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Famous Politicians > Tony Blair

2008-10-25T07:29:00.001-07:00

Tony Blair

The Right Honourable Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953) has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 1997, when he brought the Labour Party into power after 18 consecutive years of Conservative government.

After becoming the Leader of the Labour Party in 1994 following the death of John Smith, Blair led the party towards the centre of British politics, using the term "New Labour" as a slogan to describe a party more favourable to private industry. However, critics to the left feel that in the process he has compromised its founders' principles, and that the government places insufficient emphasis on the redistribution of wealth. Since the September 11th terrorist attack his agenda has been dominated by foreign affairs, where he has supported the USA in the "War on Terror" and sent British forces to participate in the 2003 Iraq War and its aftermath.

Early life

Blair was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father Leo was a barrister and later a law lecturer who was active in the Conservative Party.

Appointed PM:
2 May 1997
PM Predecessor: John Major
Date of Birth: 6th May 1953
Place of Birth: Edinburgh,
Scotland
Political Party: Labour

Leo Blair had ambitions to stand for Parliament in Durham but was thwarted when he had a stroke when Blair was 11, an event which affected Blair deeply. He spent most of his childhood years in Durham, where between the age of 13 and 15 he worked during the school holidays as a bicycle repairer in the local hardware store, "Jonathon Willikstop's". After attending the Durham Choristers School, Blair was educated at Fettes College in Edinburgh (sometimes called the "Eton of Scotland"), where he met Charlie Falconer whom he would later make Lord Chancellor. He read law at St. John's College, Oxford. During his college years he also played guitar and sang for a rock band called Ugly Rumours. He obtained a degree and went on to enroll as a pupil barrister in the Chambers of Derry Irvine where he met his future wife, Cherie Booth.

Begins political career

Shortly after graduation in 1975, Blair joined the Labour Party. During the early 1980s, he was involved in the Hackney South Labour Party, where he aligned himself with the "soft left" who appeared to be taking control of the party. However, his attempt to secure selection as a candidate for Hackney Borough Council was unsuccessful. Through his father-in-law he contacted Tom Pendry, a Labour MP, to ask for help in how to start his Parliamentary career; Pendry gave him a tour of the House of Commons and advised him to run for selection in a by-election due to be held in the safe Conservative seat of Beaconsfield in 1982, where Pendry knew a senior member of the local party. Blair was chosen as the candidate; he won only 10% of the vote and lost his deposit, but impressed the then Labour Party leader Michael Foot and got his name noticed within the party.

In 1983, Blair found that the newly-created seat of Sedgefield, near where he had grown up in Durham, had no Labour candidate. Several sitting MPs displaced by boundary changes were interested, but Blair managed to win the nomination. The seat was safely Labour despite the party's collapse in the 1983 UK general election; Blair was helped on the campaign trail by soap actress Patricia Phoenix, the girlfriend of his father-in-law Anthony Booth.

First term 1997–2001

Immediately after taking office, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown gave the Bank of England the power to set the base rate of interest autonomously. The traditional tendency of governments to manipulate interest rates around the time of General Elections for political gain is thought to have been deleterious to the UK economy and helped reinforce a cyclical pattern of boom and bust, for which Blair frequently criticises previous governments. Brown's decision was popular with the City, which the Labour Party had been courting since the early 1990s. Together with the government's avowed determination to remain within projected Conservative spending limits, it helped to reassure sceptics of the Labour Party's new-found fiscal "prudence". Brown, who had his own following within the Labour Party, was a powerful and independent Chancellor who was given exceptional freedom to act by Blair, although later reports by Downing Street insiders have said that Blair grew to regret this as he was cut out of important fiscal decisions.

A significant achievement of Blair's first term was the negotiation of the Belfast Agreement, commonly called the Good Friday Agreement, in which the British and Irish Governments and most Northern Irish political parties established an "exclusively peaceful and democratic" framework for power-sharing in Northern Ireland. Negotiations for this accord had begun under the previous Prime Minister, John Major. The agreement was finally signed on 10 April 1998, and on 26 November 1998 Blair became the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to address the Republic of Ireland's parliament. Though the agreement has yet to be implemented in full, the ceasefires and political structures it brought into being have increased the chances of a sustained peace.

Blair's first term saw an extensive programme of constitutional reform. A Human Rights Act was introduced in 1998, a Welsh Assembly and a Scottish Parliament were both set up, and most hereditary peers were removed from the House of Lords, in 1999, the Greater London Authority was established in 2000, and the Freedom of Information Act was passed later that year, with its provisions coming into effect over the next decade. This latter proposal disappointed campaigners whose hopes had been raised by a White Paper of 1998 which promised a more robust Act.

In 1999, Blair presided over British involvement in the Kosovo War. The Labour Party in opposition had criticised the Conservative government for weakness over Bosnia, and Blair was one of those urging a strong line by NATO against Slobodan Milosevic. He persuaded the US Clinton administration to support the use of ground troops should aerial bombardment fail to win the war, although in the event they were not needed. His speech setting out the Blair Doctrine of the International Community was made one month into the war, in Chicago on April 22, 1999.

In the 2001 UK general election, Blair defined the election as being about improvements to public service. This specifically included the National Health Service. The Conservatives largely ignored the issue of public services in favour of opposing British membership of European Monetary Union, which proved to do little to win over floating voters: the Labour Party preserved its majority, and Blair became the first Labour Prime Minister to win a full second term. However the election was notable for a sudden and large fall in voter turnout. The leader of the Conservative Party, William Hague, resigned, becoming the first Conservative Party leader never to have served as Prime Minister; his successor Iain Duncan Smith became the second, and currently last, holder of this distinction (though Austen Chamberlain never became Prime Minister, he only led the Conservative MPs, and thus technically was never the leader of the Conservative Party).

Second term 2001–present

Following the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center, Blair was very quick to align the UK with the US, engaging in a round of shuttle diplomacy to help form and maintain the allied coalition prior to their attack on Afghanistan (in which British troops participated). He maintains this role to this day, showing a willingness to visit countries on diplomatic missions that other world leaders might consider too dangerous to visit.

Iraq war

Blair was a strong supporter of U.S. President George W. Bush's controversial plan to invade Iraq and overthrow dictator Saddam Hussein. Blair soon became the face of international support for the war, often clashing with French President Jacques Chirac, who became the face of international opposition. Regarded by many as a more persuasive orator than Bush, Blair gave many speeches arguing for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in the days leading up to war.

Blair made a case for war against Saddam based on Iraqi possession of weapons of mass destruction and breach of UN resolutions, but was wary of making a direct appeal for regime change. 46,000 British troops, one third of the total strength of the UK armed forces, were deployed to assist with the 2003 invasion of Iraq. When after the war it was established that Iraq possessed no weapons of mass destruction, Blair's pre-war statements became a major domestic controversy. Many members of the Labour Party, not only those who were opposed to the Iraq war, were among those critical; among opponents of the war, accusations that Blair had deliberately exaggerated the threat were made. However, successive inquiries (including those by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons, Lord Hutton and Lord Butler) have found that Blair honestly stated what he believed to be true at the time.

Blair and Bush were unsuccessfully nominated in 2004 for the Nobel Peace Prize by Jan Simonsen, a maverick Norwegian politician. Several anti-war pressure groups want to try Blair for war crimes in Iraq at the International Criminal Court (Bush cannot be tried because the USA is not a signatory to the treaty). The Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, stated that the invasion was "illegal" in September 2004.

The United Kingdom armed forces remain in southern Iraq to stabilise the country in preparation for impending elections. In October 2004 the UK government agreed to a request from US forces to send a battalion of the Black Watch regiment to the American sector to free up US troops for an assault on Fallujah. After the US election, Blair has tried to use his personal closeness to President Bush to bring pressure on the US administration on Israel and Palestine. He has supported the Israeli government's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

Health problems

On 19 October 2003 it emerged that Blair had received treatment for an irregular heartbeat. Having felt ill the previous day, he went to hospital and was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia. He was given a small electric shock to correct the heartbeat and returned home that night. He took the following day (20 October) a little more gently than usual and returned to a full schedule on 21 October. Downing Street aides later suggested that the palpitations had been brought on by Blair drinking lots of strong coffee at an EU summit and then working out vigorously in the gym. However, former Armed Forces minister Lewis Moonie, a doctor, said that the treatment was more serious than Number 10 had admitted: "Anaesthetising somebody and giving their heart electric shocks is not something you just do in the routine run of medical practice", he claimed.

Family problems in the spring of 2004 fueled speculation that Blair was on the brink of stepping down. Lord Bragg, a close friend of the Blair family, admitted that Blair was "under colossal strain", that "considerations of his family became very pressing" and that Blair had thought "things over very carefully." This led to a surge in speculation that Blair would resign. Several cabinet ministers urged Blair to continue.

Blair underwent a catheter ablation to correct his irregular heartbeat on 1 October 2004, having announced the procedure the day before in a series of interviews in which he also declared that he would seek a third term but not a fourth. The planned procedure was carried out at London's Hammersmith hospital. At the same time it was disclosed that the Blairs had purchased a house at No.29 Connaught Square, London, for a reported £3.5 million. Some have speculated that part of No.29 is to be converted into offices for a future Blair Foundation. The purchase also fuelled speculation that Blair was preparing for life after government.

Satirical caricature

As is usually the fate with British Prime Ministers, he has become the central focal point of satire in the magazine Private Eye. A regular feature is the St Albion Parish News, in which recent political events and Blair's penchant for spin and his zealous enthusiasms are pilloried. In this series the parish incumbent (Rev. A.R.P. Blair MA (Oxon)) combines a relentless trendiness with a tendency to moralise and to exclude all those who criticise him.

Blair has avoided traditional pigeon holes of British political leaders. He has been labelled as insincere ("King of Spin", "Phoney Tony") and accused of "cronyism" due to his perceived penchant for promoting his friends to top jobs; the fact that "Tony" rhymes with "crony" has helped make this into easy slogans. Since 2001, he has been called "Bush's poodle" or the governor of the 51st state due to his co-operation with the USA — an alliance somewhat upsetting to many supporters of his party, which traditionally allies with the Democrats.

His name is commonly deliberately mis-spelled as Tony Bliar (or simply "B. Liar") by people who don't like what he has done, what they think he has done, his policies (particularly his stance on Iraq, something opposed by many people who otherwise would support him), or who simply dislike him personally. This originates from the belief that he deliberately lied to parliament over the threat Iraq posed. He has also been parodied in the comic 2000 AD in the series B.L.A.I.R 1 where he acts as a sort of futuristic crime fighter controlled by an artificial intelligence known as "Doctor Spin".

