Zachary Taylor

Famous as	Military Leader and the 12th President of United States
Born on	24 November 1784
Born in	Barboursville, Virginia
Died on	09 July 1850
Nationality	United States
Works & Achievements	War of 1812, Black Hawk War, Second Seminole War, Mexican-American War, Battle of Monterrey Battle of Buena Vista

Zachary Taylor served as the 12th president of the United States from the period 1849 to 1850. He was a successful military leader and his contribution as a military leader was immense. He fought the Presidential election as a Whig party candidate in 1848 and went on to win it by defeating his opponent Lewis Cass. He was the last Whig to win the presidential election and hold slaves under him. His military career lasted for a period of forty years while serving in the United States Army. He led the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War as a military leader. He headed the American troops to victory in the Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Monterrey during the Mexican-American War. He faced criticism for his moderate approach on the issue of slavery. He also urged the settlers of New-Mexico and California to form statehood and hereby set the stage for the Compromise of 1850. He served as President for just sixteen months and died of gastroenteritis. It's the shortest tenure served by any U.S. President. Zachary Taylor Childhood & Early Life Zachary Taylor was born in a well-to-do prominent family of planters on 24th November, 1784 in Orange County Virginia. He was the youngest of all the nine children in the family. He was born to Richard Taylor and Sarah Strother Taylor. His father had served under George Washington during the American Revolution. His father Taylor was a direct descendant of the Elder William Brewster, the Pilgrim colonist leader and spiritual elder of the Plymouth Colony. He was a passenger aboard the Mayflower and one of the persons signing the Mayflower Compact along with Isaac Allerton Jr., the son of Mayflower Pilgrim Isaac Allerton and Fear Brewster.   Education and Early Life Zachary graduated from the Harvard College became a merchant in Colonial America. It was his first venture in business with his father in New England, and after his father's death he served as a Burgess for Northumberland County and also as a Councillor of Virginia. He was an active member of the Virginia militia and was promoted to the rank of colonel. James Madison was his second cousin, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Robert E. Lee were his kinsmen.   He lived on the frontier in Louisville, Kentucky, in his youth and he stayed there in a small wood cabin during his entire childhood. He later moved to a brick house after his family prospered financially. He lived there with all his seven brothers and sisters. His father was a proud owner of 10,000 acres of land in Louisville and his father owned 10,000 acres (40 km2), town lots in Louisville, and twenty-six slaves by 1800. Taylor did not attend any school since there was none on the Kentucky frontier. His only source of primary education was his tutors appointed by his father to teach him during his early years. He was not a very bright student when it came to studies. His handwriting, spelling, and grammar were described as "crude and unrefined throughout his life." As he grew up, he decided to join the military. Military Career Taylor joined the U.S. Army on May 3, 1808 after receiving a commission as a first lieutenant of the Seventh Infantry Regiment from his cousin James Madison. He was posted to the Indiana Territory, and was later promoted to the rank of captain in November 1810. He took command of Fort Knox and held it until 1814. Taylor’s military career started off with a success after he defeated Fort Harrison in Indiana Territory, following an attack by Indians in the War of 1812 under the command of Shawnee chief Tecumseh. Post this victory, Taylor was promoted to the temporary rank of major and led the 7th Infantry in a campaign putting an end to the Battle of Wild Cat Creek. Taylor was also chosen as the commander of Fort Johnson (1814) for a short period and his troops retreated to Fort Cap au Gris. He was then demoted to the rank of captain after the war in 1814. He then resigned from the army and took re-entry only after he was re-commissioned as a major a year later. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1819, and later to a higher position of colonel in 1832. In 1821 he was stationed along with the remaining of 7th Infantry. In March 1822, Colonel Taylor took command of Fort Jesup originally called Shield's spring. Taylor led the 1st Infantry Regiment during the Black Hawk War in 1832. In 1837, he was sent to Florida where he defeated the Seminole Indians. Hereafter, he was promoted to the position of Brigadier General. He then had the sole command over all the American troops in Florida. He later became the commander of the southern division of the United States Army in 1841. Mexican-American War In 1845, Texas became a U.S state. In order to avoid any dispute and guard against Mexico’s attempt to take it back in 1836, President James K. Polk deployed Taylor and his troops on the Texas-Mexico border.  Taylor was vested with the command of American troops on Rio Grande and the Army of Occupation on April 23, 1845. An attack on Taylor’s army by the Mexican forces initiated the start of the American-Mexican war in 1846. The same month, Taylor commanded the American troops in the Battle of Palo Alto and also defeated the Mexican forces at the Battle of Monterrey. Taylor’s army was then asked to join General Winfield Scott’s soldiers after they had seized Veracruz. Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna, with the intention of defeating Taylor’s 6000 men, went with an army of 20,000 men to attack Taylor at the Battle of Buena Vista in February 1847. This resulted in 672 American and 1,800 Mexican casualties. Taylor’s success in the Buena Vista war with much lesser military strength turned him to a hero among the mass. He was then compared to the likes of George Washington and Andrew Jackson in the American popular press. Presidency He served as the President from 4th March, 1849 to 9th July, 1850. He went on to become the 12th President of the United States. Taylor defeated his democratic candidate Lewis Cass and the Free Soil candidate Martin Van Buren.   Marriage Taylor got married to Margaret Smith in 1810, and together they had six children. Among them their only son Richard, became the Lieutenant General in the Confederate Army. Sarah Knox Taylor was one of Taylor's daughters who decided to marry Jefferson Davis, the future President of the Confederate States of America who was then serving as a lieutenant in 1835. Taylor's another daughter, Margaret Anne, died of liver failure at the age of 33. Death It is assumed that Taylor died of gastroenteritis on 9th July, 1850 at the age of 65 in Washington D.C.

Timeline:

1784- He was born on 24th November in Barboursville, Virginia 1810- Taylor got married toMargaret Smith 1849-1850- He served as the President of the United States 1850- Taylor died on 9th July, at the age of 65 in Washington D.C.

