm beach, Florida and renovated the Barbizon hotel and 100 Central Park South.
In 1988, he bought the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
In 1989, he bought a fleet of Boeing 727 airplanes to form Trump air shuttle service. Unfortunately a helicopter crash killed three Trump casino executives which lead to big issue.
By 1989, poor business decisions left him unable to meet loan payments but he somehow financed the construction of his third casino, the $1 million Taj Mahal, with high-interest junk bonds. The increasing debt soon brought him to business bankruptcy.
In 1990, he regained his previous stable financial position and fame and opened the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City. Soon he gained approval for Riverside south development of West Side rail yards.
In 1996, he got the ownership of Miss Universe Organization which produces the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Tean USA pageants.
In 2003, he became joint partner with the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) where he became the executive producer and host of the NBC reality show, ‘The Apprentice’ which became a huge success. Following its success, he co-produced a show, ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ along with British TV producer Mark Burnett.
On October 21, 2004, Trump Hotels and Casino & Resorts declared a restructuring of its debt which led to a reduction in his individual ownership from 56 percent to 27 percent. The company applied for Chapter 11 Protection in November and soon the company re-emerged from bankruptcy as ‘Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings’.
He marketed the Trump name on large number of products, including ‘Trump Financial’, ‘Trump Sales and Leasing’, ‘Trump Entrepreneur initiative’, ‘Trump Restaurants’, ‘Go TRUMP’, ‘Donald J. Trump signature collection’, etc. Moreover, he also received $1.5 million for every one-hour presentation he did for ‘The Learning Annex’. He also has a business simulation game called ‘Donald Trump’s Real Estate Tycoon’.

Political Career

Trump also harbored political aspirations. In the 2000 elections he expressed his wish to run as a third-party candidate for the US presidency. In 2004 and 2008, he speculated about running for president in the Republican Party and in between in 2006, he considered running for governor of New York as a representative of the party. He again registered as a Republican in 2009 after having registered with the Democratic Party in 2001 and campaigned for it.
In 2010-2012, his involvement in politics intensified when he publicly announced his consideration of candidature for presidency again. However, his association with the ‘Birther issue’, a group that firmly believed Barack Obama was not born in the US, disparaged his political reputation. But he continued to be against Obama on various political issues.
In January 2013, he endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the Israeli elections. He was also a featured speaker at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

Presidential Campaign, 2016

Trump announced his candidacy for president as a Republican in June 2015. As a flamboyant personality with a successful business career and media presence, he quickly emerged as the front-runner for his party's nomination and was formally nominated for president at the 2016 Republican National Convention.
His campaigning focused on domestic issues such as illegal immigration, crime, Islamic terrorism, offshoring of American jobs, and the U.S. national debt, and his campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again” resonated with the American citizens.
While many of his campaigning tactics received criticism, they also ensured that he got unprecedented media coverage. He was accused of lying and embellishing facts during his election speeches and received a lot of negative backlash with major publications like ‘Politico’, ‘The Washington Post’, ‘The New York Times’, and the ‘Los Angeles Times’ terming his statements as downright falsehoods.
As a presidential nominee, he adopted a populist political stance and supported a broad interpretation of the Second Amendment. His tax plan calling for reducing the corporate tax rate to 15% and replacing the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") with a different free-market plan earned him support from several quarters.
Trump’s campaign was, however, fraught with controversies. There were several accusations of sexual misconduct against him and he was criticized by the media for using vulgar and sexist language. A 2005 recording of him bragging about how he forcibly kissed and groped women caused a major dent to his popularity. He soon issued a public apology in a bid to salvage his reputation.
Despite his detractors and all the negative publicity surrounding him, he managed to emerge victorious in the general election on November 8, 2016 in which he defeated Hillary Clinton to become the President-elect of the United States. He will be assuming office as the 45th President on January 20, 2017.

Major works

In 1974, he obtained the option to buy two rail yards in New York City and after few years with the help of 40-year tax abatement from the government, he bought and turned the bankrupt Commodore Hotel into the Grand Hyatt and also created the ‘Trump organization’.
In 1980, he undertook the project of constructing the Wollman Rink in Central Park and completed it in six months using $750,000 of the remaining $3 million budget. In the same year, he renovated the Trump tower in New York City and Atlantic City casino business which led to huge debt.
In 2001, he completed the Trump world tower, which was a 72-storey residential tower across the UN headquarters. He also began construction on Trump plaza along the Hudson River.
In 2006, he bought the Menie estate in Balmadie, Aberdeen shire, Scotland to create the best golf course in the world on a site of special scientific interest (SSS) but it was met with criticism from environmentalists and by local landowners. But the battle became more difficult this year when the Scottish government approved the construction of a wind farm nearby.
He has hosted many wrestle mania events in Trump Plaza and has been an active participant in several of the shows. On June 15, 2009 he bought the WWE RAW show from WWE owner Vince McMohan.
He wrote many books which became famous worldwide for their entrepreneurial guidance. It includes, ‘Trump: The Art of the Deal’, ‘Think big: Make it happen in Business and Life’, ‘Think like a champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life’, ‘Trump 101: The Way to Success’, ‘Trump: How to Get Rich’, ‘Trump: Surviving at the Top’, etc.

Awards & Achievements

In 2005, he again got nominated for Primetime Emmy for ‘The Apprentice’ under the aforesaid category.
In 2007, he earned the Star on Walk of Fame for his contribution to Television.
In 2013, he was inducted in to the celebrity wing of the WWE hall of fame at Madison Square Garden due to his contributions to the promotion of several WWE shows.

Personal Life

In 1977, he married Ivana Zelnickova and had three children from her, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric. The couple called off their marriage in 1992 when Ivana discovered his extra-marital love affair with an American actress Marla Maples.
In 1993, he married Marla Maples and they had one child, Tiffany two months before their marriage. In 1997, he filed for a highly publicized divorce with Maples which was finalized in June 1999. The divorce agreement allotted $2 million to Maples.
On January 22, 2005, he married Melania Knauss at Bethesda by the Sea Episcopal Church, on the island of Palm Beach, Florida, after proposing to her the previous year. They have a son together named Barron William Trump.
In 2011, he claimed in an interview to be a Presbyterian within the Protestant group after gaining the membership of New York City’s ‘Marble Collegiate Reformed Protestant Dutch Church’.

