Mehmed II reigned as the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire on two separate occasions; from 1444 to 1446 and again from 1451 to 1481. During his first reign, Mehmed II defeated the military expedition led by John Hunyadi. During his second reign, Mehmed II strengthened the Ottoman navy and conquered Constantinople at age 21, which ended the Byzantine Empire.
Jackie Cooper was an American actor, television producer, and director. He was the youngest and the first child actor to receive an Academy Award nomination. After receiving the nomination at the age of nine, Cooper remained the youngest Academy Award nominee for nearly 50 years. He later established himself as a successful actor in Hollywood.
Wally Schirra was an American NASA astronaut, test pilot, and naval aviator. He achieved popularity in 1959, when he became one of the seven astronauts chosen for Project Mercury. In 1962, he was part of Mercury-Atlas 8 and became only the ninth human to travel into space. Wally Schirra was portrayed by Lance Henriksen in the film, The Right Stuff.
Better known as the father of renowned golfer Tiger Woods, Earl Woods had initially been a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. He excelled in baseball in college and learned to play golf much later, at 42. Addicted to the sport, he taught it to his son, who later became a golf legend.
Patrick Pearse was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, and revolutionary. He was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916. Opinionated with radical views, he decided as a boy that he would dedicate his life to Irish freedom. A relentless idealist, he was executed after the Easter Rising and was immortalized as a symbol of the rebellion.
Dr. Zakir Husain was the third President of India and was the first President to die in office . During his lifetime, he helped found the National Muslim University which was later renamed Jamia Millia Islamia. He was honored with India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna in 1963.
Jerzy Kosiński was a Polish American novelist who served as the president of the American Chapter of P.E.N. twice. Born in Poland, he survived World War II and moved to USA. He initially survived by taking up odd jobs and eventually worked his way to fame and success. Throughout his career, he faced accusations of plagiarism.
Daliah Lavi was an Israeli actress, model, and singer. Throughout her career, Lavi played important roles in several European and American productions. As she was fluent in many languages, she acted in English, Italian, Spanish, German, and French-language films. Thanks to her impressive physique, she was also popular for playing a femme fatale in many films.
Adolphe Adam was a French music critic, teacher, and composer. Best remembered for his ballets, Le corsaire and Giselle, Adam was a prolific composer for the theatre. Adolphe Adam is credited with developing the French form of opera along with his teacher Adrien Boieldieu and his older contemporary Daniel Auber.
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber was a Bohemian-Austrian violinist and composer. He is widely regarded as one of the best violin composers of the 17th century. Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber wrote operas, music for chamber ensemble, and sacred music. Today, his compositions are widely performed and recorded.
English Jesuit priest Henry Garnet was initially an Anglican but later converted to Roman Catholicism. After teaching Hebrew at a college in Rome, he went back to England as a missionary. Accused of being involved in the Gunpowder Plot against King James I, he was hanged to death in 1606.
Pope Alexander I was a 2nd-century bishop of Rome. Some believe he introduced the custom of the holy water and of mixing sacramental wine with water. Some also believe he may have been martyred during the reign of Trajan or Hadrian. He is believed to have had a vision of baby Jesus.
Spanish painter and art teacher José Ruiz y Blasco was best known as the father of legendary artist Pablo Picasso. Most of his works are depictions of landscapes or doves and pigeons in their natural habitat. He also specialized in still lifes. In his later years, he taught at La Lonja.
Known as The Liberator of Bangladesh, Jagjit Singh Aurora was an Indian army general who was major figure of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. His campaign led to the defeat of the Pakistan Armed Forces, eventually leading to the formation of Bangladesh. The Padma Bhushan winner later joined politics.
Karel Appel was a Dutch poet, painter, and sculptor. He is credited with co-founding COBRA, a European avant-garde movement that was active from 1948 to 1951. He is also credited with establishing the Karel Appel Foundation, which aims at preserving his artworks. Many of his works are displayed at museums all over the world, including the Museum of Modern Art.
Alfredo Pareja Diezcanseco was an Ecuadorian essayist, novelist, journalist, diplomat, and historian. He is credited with co-founding a popular literary group called Grupo de Guayaquil. Over the course of his illustrious career, Pareja won many literary awards, including the prestigious Eugenio Espejo National Award. From 1979 to 1980, Alfredo Pareja Diezcanseco also served as Ecuador's foreign minister.
A prominent name in the field of economics, Knut Wicksell was a Swedish economist known for his pioneering work in monetary theory. His work has influenced numerous economists like James M. Buchanan and John Maynard Keynes and various economic schools of thought like Keynesian and Austrian school. During his career, he also worked as a professor at the Lund University.