William Dampier was a Somerset man who turned pirate, although the ships and town he plundered were usually Spanish. In January 1688 he was second-in-command of a ship called the Cygnet when the coast of New Holland – as Australia was then called – came in sight. The ship was run into a bay to be careened, and Dampier went …

The Most Noble Order of the Garter, the highest British Order of Knighthood, is as sought-after and honoured now as it was over six hundred years ago. The exact date of the foundation of the order, which John Selden, the historian, described as exceeding ‘in majesty, honour and fame all Chivalrous Orders of the World’, is uncertain. One version tells …

Mihir Sen was an ace Indian long-distance swimmer. His courageous feats in the enormous seas have inspired the aspiring Indian swimmers to indulge in long distance swimming, thus motivated the youngsters to take up swimming as their profession. Born on 16 November 1930, in Purulia, West Bengal, Mihir Sen was a lawyer by profession. He was a trendsetter, whose performance in …

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi was born on September 29, 1934, in Fiume, Italy – now (Croatia) is a Hungarian psychology professor, who emigrated to the United States at the age of 22. He received his B.A. in 1960 and his Ph.D. in 1965, both from the University of Chicago. He is the father of MIT Media Lab associate professor Christopher Csikszentmihalyi and …

Michelle Wie — Michelle Sung Wie was born on October 11, 1989. She is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. In 2006, she was named in a Time magazine article as “one of 100 people who shape our world.” At age 10, she became the youngest player to qualify for USGA amateur championship. Wie would also …

Michael Jordan — Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, “By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.” Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation …

Michael Jackson — Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized …

Michael Ignatieff — A winner of the Gelber Prize for his book Blood and Belonging: Journeys into the New Nationalism, Michael Ignatieff is a leading thinker on human rights issues, a public intellectual and historian. He is deputy leader of Canada’s Liberal Party and has held academic positions at Cambridge, Oxford and is the former head of Harvard University’s Carr …

Michael Crichton — John Michael Crichton, was an American author, film producer, film director, medical doctor, and television producer best known for his science fiction and techno-thriller novels, films, and television programs. His books have sold over 150 million copies worldwide. His works were usually based on the action genre and heavily feature technology. Many of his future history novels …

Mesut Oezil — The sigh of relief in German football was almost audible when Mesut Ozil made the step up to international class with a string of outstanding performances. At last, people said, the three-time world champions had a new “number ten”. And they were right: a sprightly and technically gifted playmaker, Ozil is the kind of player that does …