Top 10 Facts You Did Not Know About Donald Trump

Donald Trump is a teetotaler and has never smoked cigarettes or done drugs.
He is a germophobe and hates shaking hands. When faced with the inevitable situation of shaking hands, he has an interesting technique of avoiding it; he vigorously pulls the other person close into his body.
At one time, he acted as a financial advisor to Mike Tyson and hosted Tyson’s fight against Michael Spinks in Atlantic City.
Donald Trump is confidence personified. In fact, at times his over-the-top confidence borders on braggadocio. In 2004, he was quoted in The Daily News saying, “All of the women on The Apprentice flirted with me—consciously or unconsciously. That’s to be expected.”
Though Trump has been a very successful businessman, in hindsight, he has wasted some brilliant business opportunities. In 1988, he had the opportunity to buy the Patriots, a professional American football team, but he turned down the offer because he didn't think it was a good investment. The team is now worth more than $2 billion.
He is the only presidential candidate to have his own board game, titled Trump: The Game.
Trump has the dubious distinction of winning the Razzie Award for worst supporting actor for the film 'Ghosts Can't Do It', in 1990. He played himself in the movie.
He is a golfer and a member of the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, and plays regularly at the other courses he owns and operates.
He was an active member of the “birther” movement that questioned President Obama’s birthplace.
A consistent vocal critic of Barack Obama, Trump offered Obama to play golf anytime on any of the golf courses that he owns with one rider - if Obama ended his term early.

source: TheFamousPeople

Hillary Clinton

noreply@blogger.com (Fahad) — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 20:45:00 +0000

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton is one of the most prominent female politicians of the United States. This biography gives detailed information about her childhood, life, works and timeline.

Quick Facts

ISTED IN Political Leaders, Human Rights Activists, Women's Rights Activists, First Ladies
ALSO KNOWN AS Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton
NATIONALITY American Famous American Women
RELIGION Methodist
POLITICAL IDEOLOGY Democratic
BORN ON 26 October 1947 AD
BIRTHDAY 26th October Famous 26th October Birthdays
AGE 69 Years
SUN SIGN Scorpio Scorpio Women
BORN IN Chicago
FATHER Hugh E. Rodham
MOTHER Dorothy Howell Rodham
SIBLINGS Hugh E. Rodham, Jr., Anthony Rodham,
SPOUSE/PARTNER: Bill Clinton
CHILDREN Chelsea Clinton
EDUCATION Yale Law School (1969–1973)
Wellesley College (1965–1969)
Maine South High School (1964–1965)
Maine East High School (1964)
Yale University
FOUNDER/CO-FOUNDER Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families
AWARDS 1994 - Living Legacy Award for her vast contributions in so many fields.
1997 - Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album
1999 - Lifetime Achievement Award for the Ukrainian organization's support.
More Awards
1999 - Mother Teresa Award for her humanitarian efforts
2009 - Salute to Greatness Award
2009 - Margaret Sanger Award for outstanding contributions to the reproductive health and rights movement.
2010 - George McGovern Leadership Award for her commitment and visionary approach to ending global hunger.
2012 - Champions for Change Award for Leadership
2012 - Lifetime Achievement Award for her efforts for peace and reconciliation.

Radiating power, authority and dominance, Hilary Rodham Clinton is one of the most powerful female politicians around the world. Raised in a conservative family, and supporting the Republicans, her political preferences soon changed as she strongly voiced against war and became a staunch supporter of the Democrats in 1968. Ever since a young age, she took an active role in politics in school and college. Graduating from Yale, she pursued a career in law for twelve years, sitting on the board of director of many prominent corporates and non-profit organizations. With her husband getting elected as the Governor of Arkansas, she became the First Lady of Arkansas - a position she held for twelve years, from 1979 to 1981 and 1983 to 1992. From 1993 until 2001, she was the First Lady of the United States. Furthermore, she served as the US Senator from New York from 2001 to 2009. During her stint at important positions, she brought about various reforms and initiated new policies in educational and health care sectors. She was the leading presidential candidate for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nominations failing which she was appointed by President Barack Obama as the 67th United States Secretary of State.

Childhood & Early Life

Born in a United Methodist family to Hugh Ellsworth Rodham and Dorothy Emma Howell, Hillary Rodham was the eldest child of the couple. At the age of three, she moved along with her family to Illinois.
She graduated from Maine South High School in 1965, being a National Merit Finalist. Both her parents wanted her to have an independent career, not limited by gender biasness.
She enrolled at the Wellesley College in 1965, majoring in political science. During her college years, she was active in student politics and was elected as the president of the Wellesley Young Republicans.
Her political standing changed quite a couple of times during the decade of 1960s. She was seen as someone having a conservative mind with a liberal heart. In 1968, she was elected as the President for Wellesley College Government Association and worked at the post with full conviction.
Graduating from the college in 1969 with a BA with departmental honours in political science, she took up various odd jobs before finding herself a seat at the Yale Law School.
In 1970, she was selected to work with the U.S. Senator Walter Mondale's sub-committee on migrant workers. Following this, she interned at Oakland, California, with the law firm of Treuhaft, Walker and Burnstein, working on child custody and other cases.
She was awarded with a Juris Doctor degree from Yale in 1973. Thereafter, she began her one year postgraduate course on study of children and medicine at the Yale Child Study Center. It was while pursuing her postgraduate studies that she served as staff attorney for Children's Defense Fund.