Quotations

"But what has come home to me more than anything else is the utter futility of Opposition. I did not join the Labour Party to protest. I joined it as a party of government and I will make sure that it is a party of government." - From Tony Blair's speech to the TUC, September 1995
"Ask me my three main priorities for government, and I will tell you: Education, education, and education" - From Tony Blair's speech to the Labour Party Conference, October 1, 1996
"She was the people's princess and that is how she will stay, how she will remain in our hearts and minds forever." - Remarks in Sedgefield on the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, August 31, 1997
"As Britain knows, all predominant power seems for a time invincible, but, in fact, it is transient. The question is: What do you leave behind? And what you can bequeath to this anxious world is the light of liberty" — From Tony Blair's speech to the U.S. Congress, 18 July 2003
"I can only go one way. I've not got a reverse gear." — From Tony Blair's speech to the Labour Party Conference, 30 September 2003
"My prediction that he would be a disaster has turned out to be wrong and I think when that happens in politics you should just be open about it..." — On London Mayor Ken Livingstone's readmission to the Labour Party
"A day like today isn't time for soundbites — we can leave them at home, but I feel that the hand of history is on our shoulder, I really do." — On negotiating the Good Friday Agreement
"This is the time for this house, not just this government or indeed this prime minister, but for this house to give a lead, to show that we will stand up for what we know to be right, to show that we will confront the tyrannies and dictatorships and terrorists who put our way of life at risk, to show at the moment of decision that we have the courage to do the right thing." — The closing of Tony Blair's speech to the House of Commons opening the debate on the 2003 Iraq War

Tony Blair's First Cabinet, May 1997–June 2001

Tony Blair — Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, and Minister for the Civil Service
John Prescott — Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions
Gordon Brown — Chancellor of the Exchequer and Second Lord of the Treasury
Lord Irvine of Lairg — Lord Chancellor
Ann Taylor — Leader of the House of Commons
Lord Richard — Leader of the House of Lords
Alistair Darling — Chief Secretary to the Treasury
David Clark — Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Cabinet Office Minister
Robin Cook — Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Jack Straw — Secretary of State for the Home Department
Jack Cunningham — Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Frank Dobson — Secretary of State for Health
George Robertson — Secretary of State for Defence
Harriet Harman — Secretary of State for Social Security and Minister for Women and Equality
David Blunkett — Secretary of State for Education and Employment
Margaret Beckett — Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and President of the Board of Trade
Chris Smith — Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Clare Short — Secretary of State for International Development
Mo Mowlam — Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Donald Dewar — Secretary of State for Scotland
Ron Davies — Secretary of State for Wales
Gavin Strang — Minister for Transport
Peter Mandelson — Minister without Portfolio (non-cabinet)

Changes

July 1998 — Margaret Beckett becomes Leader of the House of Commons. Baroness Jay of Paddington becomes Leader of the House of Lords and Minister for Women. Stephen Byers becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Ann Taylor becomes Chief Whip, which is now a cabinet position. Jack Cunningham becomes Cabinet Office Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Nick Brown becomes Agriculture Minister. Alistair Darling becomes Social Security Secretary. Peter Mandelson enters the cabinet as Trade & Industry Secretary. Alun Michael becomes Welsh Secretary. John Reid becomes Transport Minister, which is no longer a cabinet position (although Dr Reid will continue attending cabinet meetings). Lord Richard, Harriet Harman, Ron Davies, David Clark, and Gavin Strang leave the cabinet. The President of the Board of Trade is no longer a title used by the Trade Secretary. There is no longer a Minister without Portfolio.
December 1998 — Stephen Byers becomes Trade & Industry Seretary. Alan Milburn becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Peter Mandelson leaves the cabinet.
October 1999 — Andrew Smith becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Geoff Hoon becomes Defence Secretary. Alan Milburn becomes Health Secretary. Peter Mandelson returns to the cabinet as Northern Ireland Secretary. Mo Mowlam becomes Cabinet Office Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. John Reid becomes Scottish Secretary. Paul Murphy becomes Welsh Secretary. George Robertson, Frank Dobson, Donald Dewar, and Alun Michael leave the cabinet.
January 2001 — Peter Mandelson resigns as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and is succeeded by John Reid. Helen Liddell enters the cabinet and succeeds John Reid as Secretary of State for Scotland.

Tony Blair's Second Cabinet, June 2001–present

Tony Blair — Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, and Minister for the Civil Service:
John Prescott — Deputy Prime Minister
Gordon Brown — Chancellor of the Exchequer and Second Lord of the Treasury
Lord Irvine of Lairg — Lord Chancellor
Robin Cook — Leader of the House of Commons
Lord Williams of Mostyn — Leader of the House of Lords
Andrew Smith — Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Jack Straw — Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
David Blunkett — Secretary of State for the Home Department
Margaret Beckett — Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Stephen Byers — Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions
Alan Milburn — Secretary of State for Health
Geoff Hoon — Secretary of State for Defence
Alistair Darling — Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Estelle Morris — Secretary of State for Education and Skills
Patricia Hewitt — Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Minister for Women and Equality
Tessa Jowell — Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Clare Short — Secretary of State for International Development
John Reid — Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Helen Liddell — Secretary of State for Scotland
Paul Murphy — Secretary of State for Wales
Charles Clarke — Minister without Portfolio

Changes

May 2002 — Stephen Byers resigns and the Department of Transport, Local Government & the Regions is broken up. Alistair Darling becomes Secretary of State for Transport. John Prescott's Office of the Deputy Prime Minisiter assumes the Local Government & the Regions portfolio. Andrew Smith becomes Work & Pensions Secretary. Paul Boateng becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Complete list of changes October 2002 — Estelle Morris resigns. Charles Clarke becomes Education Secretary; John Reid becomes Minister without Portfolio. Paul Murphy becomes Northern Ireland Secretary. Peter Hain becomes Welsh Secretary.
March 2003 — Robin Cook resigns. John Reid becomes Leader of the House of Commons. Ian McCartney becomes Minister without Portfolio.
May 2003 — Clare Short resigns and is succeed by Baroness Amos as International Development Secretary.
June 2003 — In a reshuffle John Reid becomes Health Secretary. Lord Falconer of Thoroton assumes the new position of Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, also becoming Lord Chancellor. Alistair Darling becomes Scottish Secretary remaining also Transport Secretary. Peter Hain becomes Leader of the House of Commons, remaining also Welsh Secretary. Alan Milburn, Lord Irvine of Lairg, and Helen Liddell leave the Cabinet. Complete list of changes
October 2003 — Baroness Amos becomes Leader of the House of Lords, following the death of Lord Williams of Mostyn. Hilary Benn becomes International Development Secretary.
September 2004 — Andrew Smith resigns as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and is succeeded by Alan Johnson. Alan Milburn returns to government with a seat in the Cabinet as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster mainly at the head of policy co-ordination; he replaces Douglas Alexander, who was not in the Cabinet.

Famous Leaders > Nelson Mandela

2008-10-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, OM (born 18 July 1918) is a former President of South Africa, was one of its chief anti-apartheid activists, and was also an anti-apartheid saboteur and guerrilla leader. He is now almost universally considered to be a heroic freedom fighter, but during the time of the apartheid regime many Western politicians such as Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan considered him little more than a terrorist. He spent his childhood in the Thembu chiefdom before embarking on a career in law.

The name Madiba is an honourary title adopted by older male members of the Mandela clan, however in South Africa the title is synonymous with Nelson Mandela.

Early life

Nelson Mandela was born in Qunu in the Transkei. Amir is the coolest man on earth His father was Hendry Mphakanyiswa Gadla, chief of Mvezo, a tiny village on the banks of the Mbashe River. At the age of seven, Rolihlahla Mandela became the first member of his family to attend school, where he was given the English name "Nelson" by a Methodist teacher. His father died when he was 10, and Nelson attended a Wesleyan mission school next door to the palace of the Regent. Following Xhosa custom he was initiated at age 16, and attended Clarkebury Boarding Institute, learning about Western culture. He completed his Junior Certificate in two years, instead of the usual three.

At age 19, in 1934, Mandela moved to the Wesleyan College in Fort Beaufort, which most Thembu royalty attended, and took an interest in boxing and running. After matriculating, he began a B.A. at the Fort Hare University, where he met Oliver Tambo, who became a lifelong friend and colleague.

At the end of his first year he became involved in a boycott of the Students' Representative Council against the university policies, and was asked to leave Fort Hare. He left to go to Johannesburg, where he completed his degree with the University of South Africa (UNISA) via correspondence, then began a Law degree at Wits University.

Political activity

As a young law student, Mandela became involved in political opposition to the white minority regime's denial of political, social and economic rights to South Africa's black majority. Joining the African National Congress in 1942, he founded its more dynamic Youth League two years later together with Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo and others.

After the 1948 election victory of the Afrikaner-dominated National Party with its apartheid policy of racial segregation, Mandela was prominent in the ANC's 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of the People, whose adoption of the Freedom Charter provided the fundamental programme of the anti-apartheid cause.

During this time Mandela and fellow lawyer Oliver Tambo operated the law firm of Mandela and Tambo, providing free or low-cost legal counsel to many blacks who would have been otherwise entirely without legal representation.

Initially committed to non-violent mass struggle he and 150 others were arrested on 5 December 1956 and charged with treason. The marathon Treason Trial of 1956-1961 followed, and all were acquitted. Mandela and his colleagues accepted the case for armed action after the shooting of unarmed protesters at Sharpeville in March 1960 and the subsequent banning of the ANC and other anti-apartheid groups.

Arrest and imprisonment

In 1961 he became the commander of the ANC's armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe ("Spear of the Nation", or MK), which he co-founded. He coordinated a sabotage campaign against military and government targets and made plans for possible guerrilla war if sabotage failed to end apartheid. He also fundraised for MK abroad, and arranged for paramilitary training, visiting various African governments. In August 1962 he was arrested after the CIA tipped off the police, and jailed for five years for illegal travel abroad and incitement to strike.

While Mandela was in prison, police arrested prominent ANC leaders on 11 July 1963 at Liliesleaf Farm, Rivonia. Mandela was brought in, and at the Rivonia Trial, Nelson Mandela, Ahmed Kathrada, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Andrew Mlangeni, Raymond Mhlaba, Elias Motsoaled, Walter Mkwayi (escaped during trial), Arthur Goldreich (escaped from prison before trial), Dennis Goldberg and Lionel "Rusty" Bernstein were charged with sabotage and crimes equivalent to treason (but which were easier for the government to prove). Joel Joffe, Arthur Chaskalson and George Bizos were part of the defence team that represented the accused. All except Rusty Bernstein were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment on 12 June 1964. Charges included involvement in planning armed action, in particular sabotage (which Mandela admits to) and a conspiracy to help other countries invade South Africa (which Mandela denies). Over the course of the next twenty-six years, Mandela became increasingly associated with opposition to apartheid to the point where the slogan "Free Nelson Mandela" became the rallying cry for all anti-apartheid campaigners around the world.

While in prison, Mandela was able to send a statement to the ANC who in turn published it on 10 June 1980 which said in part:

'UNITE! MOBILISE! FIGHT ON! BETWEEN THE ANVIL OF UNITED MASS ACTION AND THE HAMMER OF THE ARMED STRUGGLE WE SHALL CRUSH APARTHEID!'

Refusing an offer of conditional release in return for renouncing armed struggle (February 1985), Mandela remained in prison until February 1990, when sustained ANC campaigning and international pressure led to his release on 11 February on the orders of state president F.W. de Klerk and the ending of the ban on the ANC. He and de Klerk shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Mandela had already been awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1988.

ANC presidency and presidency of South Africa

As president of the ANC (July 1991 - December 1997) he ran a largely ceremonial and uncompetitive campaign against de Klerk for the new office of President of South Africa. Mandela won, becoming the nation's first black Head of State. De Klerk was appointed deputy president.