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Yitzhak Rabin

Famous as	5th Prime Minister of Israel
Born on	01 March 1922
Born in	Jerusalem
Died on	04 Novomber 1995
Nationality	Israel
Works & Achievements	Oslo Accords with the Palestinians and the Peace Treaty with Jordan; Nobel Peace Prize (1994)

Yitzhak Rabin was the 5th Prime Minister of Israel and served the country from 1974-1977 and from 1992 until his assassination in 1995. While in office, Rabin implemented several bold decisions, including the daring operation to rescue the Israeli hostages at Entebbe. Two major events that took place during Rabin's second term were the Oslo Accords with the Palestinians and the peace treaty with Jordan. These achievements fetched him international accolades for which he was honored with International Nobel Peace Prize (1994) and The Ronald Reagan Freedom Award. Earlier, Yitzhak Rabin had served as the 'Palmach' Operations Officer, commander of the 'Harel' Brigade, and Chief of Staff of the Southern Front in the War of Independence. On November 4, 1995, Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish right-wing extremist in Tel Aviv and became the only Prime Minister to be assassinated in the history of Israel. He was succeeded by Shimon Peres. Childhood Yitzhak Rabin was born on 1 March 1922 in Jerusalem. His father, Nehemiah, had immigrated to Israel from the United States of America and during the First World War served as a volunteer in the Jewish Legion. His mother, Rosa, was one of the first members of the Haganah, the mainstream Jewish defense organization. A year after his birth, the Rabins moved to Tel-Aviv where Yitzhak attended Beit Hinuch Leyaldei Ovdim elementary school. At the age of 14, intent on becoming a farmer, Rabin entered the Kadoorie Agricultural School at Kfar Tabor. He graduated from the agricultural school in 1940.   Military Career In 1941, influenced by Yigal Allon, Rabin joined the “Palmach Underground”, the commando unit of the Jewish underground army. The unit later became the nucleus for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). In 1945, he was deputy commander of the operation that freed over two hundred illegal immigrants from the “Atlit detention camp”.   During his seven years of service in the Palmach, Rabin developed himself as an efficient military leader. During the War of Independence in 1948-1949, Rabin commanded the Harel Brigade, deployed on the Jerusalem front. As commander, Rabin played a crucial role in the defense of Jerusalem in 1948, particularly in Operation Nachshon, which lifted the blockade to Jerusalem. He was then promoted as the Chief of Operations for the Southern Front and participated in the major battles ending the fighting there, including Operation Yoav and Operation Horev.   In the beginning of 1949, Rabin was a member of the Israeli delegation to the armistice talks with Egypt that were held on the island of Rhodes. In 1954, he was appointed “head of the Training Branch of Israel Defense Forces. In 1964, Rabin was promoted as Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces by Levi Eshkol. Rabin was given more powers by Eshkol as he did not have much experience in the military affairs.   After coming into power, Rabin developed the Israel Defense Forces fighting doctrine - based on movement and surprise - which was employed during the 1967 Six-Day War, when the achievement of air supremacy and massive deployment of armor led to the famous military victory. In January 1968, after 26 years in uniform, Rabin retired from the IDF.   Post-Military Life In 1968, Rabin was appointed Ambassador to the United States of America. During his five years in Washington, Rabin strove to consolidate bilateral ties and played a major role in promoting "strategic cooperation" with the United States, which led to massive American military aid to Israel. In this period, the US became the major weapon supplier of Israel and in particular, he managed to get the embargo on the F-4 Phantom fighter jets lifted.   Prime Minister- First Term Rabin returned to Israel in 1973, just before the general elections and became an active member of the Labor party. He successfully contested the general elections and in March 1974, appointed Israeli Minister of Labor in the government headed by Golda Meir. This government resigned shortly thereafter and Rabin, with the support of Ratz, the Independent Liberals, Progress and Development, became Prime Minister on June 2, 1974. He was the youngest Prime Minister in the history of Israel.   Operation Entebbe The most dramatic event that happened during Rabin's first term of office was a secret operation carried out by the IDF on July 4, 1976. The IDF performed a long-range undercover raid to rescue passengers of Air France, hijacked by terrorists in Uganda. In this daring operation, thousands of miles from home, the hostages were released and flown to safety in Israel. The operation managed to receive huge accolades within the country but also appeared as a “word of warning” in the diplomatic front.   Resignation In 1977 however, Rabin was forced to renounce from the post of Prime Minister and as well as head of the Labor party after it was exposed that his wife, Leah had illegally maintained a foreign currency account containing about $3,000 in the United States. According to Israeli currency regulations at the time, it was illegal for citizens to maintain foreign bank accounts without prior authorization.   Following his resignation and Labor Party defeat at the elections, Likud's Menachem Begin was elected in 1977. Following years, Rabin served as a member of Knesset. Upon formation of the National Unity government in September, Yitzhak Rabin was appointed for the post of Defense Minister. Chosen to serve for the full four-year period, Rabin succeeded in improving his working relations with Prime Minister Peres and in gaining broad public confidence. Rabin guided the country's initial response to the “intifada” - popular resistance to oppression.   Prime Minister- Second Term In February 1992, the Labor Party held its first primaries and Rabin was selected Chairman of the Labor Party, winning against Shimon Peres. During the 1992 general elections, Rabin, strongly focused on the popularity of the Labor Party and its leaders and managed to win a clear victory over Likud’s Yitzhak Shamir. Rabin, supported by a coalition of left wing parties formed the first labor government after fifteen years. Rabin's second term as Prime Minister was marked by two historic events - the “Oslo Accords” with the Palestinians and the “Treaty of Peace with Jordan”.   Oslo Accords Working closely with Shimon Peres, the Foreign Minister and his longtime rival, Rabin masterminded the Oslo Accords. It was the first direct, agreement signed between Israel and the representatives of Palestine on 20 August 1993 in Oslo, Norway. It was for the first time that some Palestinian factions publicly acknowledged Israel's right to exist. The Accords provided for the creation of a Palestinian Authority. It also called for the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces from parts of the Gaza Strip and West Bank.   The Oslo Accords was signed between Yasser Arafat, leader the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Among the witnesses were, US President Bill Clinton, Warren Christopher from the United States and Andrei Kozyrev from Russia.   Marriage Just before the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Rabin married Leah Schlossberg, who was at the time working as a reporter for a Palmach newspaper. They had two children, Dalia and Yuval. After Rabin's assassination, his daughter Dalia Rabin entered into politics and elected to the Knesset in 1999 as part of the Centre Party. In 2001, she served as Israel's Deputy Minister of Defense.   Awards For his contribution for the progress of Israel and especially for the famous “Oslo Accords” Yitzhak Rabin was awarded “The Ronald Reagan Freedom Award”. The award is given only to those who have made monumental and lasting contributions to the cause of freedom worldwide. Rabin was also awarded the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Yasser Arafat and Shimon Peres.   Assassination In the evening on November 4, 1995, while leading a mass rally for peace held under the slogan "Yes to Peace, No to Violence," Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish right-wing extremist in Tel Aviv. Rabin was rushed to Ichilov hospital and died shortly. Hundreds of thousands of grieving Israelis thronged the square where Rabin was assassinated mourning upon his death. Rabin's funeral was attended by many world leaders, among them US president Bill Clinton, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and King Hussein of Jordan. To commemorate Yitzhak Rabin, the Israel government renamed the square where he was assassinated, as “Rabin Square”.