Career

In 1974, she was appointed as a member of the impeachment inquiry staff in Washington, D.C., advising the House Committee on the Judiciary during the Watergate scandal. The work of the committee led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
In 1974, she took to teaching criminal law at the University of Arkansas. Two years later, she moved to the state capital of Arkansas after her husband, Bill Clinton was appointed as the Arkansas Attorney General.
In 1977, she took up employment with the Rose Law Firm, specializing in patent infringement and intellectual property law. She even worked pro bono in child advocacy. The same year, she co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.
Her tremendous political capabilities won her an appointment as the chief on the board of directors of Legal Service Corporation by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. Retaining the chair until 1980, she enhanced the funding for the Corporation more than three times, from $90 million to $300 million. Furthermore, she was the first woman to serve the position.
With the appointment of Bill Clinton as the Governor of Arkansas in 1979, she became the First Lady of Arkansas, a position which she held for twelve years, from 1979 to 1981 and 1983 to 1992. She was appointed as a chair at the Rural Health Advisory Committee and was endowed with the task of providing medical facilities in the poorest zones.
In 1983, she took control of the Arkansas Educational Standards Committee. During her tenure, she worked to improve the educational standard and made teacher testing mandatory. Furthermore, she set state standards for curriculum and classroom size.
For six years, from 1982 to 1988, she chaired a commanding position in the New World Foundation. Between 1987 and 1991, she served as one of the board of directors of American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession, fighting against gender biasness. She also served on the boards of TCBY and Wal-Mart.
In 1992, she joined her husband in successfully campaigning for a seat in the Presidential elections as a democratic candidate. She undertook a valuable role in the elections and was a crucial factor for Bill Clinton’s victory.
With the appointment of Bill Clinton as the President of the United States in 1993, she became the First Lady of the United States. She was the first First Lady to hold a postgraduate degree and the first to have an office in the West Wing in addition of the First Lady office in East Wing.
Just as conceived by most, she played an active role in public policies and was often claimed to be the ‘co-president’. She chose almost eleven people for the topmost positions and dozen others at lower levels.
As a First Lady, she was appointed to head the Task Force on National Health Reform in 1993. Popularly known as Clinton health care plan, she aimed at making employers provide health coverage to their employees. However, lack of support led to abandonment of the plan in 1994.
It was the failure of Clinton health care plan that acted conversely and led to the downfall of the popularity of the Democrats and eventual rise of the Republicans in both House and Senate elections. Following this, her role in policy matters was downgraded.
In 1997, she came up with Children's Health Insurance Program, which helped children gain health coverage through state support. Furthermore, she promoted immunization, compulsory mammogram for females to check breast cancer, and funded research on prostate cancer and childhood asthma.
She commenced the initiation of various acts including, Adoption and Safe Families Act and Foster Care Independence Act. She created an Office on Violence Against Women at the Department of Justice and hosted numerous conferences.
As the First Lady, she visited 79 countries, including India and Pakistan to amend their relations with the US. During the trip, she envisioned the pitiable state of women which propelled her eventual career in diplomacy
She along with Bill Clinton was invested in the Whitewater real estate project, which became the subject of congressional hearings and an independent counsel investigation. If this wasn’t disastrous enough, her husband’s infidelity issues further acted as the spoiler for the safeguarding effort.
She contested for the US Senate seat from New York eventually winning the same by a huge margin. With this, she became the first wife of a president to seek and win national office and the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate from New York. She easily won re-election in November 2006.
During her terms, she strongly supported military action in Afghanistan, reworking on the security of the state following 9/11 attacks, obtaining funds for supporting recovery efforts in New York.
In 2007, she hinted about her intention of contesting the presidential elections of 2008, thus becoming the first woman to be nominated by a major party. Though she lost the elections to Barack Obama, she was nevertheless appointed as the Secretary of State.
As the Secretary of State, she continued to raise her voice for women rights and human rights. Furthermore, she prominently advocated U.S. military intervention in Libya and was at the forefront of US response to Arab Springs. She was one of the most travelled secretaries of State. She relinquished the position on February 1, 2013.

Awards & Achievements

She has been the proud recipient of numerous awards and medals for her outstanding contributions as a politician and in the field of law. Furthermore, she was reckoned in every role that she took up. She has also been conferred with several honorary degrees from universities across the globe.

Personal Life & Legacy

She tied the knot with long time beau Bill Clinton on October 11, 1975, in a Methodist ceremony. The couple has a daughter Chelsea.

Top 10 Facts You Did Not Know About Hillary Clinton

You will be surprised to know that Hillary Clinton was once a Republican. During the presidential elections of 1964, she worked on Republican nominee Barry Goldwater's campaign. In 1968, she switched sides and campaigned for Democratic presidential nominee Eugene McCarthy. Incidentally, both of them lost.
Politics wasn't the first love of Hillary Clinton. She wanted to be an astronaut and even wrote to NASA regarding pursuing her dream. But NASA replied back saying they didn't accept women.
Apart from being the former First Lady, Hillary Clinton has several other "first" to her name. She is the first First Lady to have a post graduate degree and to be elected to national office. Additionally, she is also the first First Lady to be subpoenaed and fingerprinted by the FBI.
Hillary Clinton is a Grammy Award winner. She won the award in 1997 for Best Spoken Word Album for her audio recording of her book 'It Takes A Village'.
Hillary Clinton is the most traveled Secretary of State. During her four-year tenure, she visited 112 countries and spent roughly a quarter of her term in the air.
She was a member of the presidential impeachment inquiry staff during the Watergate scandal in 1974. As a result of the scandal, President Nixon resigned later that year.
Hillary Clinton has the unique distinction of being both senator and First Lady for 20 days. She held both these positions from Jan 1, 2001 to Jan 20, 2001. Thereafter Bill Clinton left the White House on Jan 20, 2001.
Hillary Clinton has quite a capacity to drink. She once out-drank John McCain during a tour of Estonia in 2004, when both of them were senators. Clinton beat McCain in the game of shots of vodka by a margin of four.
Hillary Clinton out-earned her husband Bill Clinton several times, when he was the Governor of Arkansas. At that time, she was working as a lawyer at a private firm.
This one might spook you out! Hillary Clinton had a habit of talking to dead persons. Famous journalist Bob Woodward mentioned in his book 'The Choice' that while in White House, Hillary Clinton chatted with former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and the Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi. These conversations were facilitated by Jean Houston, co-director of the Foundation for Mind Research.

source: TheFamouspeople

Legendary Pakistani Social Worker Edhi Dies at 88

noreply@blogger.com (Fahad) — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 20:50:00 +0000

Abdul Sattar Edhi, Died at 88.

Pakistan's legendary philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, who devoted his life to the poor and the destitute, died on Friday at a hospital in Karachi following a prolonged illness. He was 88.

Edhi's family announced his death and his son, Faisal Edhi, asked all people to "pray for the departed soul" of his father.

Earlier in the day, the family had said that Edhi's condition deteriorated and that he was breathing with the help of a ventilator. Edhi had been hospitalized for the past several weeks and his son said he was suffering from kidney- and sugar-related problems.

Known in Pakistan as "Angel of Mercy" for his social work that also won international acclaim, Edhi had established a welfare foundation almost six decades ago that he oversaw together with his wife, Bilquis Edhi.

The foundation owns and runs Pakistan's largest ambulance service, as well as nursing homes, orphanages, clinics and women's shelters, along with rehabilitation centers and soup kitchens across the country.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his condolences and sorrow over Edhi's passing and said he prayed that God will give the charity worker "the best place in paradise."

Edhi was a "real gem and asset for Pakistan," Sharif said in a statement. "We have lost a great servant of humanity. He was the real manifestation of love for those who were socially vulnerable, impoverished, helpless and poor."