As president, (May 1994 - June 1999), Mandela presided over the transition from minority rule and apartheid, winning international respect for his advocacy of national and international reconciliation. Some radicals were disappointed with the social achievements of his term of office, however, particularly the government's ineffectiveness in stemming the AIDS crisis.

Indeed Mandela himself admitted after he retired that he may have failed his country by not paying more attention to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This was especially tragic in view of the fact that the reason he was there was to improve the lives of the majority of black South Africans, and yet he may be partially responsible for millions of their deaths.

Mandela was also criticized for his close friendship with leaders such as Fidel Castro and Moammar Al Qadhafi, whom he called his "comrades in arms." His decision to commit South African troops to defeat the 1998 coup in Lesotho also remains a topic of some controversy.

Mandela has been married three times. His first marriage to Evelyn Ntoko Mase ended in divorce in 1957 after 13 years, and his 38-year marriage to Winnie Madikizela in separation (April 1992) and divorce (March 1996) fuelled by political estrangement. On his 80th birthday he married Graça Machel, widow of Samora Machel, the former Mozambican president and ANC ally killed in an air crash 15 years earlier.

Retirement

After his retirement as President in 1999, Mandela went on to become an advocate for a variety of social and human rights organizations. He received many foreign honours, including the Order of St. John from Queen Elizabeth II and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W. Bush.

He is one of the only two persons of non-Indian origin (Mother Teresa being the other) to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1990.

In 2001, he was the first foreigner to be made an honourary Canadian citizen as well as being one of the few foreign leaders to receive the Order of Canada.

In 2003, Mandela made some controversial speeches, attacking the foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration. Later that same year, he lent his support to the 46664 AIDS fundraising campaign, named after his prison number.

In June 2004 at age 85, Mandela announced that he would be retiring from public life. His health has been declining in recent years and he wants to enjoy time with his family as long as his health allows it. He has made an exception, however, for his commitment to the fight against AIDS. In July 2004 he flew to Bangkok to speak at the XV International AIDS Conference.

On 23 July 2004 the city of Johannesburg bestowed its highest honour on Mandela by granting him the freedom of the city at a ceremony in Orlando, Soweto.

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Famous Industrialists > Josiah Wedgwood

2008-10-25T07:20:00.001-07:00

Josiah Wedgwood

Josiah Wedgwood (July 12, 1730 – January 3, 1795) was an English potter, credited with the industrialisation of the manufacture of pottery.

Born the twelfth and youngest child of Thomas and Mary Wedgwood, Josiah Wedgwood survived a childhood bout of smallpox to serve as an apprentice potter under first his father — who owned the Churchyard Works in Burslem, Staffordshire, England — then his eldest brother. Smallpox left Josiah with a permanently weakened knee, which made him unable to work the foot pedal of a potter's wheel. As a result, he concentrated from an early age on designing pottery rather than making it.

In his early twenties, Wedgwood began working with the most renowned English pottery-maker of his day, Thomas Whieldon. There he began experimenting with a wide variety of pottery techniques, an experimentation that crossed in his mind with the burgeoning early industrial city of Manchester, which was nearby. Inspired, Wedgwood leased the Ivy Works in his home town of Burslem and set to work. Over the course of the next decade, his experimentation (and a considerable injection of capital from his marriage to a richly endowed distant cousin, Sally Wedgwood) transformed the sleepy artisan works into the first true pottery factory.

Marriage and Children

Wedgwood married Sarah Wedgwood (a third cousin). Together they had children:

Susannah Wedgwood (1765–1817) (mother of the English naturalist Charles Darwin)
John Wedgwood (1766–1844)
Josiah Wedgwood II (1769–1843)
Thomas Wedgwood (1771–1805) (no children)
Catherine Wedwood (1774–1823) (no children)
Sarah Wedgwood (1776–1856) (no children)
Mary Anne Wedgwood (1778–1786) (no children)

Wedgwood's work was of very high quality, and by 1763 he was receiving orders from the highest levels of the British nobility, including Queen Charlotte. Wedgwood convinced her to let him name the line of pottery she purchased "Queen's Ware", and trumpeted the royal association in his paperwork and stationery. As a burgeoning industrialist, Wedgwood was a major backer of the Trent and Mersey Canal dug between the River Trent and River Mersey, during which time he became friends with Erasmus Darwin.

Later that decade, his burgeoning business caused him to move from the smaller Ivy Works to the newly-built Etruria Works, which would run for 180 years. The factory was so-named after the Etruria district of Italy, where black porcelain dating to Etruscan times was being excavated. Wedgwood found this porcelain inspiring, and his first major commercial success was its duplication with what he called "Black Basalt". Not long after the new works opened, continuing trouble with his smallpox-afflicted knee made necessary the amputation of his right leg.

In 1780, his long-time business partner Thomas Bentley died, and Wedgwood turned to his friend Erasmus Darwin for help in running the business. As a result of the close association that grew up between the Wedgwood and Darwin families, one of Josiah's daughters would later marry Erasmus' son. One of the children of that marriage, Charles Darwin, would also marry a Wedgwood — Emma, Josiah's granddaughter. Essentially, this double-barrelled inheritance of Josiah's money permitted Charles Darwin the life of leisure that eventually led to the formulation of his theory of evolution.

In the latter part of his life, Wedgwood's obsession was to duplicate the Portland Vase, a blue and white glass vase dating to the first century AD. For three years he worked on the project, eventually producing what he considered a satisfactory copy in 1789. After passing on his company to his sons, Wedgwood died in 1795.

Wedgwood's company is still a famous name in pottery today, and "Wedgwood China" is the commonly used term for his jasper ware, the blue (or sometmes green) china with overlaid white decoration, still common throughout the world.

He was an active member of the Lunar Society and is remembered on the Moonstones in Birmingham.

Famous Engineers > James Watt

2008-10-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

James Watt

James Watt (January 19, 1736 - August 19, 1819) was a Scottish mathematician and engineer whose improvements to the steam engine were a key stage in the Industrial Revolution.

He was born in Greenock, Scotland, and lived and worked in Birmingham, England. He was a key member of the Lunar Society. Many of his papers are in Birmingham Central Library.

Timeline

1736: Born in Greencock, Scotland.
1754: Learnt the trade of mathematical-instrument making in London before returning to Glasgow.
1763: Repaired a Newcomen steam engine, which started him thinking about ways to improve the engine.
1765: While wandering through the Glasgow Green's "Golf Course", comes upon the idea of a separate condensing chamber for the steam engine.
1765–1770: Erected a range of full-size Newcomen engines in Scotland.
1767: Surveyor of Forth and Clyde canal.
1769: Patented separate condensing chamber for steam engine.
1774: Started a business in Soho, near Birmingham, with Matthew Boulton to manufacture his improved Watt steam engine.
1781: Converted reciprocal engine motion to rotary motion.
1782: Invented double-acting engine.
1784: Patented a steam locomotive.
1788: Adapted centrifugal governor for use on steam engine.
1790: Adopted a pressure gauge.
1800: Retired to Heathfield Hall near Birmingham.

Engineering Achievements

Watt adopted the centrifugal governor to regulate the speed of a steam engine. (This was already in use for governing wind and watermills.) He invented the parallel motion linkage to convert circular motion to an approximate straight line motion (of which he was most proud) and the steam indicator to measure steam pressure in the cylinder throughout the working cycle of the engine, so showing its efficiency.

Watt greatly helped the development of the embryonic steam engine into a viable and economic means of power generation. He realised that the Newcomen steam engine was wasting nearly three quarters of the steam energy in heating the piston and chamber. Watt developed a separate condenser chamber which significantly increased the efficiency. Further refinements (insulation of the steam cylinder, the double-acting engine, a counter, an indicator, and a throttle valve) made the steam engine his life's work.

Watt was opposed to the use of high pressure steam, and is held by some to have held back the technical development of the steam engine by other engineers, until his patents expired in 1800. With his partner Matthew Boulton he battled against rival engineers such as Jonathan Hornblower who tried to develop engines which did not fall foul of his 'catch-all' patents. Boulton proved an excellent businessman, and both men eventually made fortunes.

He introduced a unit called the horsepower to compare the power output of steam engines, his version of the unit being equivalent to 550 foot-pounds per second (about 745.7 watts).

Watt also invented several other things, not least a copying device for letters.

Legacy

James Watt's model of the steam engine converted a machine of limited use to one of efficiency and many applications. It was the foremost energy source in the emerging Industrial Revolution, and greatly multiplied its productive capacity. (Without it, humans might have continued to provide power.) It was also essential in later transportation advancements, such as the steamboat and locomotive.

Remembrance

The SI unit of power, the watt, is named after him. So is, at least in part, Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University.

He is also remembered by the Moonstones, two individual statues, and a statue of him, Boulton and Murdoch, by William Bloye, and a school named in his honour, all in Birmingham.

There are 4 colleges named after him in Scotland, James Watt College in Kilwinning (North Ayrshire Campus) and Greenock (2 in Greenock, Finnart Campus and Waterfront Campus) and a campus in Largs.

Matthew Boulton's home, Soho House, is now a museum, commemorating the work of both men.

There are over 50 roads or streets named after him, in the UK.

Famous Explorers > David Livingstone

2008-10-25T07:13:00.001-07:00

David Livingstone

David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish missionary and explorer of the Victorian era, now best remembered because of his meeting with Henry Morton Stanley which gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"

Early life

Livingstone was born in the village of Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland and first studied medicine and theology at the University of Glasgow. While working in London, he emulated the example of another Scot, Robert Moffat, and joined the London Missionary Society, becoming a minister.

From 1840 he worked in Bechuanaland (now Botswana), but was unable to make inroads into South Africa because of Boer opposition.

He married Robert Moffat's daughter Mary in 1844, and she travelled with him for a brief time at his insistence, despite her pregnancy and the protests of the Moffats. She later returned to England with their children.
David Livingstone

Victoria Falls

In the period 1852–56, he explored the African interior, and was the first European to see Victoria Falls (which he named after his monarch, Queen Victoria). Livingstone was one of the first Westerners to make a transcontinental journey across Africa. The purpose of his journey was to open trade routes, while accumulating useful information about the African continent. In particular, Livingstone was a proponent of trade and missions to be established in central Africa. His motto, inscribed in the base of the statue to him at Victoria Falls, was "Christianity, Commerce and Civilization."

At this time he believed the key to achieving these goals was the navigation of the Zambezi River. He returned to Britain to try to garner support for his ideas, and to publish a book on his travels. At this time he resigned from the missionary society to which he had belonged. Zambezi expedition
Livingstone returned to Africa as head of the "Zambezi Expedition", which was a government-funded project to examine the natural resources of southeastern Africa. The Zambezi river turned out to be completely unnavigable past the Cabora basa rapids, a series of cataracts and rapids that Livingstone had failed to explore on his earlier travels.

The expedition lasted from March 1858 until the middle of 1864. Livingstone was an inexperienced leader and had trouble managing a large-scale project. The artist Thomas Baines was dismissed from the expedition on charges (which he vigorously denied) of theft. Livingstone's wife Mary died on 29 April 1863 of dysentery, but Livingstone continued to explore, eventually returning home in 1864 after the government ordered the recall of the Expedition. The Zambezi Expedition was castigated as a failure in many newspapers of the time, and Livingstone experienced great difficulty in raising funds to further explore Africa. Nevertheless, the scientists appointed to work under Livingstone, John Kirk, Charles Meller, and Richard Thornton did contribute large collections of botanicological, geological and ethnographic material to scientific institutions in the UK.