Timeline:

1922: Birth of Yitzhak Rabin in Jerusalem 1940: Rabin graduated from the Kadoorie Agricultural School at Kfar Tabor 1941: Rabin joined Palmach underground 1945: Promoted to Deputy Commander of the Unit 1948: Rabin married Leah Schlossberg, a reporter with a Palmach newspaper 1948-49: Rabin commanded the Harel Brigade 1948: Participation in the “Operation Nachshon” 1948: Operation Yoay and Operation Hoay 1949: Armistice dialogues with Egypt on the island of Rhodes 1954: Appointed by Moshe Doyan as the Head of the IDF Training Branch 1964: Rabin was appointed chief of Israel Defense Forces by Levi Eshkol 1967: Break out of famous “Six-Day- War” 1968: Rabin retired from the Israel Defense Forces 1968: Rabin appointed Ambassador to the United States of America 1973: Rabin returned to Israel 1973: Rabin successfully contested general elections 1974: Rabin elected Prime Minister of Israel 1976: Operation Entebbe 1977: Rabin resigned over financial scandal 1992: Elected Chairman of the Labor Party 1992: Rabin won the general elections 1993 August 20: Oslo Accords signed between Israel and Palestinian representatives led by Yasser Arafat in Oslo, Norway 1994: Rabin received the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize 1995, November 4: Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing extremist 1999: His daughter, Dalia elected to Knesset 2001: Dalia appointed Israel's Deputy Minister of Defense

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Winston Churchill

Famous as	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Born on	30 November 1874
Born in	Woodstock, Oxford shire
Died on	24 January 1965
Nationality	United Kingdom
Works & Achievements	PM of the United Kingdom

