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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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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Srinivasa Ramanujan: A self-taught genius in maths
Srinivasa Ramanujan, a self-taught Indian mathematician, is renowned for his extraordinary contributions to number theory. Here’s a fascinating account of his journey: Ramanujan was born in 1887 in Erode, India. Growing up,…
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Anne Frank’s Diary
Reading Anne Frank’s diary for the first time can be a ground-breaking moment in any reader’s life. Since it was first published, the book has inspired generations of people around the world –…
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The Moonlight Sonata
One evening renowned composer Beethoven and a friend were taking a walk. As they were passing through a narrow, dark street, they heard music coming from a little house. “Hush!” Beethoven said.…
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‘Beauty remains; pain ends up passing’
Ever since he was young, the painter Henri Matisse used to visit the great Renoir at his atelier every week. When Renoir was crippled with arthritis, Matisse began to visit him daily,…
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Honorary Masters of Medicine degree for an illiterate man
Cape Town’s uneducated surgeon, Mr. Hamilton Naki, who was awarded the honorary degree of Master of Medicine could neither read nor write. Cape Town Medical University has a leading position in the medical world.…
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Vincent van Gogh: A living message
Noted Dutch post-impressionist painter, Vincent van Gogh, was not always an artist. In fact, he wanted to be a church pastor and was even sent to the Belgian mining community of Borinage in 1879.…
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Three-stringed violin
On November 18th, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. If you have ever been to…