Source of the Nile

In March 1866, Livingstone returned to Africa, this time to Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania), where he set out to seek the source of the Nile. Richard Francis Burton, John Hanning Speke, and Samuel Baker had (although there was still serious debate on the matter) identified either Lake Albert or Lake Victoria as the source (which was partially correct, as the Nile "bubbles from the ground high in the mountains of Burundi halfway between Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria" [1]). Finding the Lualaba River, which feeds the Congo River, Livingstone decided that this river was in fact the "real" Nile.

Illness, pain and death

Livingstone was taken ill and completely lost contact with the outside world for six years. Only one of his 44 later dispatches made it to Zanzibar. Henry Morton Stanley, who had been sent in a publicity stunt to find him by the New York Herald newspaper in 1869, found Livingstone in the town of Ujiji, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, in 1871. Stanley joined Livingstone, and together they continued exploring the north end of the Tanganyika (the other constituent of the present Tanzania), until Stanley left the next year.

Despite Stanley's urgings, Livingstone was determined not to leave Africa until his mission was complete, and he died there, in Chitambo, Barotseland (now Zambia) on 1 May 1873 from malaria and internal bleeding caused by bowel obstruction. His body, carried over a thousand miles by his loyal attendants Chuma and Susi, was returned to Britain for burial in Westminster Abbey.

Honours

Blantyre, the largest city in Malawi, is named after Livingstone's birthplace
A portrait of Livingstone long featured on a Scottish banknote
According to Marlene Nourbese Philip, in her influencial book "Looking for Livingstone: An Odyssey of Silence", David Livingstone "advocate[d] the destruction of African society and religious customs so [he] could bring European commerce more easily to the Africans, and then Christianity", and he "captured and seized the Silence [he] found-- possessed it like the true discoverer [he was]-- dissected and analysed it; labelled it-- [he] took their Silence-- the Silence of the African-- and replaced it with [his] own-- the silence of [his] word."

Famous Entrepreneurs > Richard Branson

2008-10-25T07:07:00.001-07:00

Richard Branson

Sir Richard Branson (born July 18, 1950) a famed British entrepreneur, is best known for his widely successful Virgin brand, a banner that encompasses a variety of business organizations.

Branson first achieved notoriety with Virgin Records, a record label that started out with multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield and introduced bands like the Sex Pistols and Culture Club to the world music scene. Known for his wacky exploits used to promote his businesses, Branson is keen on playful antagonisms, exemplified by his "Mine is bigger than yours" decals on the new Airbus A340-600 jets used by his airline. He has also made several unsuccessful attempts to fly in a hot air balloon around the world.

The hot air balloon, called the "Virgin Atlantic Flyer," was the first hot air balloon ever to cross the Atlantic Ocean, and was the largest ever flown at 60.513 m³ (2,137,000 ft³) volume, reaching speeds in excess of 130 mph (209 km/h).

In 1991, Branson crossed the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Arctic Canada, a distance of 7,672 km (4,767 miles), but their track took them a claimed 10,885 km. This again broke all existing records with speeds of up to 245 mph in a balloon measuring 60.513 m³.

He formed Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1984, launched Virgin Mobile in 1999, and later failed in a 2000 bid to handle the National Lottery. He has also started a European short-haul airline, Virgin Express.

In October 2003, he announced he would be teaming up with balloonist Steve Fossett to attempt to break the record for a non-stop flight around the world. A new aircraft, the GlobalFlyer, will be built specially for the attempt by Scaled Composites.

In 1993 he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Technology from Loughborough University.

He became Sir Richard Branson when he was knighted by the Queen in 1999 for his business prowess and exuberance for the spirit of the United Kingdom.

On September 25, 2004 he announced the signing of a deal under which a new space tourism company, Virgin Galactic, will license the technology behind SpaceShipOne to take paying passengers into suborbital space.

He has guest starred, playing himself, on several television shows, including Friends, Baywatch and Only Fools and Horses. He also is the star of a new reality television show on Fox called The Rebel Billionaire where sixteen contestants will be tested for their entrepreneurship and their sense of adventure.

Sir Richard appears at No. 85 on the 2002 List of "100 Greatest Britons" (sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public). Branson's high public profile often leaves him open as a figure of satire - the 2000AD series Zenith featured a parody of Branson as a supervillian as at the time the comic's publisher and favoured distributor and the Virgin group were in competition.

Famous Actors > Johnny Depp

2008-10-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

Johnny Depp

John Christopher Depp II, widely known as Johnny Depp (born June 9, 1963 in Owensboro, Kentucky), is an American film actor. He appeared in the long-running police drama 21 Jump Street, and in a number of movies where he distinguished himself as a quirky lead actor. He is able to play a wide variety of roles, from comedy (Pirates of the Caribbean) to serious drama (Donnie Brasco), to action (Once Upon A Time In Mexico), and atmospheric thrillers (From Hell). He is also noted for his regular appearances in the films of director Tim Burton. Burton and Depp have collaborated on a total of three films to date: Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood and Sleepy Hollow.

With his long-time companion, French singer Vanessa Paradis, he is the father of two children, Lily-Rose and Jack.

Appearance

Height: 5'10" (1.78 cm)
Weight: 160 lbs (72 kg)
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown

Awards

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Academy Award nomination, Best Actor
BAFTA nomination, Best Actor in a Leading Role
SAG Award, Best Actor in a leading role
Johnny is rumoured to be a Best Actor nominee for the second year running in 2005 for his performance in 'Finding Neverland' in which he plays Peter Pan creator J.M. Barrie.

Actor filmography

The Libertine (2004) .... Rochester
Finding Neverland (2004) .... J.M. Barrie
Ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d'enfants (2004) .... L'inconnu
Secret Window (2004) .... Mort Rainey
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) .... Sands
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) .... Jack Sparrow
From Hell (2001) .... Inspector Fred Abberline
Blow (2001) .... George Jung
Chocolat (2000) .... Roux
Before Night Falls (2000) .... Bon Bon/Lieutenant Victor
The Man Who Cried (2000) .... Cesar
Sleepy Hollow (1999) .... Constable Ichabod Crane
The Astronaut's Wife (1999) .... Commander Spencer Armacost
The Ninth Gate (1999) .... Dean Corso
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) .... Raoul Duke
The Brave (1997) .... Raphael
Donnie Brasco (1997) .... Donnie
Nick of Time (1995) .... Gene Watson
Dead Man (1995) .... William 'Bill' Blake
Don Juan DeMarco (1995) .... Don Juan
Ed Wood (1994) .... Ed Wood
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) .... Gilbert Grape
Benny & Joon (1993) .... Sam
Arizona Dream (1993) .... Axel Blackmar
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) .... Teen on TV
Edward Scissorhands (1990) .... Edward Scissorhands
Cry-Baby (1990) .... Wade 'Cry-Baby' Walker
21 Jump Street (TV Series) (1987 - 1990) .... Off. Tom Hanson #2
Slow Burn (TV) (1986) .... Donnie Fleischer
Platoon (1986) .... Pvt. Lerner
Private Resort (1985) .... Jack
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) .... Glen Lantz

MICHAEL PHELPS,Olympic Swimmer (Born June 30, 1985 )

2008-10-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

MICHAEL PHELPS
Children and young people have found a new hero in a 6 foot 4 inch swimmer from Baltimore, Maryland. His name is Michael Phelps. He is the youngest of three children in his family.

While he was growing up he was tall and lanky*, and his arms swung below his knees when he stood up. Kids made fun of him and bullied him. At the age of nine he was diagnosed with ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity* disorder. He couldn't sit still or concentrate, and he was always on the move. One teacher told his mother he would never be able to focus. His grades were B's, C's, and a few D's.

His two big sisters, Whitney and Hilary were good swimmers. Whitney even finished sixth in the 200 butterfly at the 1996 Olympic trials. Michael also became interested in swimming and his mother encouraged him to swim. It was an outlet for his abundant energy and the lane markers tended to give him the structure he needed. He loved swimming. When he was 11 years old he began to work with Bob Bowman, a swim coach, and Bob began pointing him toward the Olympics*. Bob, who had the North Baltimore Aquatic* Club, knew talent when he saw it.

When he was young he played other sports such as baseball and soccer in addition to swimming, but by the time he was 11 he knew he had found his niche* and concentrated on swimming.

He made his first Olympic team in Sydney, Australia in the 200 butterfly race in the year 2000 when he was just 15 years old.

At the Olympics in Athens in 2004 he won 6 gold medals and 2 bronze medals. At the 2007 world championships in Melbourne he won 7 gold medals.
Most recently in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China he won 8 gold medals! This topped swimmer Mark Spitz's thirty-six-year-old record of 7 gold medals which he won in the Munich Olympics in 1972.

Mark Spitz called Phelps "The Greatest Olympian". Others will disagree citing athletes in different fields such as track and gymnastics. And some athletes excel in multiple sports, but Michael Phelps has won the hearts of the nation because of his accomplishment.

Phelps swims 7 days a week, two to five hours a day. He doesn't like to be a loser. He likes to win whether it's a video game or a race. If he Olympic Medals Beijing 2008

First Place, Michael Phelps (center) gold
Second Place, Laszlo Cseh (right) silver
Third Place, Ryan Lochte (left) bronze loses, he just works harder so he can be a winner the next time.

His life revolves around swimming, sleeping, and eating. Swimming burns a lot of calories, and he eats a tremendous amount of food; 8,000 - 12,000 calories* a day. This is five times as much as the average man eats, but don't try this at home unless you want to swim several hours a day, or before long you will be waddling across the room instead of walking.

Michael's third grade teacher wrote a letter to his mother telling how proud she was of him. She said perhaps it had never been focus he lacked, but, rather, a goal worthy of his focus.

Michael says, "If you dream as big as you can dream, anything is possible."

Olympic Medals Beijing 2008

First Place, Michael Phelps (center) gold
Second Place, Laszlo Cseh (right) silver
Third Place, Ryan Lochte (left) bronze

ATHLETES , Championship golfer(Born 1975 )

2008-10-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

Practice, practice, practice! That's how Tiger Woods became a championship golfer. He started playing golf when he was very young, and by the time he was 6 years old he was an amazing golfer. His father, Earl, was his coach.

When Tiger was just a baby, his dad made a driving range in his garage with carpet and a net. Tiger would sit in his high chair and watch his dad practice.

When he was 9 months old, his dad sawed off a golf club to make it very short, and Tiger could strike the ball into the net. When he was 18 months old (just a year and a half), he began going to the golf course with Dad. He hit buckets of balls on the driving range.

Tiger Woods,

When he was 4 years old, they hired a coach for him. When he was 6, he began entering junior contests.

Tiger listened to tapes to improve his confidence * in himself. His dad helped him to learn to focus in spite of distractions * . He stood in front of Tiger and said, "I'm a tree", and he would have to hit the ball over his father. Earl would jingle the coins in his pocket to distract him, or roll a ball in front of him and Tiger learned to concentrate * on the game.

Even though it sometimes made him angry, the training helped him. Once a walkie-talkie * made a loud noise during Tiger's swing at the ball. He said he never heard the radio because he was so focused on hitting the ball.