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was one of the greatest politicians of the United Kingdom who went on to become the Prime Minister of the country in 1940, serving till 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. Winston enjoyed an exceptional success in his political life from the very beginning and held many important positions such as President of the Board of Trade, Home Secretary and First Lord of the Admiralty in the Asquith Liberal government. Before chosen to the premiership of the country, Winston was appointed the Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1924. He also served in the British Army for a short period, where he witnessed the second Boer war and penned his experience as British officer in books such as The Second World War and A History of the English Speaking Peoples. Winston Churchill was a prolific writer, historian and artist. Childhood & Early Life Winston Churchill was born on 30 November 1874 in Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. A descent of the Spencer family, Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was born to a politician father Lord Randolph Churchill and mother Lady Randolph Churchill who was the daughter of an American millionaire. Winston Churchill had a brother John Strange Spencer.   Winston Churchill’s military career began with admitting in to Harrow School in 1888, where he joined the Harrow Rifle Corps. Throughout his schooling life, he performed average in academic but showed a particular interest in English and History. He did not see much of his parents in his early life as he stayed with his grandmother and this made him relatively independent and rebellious in nature. He was believed to have a cold relation with his father before he died on 24 January 1895.    Marriage & Children Winston Churchill married Clementine Hozier on 12 September 1908 in St. Margaret’s Westminster and in 1909, the couple moved to a house at 33 Eccleston Square. Their first child, Diana was born in London on 11 July 1909 and stayed with her nanny while Clementine moved to Sussex. Their son Randolph was born on 28 May 1911 and their third child Sarah came on 7 October 1914 at Admiralty House. Clementine gave birth to Marigold Frances Churchill on 15 November 1918. However, Marigold, who was their fourth child, could not survive into the adulthood and died from illness on 23 August 1921. The couple’s fifth and last child Mary was born next year on 15 September 1922.   Career in Army Churchill left Harrow in 1893 to seek admission into the Royal Military Academy. He graduated from there in December 1895 and was appointed as a Second Lieutenant in the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars on 20 February 1895. While serving there, he was awarded the honor of the Hussars in 1941.   Winston Churchill was sent to Cuba in 1895 to observe the fight between the Spanish and Cuban Guerrillas. He stayed there until he was informed of his nanny’s illness. He returned to England and from that time on, stayed with his nanny until she died after a week or so. The next year in 1896, he was transferred to Bombay, then a part of the British India, where he developed a passion for Polo.   In 1897, Churchill fought against a Pashtun tribe in Malakand-now in Pakistan- under the leadership of General Jeffery. After the victory of the British Army he wrote an account of the fight, which was published in1900 as The Story of the Malakand Field Force. An avid writer, Churchill wrote several articles and columns for the newspapers during the war, for which he received a huge sum.   Churchill was next sent to Egypt in 1898 where he served in the Sudan under the leadership of General Herbert Kitchener. While in the Sudan, he actively participated in the battle of Omdurman in 1898 and worked as a war correspondent for a newspaper. Upon his return to England in 1898, he wrote an account of the recon quest of the Sudan which was published in the next year as The River War. In 1899, he resigned from the Army and unsuccessfully bid for Parliament in Oldham in the by-election the same year.  With the declaration of war between Britain and the Boer Republics, Winston was appointed as a war correspondent for the newspaper the Morning Post. While working there, he was captured and imprisoned for his involvement in a scouting team. He was put in a POW camp in Pretoria, from where he succeeded to escape just a few weeks after. Upon his return to England, he rejoined the army. In 1900, Winston took retirement from the army and joined the Imperial Yeomanry as a captain in the Queen’s Own Oxford shire Hussars on 4 January 1902. He moved to the rank of Major in 1905 and took charge as a commander of the Henley Squadron of the Queen’s Own Oxford shire Hussars. Churchill, then the first Lord of the Admiralty, was appointed Lieutenant-colonel of Royal Scots Fusiliers on 1 January 1916.    Early Political Activities Churchill won the Oldham seat at the 1900 general election. After his entry in to the Parliament, he became closely linked with the Conservative Party. He was rejected by his electoral after his opposition to the government’s military expenditure and extensive tariffs designed to shield Britain’s economic power. He became associated with the Liberal Party and after it assumed power in 1905, Winston was made Under-Secretary of State. However, He had been rejected by his constituency in Oldham; Churchill was invited to contest for the Manchester North West seat. He won the seat at the 1906 general election and remained in the position until 1908, when he was appointed as President of the Board of Trade. While serving in the cabinet, he actively participated in opposing the proposed exorbitant expenditure for Navy and supported Liberal Reforms. In 1908, he brought in a Trade Bill, which set up the first minimum wages in Britain and the following year in 1909, Winston established ‘Labor Exchange’, which aimed at helping unemployed people find work. He played an instrumental role in planning the first unemployed pension legislation in 1911, which became known as the National Insurance Act of 1911. In 1910, Winston Churchill was appointed as Home Secretary following the major victory of Liberal Party in two consecutive general elections. In July 1917, Churchill was elected Minister of Munitions.    Chancellor of Exchequer In 1924, Winston Churchill won the seat for Epping as an independent candidate in the general election and the following year in 1925, he formally rejoined the Conservative Party. Churchill’s was appointment as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1924 which was followed by a great deflation in the Britain. A situation of anarchy occurred and a series of miner’s strikes led to the General Strike of 1926. The government adopted highly repressive method to break the strikes and as a result, Conservative Party lost the next general election in1929. From then on, The Conservative Party started distancing itself from him and the two never came to terms in the next following years. This was a time of Political Isolation which became known as his Wilderness Years.   During the mid 1930’s, Winston openly spoke and campaigned against the proposal to grant India a dominion status. When The Viceroy Lord Irwin announced the government’s policy to grant India Independence in the Round Table Conference in 1931, however, the Liberal party and the Conservative Party supported the government’s decision- Winston Churchill responded by denouncing the Conference and estranged from the government ineradicably.   First Term as Prime Minister On 3 December, 1939, Britain declared war against Germany; with this Churchill was again elected the First Lord of the Admiralty and became a member of the war cabinet. The Prime Minister Chamberlain resigned after the German invasion of Norway and Churchill was invited to form an –all party government. As Prime minister, Churchill refused to any peace agreement with an evidently growing Germany and geared up the British for a long War.   During his premiership, Churchill maintained good relations with the U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt which secured a regular supply of food, arms and oil in Britain. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Winston fully supported the U.S in its disastrous counter attack on Germany and Japan. The both Prime Ministers signed the Morgenthau Plan at the second Quebec conference in 1944, in which the mutually vowed to renovate Germany into an agricultural and bucolic country after its inevitable defeat in the War. A fervent anti-communist, Churchill gave a huge support to Soviet Union against German invasion, declaring that if he had to choose between communism and Nazis, he will choose communism.   Second Term as Prime Minister Though the World War II ended with a landslide victory of British and allied countries, Winston lost the 1945 election and became a leader of the opposition. His success came with the General Election of 1951, when he was again elected Prime Minister for a second term. However, foreign policies and international affairs dominated his first term; he put efforts to build the Britain an International power in his second government. He adopted direct military actions against rebellions and Kenya was the First to witness his road to world victory, following by Malaya. Though the rebellions were repressed through harsh methods, it was clearly visible that colonial rule from Britain has come to a downfall.   Health & Retirement Winston Churchill suffered his first major stroke in 1953, at age 78, which left him unable to speak and walk properly. He moved to his home Chart well to recover from the effects of the stroke and returned in October that year. In the wake of his declining health and inability to govern, he resigned as Prime Minister in 1955 to be succeeded by Anthony Eden. After retiring from the public life, Churchill mostly stayed at home. The first time, he came out in active politics was when he contested at the 1964 General Election. In 1963, Winston received an Honorary Citizen of the United States from U.S. President John F. Kennedy.   Death & Funeral On 15 January 1965, Churchill suffered another major stroke which proved to be fatal and he died after nine days on 24 January 1965. After death, his body lay in state for three days and a state funeral was held at St. Paul’s Cathedral. The funeral service witnessed the largest Royal gathering of statesman from across the world and was mourned upon by thousands of people. His body was buried at St. Martin’s Church, near Woodstock, near his birth place at Blenheim Palace.

Winston Churchill Timeline:

1874- Winston Churchill was born on 30 November 1874. 1888- He was admitted to Harrow School in 1888. 1893- Churchill left Harrow in 1893 and enrolled into the Royal Military Academy. 1895- He graduated from the Royal Military Academy in December 1895. 1895- His father died on 24 January 1895. 1895- He was appointed as a Second Lieutenant on 20 February 1895. 1895- Winston Churchill was sent to Cuba in 1895. 1896- He was transferred to Bombay. 1897- Churchill fought against a Pashtun tribe in Malakand. 1898- Churchill was next sent to Egypt in 1898. 1899- He resigned from the Army. 1900- Churchill won the Oldham seat at the 1900 general election. 1905- Winston was made Under-Secretary of State. 1906- He won the Manchester seat at the 1906 general election. 1908- He was appointed as President of the Board of Trade. 1908- He introduced the Trade Bill. 1908- Winston Churchill married Clementine Hozier on 12 September 1908. 1909- Their first child was born in London on 11 July 1909. 1910- Winston Churchill was appointed as Home Secretary. 1911- Their son Randolph was born on 28 May 1911. 1914- Their third child Sarah came on 7 October 1914. 1916- He was appointed Lieutenant-colonel of Royal Scots Fusiliers on 1 January 1916.  1918- Clementine gave birth to Marigold Frances Churchill on 15 November 1918. 1921- Marigold died from illness on 23 August 1921. 1922- The couple’s fifth and last child Mary was born next year on 15 September 1922. 1924- Churchill’s was appointment as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1924. 1925- He formally rejoined the Conservative Party. 1939- Britain declared war against Germany on 3 December. 1940- He was elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 1941- He was awarded the honor of the Hussars in 1941. 1944- The Morgenthau Plan was signed at the second Quebec conference in 1944. 1951- He was again elected Prime Minister for a second term. 1953- Winston Churchill suffered his first major stroke in 1953. 1955- He resigned as Prime Minister in 1955. 1965- He died on 24 January 1965.

