The early seamen sailed by the sun and stars, rarely venturing out of sight of the land. Then the Chinese discovered the lode-stone or guiding stone, and the fact that it always pointed to the magnetic north. It was first used in Europe in the twelfth century, and the idea of attaching it to a compass card is credited to …

The Cutty Sark was one of the last of the clipper ships specially built for the tea trade between China and Britain. Her unusual name was taken from the witch in Robert Burns’s poem ‘Tam O Shanter’, and her figurehead represented a witch. She carried a great spread of canvas and it was said of her that in her day …

Lenses are the key component of spectacles and were made even in ancient times. However, it is not known whether such lenses were used merely as ornaments or as visual aids. It was discovered around 1000 AD that a glass sphere, when placed on a surface, enlarged the contents of the surface beneath it. The first wearable eye glasses were …

An early English settler in North America was a clergyman, Roger Williams. He disagreed with the Puritan form of religion, and eventually was ordered back to England. Instead of obeying, he slipped away, bought some land from an Indian tribe and founded his own colony in 1636. Others seeking religious freedom joined him and soon four communities were thriving. Williams …

रूप तुम्हारा, गंध तुम्हारी, मेरा तो बस स्पर्श मात्र है लक्ष्य तुम्हारा, प्राप्ति तुम्हारी, मेरा तो संघर्ष मात्र है। तुम असीम, मई क्षुद बिंदु सा, तुम चिरजीवी, मई क्षणभंगुर तुम अनंत हो, मई सीमित हूँ, वत समान तुम, मई नव अंकुर। तुम अगाध गंभीर सिंधु हो, मई चंचल सी नन्ही धारा तुम में विलय कोटि दिनकर, मई टिमटिम जलता बुझता …

लो वही हुआ जिसका था डर, ना रही नदी, ना रही लहर। सूरज की किरण दहाड़ गई गर्मी हर देह उधाड़ गई, उठ गया बवंडर, धुल हवा में अपना झंडा गाड़ गई गौरैया हांफ रही डर कर, ना रही नदी, ना रही लहर। हर ओर उमस के चर्चे हैं, बिजली पंखों से खर्चे हैं, बूढ़े मुहए के हाथों से उड़ …

Yoga brings immense positive energy, mental and physical health and inculcates spirituality. We come to know better of our inner self, with yoga and meditation, said renowned yog guru Swami Dayanand Saraswati on the fifth day of International Yoga Festival being held at Swarg Ashram, Rishikesh in Pauri Garhwal, here today. Film actors Pooja Bedi, Dino Morea, and Anu Aggarwal, …

An Englishman, Henry Hudson, employed by Holland, was one of the many explorers who tried to find a route to the Indies via America. Although he sailed far up the river which later bore his name, he did not succeed in discovering a route. Nevertheless, the Dutch claimed all the land on either side of the Hudson despite the fact …

All attempts to colonize Roanoke Island and the surrounding territory of Virginia in the sixteenth century had proved unsuccessful. It seemed as if no one from England would ever enjoy the fine climate and rich soil of this huge, unspoiled area. But although Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603 the adventurous spirit of the Elizabethans lived on and a number …

Chess is said to be the oldest game in the world, originating in India 5,000 years ago with the Buddhists, who, believing war to be wrong, devised the game of chess as a peaceful substitute. From India the game spread to Persia, Arabia and then to Western Europe. The word ‘chess’ is derived from the Persian word ‘shah’ meaning king, …