He cannot stand to lose. He does not become angry, but he goes out and practices even harder to not make the same mistakes

ATHLETES, Olympic gold medal winner,Track Star (Born in 1940 - Died in 1994 )

2008-10-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

WILMA RUDOLPH,

When Wilma Rudolph was four years old, she had a disease called polio * which causes people to be crippled and unable to walk. To make matters worse, her family was poor and could not afford good medical care. She was from a large family. She was the 20th child of 22 children. Her father was a railroad porter * and her mother was a maid.

Her mother decided she would do everything she could to help Wilma to walk again. The doctors had said she would not be able to walk. She took her every week on a long bus trip to a hospital to receive therapy * . It didn't help, but the doctors said she needed to give Wilma a massage * every day by rubbing her legs. She taught the brothers and sisters how to do it, and they also rubbed her legs four times a day.

By the time she was 8, she could walk with a leg brace. After that, she used a high-topped shoe to support her foot. She played basketball with her brothers every day.

Three years later, her mother came home to find her playing basketball by herself bare-footed. She didn't even have to use the special shoe.

A track coach encouraged her to start running. She ran so well that during her senior year in high school, she qualified for the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. She won a bronze medal in the women's 400-meter relay.

In 1959, she qualified for the 1960 Olympic Games * in Rome by setting a world's record in the 200-meter race. At the Olympics that year she won two gold medals; one for the 100-meter race and one for the 200-meter race.

Then she sprained her ankle, but she ignored the pain and helped her team to win another gold medal for the 400-meter relay! In the picture above you see the three gold medals she won at the Rome Olympics.

She retired from running when she was 22 years old, but she went on to coach women's track teams and encourage young people.

2004 U.S. Postage stamp Wilma thought God had a greater purpose for her than to win three gold medals. She started the Wilma Rudolph Foundation to help children learn about discipline and hard work.

She died of brain cancer in 1994. Even though she is no longer alive, her influence still lives on in the lives of many young people who look up to her.

40th President of the United States (1911 - 2004)

2008-10-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

RONALD REAGAN,
Ronald Reagan grew up in Illinois. His father was a shoe salesman. When he was very young, his mother read to him, moving her finger under the words as she read aloud. He taught himself to read by looking at the words as she read, and by the time he was five years old he could read the newspaper.

His mother was an amateur* actress performing onstage in local productions. She encouraged her boys to participate in the theater and public readings. These experiences served him well in later life as he became an actor and an excellent public speaker.

His mother taught him how to connect with people. She told him he needed to look them in the eyes, remember their names, and show them he cared about them. He followed her sage* advice and later became known as "The Great Communicator"*.

After finishing high school he graduated from Eureka College. Upon graduation he worked as a radio sportscaster, then hosted some TV shows. General Electric hired him to give talks to its employees. He visited all 139 GE plants and gave two or three speeches a day.

Physicist and Genius,SCIENTISTS :-(Born in 1879, died in 1955 )

2008-10-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

ALBERT EINSTEIN,

Albert Einstein (AL bert EYEn stine) was born in Ulm, Germany. His father was an electrical engineer, and his mother was a musician. She taught him to appreciate music, and he learned to play the violin.

When he was very young he was slow in development. He didn't speak until he was two years old, and even when he was older he had trouble answering a question. He would first silently mouth the words to himself and then slowly answer out loud. His teachers thought he would never be successful at anything.

When he was six, his father gave him a compass. He was fascinated by the way the needle always pointed north. This experience helped to create a great curiosity in him and had an impact on the rest of his life.

His Uncle Jakob was a strong influence in his life. He gave Albert math books about algebra *and geometry*. Uncle Jakob described algebra as "a merry science". He said algebra could be compared to hunting a little animal. You didn't know the name of the animal, so you called it "x". Then when you finally caught the animal you gave it the correct name. He made learning fun for the boy and also provided a model for teaching that Albert would later use. In the future he would explain his theories by using examples of trains, elevators, and ships.

Once a week his parents invited a poor medical student, Max Talmey to eat with them. Max brought science books to share with Albert, and they became good friends.

His family moved to Munich, Germany where in elementary school he was the only Jew in a Catholic school. He attended a high school called Luitpold Gymnasium. He was bored at the school. His family next moved to Italy, but they wanted Albert to finish the school year in Munich. He wanted to leave Munich so badly he got a false paper from a doctor stating he had a lung condition and must move to a dry climate (such as Italy where his parents were living). Then he convinced the school to give him a certificate in math so he could get into college. They complied because they wanted to get rid of him.

After a year in Italy he went to Zurich, Switzerland to study at the Polytechnic Institute. He failed the entrance examination and had to spend a year at another college before returning to Zurich.

Up to this point his life had been rather unremarkable. After college he took a job at the Swiss Patent Office examining patents* for people's inventions. This job was ideal for him because he had a lot of free time for research about things that really interested him; things such as light and time.

The year 1905 was an exceptional year for Einstein. In that year he published three outstanding papers.

#1. He outlined his photoelectric* law in which he discussed the behavior of light. This led to the development of television and motion pictures with sound. In 1921 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for this paper.

Explorer Mount Everest,(July 20, 1919 - January 11, 2008 )

2008-10-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

SIR EDMUND HILLARY,
Edmund Hillary was born in Auckland, New Zealand and grew up in a small town south of Auckland. His father was a newspaper publisher and a beekeeper. His parents were strict with their children and instilled in them a sense of right and wrong. He learned from them to care for other people. He was brought up to "think about the starving millions in Asia", and in later life he found a way to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate.

When he was young he helped the family with the beekeeping business. He didn't get any money for helping, but he found ways to save a little money. At that time they lived five miles from the school. When his dad gave him money for the bus, he saved the money and ran to school and back.

His mother was a teacher and advanced him through his lessons to the extent that he was able to go on to high school at age eleven. Of course, at that age he was smaller than all the rest of the students who were a couple of years older. He found it hard to make friends. Books, however, proved to be good companions. He rode the train four hours a day to and from school, so he had a lot of time to read and he read voraciously*, mostly adventure books. These stories and a trip south of Auckland where he first experienced the snowy mountains whetted his appetite to learn about mountain climbing.

After a couple of years in high school he began to grow taller, adding six inches in height one year and five inches the next, until he had caught up with and surpassed many of his peers. He describes himself as having "modest abilities"; just an ordinary student, but physically he became very strong and rugged. He created goals for himself, set his sights high, and developed a strong motivation to complete any tasks he started. This probably explains why he succeeded where others had failed when it came to conquering mountains.

In 1944 he joined the New Zealand air force. When he was off on the weekends he climbed nearby mountains. He was discharged after he was burned in a boating accident and used the money he got from the air force to fund his mountaineering expeditions for the next few years.

By the time the Mt. Everest expedition became available to him he had already climbed eleven different mountain peaks which were over 20,000 feet high in New Zealand, the Alps and the Himalayas*. He joined some early expeditions to Mt. Everest in 1951 and 1952, then John Hunt invited him to join the British expedition to scale Mt. Everest which is the tallest mountain on earth, located in the Himalaya range on the border between Nepal and Tibet, China.

Industrialists > Bill Gates

2008-10-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

Bill Gates

William Henry Gates III, KBE, (born October 28, 1955), commonly known as Bill Gates, is the co-founder and current Chairman and Chief Software Architect of Microsoft. According to Forbes magazine in 2004, Gates is the wealthiest person in the world, a position he has held steadily for many years.

Biography

Bill Gates was born in Seattle, Washington to William H. Gates, Sr., a corporate lawyer, and Mary Maxwell Gates, board member of First Interstate Bank, Pacific Northwest Bell and the national board of United Way.

Gates attended Lakeside School, Seattle's most exclusive prep school, where he was able to develop his programming skills on the school's minicomputer. He later on went to study at Harvard University, but dropped out without graduating to pursue what would become a lifelong career in software development.

While he was a student at Harvard, he co-authored with Paul Allen the original Altair BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800 (the first commercially successful personal computer) in the mid 1970s. It was inspired by BASIC, an easy-to-learn programming language developed at Dartmouth College for teaching purposes.

Gates married Melinda French on January 1, 1994. They have three children, Jennifer Katharine Gates (1996), Rory John Gates (1999) and Phoebe Adele Gates (2002). They live in a very large earth-sheltered home in the side of a hill overlooking Lake Washington. It is a very modern 21st century house in the "Pacific lodge" style, with advanced electrical and electronic systems everywhere. In one respect though it is more like an 18th or 19th century mansion: It has a large private library with a domed reading room.

Also in 1994, he acquired the Codex Leicester, a collection of writings by Leonardo da Vinci; as of 2003 it was on display at the Seattle Art Museum.

In 1997, Gates was the victim of a bizarre extortion plot by Chicago resident Adam Quinn Pletcher. Gates testified at the subsequent trial. Pletcher was convicted and sentenced in July 1998 to six years in prison.

Microsoft Corporation

In 1975, Gates and Allen co-founded Microsoft Corporation to market their version of BASIC, called Microsoft BASIC. It was the primary interpreted computer language of the MS-DOS operating system, and was key to Microsoft's early commercial success.

In February 1976, Gates wrote the Open Letter to Hobbyists, which shocked the computer hobbyist community by asserting that a commercial market existed for computer software. Gates stated in the letter that software should not be copied without the publisher's permission, which he equated to piracy. While legally correct, Gates's proposal was unprecedented in a community that was influenced by its ham radio legacy and hacker ethic, in which innovations and knowledge were freely shared in the community. Nevertheless, Gates was right about the market prospects and his efforts paid off: Microsoft Corporation became one of the world's most successful commercial enterprises, and a key player in the creation of a retail software industry.

Microsoft's key moment came when in the late 1970s, IBM was planning to enter the personal computer market with its IBM Personal Computer (PC), which was released in 1981. Gates licensed MS-DOS to IBM, which it had acquired from a local computer manufacturer. The story of how Microsoft acquired the original system (QDOS) has inspired much folklore, which often portrays Gates pouncing on a trivial mistake by Digital Research and stealing that company's lead in microcomputer operating systems. It is frequently cited by those who accuse Gates of unethical business practices. In reality, IBM did approach Digital Research for a version of CP/M for its upcoming IBM PC, and spoke to Gary Kildall's wife Dorothy. IBM representatives wanted Dorothy to sign their standard non-disclosure agreement, which Dorothy considered overly burdensome. IBM then returned to talk to Microsoft. He obtained rights to a cloned design of CP/M, QDOS, from Tim Paterson of Seattle Computer products, licensed it to IBM, and MSDOS/IBMDOS was born. Later, IBM discovered that Gates' operating system could have infringement problems with CP/M, contacted Kildall, and in exchange for a promise not to sue, made an agreement that CP/M would be sold along with IBMDOS when the IBM PC was released. The price set by IBM for CP/M was $250 and for MSDOS/IBMDOS it was $40. Obviously, MSDOS/IBMDOS outsold CP/M many times over, eventually becoming the standard. By marketing MS-DOS aggressively to manufacturers of IBM-PC clones, Microsoft gained unprecedented visibility in the microcomputer industry, even rivalling IBM.

During the following years, Gates used his company's growing resources to displace competitors such as WordPerfect, and Lotus 1-2-3, among many others. It is alleged (although never explained in detail) that Gates instructed Microsoft programmers to include special code in one of the MS-DOS versions to make Lotus 1-2-3 produce errors, making it appear to the users as if Lotus's software was the problem.