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Tunku Abdul Rahman

Famous as	First Prime Minister of Malaysia
Born on	08 February 1903
Born in	Istana Pelamin, Kedah
Died on	06 December 1990
Nationality	Malaysia
Works & Achievements	Founding Father of independent 'Malaysia'

Sir Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah was the Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955 and became the country's first Prime Minister after its Independence in 1957. Born in a royal family in Kedah, Abdul Rahman was the son of 24th Sultan of Kedah and went to become the founding father of the independent Malaysia. Before attaining independence of the country, Abdul Rahman was also a member of the United Malays National Organization, an organization struggling against Britain's Malayan Union. Also known as Bapa Kemerdekaan, he became the first Prime Minister of the country after Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore merged to form Malaysia in 1963. He played a key role when the Organization of Islamic Conference was established in 1969 and served as its first Secretary-General. Childhood & Early Life Abdul Rahman was born on 8 February 1903 in Istana Pelamin, Alor Star in Kedah to the 24th Sultan of Kedah Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah and his sixth wife Cik Menjalara. He was the fourteenth son and twentieth child of his father. As a child Abdul Rahman was raised in Isatan, the Palace, which was built by a Chinese contractor and had a royal childhood with a number of servants around him. Prince Abdul was sent to a Malay Primary School Jalan Baharu in 1909 and was later moved to the Government English School in Alor Star, which eventually became known as the Sultan Abdul Hamid College. In 1911, little prince Abdul was sent to Debsirin School in Bangkok to study with his three brothers. He returned to Malaya in 1915 and resumed his studies at Penang Free School. After three years in 1918, he enrolled at St. Catharine’s College in Cambridge University with the Kedah State Scholarship and graduated with a bachelor degree in Arts in 1925. At that time, he drew national attention and was praised as the first student to receive a scholarship from Kedah State for studying in the United Kingdom.    Early Career After finishing his graduation, Abdul Rahman served in the Kedah public service and was made the District Officer of Kulim and Sungai Petani. At that time, the colonial Malaya was totally dominated by the British officers, with the only exception of Abdul Rahman who was a Malaya and had concern for his fellow people of Malaya. The two could never come to terms and he often had to pay for it by loosing promotion to higher positions. However, the British Administration did not dare do anything against him, as he was a son of the Sultan and a price of Malaya. Few years later, Abdul went to England and stayed there briefly before finally returning to Malaya following the eruption of the World War II.   He continued his law studies at Inner Temple in 1947 and after admitted to bar in 1949, he returned to Malaya where he was appointed at the Legal Officer’s office in Alor Star in the same year. Further, he was made a Deputy Public Prosecutor in Kaula Lampur and president of the session’s court. Abdul Rahman was also a member of the United Malays National Organization, an organization struggling against Britain’s Malayan Union. In 1951, a conflict surfaced within the UMNO forcing its president Datuk onn Jaafar to resign and the person replacing him was Abdul Rahman, who eventually seized the position for the next twenty years.    Independence of Malaya Abdul Rahman began his campaign for Malaya’s independence in 1954. His initial efforts failed to achieve anything as the British Administration was averse to grant independence unless it was assured of the racial harmony and equality in a new independent Malaya. As President of the UMNO, Abdul Rahman consolidated a political alliance with the Malaya Chinese Association to form the Alliance Party and later the Indian community Malayan Indian Association joined them in 1955. The coalition gained huge popularity among people though the UMNO members were initially reluctant to open the party to Chinese and Indian community. Abdul Rahman became the first Chief Minister of Malaya with the Alliance Party winning the first federal general election held in the same year. In 1955, he traveled to Japan, where he negotiated the Malaya Independence and 31 August 1957 was finally decided for its independence.   Premiership of Malaysia Malaya became Malaysia with the emergence of Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei in 1963. In 1961, Abdul Rahman called upon these states to form an amalgamation and was subsequently elected the first Prime Minister of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. However Singapore’s addition in the federal proved disastrous which increased the Chinese influx in the country. Abdul Rahman fearing, that Lee Kuan Yew’s Party could influence the voters in Malaya, started demanding Singapore’s exclusion from Malaysia. After endless clashes between Abdul Rahman and Lee Kuan, Singapore seceded and declared its Independence on 9 August 1965.   Abdul Rahman’s regime came to downfall in 1969, when the Alliance Party lost most of its support in the general election that year. Abdul Rahman lost its support from the people within UMNO who were highly critical of his headship and eventually, an emergency committee captured the country from Abdul Rahman and declared a state of emergency leaving him with no power. On 22 November 1970 Abdul Rahman resigned from the position of Prime Minister and subsequently from UMNO in 1971.    Other Activities In 1960, when he was still the Chief Minister, Abdul Rahman declared Islam the official religion of Malaysia and established the Islamic Welfare Organization (PERKIM) as a guiding body for Muslim converts. He became the president of PERKIM and served until a year before his death. As President of PERKIM, he organized the first International Quran Recital Competition in 1961.   Abdul Rahman played a key role when the Organization of Islamic Conference was established in 1969 and served as its first Secretary-General. He was a co founder of the Islamic Development Bank and President of the Regional Islamic Da’wah Council of South East Asia and the Pacific (RISEAP), serving from 1982 till 1988. However he declared Islam the official religion of Malaysia, he stuck to his idea of running Malaysia as a secular country where people of different beliefs and religion lived and worked together.   An enthusiastic sportsman himself, Abdul Rahman promoted many sports events in Malaysia, viewing is a medium to bring people of different race and religion together. He started an international football tournament in 1957 and was elected as the first president of Asian Football Confederation in the next year in 1958. He had a passion for horse racing and was a member of the Selangor Turf Club.   Later Life & Death In 1977, Abdul Rahman became the chairman of The Star, a newspaper which was banned in 1987 by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad because of its provoking columns that were harshly critical of the Malaysia’s government. Following a rift with in UMNO, he unsuccessfully tried to establish a new party UMNO Malaysia. In the general election of 1900, Abdul Rahman actively participated and widely campaigned against Mahathir Mohamad despite his worsening health. He died on 6 December 1990, aged eighty seven and his body was buried at the Langgar Royal Mausoleum in Alor Star.   Family & Children Abdul Rahman is believed to have at least four marriages in which only three are officially confirmed. His first wife was Meriam Ching, a Chinese woman who gave birth to two children Tunku Khadijah and Tunku Ahmad Nerang. After her death, Abdul married Violet Coulson, his former landlady in England. He divorced her and married Sharifah Rodziah Syed Alwi Barakbah and the couple adopted four children Sulaiman, Mariam, Sharifah Hanizah and Faridah. His fourth marriage to a Chinese woman Bibi Chong remained secret with whom; he had two daughters Tunku Noor Hayati and Tunku Mastura.

