Stories of great attacking and eating explorers are very much in the realms of fiction, for gorillas are strictly vegetarian. Despite their huge size they eat mainly twigs and leaves. The fearsome-looking canine teeth which they possess are used for threat displays, and for setting disputes among their own kind. On the whole, gorillas are shy, retiring creatures which have …

Youcef Abdi — Youcef was born and raised in Algeria and came to Australia for the 1996 world junior championships and decided to stay. He fell in love with Sydney, which is now his place of residence. His favourite hobbies include soccer, going to the movies and listening to music. He started running at the age of 14 to accompany …

Yusuf Arakkal was born in 1945 at Kottakkal, Kerala. His mother belonged to the royal family of Arakkal, the only Muslim royal family to have ruled Kerala and his father to Keyees, the well known business family based at Kozhikode and Thalassery. Yusuf lost both his parents at an early age. Leaving the comforts of his house behind, the boy …

Yuvraj Singh (born 12 December 1981) is a cricketer from India, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 (ODIs) and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008. At …

Zadie Smith (born on 25 October 1975) is a British novelist. To date she has written three novels. In 2003, she was included on Granta’s list of 20 best young authors. She joined New York University’s Creative Writing Program as a tenured professor on September 1, 2010. Zadie Smith was born as Sadie Smith in the northwest London borough of …

Zaheer Khan (born 7 October 1978) is an Indian cricketer who has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000. A left arm Fast bowler considered as the spearhead of the Indian bowling attack, Zaheer is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways, and as a batsman also holds the record for the highest Test …

Zila Khan — Zila Hussain Khan is an Indian sufi singer. She sings classical and semi-classical musical forms. She performs in the tradition of Imdadkhani gharana. Zila Khan was born in Calcutta to pre-eminent sitar maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan and Begum Monisha. She was named by her father after Amir Khusrow’s raag, Zila Kaafi. Zila Khan was accepted as his …

Zahi Hawass (born May 28, 1947) is an Egyptian archaeologist, an Egyptologist, and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs. He has also worked at archaeological sites in the Nile Delta, the Western Desert, and the Upper Nile Valley. Hawass has received widespread publicity internationally, and was the subject of a reality television series in the United States, Chasing Mummies. …

Wynton Marsalis — Wynton Learson Marsalis on born October 18, 1961 to Dolores and Ellis Marsalis, Jr., a New Orleans-based music teacher and pianist. He is the second of six sons. He is an American jazz and Western classical virtuoso trumpeter and composer. He is Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has promoted the appreciation of Classical and …

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Perhaps the greatest musical genius who ever lived, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, Jan. 27, 1756, the son of Leopold Mozart, concertmaster at the archiepiscopal court, and his wife, Anna Maria Pertl. Leopold Mozart was a successful composer and violinist, whose famous treatise on violin playing (Versuch einer grundlichen Violinschule) was first printed …