"This loss is irreparable for the people of Pakistan," the prime minister added.

Pakistan's powerful army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif also expressed his condolences to Edhi's family, lauding him as a "true humanitarian."

Crowds of people were gathering outside the Karchi hospital late Friday night to express their condolences to the family.

Edhi came from humble origins and remained a quiet and modest man all his life, which in part was what inspired the nationwide love for him among Pakistanis. His son said that before his death, he asked that his eyes be donated to a person in need.

Born in 1928 in a small village of Bantva near Joona Garh in Gujarat district of then British-ruled India, Edhi was deeply affected by the death of his mother when he was 19. He never finished school but later said that the world of suffering became his tutor.

Edhi migrated to Pakistan in 1947 and made a living at first by working as a commission agent selling cloth at the Karachi wholesale market. A few years later, he started a free Bantva dispensary with the support of some community members. That was the start of his charity work.

In time, he turned his vision of developing a systemized welfare service and drew a persistent and wide response for donations, expanding the trust at a remarkable pace. He first set up a maternity home and the emergency ambulance service in Karachi, which at the time had a population of over 10 million.

In 1965, Edhi married Bilquis Bano, a nurse who worked at the Edhi dispensary. The couple has four children, two daughters and two sons. Bilquis ran the free maternity home and organized adoption of abandoned and out-of-wedlock children across Pakistan.

As their work spread across the country, Edhi remained involved hands-on in the Edhi Foundation, from raising funds to helping with ritual bathing of the bodies of the deceased poor. He also personally drove one of the network's ambulances across Karachi to help anyone in need.

Edhi's foundation also provides technical education to the disadvantaged, religious education for street children, consultations on family planning and maternity services, as well as free legal aid, financial and medical support to prisoners and the handicapped.

Despite the vast sums of money that passed through his foundation, Edhi lived modestly with his family in a two-room apartment adjacent to the headquarters of his foundation.

His work earned him numerous awards at home and abroad, including the Gandhi Peace Award, the 2007 UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Prize, the 2011 London Peace Award, the 2008 Seoul Peace Award and the Hamdan Award for Volunteers in Humanitarian Medical Service.

Known in public as Maulana Edhi — a respectful title for a religious scholar, usually an elderly person with a beard — he supported and promoted working opportunities for women. Out of the 2,000 paid workers of his Edhi Foundation, around 500 are women.

Prime Minister Sharif also announced Saturday as a day of mourning in Pakistan and said Edhi would be given a state funeral on Saturday in recognition for his services.

Sharif, who is returning to Pakistan from London where he underwent open heart surgery, expressed regret that his health would not allow him to personally attend the funeral.

___

Associated Press Writers Muhammad Farooq and Zarar Khan in Karachi, Pakistan, contributed to this story.

source: nytimes

Karl Landsteiner Science Hero.

noreply@blogger.com (Fahad) — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 21:03:00 +0000

Karl Landsteiner

(June 14, 1868 - June 26, 1943)
Born in Austria
Year of Discovery: 1902

Superman of Science Makes Landmark Discovery - Over 1 Billion Lives Saved So Far!

Karl Landsteiner was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1868. He was essentially raised by a single mother, as his father died when he was only six. He finished medical school at age 23 and then began traveling to study under other famous scientists of the day. He often couldn't find research jobs (which were his passion) and he would make his living by doing autopsies at "deadhouses," which we call morgues today. But he always persevered and no matter what his circumstances, he would carve out a space to do research. Somewhat reclusive and pessimistic by nature, he felt at home in the laboratory and made it the focus of his life.

One of the topics he researched and found interesting was human blood. Doctors had tried giving people transfusions (a dose of another person's blood) but it was actually just pure luck if it worked. Sometimes the patient became much better and other times the patient had a fatal or deadly reaction. Before he discovered that people had different blood group types, people routinely bled to death from ulcers, accidents, and childbirth problems. No one knew that there were four different types of blood (A, B, AB, and O) and that if you gave a person the wrong type of blood, they could die from a reaction between their blood and the donor's blood. If a person receives the wrong type blood, a terrible reaction begins. This can start a chain reaction of other problems, in which the red blood cells will begin to react with the new blood cells, and then the cells will actually lyse, or fall apart, in the blood vessels. This releases hemoglobin that can damage the kidneys, which can lead to death.

In 1901, Landsteiner discovered that different people's blood had different characteristics that made it "incompatible" with other people's blood that didn't carry those same traits. He discovered the A, B, and O blood types. His discovery of the differences and identification of the groups that were alike made it possible for blood transfusions to become a routine procedure. This paved the way for many other medical procedures that we don't even think twice about today, such as surgery, blood banks, and transplants.

Landsteiner is known as the "melancholy genius" because he was so sad and intense, yet he was so systematic, thorough, and dedicated. He wrote 346 papers during his long career contributing to many areas of scientific knowledge. He is considered the father of Hematology (the study of blood), Immunology (the study of the immune system), Polio research, and Allergy research.

Landsteiner was known for his attention to detail and thoroughness. By the time he finished working on a problem, and proposing a solution, there was little room for doubt. When he turned his attention to the problem of blood incompatibility, he started with the most basic problem and designed a simple, elegant experiment to figure out why this happened. He repeated this experiment many times to rule out random error and to prove that the reaction was always present and was always the same. He then charted out all the reactions. After carefully studying this, he proposed that the agglutination (clumping) was caused by two variables - A and B. Some samples had one, some had the other, and some had none. He called the types A, B, and zero. Zero was later renamed "O". He proposed that this was what caused some blood to be compatible with others and some to react with others. Later, the AB group was discovered as someone who has both the A and B substance on their red blood cells. Today, we refer to these as the blood group antigens. This experiment laid the groundwork to establish the modern practice of blood banking.

Key Experiments or Research

Karl Landsteiner on Research

The framework for Landsteiner's experiment was very logical and straightforward.