In the mid-1980s Gates became excited about the possibilities of compact disc for storage, and sponsored the publication of the book CD-ROM: The New Papyrus that promoted the idea of CD-ROM.

In the late 1980s, Microsoft and IBM partnered in the development of a more advanced operating system, OS/2. The operating system was marketed in connection with a new hardware design, the PS/2, that was proprietary and secret to IBM. As the project progressed, Gates oversaw continuing friction with IBM over the system's design, hardware support, and user interface. Ultimately he came to believe that IBM wanted to marginalize Microsoft from having any input in OS/2's development. On May 16, 1991 Gates announced to Microsoft employees that the OS/2 partnership was over and Microsoft would henceforth focus its platform efforts on Windows and the NT kernel. In the ensuing years OS/2 fell to the side and Windows became the favored PC platform.

Some years later, Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser displaced Netscape's Navigator, in a turn of events that many attributed to Microsoft's inclusion of Internet Explorer in Windows at no extra charge. An opposing view is that the inclusion in Windows was less important in Internet Explorer's adoption than Microsoft's improvement of the browser's features to a level comparable with Navigator.

As the architect of Microsoft's product strategy, Gates has aggressively broadened the company's range of products and, once it has obtained a leading position in a category, has vigorously defended that position. His and other Microsoft executives' strategic decisions have more than once drawn the concern of competition regulators, and in some cases have been ruled illegal.

In 2000, Gates promoted long-time friend and Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer to the role of Chief Executive Officer and took on the role of "Chief Software Architect".

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

With his wife, Gates founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a charitable organization. Critics have called this a response to negative public outcry over the seemingly monopolistic and anti-competitive practices of his company, but those close to Gates say that he had long expressed his plan to eventually give away most (in 1997 the Washington Post reported 90%) of his large fortune. The foundation's grants have provided funds for underrepresented minority college scholarships, AIDS prevention, diseases that strike mainly in the third world, and other causes. In June 1999, Gates and his wife donated US$5 billion to their foundation, the largest single donation ever by living individuals. He has donated more than 100 million dollars to help kids with AIDS.

Accolades

Honorary KBE from the United Kingdom announced, 2004
Top 100 influential people in media, the Guardian, 2001
The Sunday Times power list, 1999
Upside Elite 100, Ranked 2nd, 1999
Top 50 Cyber Elite, TIME magazine, Ranked 1st, 1998
Top 100 most powerful people in sports, The Sporting News, Ranked 28th, 1997
CEO of the year, Chief Executive Officers magazine, 1994Entomologists have named the Bill Gates flower fly, Eristalis gatesi, in his honour.

Estimated wealth

According to Forbes list of the World's Wealthiest People (figures in US Dollars):
1996 - $18.5 billion, ranked #1
1997 - $36.4 billion, ranked #2
1998 - $51.0 billion, ranked #1
1999 - $90.0 billion, ranked #1
2000 - $60.0 billion, ranked #1
2001 - $58.7 billion, ranked #1
2002 - $52.8 billion, ranked #1
2003 - $40.7 billion, ranked #1
2004 - $46.6 billion, ranked #1

Famous Politicians > Tony Blair

2008-10-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

Famous Politicians > Margaret Thatcher

2008-10-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born October 13, 1925) is a British politician and the first woman Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, a position she held from 1979 to 1990. She is a member of the Conservative Party and still the figurehead for a brand of politics known as Thatcherism involving reduced government spending and privatization of government owned industries. Even before coming to power she was nicknamed The Iron Lady in Soviet propaganda, an appellation which stuck.

Thatcher served as Education Secretary in the government of Edward Heath from 1970 to 1974, and successfully challenged Heath for the Conservative leadership in 1975. She was undefeated at the polls, winning the 1979, 1983 and 1987 general elections, and became the longest serving Prime Minister of the 20th century. However, Thatcher was a divisive leader and broke the power of the trade unions in the miners' strike of 1984-5.

In foreign relations, Thatcher maintained the special relationship with the United States, and formed a close bond with Ronald Reagan. When Argentina invaded Falkland Islands in 1982, Thatcher dispatched a Royal Navy task force to retake the islands in the Falklands War, a policy that proved hugely popular at home.

Period in Office:
May 4, 1979 –
November 28, 1990
PM Predecessor: James Callaghan
PM Successor: John Major
Date of Birth: October 13, 1925
Place of Birth: Grantham, England
Political Party: Conservative
Retirement
honour: Knighthood of the
Garter Life Barony (Thatcher)

Her popularity finally declined when she introduced a new tax to pay for local government which opponents called the poll tax, and the Conservative Party began to split over her sceptical approach to European Economic and Monetary Union. Her leadership was challenged from within and she was forced to resign in 1990. Since 1992 she has been known as Baroness Thatcher, with her direct political work limited to membership of the House of Lords and as head of the Thatcher Foundation.
Quotes

"If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman."
"There's no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families." (in an interview for Woman's Own magazine on 23 September 1987 at 10 Downing Street).
"Every Prime Minister needs a Willie" (a reference to her Deputy Prime Minister William Whitelaw; Mrs Thatcher was deaf to any more euphemistic interpretation).
"We have become a grandmother" (March 3, 1989, on the birth of her first grandchild; this was controversial for her apparent use of the Royal we).

Books

Statecraft: Strategies for Changing World by Margaret Thatcher (HarperCollins, 2002) ISBN 0060199733
The Collected Speeches of Margaret Thatcher by Margaret Thatcher (HarperCollins, 1999) ISBN 0060187344
The Collected Speeches of Margaret Thatcher by Margaret Thatcher, Robin Harris (editor) (HarperCollins, 1997) ISBN 0002557037
The Path to Power by Margaret Thatcher (HarperCollins, 1995) ISBN 0002550504
The Downing Street Years by Margaret Thatcher (HarperCollins, 1993) ISBN 0002553546
Biographies
Memories of Maggie Edited by Iain Dale (Politicos, 2000) ISBN 190230151X
Britain Under Thatcher by Anthony Seldon & Daniel Collings (Longman, 1999) ISBN 0582317142
Thatcher for Beginners by Peter Pugh and Paul Flint (Icon Books, 1997) ISBN 1874166536
One of Us: Life of Margaret Thatcher by Hugo Young (Macmillan, 1989) ISBN 0333344391
The Iron Lady: A Biography of Margaret Thatcher by Hugo Young (Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1989) ISBN 0374226512
Margaret, daughter of Beatrice by Leo Abse (Jonathan Cape, 1989) ISBN 0224027263
Mrs.Thatcher's Revolution: Ending of the Socialist Era by Peter Jenkins (Jonathan Cape, 1987) ISBN 0224025163
The Thatcher Phenomenon by Hugo Young (BBC, 1986) ISBN 0563204729

Famous Inventors > Alexander Graham Bell

2008-10-10T06:26:00.000-07:00

Alexander Graham Bell Biography

Alexander Graham Bell (March 3, 1847 - August 2, 1922) was a scientist, inventor, and founder of the Bell telephone company. In addition to his work in telecommunications technology, he also was responsible for important advances in aviation and hydrofoil technology.

Formative years

At Boston he continued his researches in the same field, and endeavoured to produce a telephone which would not only send musical notes, but articulate speech. With financing from his American father-in-law, on March 7, 1876, the U.S. Patent Office granted him Patent Number 174,465 covering "the method of, and apparatus for, transmitting vocal or other sounds telegraphically . . . by causing electrical undulations, similar in form to the vibrations of the air accompanying the said vocal or other sound.", the telephone. (It should be noted that the question of who invented the telephone continues to be debated. It is clear that several people were researching similar devices. However, supporters of Bell claim that his was the first fully working design. After obtaining the patent for the telephone, Bell continued his experiments in communication, which culminated in the invention of the photophone-transmission of sound on a beam of light -- a precursor of today's optical fiber systems. He also worked in medical research and invented techniques for teaching speech to the deaf. The range of Bell's inventive genius is represented only in part by the 18 patents granted in his name alone and the 12 he shared with his collaborators. These included 14 for the telephone and telegraph, four for the photophone, one for the phonograph, five for aerial vehicles, four for hydroairplanes, and two for a selenium cell. In 1888 he was one of the founding members of the National Geographic Society and became its second president. He was the recipient of many honors. The French Government conferred on him the decoration of the Légion d'honneur (Legion of Honor), the Académie française bestowed on him the Volta Prize of 50,000 Francs, the Royal Society of Arts in London awarded him the Albert medal in 1902, and the University of Würzburg, Bavaria, granted him the Degree of Ph.D.

Bell married Mabel Hubbard on July 11, 1877. He died in Baddeck, Nova Scotia in 1922.

In 2004, Alexander Graham Bell was nominated as one of the top 10 "Greatest Canadians" by viewers of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Famous Politicians > Winston Churchill

2008-10-10T06:20:00.000-07:00

Winston Churchill

The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, FRS (November 30, 1874 - January 24, 1965) was a British politician, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II. At various times an author, soldier, journalist, legislator and painter, Churchill is generally regarded as one of the most important leaders in British and world history.
Winston Churchill's third cabinet, October 1951 - April 1955

Winston Churchill - Prime Minister and Minister of Defence
Lord Simonds - Lord Chancellor
Lord Woolton - Lord President of the Council
Lord Salisbury - Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords
Rab Butler - Chancellor of the Exchequer
Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe - Secretary of State for the Home Department
Anthony Eden - Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Oliver Lyttelton - Secretary of State for the Colonies
Lord Ismay - Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
James Stuart - Secretary of State for Scotland
Peter Thorneycroft - President of the Board of Trade
Lord Cherwell - Paymaster-General
Sir Walter Monckton - Minister of Labour
Henry Crookshank - Minister of Health and Leader of the House of Commons
Harold Macmillan - Minister of Housing and Local Government
Lord Leathers - Minister for the Co-ordination of Transport, Fuel, and Power

Changes
March 1952: Lord Salisbury succeeds Lord Ismay as Commonwealth Relations Secretary. Salisbury remains also Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords. Lord Alexander succeeds Churchill as Minister of Defence.
May 1952: Henry Crookshank succeeds Lord Salisbury as Lord Privy Seal. Salisbury remains Commonwealth Relations Secretary and Leader of the House of Lords. Crookshank's successor as Minister of Health is not in the Cabinet.
November 1952: Lord Woolton becomes Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Lord Salisbury succeeds Lord Woolton as Lord President. Lord Swinton succeeds Lord Salisbury as Commonwealth Relations Secretary.
September 1953: Florence Horsbrugh, the Minister of Education, Sir Thomas Dugdale, the Minister of Agriculture, and Gwilym Lloyd George, the Minister of Food, enter the cabinet. The Ministry for the Co-ordination of Transport, Fuel, and Power, is abolished, and Lord Leathers leaves the Cabinet.
October 1953: Lord Cherwell resigns as Paymaster General. His successor is not in the Cabinet.
July 1954: Alan Lennox-Boyd succeeds Oliver Lyttelton as Colonial Secretary. Derick Heathcoat Amory succeeds Sir Thomas Dugdale as Minister of Agriculture.
October 1954: Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe, now Lord Kilmuir, succeeds Lord Simonds as Lord Chancellor. Gwilym Lloyd George succeeds him as Home Secretary. The Food Ministry is merged into the Ministry of Agriculture. Sir David Eccles succeeds Florence Horsbrugh as Minister of Education. Harold Macmillan succeeds Lord Alexander as Minister of Defence. Duncan Sandys succeeds Macmillan as Minister of Housing and Local Government. Osbert Peake, the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance, enters the Cabinet.

