Popularly known as Leonardo or the Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci was born on 15th April, 1452 in Italy, and passed away on the 2nd of May 1519. Do you know that even though Leonardo is known widely for his paintings, his areas of expertise include many fields such as astronomy, geology, literature, music, writing, […]
A stonecutter was very unhappy with his life. One day, he saw a monk and thought, ‘I wish I were a monk.’ Lo! Magically, the stonecutter became a monk. He started to preach people but he had to live in the forest. One day, the monk looked towards the sun and thought, ‘I wish I
One evening, a warrior was resting in his tent. The warrior had to fight in a battle the next morning. He found it very difficult to fall asleep, as he was worried. He knew that the enemy was very strong and feared that he would be defeated. Troubled, the warrior got up and went to
Christopher Columbus was born on the 31st of October, 1451 in the Republic of Genoa and passed away on the 20th of May 1506. Do you know that in all likelihood Columbus was not the first European to cross the Atlantic Ocean? That honour is generally given to Norse Viking Leif Eriksson. Christopher Columbus was
Once, a farmer and his family lived in a village. The farmer was so old that he could not work in the fields any more. He would just sit on the porch all day. His son was very angry that his father did not help him at all. One day, the son built a wooden
The National Women’s Memorial was built in South Africa in 1913. The Monument was built to honour the 27,000 Boer women and children who had died during the Second Boer War, in British concentration camps. The monument comprises a 35-metre high obelisk with low semi-circular walls on two sides and a central bronze sculpture of
Once, a famous monk visited a king’s palace. He made his way to where the king was sitting on his throne. The king immediately recognised the monk and said in reverence, “O holy man! what can I do for you?” “I would like a place to sleep in this inn,” replied the monk. The King
Long ago, there lived a Bodhisattva. One day, he and his disciples were practising their evening meditation. Suddenly, a cat that lived in the monastery started making a lot of noise and distracting them. The Bodhisattva then ordered that the cat be tied up during the evening meditation. Thus, every evening, the students tied up
Dante degli Alighieri, popularly known as Dante, was born between May and June 1265 in Florence and passed away on 14th September, 1321. Do you know that Dante had become a pharmacist so as to help further his political career? A renowned Italian poet, most of Dante’s work was written in Latin and accessible only
The Castle of Good Hope was built in South Africa between 1666 and 1679. The Castle of Good Hope is a star-shaped fort that was built by the Dutch East India Company. Painted yellow to lessen the effect of the sun, the castle contained a church, bakery, workshops, living quarters and cells. In 1936, the
Jesus was born between the 7th and 2nd centuries in Herodian Tetrarchy, in the then Roman Empire and passed away on the 3rd of April 33 AD. Did you know that Jesus Christ was said to be a master of irony and wit? He would say witty things, which can be observed in many of
Saul the Tarsus, who later came to be known as Paul the Apostle, was born in the 1st century AD, in Cilicia, then Roman Empire and passed away around 67 AD. Do you know that St. Paul’s real name was Saul, which he changed once he converted to Christianity? Paul the Apostle was an Apostle
Ashoka Maurya, popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was born in 304 BC in Pataliputra, Patna, India, and passed away in 232 BC. Do you know that Ashoka killed his 6 brothers (and not 99 as exaggerated in stories) to ascend the throne? An Indian emperor, Ashoka was from the Maurya Dynasty. His rule extended
Popularly known as the King of Asia or the King of Babylon, Alexander the Great was born in Macedonia, on the 20th of July 356 BC and passed away in June of 323 BC. Do you know that at the age of 19, after his father’s death, Alexander attempted and succeeded in attaining the throne?
Once, a monk had 500 followers. He meditated throughout his life. He even had supernatural powers and could fly. One day, the chief follower took 250 followers into the villages to collect alms. Meanwhile, the master was about to die. The remaining followers who were by his side realised this and asked him, “What was