Blood has several components. It can be separated into its separate parts by letting it sit for a few hours in a tube, or the process can be speeded up by centrifuging (spinning) it. After separation, there will be the red cells at the bottom, with a layer of white blood cells and platelets on top of that, and on the very top there is a clear yellowish liquid (serum). Landsteiner tested the red cells at the bottom of one sample against the serum at the top of a different sample. He had noticed that when different people's blood were mixed together there was a phenomenon known as agglutination (clumping) that sometimes occurred. So, the clumping became his test to see if one person's blood reacted with another. He collected blood from himself and five of his fellow lab workers and separated the samples into cells and serum. Then he mixed each sample's cells, diluted with 0.6% saline (salt water), with the serum from each of the other samples until he had tested all the possible combinations. If it clumped visibly (you could see it just by looking at it with your eyes - no microscope needed) he confirmed it by looking at the sample with a microscope. He called the cells that clumped "positive" and the ones that did not "negative". After thinking about his results, he decided to make sure it wasn't just normal blood clotting - that agglutination was different than clotting. So, he found a hemophiliac (a person whose blood does not clot normally) and tested their blood. As he suspected, their blood agglutinated also with some samples and did not with others. So, this proved that the phenomenon he had noticed and studied was not just clotting - it was something different. Then he thought he should prove that the clumping he observed wasn't caused by a disease. So he tested newborn babies' cells, since they were unlikely to react due to a disease as they hadn't been in the world long enough to catch one. Finally after studying and testing blood from 22 different patients he declared, "the experiments demonstrate that my data require no correction. All 22 examined sera from healthy persons gave the reaction." He charted all his results and studied them carefully. When thinking about his results mathematically he noticed that there were probably two variables that could explain his results. He called these variables A and B. In his notebook he noted, "a remarkable regularity appeared in the behavior of the 22 blood specimens examined. If one excludes the fetal placental blood, which did not produce agglutination..., in most cases the sera could be divided into three groups: In several cases (group A) the serum reacted on the corpuscles of another group (B), but not on those of group A, whereas the A corpuscles are again influenced in the same manner by serum B. In the third group (C) the serum agglutinates the corpuscles of A and B, while the C corpuscles are not affected by sera of A and B..... In ordinary speech, it can be said that in these cases at least two different kinds of agglutinins (antibodies) are present: some in A, others in B, and both together in C."
After studying his results, he proposed that agglutination was a real phenomenon and was caused by differences between the red cells of different people. We know these today as blood types. He proposed that there were three types of blood: A, B, and C, which he later called zero and was eventually renamed O. This explainded why sometimes transfusions worked wonderfully, and at other times led to disastrous, even fatal results. He detailed his results in a paper published in 1901. It was called Ueber Agglutinationserscheinungen normalen menschilchen Blutes." (Translated this means: On agglutination phenomenon of normal human blood.)

Quotes by the Scientist

In regard to his research:
"The sera of healthy individuals not only have an agglutinating effect on animal red cells but also on human red cells from different individuals. It remains to be decided whether this phenomenon is due to individual differences or to the influence of injuries or bacterial infection."

"Since no observations whatever had been made in this direction, I selected the simplest experimental arrangements available and the material which offered the best prospects. Accordingly, my experiment consisted of causing the blood serum and erythrocytes (red blood cells) of different human subjects to react with one another."

"To exclude the assumption that perhaps past disease processes are of importance, I regarded investigations on the blood of children and animals utilizable."

"Moreover, my investigations show that the different sera do not act identically with respect to agglutination. If one believes, therefore, that they owe their agglutination ability to a kind of autoimmunization through resorption of cell constituents, then one must again assume individual differences to obtain the different sera."

To a neighbor during the war:

His neighbor, a teenage boy who had befriended him, remembered his parting words, "Finish your studies and then go out into the great big world. And if you are ever in any trouble let me know, and I'll do my best to help."

About his work situation:

"If I am asked to make do with only a microscope I have to comply."

About his living conditions in New York:

"Just imagine. I can't even play the piano I managed to lay my hands on. It was my only form of relaxation, but the neighbors complained that I made such a noise they couldn't listen to the radio. So now I never touch it."

Quotes About the Scientist

"At 21 years of age he had already known that which had impressed me so much...that important discoveries will emerge when one scientific discipline merges with another."
-Phil Levine, a colleague
"The line of least resistance was to embark on efforts to discover new bacteria, now that the methods of cultivation of bacteria were laid down by the discoveries of Pasteur and Koch. Those who took the line of least resistance did discover the pneumococcus, meningococcus..., but what else did they contribute to the medical sciences?"
-Phil Levine

"Now I found myself face to face with a tall, very slim, good-looking young man with brown hair and eyes, a moustache, and a rather sensual mouth. His movements were brisk, yet graceful. We had a brief conversation, in the course of which I was impressed by his extraordinary attraction and by his burning enthusiasm for research-work, despite the unpretentious modesty with which he spoke of it."
-Constantin Levaditi, a professor at the Institute Pasteur in Paris, met Landsteiner a little after this time and provided this sensitive description of him.

"He formulated precisely the relationships between cause and effect, and did not complicate what was still unknown by hypotheses. When he did introduce hypotheses, they were supported scientifically by experiments. He never claimed more than he was able to prove scientifically or could verify by his own experiments."
-Dr. Paul Speiser, his Austrian biographer

"Landsteiner had a mind that was by nature sharp-edged and rigorous, delighting in the exact. He read the higher mathematics for diversion, amused himself with problems in advanced algebra and calculus, and followed with zest each forward step in the new mathematical physics."
-Rous, a colleague

"Landsteiner's work dispelled any notion that might have once been held that there is absolute specificity in immune relations. Indeed, the structures of the many cross-reacting molecules uncovered in work from his laboratory were used to great advantage to illuminate how a ligand's [any molecule that binds to another] shape, size, and charge distribution affects the extent to which it is recognized by antibodies."
-Herman Eisen of MIT

"For many years I had had no news of Landsteiner at all; but during a study-tour of America in 1929 I ran him to earth in his laboratory. I found him rather depressed and full of complaints about his work, especially about the regulations that apart from restricting his activities in certain fields bore no relation at all to the virtually unlimited scope of his own scientific ambitions."
-Long-time associate Constantin Levaditi, related after a visit to Landsteiner in New York

Anecdotes

A Classic Work-a-holic
Adriano Sturli, one of the doctors who donated blood for Landsteiner's blood group experiment, told an amusing story about Landsteiner: "Towards the end of 1901 I was asked by Landsteiner, with whom I had up to then only done some histological and bacteriological studies, whether I would like to join him in some serological studies and experiments (these would lead to the discovery of the fourth blood group AB). I agreed with alacrity, and thus had an opportunity of repeating all his experiments to his explicit satisfaction. I should add that the final studies started on the afternoon of 31 December 1901 and went on without a break until 8:30 PM. The two of us were quite alone in the Pathological Institute, now silent and deserted. These hours were a sort of tragicomedy for me, because I had naturally been itching for hours to join my friends and see the New Year in in style. However, Landsteiner was gently but firmly insistent, and kept me washing blood-corpuscles, mixing sera, centrifuging, saturating charcoal-powder with dyes, etc. under his supervision, with results that seemed to me amazing but to Landsteiner were self-evident. Eventually we took leave of one another, tired but still good friends, with a cordial ‘Happy New Year'."

