Tommy was (and still is) the nickname of the British soldier – the typical private. The custom began with the use of the name in specimen forms laid down in Army Regulations after the Napoleonic Wars, to show how forms should be filled in with the soldier’s name and other details about him. As Rudyard Kipling wrote: Oh, it’s Tommy …

From earliest times man have dreamed of traveling in space, exploring new worlds, reaching for the stars – an apparently impossible dream. Then rocket research which took place during World War II gave a great impetus to space travel for which rocket propulsion is essential. After many experiments the first major break-through came in April 1961 when a Russian, Yuri …

A cragger is a member of a carbon reduction action group. Such a person is interested in reducing her carbon footprint. The word has made it to the growing lexicon of green terms in the Collins Dictionary.

Mushirul Hassan — Professor Mushirul Hasan (Born: 15 August 1949) second son for noted historian and professor at his time Muhibbul Hasan he originally belongs to Village Muhammadpur Tehsil Fatehpur District Barabanki, is an internationally known historian, author and ex-Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia University at Delhi. He has written extensively on the Partition of India, on communalism , and …

A warmist – or global warmist – is a person who believes that the human race is primarily responsible for warming. Once a term used for scientists who so believed, it has now taken on a pejorative meaning. There are ‘deniers’ who believe that while global warming may be true, warming and cooling has been happening for millions of years, …

Muqtada al-Sadr — Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr was born August 12, 1973 in Baghdad, Iraq. He is an Iraqi Islamic Political leader. He is one of the most influential religious and political figures in the country not holding any official title in the Iraqi government. Muqtada al-Sadr is the fourth son of a famous Iraqi Shi’a cleric, the late Grand Ayatollah …

A gelotologist is a specialist who studies the physiological effects of laughter. When a person laughs, some special muscles called gelastic muscles get exercised, and, as a result, several physiological changes such as an increase in respiration and blood circulation take place. A gelotologist is concerned with analysis of such changes and their effect on human health. The word originated …

Whitcomb L. Judson invented the zipper and YKK is the Japanese company that makes them. Whitcomb L. Judson was a lover of gadgets and machines and the idea for his “clasp locker” came from when a friend had a stiff back from trying to fasten his shoes. Judson’s clasp locker was used mostly on mailbags, tobacco pouches and shoes. However, …

Muni Pulak Sagar Ji — A divine soul was born, in a very small but fortunate, Dhamtri village in Chattisgarh; this soul was none other than Muni Pulak Sagar Ji Maharaj. His birth brought happiness, wealth, respect and peace in the house of Shri. Bhikamchand Ji and Smt. Gopi Bai Jain, parents of this child. His name before Deeksha was …

एक नदी में एक मोटा – सा, हरे रंग का मेंढक था। मेंढक अपनी जिंदगी से खुश और संतुष्ट था। एक बार दुर्भायवर्ष वह नदी से निकलकर, नर्म – नर्म धुप का मजा लेने के लिए किनारे पर आ बैठा। तभी एक काले कौए ने उसे झपटकर अपनी चोंच में पकड़ लिया। “वाह!” क्या स्वादिष्ट भोजन हाथ लगा,” मेंढक को …