Timeline:

1903- Abdul Rahman was born on 8 February 1903. 1909- Abdul was sent to a Malay Primary School in 1909. 1911- Abdul was sent to Debsirin School in Bangkok. 1918- He enrolled at St. Catharine’s College in Cambridge University. 1925- He graduated with a bachelor degree in Arts in 1925. 1949- Abdul Rahman was admitted to bar in 1949. 1951- He was made the president of UMNO. 1954- Abdul Rahman began his campaign for Malaya’s independence in 1954. 1955- Abdul Rahman became the first Chief Minister of Malaya. 1957- Malaya was declared independent on 31 August. 1957- He started an international football tournament in 1957. 1958- He was elected as the first president of Asian Football Confederation. 1960- Abdul Rahman declared Islam the official religion of Malaysia. 1960- He established the Islamic Welfare Organization (PERKIM). 1963- Malaya became Malaysia in 1963. 1963- Abdul Rahman became the first Prime Minister of Malaysia. 1965- Singapore seceded and declared its Independence on 9 August 1965. 1970- Abdul Rahman resigned from the position of Prime Minister on 22 November. 1971- He resigned from the presidency of UMNO. 1977- Abdul Rahman became the chairman of The Star. 1982- He became the president of the Regional Islamic Da’wah Council of South East Asia and the Pacific (RISEAP). 1987- The Star was banned in 1987. 1990- Abdul Rahman died on 6 December 1990.

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Thomas Jefferson

Famous as	Political Philosopher & the third President of America
Born on	13 April 1743
Born in	Virginia
Died on	04 July 1826
Nationality	United States
Works & Achievements	Founder of the Republicanism in America, Father of the Virginia University, the main author of the Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson was a major political leader and the third president of the United States serving from 1801 to 1809. He was also a co-founder and leader of the Democratic Republic Party, the wartime Governor of Virginia (1779-1781) and author the book Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Before elected to the presidency, he was appointed the first United States Secretary of State during 17889-1793 and was the second Vice-president of America where he served from 1797 to 1801. In 1776, he was the main author of the Declaration of Independence and gained appreciation for his role in promoting republicanism in the United States. While in power, Jefferson fiercely supported the idea of democracy and favored states rights and a limited Federal government in America, which he considered as virtues of republicanism. A man of many talents, Thomas Jefferson explored many interests and gained high opinion for his quality as a horticulturist, statesman, architect, archaeologist, inventor, and founder of the University of Virginia. Childhood & Education Born on 13 April 1743 in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson was the third of eight children of Peter Jefferson and Jane Randolph. His father, who was of Welsh descent, was a ship’s captain and worked as a planter for sometime. In 1745, his family moved to Tuckahoe and lived there for seven years before they returned to their home in Albemarle after his father was appointer to the colonelcy of the county. Jefferson’s education began in 1752 from a school run by William Douglas, who was a Scottish minister. From the time he was nine, Jefferson became an avid learner of Greek, French and Latin. Thomas Jefferson’s father died in 1757, making his son an heir to his huge land assets and a number of slaves.   During 1758 to 1760 Jefferson taught at the school of the erudite minister James Maury, whereupon he received a classical education and studied science and history. He enrolled at The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg in 1760, where he studied mathematics, metaphysics, and philosophy graduating with supreme honors in 1762. As a keen student, Jefferson took interest in learning different languages and throughout his students life he studied for fifteen hours a day. A gourmet and an avid lover of wine, Thomas learned to play violin and took a keen interest in arts. After graduating, he studied law with George Wythe and began practicing law in Virginia Bar in 1767. Between the year 1768 and 1773, he handled a number of cases and established himself as a reputed lawyer.   Marriage & Children Thomas Jefferson married a young widow Martha Wayles Skelton in 1772 and the couple had six children: Martha Jefferson Randolph, Jane Randolph, Mary Wayles, Lucy Elizabeth and Elizabeth. Martha gave birth to a stillborn son in 1777. She died on 6 September 1782.   Early Political Life Jefferson was appointed as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in 1775 and with the beginning of American resolution of independence in 1776; he served as a member to a committee for preparing the declaration of the independence resolution. The draft was presented to congress on 2 July and on 4 July 1776; the wording of the Declaration of Independence was approved, making Jefferson a popular face of the country.   In 1776, Jefferson was elected to the new Virginia House of Delegates. As a delegate he instigated a series of reforms and bills to expose Virginia’s new state as a democratic state, among which the most prominent were the laws to end primogeniture and establish freedom of religion in the state. Jefferson further produced a bill on ‘General Diffusion of Knowledge’ in 1778, which resulted in the establishment of an elective system of study in the College of William and Mary. He proposed bills to eliminate death as a penalty except in case of a murder of treason, though his efforts were beaten and crimes as rape remained punishable to death for a long time after.    Governor of Virginia Jefferson became the governor of Virginia in 1779 and remained in his position until 1781. It was during his tenure that the capital of state was transferred from Williamsburg to Richmond in 1780. His constant efforts in the field of education were recognized in 1779, when George Wythe was appointed as the first professor of law at the college of Williams and Mary. Jefferson’s governorship was marked by two British invasion of Virginia which ruined his reputation as Governor and he never won any election from Virginia in future. Thereafter, Jefferson served as minister to France from 1785 to 1789 and supported France against Britain when the war was declared between these two countries in 1793.   Secretary State of the U.S Jefferson became the first Secretary of State in 1790, under the presidency of George Washington. As a Secretary of State he openly spoke against widespread Federalism in the U.S. and continued to view it as a threat to Republicanism. He further along with James Madison co founded and led the Democratic-Republican Party and formulated a set of connections with republican allies to fight the Federalists across the country.   Vice-Presidency & Presidency After a failed bid for vice presidency in 1796, Jefferson became Vice-President of the United States in 1797. Federalists, who were preparing for war with France, passed a new Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798 as a source of inciting money through taxes. Jefferson harshly criticized these tactics and intensified his attack on Federalism, as he believed that Federalists had no right to exercise such extent of power.   Thomas Jefferson successfully ran for in his the presidency for the first time in 1800. Though he did not campaign for his party- as was the tradition that time-He became the President of the United States in a landslide victory on 17 February 1801.   Life after Presidency In his life after presidency, Thomas Jefferson remained active in the American politics and enthusiastically participated in educational and cultural organizations. Education remained his prime concern throughout his life and he took measures to promote higher education among people. His efforts finally fructified in 1819, when the University of Virginia was founded and the University, which was first to offer a full slate of elective courses, was opened in 1825.   Jefferson is also known for his love for architecture and archeology- a stream which was still developing that time. He had a large contribution in the architectural planning of the University of Virginia which became an embodiment of science and beauty with its planned site surrounding lawn and linking arcades. The University, which is constructed in Greek and Roman style, represents a unique architecture and intellectual ideas of Thomas Jefferson who became known as the father of the University.   In 1780, Jefferson became a member of Benjamin Franklin’s American Philosophical Society and served as its president from 1795 to 1815. An avid wine lover, Jefferson traveled to France and other European countries in order to raise his collection of famous wines. In 1801, he published A Manual of Parliamentary Practice whose second edition came in 1812. After the Library of Congress was burnt down by British in 1814, Jefferson’s huge collection of books became a part of the new library, which is named after him in his honor.   Death Thomas Jefferson died on 4 July 1826, a date which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the declaration of Independence. After his death, his assets were sold off in an auction to pay his huge debt. Thomas Jefferson is buried at Monticello in Virginia, the home he had built in his youth.