But Not All Work and No Play

He would bring his beloved dog, Waldi, to work and let him sit under his desk. Around lunch time every day Waldi would start barking and Landsteiner would playfully reprimand him, "Waldi, you've not an atom of respect for science."

Patience is a Virtue

Not that Landsteiner was always dire. He still relished his lab, never losing his wit while there. The young scientists in his charge often rushed to conclusions. One day he said, "Is it not strange that I, who have so little time left, should be teaching patience to you, who have your life before you?"

Humble to the End.

One evening in 1930 Philip Levine went to Landsteiner's apartment. He found the family placidly reading as usual. Levine was quite surprised, considering the news of the day. "What news?" Landsteiner's wife and son asked. Their looks told the story. Karl had told neither Helene nor Ernst what he had learned earlier that day, that he had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Beginning in 1923, fourteen different nominators had put him up for the award for three different discoveries - his polio research, his immune system work, and his discovery of the blood groups. After 29 years, the committee finally granted him the award for his blood group work.

source: www.scienceheroes.com

Muhammad Ali

noreply@blogger.com (Fahad) — Sat, 04 Jun 2016 17:31:00 +0000

Muhammad Ali, Athlete, Boxer, Philanthropist (1942–2016)

Arguably boxing's most celebrated athlete, heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali was also known for his public stance against the Vietnam War and his longtime battle with Parkinson's disease.

Sugar Ray Leonard - Mini Biography (TV-14; 3:39) By the age of 20, Sugar Ray Leonard had won three golden gloves, a gold medal at the Pan American games, and an Olympic gold medal In 1976, Leonard considered retiring and going to college, but continued to fight, becoming a boxing legend.

Born Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1942, Muhammad Ali became an Olympic gold medalist in 1960 and the world heavyweight boxing champion in 1964. Following his suspension for refusing military service, Ali reclaimed the heavyweight title two more times during the 1970s, winning famed bouts against Joe Frazier and George Foreman along the way. Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984, Ali devoted much of his time to philanthropy, earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. He died on June 3, 2016, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Early Life

Boxer, philanthropist and social activist Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. Ali showed at an early age that he wasn't afraid of any bout—inside or outside of the ring. Growing up in the segregated South, he experienced racial prejudice and discrimination firsthand.

At the age of 12, Ali discovered his talent for boxing through an odd twist of fate. His bike was stolen, and Ali told a police officer, Joe Martin, that he wanted to beat up the thief. "Well, you better learn how to fight before you start challenging people," Martin reportedly told him at the time. In addition to being a police officer, Martin also trained young boxers at a local gym.

Ali started working with Martin to learn how to spar, and soon began his boxing career. In his first amateur bout in 1954, he won the fight by split decision. Ali went on to win the 1956 Golden Gloves tournament for novices in the light heavyweight class. Three years later, he won the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, as well as the Amateur Athletic Union's national title for the light heavyweight division.

Olympic Gold

In 1960, Ali won a spot on the U.S. Olympic boxing team, and traveled to Rome, Italy, to compete. At 6' 3", Ali was an imposing figure in the ring, but he also became known for his lightning speed and fancy footwork. After winning his first three bouts, Ali defeated Zbigniew Pietrzkowski from Poland to win the light heavyweight gold medal.

After his Olympic victory, Ali was heralded as an American hero. He soon turned professional with the backing of the Louisville Sponsoring Group, and continued overwhelming all opponents in the ring. Ali took out British heavyweight champion Henry Cooper in 1963, and then knocked out Sonny Liston in 1964 to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

Often referring to himself as "the greatest," Ali was not afraid to sing his own praises. He was known for boasting about his skills before a fight and for his colorful descriptions and phrases. In one of his more famously quoted descriptions, Ali told reporters that he could "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" in the boxing ring.

Conversion to Islam and Suspension

This bold public persona belied what was happening in Ali's personal life, however. He was doing some spiritual searching and decided to join the black Muslim group the Nation of Islam in 1964. At first he called himself "Cassius X" before settling on the name Muhammad Ali. (The boxer eventually converted to orthodox Islam during the 1970s.)

Ali later started a different kind of fight with his outspoken views against the Vietnam War. Drafted into the military in April 1967, he refused to serve on the grounds that he was a practicing Muslim minister with religious beliefs that prevented him from fighting. He was arrested for committing a felony and almost immediately stripped of his world title and boxing license.

The U.S. Department of Justice pursued a legal case against Ali, denying his claim for conscientious objector status. He was found guilty of violating Selective Service laws and sentenced to five years in prison in June 1967, but remained free while appealing his conviction. Unable to compete professionally in the meantime, Ali missed more than three prime years of his athletic career. The U.S. Supreme Court eventually overturned the conviction in June 1971.

Boxing Comeback

Prior to the Supreme Court's decision, Ali returned to the ring in 1970 with a win over Jerry Quarry. The following year, Ali took on Joe Frazier in what has been called the "Fight of the Century." Frazier and Ali went toe-to-toe for 14 rounds before Frazier dropped Ali with a vicious left hook in the 15th. Ali recovered quickly, but the judges awarded the decision to Frazier, handing Ali his first professional loss after 31 wins. Ali soon suffered a second loss, to Ken Norton, but he beat Frazier in a 1974 rematch.

Another legendary Ali fight, against undefeated heavyweight champion George Foreman, took place in 1974. Billed as the "Rumble in the Jungle," the bout was organized by promoter Don King and held in Kinshasa, Zaire. For once, Ali was seen as the underdog to the younger, massive Foreman, but he silenced his critics with a masterful performance. He baited Foreman into throwing wild punches with his "rope-a-dope" technique, before stunning his opponent with an eighth-round knockout to reclaim the heavyweight title.

Ali and Frazier locked horns for their grudge match in Quezon City, Philippines, in 1975. Dubbed the "Thrilla in Manila," the bout nearly went the distance, with both men delivering and absorbing tremendous punishment. However, Frazier's trainer threw in the towel after the 14th round, giving the hard-fought victory to Ali.