Diego Maradona

2008-10-09T03:48:00.000-07:00

Clubs he had been a part of:

1976-81 Argentinos Juniors
(166 matches, 116 goals)
1981-82 Boca Juniors
(42 matches, 28 goals)
1981 Argentine league
1982-84 FC Barcelona
(58 matches, 38 goals)
1984-91 SSC Napoli
(259 matches, 115 goals)
1987 Italian league
1987 Italian Cup
1988 Italian top-scorer
1989 UEFA Cup
1990 Italian league
1991 Italian Super Cup
1992-93 Sevilla FC
(29 matches, 7 goals)
1993 Newell's Old Boys
(5 matches, 0 goals)
1995-97 Boca Juniors
(29 matches, 7 goals)

Achievement
FIFA World Youth Championship 1979
FIFA World Cup winner 1986
Copa Artemio Franchi 1993
Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year 1979–1981, 1986
South American Footballer of the Year 1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992
Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Year 1986
Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA World Cup 1986
European Footballer of the Year 1986(France Football)
Best Footballer in the World 1986–1987 (Onze)
World Player of the Year 1986 (World Soccer Magazine)
1996 Golden Ball for services to cccfootball (France Football)
Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century 1999
"FIFA best football player of the century"2000, people's choice.
"FIFA Goal of the Century" 2002 (1986 vs. England; second goal)
2005 Argentine Senate "Domingo Faustino Sarmiento" recognition for lifetime achievement.

In his 91 appearances for Argentina, Maradona has scored 34 goals(second highest for Argentina). He has played in four World Cup Tournaments -1982, 1986, 1990, 1994 making 21 appearances in all.

Famous France Football Players

2008-10-09T03:45:00.001-07:00

Currently Plays For

Real Madrid

Clubs in Past

1988-1992 AS Cannes
(61 matches, 6 goals)
1992-1996 Girondins Bordeaux
(139 matches, 28 goals)
1996-2001 Juventus
(151 matches, 24 goals)
European Super Cup: 1996
Intercontinental Cup: 1996
Serie A champions: 1997, 1998
Italian Super Cup: 1997
2001- Real Madrid
(142 matches, 34 goals)
UEFA Champions League: 2002
Intercontinental Cup: 2002
Spanish League - La Liga champions: 2003

Achievement
FIFA World Cup 1998
European Championship 2000
FIFA World Player of the Year: 1998, 2000, 2003
European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or): 1998

In 2004, Pelé listed Zidane among the top 125 living footballers. In the same year, in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll, he was also voted as the best European player in the past 50 years.

Zidane was also among the Athens 2004 Torchbearers

CAFU

2008-10-09T03:37:00.001-07:00

Cafu is undoubtedly one of the star players of the Brazilian squad. The legendary Brazilian captain Cafu might get his name in record books as the only player to play in four FIFA World Cup Finals. Other credentials he can win are that of the Brazil player with most appearances in FIFA World Cup matches and the only captain to lift the FIFA World Cup on two occasions (if Brazil wins the XVIIIth FIFA World Cup Championship).

The football legend Pele placed him among the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

He was passionate about football from his childhood itself. He was part of a football academy at the age of seven. He has also played for junior sides of National AC, Portuguesa de Desportos and Itaquaquecetuba AC.

He was perseverant and struggled a lot to secure a place in Sao Paulo in 1988. In 1995 Cafu signed for the Spanish Club Real Zargoza. With them he won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

He joined the Italian Serie A side AS Roma in 1997. Cafu was a firm favourite with the Giallorossi fans. In 2001, he won the Serie A title with Roma.

Cafu made his international debut against Spain in September 1990. Later Cafu got the opportunity to be a part of the Brazil squad in the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA. He got the place in the team as a back-up for Jorginho. In the final against Italy he came into prominence. He replaced Jorginho in the first half and Brazil eventually defeated the Azzurri 3-2.

With this success Cafu's career got a boost. Cafu became an integral part of the Brazilian team. He was a part of the team that won the CONMEBOL Copa America in 1997 and 1999. His team also reached the FIFA World Cup Final in 1998 in France. Cafu first got the captainship of Brazil when at the start of Korea/Japan 2002, Emerson, the then skipper, was injured and ruled out. Cafu proved to be a capable captain and Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2-0.

Cafu is definitely a player to watch out this season.
Brazil Team | Brazil Soccer

CAFU

2008-10-09T03:37:00.000-07:00

David Beckham

2008-10-08T07:15:00.001-07:00

David Robert Joseph Beckham OBE (born May 2, 1975) is an English footballer born in Leytonstone, London. He is a midfielder for Real Madrid and captain of the English national team. He is noted for the quality of his crossing and ability to hit free-kicks and corners, particularly at long-range free-kicks and also for his marriage to a Spice Girl. He has played most of his career for Manchester United. Although there are arguably many better current players in world football none are as famous.

Manchester United 1995-2003

Beckham first signed a YTS (youth training scheme) contract (this is similar to an apprenticeship) with United in 1991, and made his League debut in 1995, aged 19. The next year he helped the side to the Premiership and FA Cup trophies and to their dominance of domestic football. In the 1998-99 season, he was part of the United team that won the "treble" - Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, a feat unprecedented in English football, which earned the club's manager, Alex Ferguson, a knighthood.

In total, Beckham scored 86 goals in 397 games for Man United, a rate of roughly 2 goals every 9 games, highly commendable for a midfielder.

Club Career

Real Madrid 2003-present

On June 17, 2003, Beckham signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid of Spain, potentially worth up to €35 million (£25 million, USD 41 million). Plus 2.

Apart from benefiting from his football ability, this transfer gives the Spanish club an opportunity to profit from merchandising, especially in the Far East, where Beckham is enormously popular, and Manchester United have until now had the lion's share of interest. It is probably no coincidence that Beckham was transferred just before Real started a far-eastern tour, but it would be very unfair to say that his marketing potential alone was the only reason for his transfer. At the time of the announcement of his transfer to Real Madrid, Beckham and his wife (Victoria) were on a week-long tour of Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand promoting beauty products, chocolate, motor oil, and mobile phones, which it was reported would earn them more than the entire first year of his Real Madrid contract. (Western journalists are excluded from the Japanese "press conferences" organised by his sponsors because of the embarrassment they would cause him in the West.)

He successfully completed the transfer on July 1 and was presented with the squad number of 23 on July 2. He is believed to have chosen the number as a tribute to his idol, Michael Jordan, who made number 23 famous with the Chicago Bulls. Real Madrid shirts bearing his name and number were sold out in Madrid on the day his transfer was completed and Real Madrid were expected to receive €624,000 for the sale of the shirts.

His transfer to Real Madrid has proven very fruitful for both Beckham and the club. Beckham scored five times in his first 16 matches (including Real's 600th goal in the European Cup/Champions League, against Olympique Marseille on 26 November 2003), a higher scoring rate than his last year at Manchester United (11 goals in 52 games). He has become a favourite of the notoriously fickle Real Madrid crowd, and established an excellent playing relationship with Ronaldo.

During the summer of 2004, Real also signed Englishmen Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate.

International Career - England

By 1998 he was a regular international, and travelled with the England squad to the FIFA World Cup. In the second round of that competition he received a red-card for retaliation, following a foul challenge by the Argentine Diego Simeone. This act arguably cost England the game (which they lost on penalties) and the chance of advancing in the tournament. On returning home, Beckham became the target of criticism, sometimes justified (the accusation of petulance, for example) but much merely gratuitous. He received a similar vilification following his dismissal for a dangerous challenge in the World Club Championships the next year.

Following England's poor performance in the 2000 European Championship (from which Beckham was one of the few players to emerge with credit) and later poor performances, the departure of Kevin Keegan as manager saw Beckham promoted to captain, initially under caretaker manager Peter Taylor and maintained by Sven-Göran Eriksson. His leadership, mainly by example due to his fitness and workrate helped England to qualify for the 2002 World Cup Finals and the 1-5 defeat of Germany in Munich during a qualifier (a pivotal event for English football fans). The final step in Beckham's conversion from villain to hero happened in England's 2-2 draw against Greece. Needing only one point from the match in order to qualify for the World Cup, Beckham dragged an otherwise poor England side to qualification with sheer determination and a perfectly executed, last-minute free kick. Meanwhile, taking the role of captain seems to have helped mature him, in both skill and temperament.

Beckham played in all England's matches at Euro 2004, but failed to shine. He had his penalty saved by former Manchester United team-mate Fabien Barthez in his side's 2-1 defeat to France in their opening group game. Then, when England's Quarter-Final against hosts Portugal went to a penalty shootout, he was the first England player to attempt a shot. Beckham fired his shot far over the crossbar and England went on to lose the shoot-out 6-5 after Englishman Darius Vassell also missed. Beckham later blamed the miss on the poor state of the pitch, the British press blamed referee Urs Meier for the loss (he had earlier disallowed a contentious goal by Sol Campbell) even publishing his phone number and postal address.

The Spanish spectator who caught Beckham's miss put the ball up for auction on eBay España. eBay soon determined that virtually all of the bids, including one for €10million , were fake. When bidding closed on 22 July, the winning bid of €28,050 was made by the Canadian internet casino GoldenPalace.com, which announced that it plans to exhibit the ball around the world for charitable purposes.

Beckham's celebrity lifestyle

Beckham's highly publicised marriage to Spice Girl and media celebrity Victoria Adams, otherwise known as Posh Spice, has made them both popular targets for the tabloid press, which has dubbed the couple "Posh and Becks". They have two sons, Brooklyn, born March 4, 1999 and Romeo, born September 1, 2002, with a third child due to be born in March 2005. Beckham is well-known for his frequent hairstyle changes and has changed his hairstyle for many times after being criticised for influencing teenagers' hairstyle.

David Beckham is, according to the Google search engine, the most famous sports personality in the world, however the producers of The Simpsons decided that he wasn't famous enough to make a cameo appearance in an episode of the show set in London. He is also the most famous metrosexual.

However, he has become more well known in North America since the success of the British film Bend It Like Beckham. It is about a Sikh girl whose ambition is to be a football player because she can play like David Beckham.

In 2001, Beckham became the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. In the summer of 2003, Beckham was made an OBE in Queen Elizabeth II's honours list.

In May of 2003 Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson ordered David Beckham not to wear his hair band during matches. It has been speculated that he believed it to be too effeminate.

In April 2004, the British tabloid News of the World carried claims by his former personal assistant Rebecca Loos that he and Loos had had an extramarital affair. A week later, a second woman, Malaysian-born Australian model Sarah Marbeck, claimed that she had slept with Beckham on two occasions. Beckham has denied both allegations, describing them as "ludicrous".

In July of 2004, an intruder was arrested at David Beckham's home for scaling a wall with a can of gasoline. The Sun newspaper reported that the man appeared angry with Beckham and intended to burn down the house.