Timeline:

1743- Thomas Jefferson was born on 13 April 1743. 1745- His family moved to Tuckahoe. 1752- Jefferson’s education began in 1752. 1757- Thomas Jefferson’s father died in 1757. 1758- Jefferson taught at the school of the erudite minister James Maury till 1760. 1760- He enrolled at The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg in 1760. 1762- He graduated from the college in 1762. 1767- He began practicing law in Virginia Bar in 1767. 1772- Thomas Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton in 1772. 1775- Jefferson was appointed as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. 1778- Jefferson produced a bill on ‘General Diffusion of Knowledge’. 1779- Jefferson became the governor of Virginia in 1779. 1779- George Wythe was appointed as the first professor of law at the college of Williams and Mary. 1780- The capital of state was transferred from Williamsburg to Richmond. 1780- Jefferson became a member of Benjamin Franklin’s American Philosophical Society. 1782- Martha Wayles Skelton died on 6 September 1782. 1785- Jefferson was elected as minister to France and served till 1789. 1785- He became the President of American Philosophical Society and served till1815. 1790- Jefferson became the first Secretary of State in 1790. 1793- War was declared France and Britain in 1793. 1796- He failed in his run for vice presidency in 1796. 1797- Jefferson became the vice-President of the U.S. 1798- Federalist passed a new Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798. 1800-Thomas Jefferson ran for the presidency in 1800. 1801- He became the President of the United States on 17 February 1801. 1801- He published A Manual of Parliamentary Practice. 1814- The Library of Congress was burnt down by British in 1814. 1819- The University of Virginia was founded. 1825- The University of Virginia opened. 1826- Thomas Jefferson died on 4 July 1826.

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Saddam Hussein

Famous as	Dictator & President of Iraq
Born on	28 April 1937
Born in	Al- Awja, Tikrit
Died on	30 December 2006
Nationality	Iraq