After losing his title to Leon Spinks in February 1978, Ali defeated him in a September rematch, becoming the first boxer to win the heavyweight championship three times. Following a brief retirement, he returned to the ring to face Larry Holmes in 1980, but was overmatched against the younger champion. Following one final loss in 1981, to Trevor Berbick, the boxing great retired from the sport.

Philanthropy and Diagnosis of Parkinson's

In his retirement, Ali devoted much of his time to philanthropy. He announced that he had Parkinson's disease in 1984, a degenerative neurological condition, and was involved in raising funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Over the years, Ali also supported the Special Olympics and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, among other organizations. In 1996, he lit the Olympic cauldron at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, an emotional moment in sports history.

Ali traveled to numerous countries, including Mexico and Morocco, to help out those in need. In 1998, he was chosen to be a United Nations Messenger of Peace because of his work in developing nations.

In 2005, Ali received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush. He also opened the Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, that same year. "I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given," he said. "Many fans wanted to build a museum to acknowledge my achievements. I wanted more than a building to house my memorabilia. I wanted a place that would inspire people to be the best that they could be at whatever they chose to do, and to encourage them to be respectful of one another."

Despite the progression of Parkinson's and the onset of spinal stenosis, Ali remained active in public life. He was on hand to celebrate the inauguration of the first African-American president in January 2009, when Barack Obama was sworn into office. Soon after the inauguration, Ali received the President's Award from the NAACP for his public service efforts.

Death and Legacy

Things began taking a turn for the worse within a few years. In early 2015, Ali was hospitalized for a severe urinary tract infection after having battled pneumonia. He was hospitalized again in early June 2016 for what was reportedly a respiratory issue. The revered athlete passed away on the evening of June 3, 2016, at a Phoenix, Arizona facility.

Ali was survived by his fourth wife, Yolanda, whom he had been married to since 1986. The couple had one son, Asaad, and Ali had several children from previous relationships, including daughter Laila Ali, who followed in his footsteps by becoming a champion boxer.

Universally regarded as one of the greatest boxers in history, Ali's stature as a legend continued to grow even as his physical state diminished. He continues to be celebrated not only for his remarkable athletic skills but for his willingness to speak his mind and his courage to challenge the status quo.

Muhammad Ali Quotes:

“The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”

It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe.

I'm gonna float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given.”

I'm the champion of the world. I'm the greatest thing that ever lived. I'm so great I don't have a mark on my face. I shook up the world! I shook up the world!”

If Clay says a mosquito can pull a plow, don't ask how—Hitch him up!”

You get the impression while watching him fight that he plays cat and mouse, then turns out the light.”

The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality.”

Religions all have different names, but they all contain the same truths. I think the people of our religion should be tolerant and understand people believe different things.”

It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.”

I set out on a journey of love, seeking truth, peace and understanding. l am still learning.”

Truly great people in history never wanted to be great for themselves.”

At night when I go to bed, I ask myself, 'If I don't wake up tomorrow, would I be proud of how I lived today.'”

This is the story about a man with iron fists and a beautiful tan.”

source:Biography

Facebook Live — from Space!

noreply@blogger.com (Fahad) — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 23:09:00 +0000

Facebook Live — from Space! Astronauts Chat with Mark Zuckerberg

Three space station astronauts chatted live today (June 1) with Facebook's founder about experiments and fun in space, the things that training can't prepare you for, and the true astronaut ice cream.

The live-streamed video marked the first use of Facebook Live in space, and the discussion among Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, NASA astronauts Jeff Williams and Tim Kopra, and British astronaut Tim Peake garnered hundreds of thousands of views as it was happening and 2.6 million views as of press time.

Zuckerberg read off questions asked by Facebook users, throwing in a few of his own as well, delving into how the astronauts spend their time in space. [Amazing Space Photos by British Astronaut Tim Peake]

Besides running experiments that take advantage of the lack of gravity — "physical science experiments that range from combustion to fluid flow to microbiology," Kopra said — the astronauts discussed how their existence itself is an experiment to measure microgravity's effect on the human body. So they're constantly exercising and measuring the changes in their physical attributes, like eyesight.

All three astronauts trained to prepare for those effects and the tasks they'd have to complete on orbit. But some aspects of life in space were impossible to convey through training, said astronaut Tim Peake, who's nearly six months into his first space mission. (Peake is the first British astronaut to stay on the International Space Station.)

"As a rookie astronaut on my first flight, there were so many new experiences," Peake said. "The training is phenomenal, and we have a wonderful training team all around the world, in all our international sites. [But] it's the real experience of launching in a Soyuz rocket, seeing that first orbit of planet Earth going through a sunset, seeing a moonrise, seeing a sunrise — you can't put into words how beautiful a planet is from up here.

"And also having the privilege of seeing it change over the nearly six months that we've been up here now already, and seeing the Northern Hemisphere going from winter to summer, seeing thunderstorms at nighttime, the aurora — it's just absolutely incredible," he continued. "It's all of those kinds of elements that the training just can't prepare you for."

The trio also discussed communicating with the other astronauts, using English, Russian or a mix of the two; the internet service in space, which is relatively new and incredibly useful for keeping in touch, albeit much slower than on Earth; and the cool new virtual reality tech they've been testing out in the space station's halls.

The astronauts also delved into what they do for fun. Williams, who is on his third long-duration stay on the station, mentioned he also particularly enjoys viewing the Earth: "All the different seasons and stuff that goes by, the different lighting conditions and weather patterns, and all the geography and geology and the ocean currents, and thunderstorms, seeing lightning ripple across a weather system — that's a lot of fun," he said. "So we spend a lot of time in the window," he said.

Another pastime, often done during meals, is playing around in microgravity. "We all, from time to time, especially around the dinner table, play with our food in unique ways," Williams added. "We all get to be kids again."

The astronauts discussed how food tastes very slightly differentin microgravity, probably because an increase of fluid in the head makes the astronauts feel slightly "stuffed up." They particularly enjoy spicy foods for that reason, Williams said.

And Zuckerberg asked another food-based question, getting the information that really matters: Is astronaut ice cream a real thing?

"We know that the astronaut ice cream that you buy in the gift store, that powdery stuff — yeah, that's not real," Kopra said. "But we've had ice cream on board. When SpaceX came up, they delivered a bunch of ice cream and a freezer, so that's been quite the treat. I think we're down to our last few bars. We're trying to ration it."

The three astronauts won't have much longer to save it, though; Kopra and Peake return to Earth June 18, along with Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, and Jeff Williams will head down in September with cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Oleg Skripochka.

June 24, three new team members will join the orbiting lab: American astronaut Kate Rubins, Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin and Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi. But they probably shouldn't count on any leftover ice cream.

