With seminal research in bacteriology and epidemiology at the turn of the last century, first in Paris and then in India, Waldemar Mordecai Haffkine developed the world’s first vaccines against cholera and…
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Blueprints for a better industry
When a small designer took on IKEA’s lawyers, the furniture giant made a decision that shocked the industry. It wasn’t what anyone expected… In 2018, a major furniture brand with over $44…
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Mother and son united after 32 years
Li Jingzhi of China spent 32 years searching for her son, Mao Yin. Here’s what happened: Mao Yin was kidnapped in 1988 at the age of two from a hotel in Xi’an,…
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Jason Arday: A life retold
Jason Arday is a British sociologist, writer and fundraiser who has made a remarkable impact in academia despite facing significant challenges in his early life. Born in 1985 to Ghanaian parents, and…
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Chuck Yeager: Breaking the sound barrier
Chuck Yeager, a US Air Force test pilot, became the first person to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947. Here’s a detailed account of his historic flight: Charles E “Chuck”…
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Valentina Tereshkova: First woman in space
Valentina Tereshkova made history on June 16, 1963, by becoming the first woman to journey into outer space as a Soviet cosmonaut; she is also the only woman to have been on…
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The saviour of mothers
Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis was a Hungarian physician who made a groundbreaking discovery about the importance of hand hygiene in the 19th century. Here is his story, a testament to the power of…
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Velcro – An idea that stuck
Velcro, the popular hook-and-loop fastening system, was invented by Swiss engineer George de Mestral in the 1940s. Here’s the story behind its invention: De Mestral, an avid outdoorsman, went on a hunting…
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Balto, the heroic sled dog
Balto was a Siberian Husky sled dog who played a crucial role in delivering diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska, in 1925. Here’s his remarkable story: In January 1925, a diphtheria outbreak in…
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3D-printed bones for ear implants
Dr. Mashudu Tshifularo is a renowned South African otolaryngologist and educator who made history by leading the first team to use 3D-printed bones for reconstructive middle ear implants. Born on June 18,…