Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan was born on the 11th of October, 1942 in Allahabad, British India. Did you know that Amitabh Bachchan had gained such popularity in the 1970s, that French director; Francois Truffaut had called him a ‘One-man Industry’. Amitabh Bachchan is regarded as one of the most influential actors in Indian Cinema. His roles […]
In one of his previous lives, the Buddha was born as a parrot. There was a huge storm, and lightning struck a dead tree in the forest. Soon, the fire spread. To escape the fire, the parrot flew towards the river. Looking down, he saw that many animals were trapped and crying for help. The
The Gol Gumbaz is a mausoleum that was built in Bijapur, Karnataka, India, in 1656 AD. A mausoleum for the Sultan of Bijapur, the Gol Gumbaz literally meant ‘a circular dome’. The monument was built in Deccan style architecture and consisted of a cube topped with a 44-metre high dome. At each of the four
Michael Rubens Bloomberg was born on the 14th of February 1942 in Massachusetts, U.S. Do you know that Michael Bloomberg is as devoted to philanthropy as he is rich? In 2013, he was said to be the 3rd most philanthropic person in the U.S.A. Business mogul and philanthropist, Michael Bloomberg is also a politician. He
The Buddha sometimes told stories to explain things to his disciples. Once, he told the story of a fish who met a turtle in the water. “Where have you been for so long?” asked the fish. “I have been on dry land,” said the turtle. “Is there such a thing as dry land?” asked the
Stephen William Hawking was born on the 8th of January 1942 in Oxford, England. Do you know that at the age of 21 years he was diagnosed with ALS, a neurological disease and was told he would live for only a few years? A theoretical physicist and author, Stephen Hawking is the Director of Research
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, popularly known as Pele, was born on 23rd October, 1940 in Tres Coracoes, Brazil. Do you know that Pele was only 17 years old when his team won the World Cup, making him the youngest ever winner of a World Cup? Pele is a retired Brazilian professional footballer, who has scored
Once, Master Narada Maha Thera told his disciples about the truth of life. He said, “An elephant was chasing a man. The man decided to hide in a well, but there was a deadly snake at the bottom of the well. So, the man hung from a thorny creeper growing along the rim of the
Alfred James Pacino popularly known as Al Pacino, was born on the 25th of April 1940 in Manhattan, New York, U.S. Do you know that Al Pacino had dropped out of acting school? In spite of which he has been the recipient of the ‘Triple Crown of Acting’. An actor, filmmaker and screenwriter, Al Pacino
John Winston Ono Lennon, commonly known as John Lennon, was born on the 9th of October 1940 in England, and passed away on 8th December, 1980. Do you know that in spite of being a world-famous singer, John Lennon was known to hate the sound of his on voice when he sang and preferred to
There was a young monk in China. He studied and meditated all day long. One day, the monk read something but he did not understand, so he went to his master and asked about it. When the master heard the question, he laughed loudly and walked away. The monk wondered why the master had laughed.
Carlos Slim Helu was born on the 28th of January 1940 in Mexico City, Mexico. Do you know that Carlos Slim in 2009 gave ‘The New York Times’ newspaper a loan for $250 million? Ranked the richest man on earth for 4 years from 2010 to 2013, Carlos Slim is a business magnate and philanthropist.
Anna Mae Bullock, popularly known by her stage name Tina Turner, was born on the 26th of November 1939 in Tennessee, U.S. Do you know that while she was on tour with Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones in 1969, she supposedly taught Jagger how to dance? Singer, dancer, actress and author, Tina Turner’s musical
Kofi Atta Annan was born on the 8th of April 1938 in Kumasi, Gold Coast, (present-day Ghana). Do you know that Kofi Annan had a twin sister who passed away in 1991? They both shared the middle name ‘atta’ which means twin in the Ghanaian language of Akan. Founder and Chairman of the Kofi Annan
Once, a disciple asked a senior monk, “How do I calm my mind?” The monk said, “I am busy. Please ask the first dharma brother.” The disciple went to the dharma brother, but he said, “I have a headache; I can’t talk now. Ask the second dharma brother.” The second dharma brother said, “I have