Source: Space

Most Influential Person in the History

noreply@blogger.com (Fahad) — Mon, 23 May 2016 13:23:00 +0000

Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).

Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H) (570-632) Founder of Islam. Important religious, political and military leader who helped to unite Arabia under Islam. Whilst in seclusion in a mountain cave, Muhammad(P.B.U.H)(P.B.U.H) reported receiving a series of revelations from God; these revelations form the verses of the Quran, regarded by Muslims as the “Word of God” and around which the Islamic religion is based.

Muhammad(P.B.U.H)was born in 570 CE in the Arabian city of Mecca. Orphaned from an early age, he was brought up by his uncle Abu Talib. In his early life, he worked as a merchant and shepherd. Muhammad(P.B.U.H) had spiritual inclinations and would spend time going to caves around Mount Hira to spend time in silence, prayer and retreat.
It was during one of these retreats that he later revealed hearing the voice of Angel Jibreel (Gabriel). Muhammad(P.B.U.H) believed he was receiving the voice of God and wrote down these recitations to create the Qu’ran – the holy book of Islam.
In the beginning he attracted a relatively small number of followers, but they were viewed with hostility by other Meccan tribes. In 622, Muhammad(P.B.U.H), with some of his followers, migrated to Medina. This migration is known as the Hijrah, and marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. In Medina, Muhammad(P.B.U.H) united various tribes and with his growing political and religious strength was able to successfully fight the opposing tribes of Mecca. Eventually, Muhammad(P.B.U.H) was able to lead 10,000 followers to the city of Mecca, where he was able to establish Islam within the city. During the remainder of his life, he was able to unite most of Arabia under the new religion of Islam, and also under a common political entity. Muhammad(P.B.U.H) died in 632.

The Qu’ran

From the first experiences in the cave, Muhammad(P.B.U.H) reported receiving messages from God throughout his life. These messages form the Qu’ran – which to Muslims is the word of God. Muslims believe Muhammad(P.B.U.H) to be the final prophet in a tradition stretching back to Moses, Abraham and Jesus. As well as the Qu’ran, Muslims study the Sira (Muhammad(P.B.U.H)’s life) and traditions of the time (Sharia law). The essential message of the Qu’ran is that there is no God but Allah, and followers should lead their lives in submission to the will of Allah as described in the Qu’ran. The name Muhammad(P.B.U.H) means “Praiseworthy”

source: www.biographyonline.net

Albert Einstein

noreply@blogger.com (Fahad) — Mon, 09 May 2016 12:42:00 +0000

Albert Einstein.


Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein - Biographical

Albert Einstein was born at Ulm, in Württemberg, Germany, on March 14, 1879. Six weeks later the family moved to Munich, where he later on began his schooling at the Luitpold Gymnasium. Later, they moved to Italy and Albert continued his education at Aarau, Switzerland and in 1896 he entered the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich to be trained as a teacher in physics and mathematics. In 1901, the year he gained his diploma, he acquired Swiss citizenship and, as he was unable to find a teaching post, he accepted a position as technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office. In 1905 he obtained his doctor's degree.

During his stay at the Patent Office, and in his spare time, he produced much of his remarkable work and in 1908 he was appointed Privatdozent in Berne. In 1909 he became Professor Extraordinary at Zurich, in 1911 Professor of Theoretical Physics at Prague, returning to Zurich in the following year to fill a similar post. In 1914 he was appointed Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Physical Institute and Professor in the University of Berlin. He became a German citizen in 1914 and remained in Berlin until 1933 when he renounced his citizenship for political reasons and emigrated to America to take the position of Professor of Theoretical Physics at Princeton*. He became a United States citizen in 1940 and retired from his post in 1945.

After World War II, Einstein was a leading figure in the World Government Movement, he was offered the Presidency of the State of Israel, which he declined, and he collaborated with Dr. Chaim Weizmann in establishing the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Einstein always appeared to have a clear view of the problems of physics and the determination to solve them. He had a strategy of his own and was able to visualize the main stages on the way to his goal. He regarded his major achievements as mere stepping-stones for the next advance.

At the start of his scientific work, Einstein realized the inadequacies of Newtonian mechanics and his special theory of relativity stemmed from an attempt to reconcile the laws of mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field. He dealt with classical problems of statistical mechanics and problems in which they were merged with quantum theory: this led to an explanation of the Brownian movement of molecules. He investigated the thermal properties of light with a low radiation density and his observations laid the foundation of the photon theory of light.

In his early days in Berlin, Einstein postulated that the correct interpretation of the special theory of relativity must also furnish a theory of gravitation and in 1916 he published his paper on the general theory of relativity. During this time he also contributed to the problems of the theory of radiation and statistical mechanics.

In the 1920's, Einstein embarked on the construction of unified field theories, although he continued to work on the probabilistic interpretation of quantum theory, and he persevered with this work in America. He contributed to statistical mechanics by his development of the quantum theory of a monatomic gas and he has also accomplished valuable work in connection with atomic transition probabilities and relativistic cosmology.

After his retirement he continued to work towards the unification of the basic concepts of physics, taking the opposite approach, geometrisation, to the majority of physicists.

Einstein's researches are, of course, well chronicled and his more important works include Special Theory of Relativity (1905), Relativity (English translations, 1920 and 1950), General Theory of Relativity (1916), Investigations on Theory of Brownian Movement (1926), and The Evolution of Physics (1938). Among his non-scientific works, About Zionism (1930), Why War? (1933), My Philosophy (1934), and Out of My Later Years (1950) are perhaps the most important.

Albert Einstein received honorary doctorate degrees in science, medicine and philosophy from many European and American universities. During the 1920's he lectured in Europe, America and the Far East, and he was awarded Fellowships or Memberships of all the leading scientific academies throughout the world. He gained numerous awards in recognition of his work, including the Copley Medal of the Royal Society of London in 1925, and the Franklin Medal of the Franklin Institute in 1935.

Einstein's gifts inevitably resulted in his dwelling much in intellectual solitude and, for relaxation, music played an important part in his life. He married Mileva Maric in 1903 and they had a daughter and two sons; their marriage was dissolved in 1919 and in the same year he married his cousin, Elsa Löwenthal, who died in 1936. He died on April 18, 1955 at Princeton, New Jersey.

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein Quotes.

Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT'S relativity.

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.

Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means.

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.

The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.

I am a deeply religious nonbeliever - This is a somewhat new kind of religion.

You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.

I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.

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