Transfer rumours

Near the end of the 2003-04 season, The Daily Telegraph of London reported that Beckham's major sponsors were trying to arrange for him to return to England for the 2004-05 season. Sources within the family told the Telegraph that Beckham would almost certainly be back in London. Real Madrid denied rumours that they were interested in selling Beckham, and banned British reporters from access to the team.

Because of the extremely high fee that Real Madrid Football team could command for a Beckham deal, and the fact that the other teams that could afford the fee, had financial constraints (Arsenal, Liverpool) or personality issues (Man U) that would have made a deal unlikely, speculation immediately focused on Chelsea, with its billionaire owner Roman Abramovich. Adding fuel to the rumours, Chelsea's manager at that time, Claudio Ranieri, told an Italian newspaper that the club was pursuing both Beckham and Ronaldo, and The Evening Standard of London reported that Chelsea was prepared to pay £40 million for Beckham.

However, on 20 May, Beckham, in a statement issued through his agent, quashed the transfer rumours, stating that he would see out the remaining three years of his contract in Madrid. He added that his wife and sons, who had yet to move to Spain, would join him there. In November 2004 it was reported that Real Madrid intended to offer Beckham a two-year extension to his contract, which would effectively keep him in Madrid for the remainder of his playing career.

Books

Beckham: Both Feet on the Ground: An Autobiography by David Beckham & Tom Watt (ISBN 0060570938)
Beckham: My World by David Beckham & Dean Freeman (ISBN 0340792701)

Ronaldo

2008-10-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

Ronaldo Luiz Nazário de Lima (b. September 22, 1976), simply known as Ronaldo, is a Brazilian footballer who is widely considered to be one of the best strikers of all time.

Ronaldo celebratingIn 1993, aged 16, Ronaldo had already scored 59 goals in 57 matches for Brazil's under 17 squad. By 1994 he had joined the squad of the national team, but didn't get to play a single minute on the pitch of the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA.

In 1996–1997, Ronaldo played arguably his best season, scoring numerous spectacular goals for FC Barcelona. One of them, a solo goal against Compostela, is considered one of the most amazing goals in football.

Chosen the World's best player in 1996 and 1997, he had a disappointing performance during the 1998 World Cup, scoring only 4 goals, and losing the final to host team France after suffering a mysterious fit in the night before. The fit's circumstances still remain unclear and a source of speculation.

He then moved to a club he considered more promising and more respected: Inter Milan. Fans all over the world jumped the bandwagon and supported the world's most glamorous footballer, receiving praise from the Italians all over. Ronaldo's fame grew as he was contantly in the action for the Italian juggernauts.

In April 1999, Ronaldo married Milene Domingues. The marriage lasted 4 years and ended in a divorce.

A year later, he severely injured his right knee and was out of the game for several months. During his first comeback in 2000, he managed to play a few minutes during a league game against Lazio before injuring his knee for a second time.

After 2 operations and 20 months of rehabilitation, Ronaldo managed a comeback during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He claimed the Golden Boot by scoring 8 goals during the tournament (and tied with Pelé for a Brazilian record 12 total World Cup goals), leading Brazil to win an unprecedented fifth World Championship. In 2002, he was awarded the title of the World's best soccer player for the third time, and transferred from Inter Milan to Real Madrid after frequent disputes with current Inter Milan coach Hector Cuper.

On June 2, 2004, Ronaldo scored an unusual hat-trick for Brazil against archrivals Argentina in a CONMEBOL qualifier for the 2006 World Cup. He scored all of Brazil's goals in a 3-1 win via penalty kicks.

As of 2004, Ronaldo is still playing football, and is still considered one of the world's best strikers.

Teams and clubs

Brazil national football team
March 1994 -
Debut against Argentina
Social Ramos Club 1990/91
Sao Cristovao 1991-1993
Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte 1993/94
PSV Eindhoven 1994-1996
FC Barcelona 1996/97
Inter Milan 1997-2002
Real Madrid 2002-

Honors and awards
FIFA World Player of the Year: 1996, 1997, 2002
European Footballer of the Year: 1997, 2002
FIFA World Cup
2002 Golden Boot - 8 goals
2002 - Winner
1994 - Winner
UEFA Cup: 1998
Cup Winners' Cup: 1997
Dutch Cup: 1996
La Liga - Primera División champions: 2003

Famous Football Players (Alan Shearer)

2008-10-08T06:52:00.000-07:00

Alan Shearer Biography

Alan Shearer, OBE (born August 13, 1970) is a successful English footballer. He was born in Newcastle and currently plays for Newcastle United. He joined that club in July 1996 for a then record fee of £15m. He made his club debut on August 17th of that year.

Shearer's previous clubs were Southampton (1988-1992) and Blackburn (1992-1996). He played 63 times for the England team and scored 30 goals. His debut for the national side was on 19th February 1992 versus France at Wembley. He also scored 13 goals in only 11 games for the England Under 21 team.

Shearer's honours include League Championship Winner (Blackburn) 1994/95, PFA Player of the Year 1994/95 & 1996/97, Football Writers Player of the Year 1994/95, Premiership Golden Boot Winner 1994/95 (34), 1995/96 (31) & 1996/97 (25), Awarded Barclaycard Merit Award on 20 April 2002 for reaching the 200 Premiership goal landmark.

One of the most famous players in the game today, Alan was also the world's most expensive footballer at the time of his £15m move from Blackburn to Newcastle in the summer of 1996. He joined Blackburn from Southampton for a then British record £3.6m fee in 1992 and won a championship medal three years later.

Geordie Alan makes no secret of his love for Newcastle United and the partnership is a marriage made in heaven, but one which before the start of this season had borne no trophies, though a few near misses. Many believed Kevin Keegan's addition of Shearer to a squad which had just missed out on the 1995-96 Championship would seal the title, but another second place finish in 1996-97 denied United that honour, and a serious ankle injury then sidelined Alan for half of the 1997-98 campaign. In this season he was controversially cleared by the FA when he kicked Leicester City's Neil Lennon in the head.

However, his regular goal output has continued and a total of 30 in season 1999/2000 underlined his enduring ability in the penalty area. The scorer of a hat-trick on his debut for Southampton against Arsenal as a 17-year-old in 1988, Alan went on to become the first man to score 30 Premier League goals in three successive seasons.

Shearer was English PFA Player of the Year in 1995 and 1997. He scored 30 goals in 63 games for the England side before his retirement from international football at the end of Euro 2000.

During 2000/01 Alan's season was disrupted by injury which restricted him to only 23 appearances. He underwent two knee operations to clear up his tendinitis problem, one in December and one in May in the USA. He received a terrific and emotional welcome when he returned to first team action as a sub against Sunderland on 26 August before hitting two goals against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on his first start of the season on 8 September.

Shearer was appointed an OBE for services to Association Football in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in June 2001, an honour to go with the Freedom of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne that was bestowed upon him in March.

His brace against Ipswich Town in the Worthington Cup on 27 November took his United goals tally to 100. The goal against Arsenal on 18/12/01 was his first at Highbury and it also broke United's London jinx. Shearer hit his 200th Premiership goal against Charlton at St. James' Park on 20 April 2002. He was voted North-East Player of Year for 2001/02 and also scored North-East Goal of the Season 2001/02 (versus Aston Villa).

Shearer has announced that the 2004/05 season will be his last as a player. He is currently working on his UEFA coaching qualifications, which are required to manage a team in European competitions.

Epilepsy

2008-09-30T03:28:00.000-07:00

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. These seizures are signs of abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain.

Parkinson's disease

2008-09-30T03:26:00.000-07:00

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that impairs motor skills and speech. Early signs and symptoms may sometimes be dismissed as the effects of normal aging.

Dr. Samuel Johnson

2008-09-30T03:24:00.001-07:00

Samuel Johnson LL.D. MA (September 18 1709 – 13 December 1784), often referred to simply as Dr Johnson, is one of England's best known literary figures, an essayist, biographer, lexicographer and a critic of English Literature. He was also a great wit and prose stylist, well known for his aphorisms. Johnson had poor eyesight, was hard of hearing and had a scarred face as a result of childhood scrofula. He also had a number of tics and other involuntary movements, the symptoms described by Boswell suggest that Johnson had Tourette syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

David Beckham

2008-09-30T03:22:00.001-07:00

David suffers from OCD and it manifests itself through constant cleanliness and perfection of all that is around him. Anything out of order is enough to cause a conflict and must be attended to immediately. Examples of this complete order is that everything must be in pairs, if there are three books on a table one must be added, or one must be removed. Only 2% of the population suffer from this strong OCD.

Dan Ackroyd

2008-09-30T03:18:00.000-07:00

Aykroyd was born on Dominion Day at the Ottawa General Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Dan was diagnosed with tourette's and asperger syndromes at an early age, but the symptoms seem to have disappeared when he was around 14. The diagnosis of Asperger syndrome did not exist in the 1960s, when Aykroyd was a preteen. It involved mostly grunting and physical tics through nervousness.

Michael Wolff

2008-09-30T03:09:00.000-07:00

Michael Wolff (born September 19, 1954 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and actor. Wolff is the leader of a jazz band, Michael Wolff and Impure Thoughts, which features Indian tabla player Badal Roy, drummer Mike Clark and electric bassist John B. Williams. Wolff has Tourette syndrome he serves on the Board of Directors of the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA), and is involved with mentoring children with Tourette's through the chapters of the TSA.

Tim Howard

2008-09-30T03:05:00.000-07:00

Tim Howard - Once known as Tim Dawg, Howard managed to become the goal keeper for Manchester United of England despite his tourettes Syndrome. It was an everyday battle but he kept it under control, especially when he was to be catching and blocking 65 miles an hour curve soccer balls from the best players in the world. Tim says it's just a battle of the will, he just constantly fights what his mind tells his body to do, he has been capable of shutting out tourettes.

Sergeant York movies, Sergeant York books, WW heroes

2008-09-30T02:49:00.000-07:00

From the Webmaster.

Before Mr. Bush became President, I said who ever gets this next term in office will have the toughest presidency of any President, ever! Now we can see that this is true. President Bush has and will have a tough time and I don't think any man is better qualified to do the job and he has shown us that he is for all Americans and has proven that he can handle the job better than anyone thought possible. We all need to give him all of our support and thanks. But keep reading below and look at the links too. These have even surprised me. There is one thing that President Bush recently said on May 2007, speaking of terrorist, "They only have to be right once, We have to be right One Hundred Percent of the time.
C. Jeff Dyrek, Webmaster

Discus first history of Henry Miller Shreve

2008-09-24T02:34:00.000-07:00

BORN:- 1785, Burlington County, NJ
DIED:- 1851, St. Louis, MO

DID YOU KNOW:-

Inspired by Oliver Evans, Shreve tried to build a steamboat using a high-pressure engine, which was cheaper, smaller, and lighter than Fulton's low-pressure steam engine -- important considerations for shallow Western rivers.

Frontier Man:-
Henry Miller Shreve was instrumental in the realm of early American waterway navigation. Born in 1785 in New Jersey, Shreve grew up in the Ohio River valley and helped to support his family by trading beaver pelts on the river near his homestead. He became an expert navigator and an adventurous traveler. 1807 marked the year of Robert Fulton's successful steamboat experiment. Within a few years, Shreve had designed his own, the Enterprise.

Discus life of famous person

2008-09-24T01:32:00.000-07:00