Saddam Hussein was the 5th President of Iraq and a member of the Revolutionary Ba'ath Party, which held a long term power in the country. As President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein accelerated the country's ride to a fast growing economy and espoused the policies of secular leadership and modernization. Saddam maintained power while controlling the government and repressing any movement he considered intimidating to the country or his empire. Venerated as a hero for his aggressive stand against foreign intrusion in Iraq, Saddam Hussein was praised for his support to Palestinians, though his image remained suspicious in the view of Western countries particularly the United States. The American government held him responsible for the Gulf War and intensifying nuclear threat in the world and chose a more viable option to war with Iraq rather than negotiate with its adamant president. Invasion of Iraq in 2003, led to the arrest of Saddam Hussein and downfall of his government. He was held in custody by the U.S. forces for his alleged crimes against humanity and following a long trail, was hung on 30 December 2006. Childhood and Early Life Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was born on 28 April 1937 in Al-Awja near the Iraqi town Tikriti in a tribal shepherd’s family. While he never saw his father Abid al- Majid; whose whereabouts had been unknown long before his birth, his mother Subha Tulfa al- mussallat remarried to Ibrahim al-Hassan after Saddam’s elder brother died of cancer. Saddam was sent to Baghdad, to the family of his maternal uncle Khirallah Talfah, who was a militant Iraqi nationalist and a firm supporter of the Revolutionary pan-Arab Ba’ath Party. Saddam completed his secondary education from a nationalistic school in Baghdad and enrolled into an Iraqi law school. He studied law for three years before dropping out in 1957, and joined the revolutionary pan-Arab Ba’ath Party. Early Political Activities In year 1958, Saddam became involved in the United States backed assassination attempt of General Quassim, who, with the help of his army officers, had overthrown the government to form his own. Though the assassination attempt failed, the Ba’ath Party successfully overthrew Quassim in 1963 and Abdul Salam Arif was declared the President. After the failed assassination attempt Saddam fled to Cairo but was arrested in 1964 upon returning to Iraq. He escaped prison in 1967 and just after one year in 1968, Abdul Salam Arif was removed from the power, following which Saddam became the deputy of the new President Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr and deputy of the Revolutionary Command Council.   Economic development in Iraq As the deputy chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, Saddam adopted a progressive and modern approach to address the county’s domestic issues. After taking power in 1968, unification of the country, which was divided on the basis of social, ethnic, religious and cultural conflicts, became his prime goal. Having seen the tension within the first Ba’athist government, Saddam ensured a stable power structure by employing strong measures to prevent rebellion coups and insurgency with in the party. Under his leadership Iraq saw the fastest growth of economy and infrastructure in the late 1960’s, which was a result of the measures taken by Saddam for welfare and development of the state.   Saddam’s government promoted women education and campaigned for the compulsory free education in Iraq, which was an added support to the building of a strong nation. The government widely progressed in building roads, promoting mining and developing the infrastructure of Iraq. Its support to farmers, soldiers and people living in the rural areas contributed to the production and thus to an increased revenue. In the light of the revolutionary growth of Iraq Saddam was honored with an award from the Unites Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).   Presidency of Iraq By 1976, Saddam had been promoted to the position of general in the Iraqi armed forces and was formally elected to the Presidency on 16 July 1979. His Presidency was marked by social and economical reforms that led to freedom and employment of women in Iraq. Furthermore, contrary to the conservative Islamic Countries, his western-style legal system made Iraq the only country in the gulf region not ruled by the ‘Sharia’ (The traditional Islamic Law).   While adopting a diplomatic policy in foreign affairs, Initially Iraq maintained cordial relations with its neighboring countries and signed a pact with the Soviet Union in 1972. Iraq launched its first nuclear reactor in 1980 with French assistance, who had become their new ally in trade and politics. Though its relations with Iran had become worse after Iraqi bombing on Iran, Saddam successfully persuaded it to sign the 1975 treaty.   Saddam’s presidency marked its presence with a series of wars with its neighboring Gulf countries, namely Kuwait and Iran, which put him against the western countries forcing them to end their coalition with Iraq. Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 proved to be a disastrous step for its President Saddam Hussein, who was defeated by an alliance of American and British troops forcing him to evacuate the country in 1991.   Invasion of Iraq After The Gulf War, Saddam’s government continued to violate the terms of cease-fire by developing nuclear weapons and storing prohibited material and thus, worsened the already tensed relations between Iraq and the United States putting him as a threat to the international peace and stability. The terrorist attack on America in September 2001 added fuel to the fire making America determined to repress the widespread terrorist activities mushrooming in the Middle East. The U. S. President Bush, who had indicted Iraqi government for developing mass destruction nuclear weapon, sent American’s troops in Iraq after all his prior warnings failed to elicit any positive response from Saddam Hussein. In less than a month of Iraqi invasion on 20 March 2003, an incompetent Iraqi force surrendered and Baghdad was captured by U.S. forces on 9 April, while Saddam succeeded to escape. His whereabouts could not be identified until 14 December 2003, when U.S. authority announced in a sensational report that he had been captured from a farmhouse in Ad-Dawr near Tikrit.   Trial and Execution On 30 June 2004, Saddam Hussein, along with other Baathist Party leaders, was handed over to the Interim Iraqi government to proceed with the trial for his alleged crimes against humanity. Other charges against him include several killings (presumably to attain power), crimes against Shiite population in Iraq, torture of women and children and other similar offences. The trial went on for more than 2 years until November 5, 2006, when Saddam Hussein was declared guilty and was sentenced to death by hanging.   Despite his wish to be shot, Saddam was hung on 30 December 2006, at the “Camp Justice”, an Iraqi army base in Kadhimiya. An official video tape showing his execution, in which Saddam Hussein is being taunted by the captors,   caused a number of controversies ; giving a clue to an incorrect and undignified death of the former President. He was buried at Al-Ajwa, his birthplace at Tikrit.   Soon after his death, his last letter addressed to his nation was released by his lawyer. The letter drafted by Saddam himself, called on its people to maintain peace and stability in the country. The letter in which he maintains himself as a faithful and honest to his countrymen and nation, an overwhelmed Saddam expressed his wish to see his nation grow and move ahead, while calling them on to forgive the unjust nations who had denied him justice and a fair trial.   Marriages and Family Saddam had two official marriages and five children including three daughters. His first wife Sajida Talfah was the daughter of his Uncle Khaitallah Talfah, whom he married in 1963 in Egypt, during his exile. He had five children from this marriage; two sons Uday Hussein and Qusay Hussein, and three daughters Raghad Hussein, Rana Hussein and Hala Hussein. The both of his sons were killed in a gun battle with the U.S. force in Mosul along with Qasay’s oldest son Mustapha, while his daughters- along with their children- took shelter in Jordan after the war   Saddam married his second wife Samira Shahbandar in 1993 and is believed to have a child Ali from this marriage, though it is not confirmed by the family members of Hussein. Samira fled to Beirut, Lebanon after the war and her current whereabouts are unknown.

Timeline:

1937- Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was born on 28 April 1937. 1958- Saddam became involved in the failed assassination attempt of General Quassim. 1963- Ba’ath Party successfully overthrew Quassim in 1963. 1963- He married his first wife Sajida Talfah in 1963 in Egypt. 1964- Saddam fled to Cairo but was arrested in 1964 for his role in the assassination attempt. 1967- He escaped prison in 1967. 1968- Abdul Salam Arif was removed from the power. 1968- Saddam became the deputy of the new President Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr and deputy of the Revolutionary Command Council. 1976- Saddam was promoted to the position of general in the Iraqi armed force. 1972- He signed a pact with the Soviet Union in 1972. 1975- Saddam signed the 1975 treaty with Iran. 1789- He became the President of Iraq on 16 July 1979. 1990- Iraqi invasion of Kuwait took place in 1990. 1991- Iraqi troops evacuated Kuwait in 1991. 1993- Saddam married his second wife Samira Shahbandar in 1993. 2003- Iraq was invaded by the U. S. force on 20 March 2003. 2003- U.S. authority captured Saddam Hussein from a farmhouse in Ad-Dawr near Tikrit. 2004- Saddam Hussein was handed over to the Interim Iraqi government on 30 June. 2006- Saddam Hussein was declared guilty on November 5. 2006- Saddam was hung on 30 December 2006.

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Richard Nixon

Famous as	37th President of the United States
Born on	09 January 1913
Born in	Yorba Linda, California
Died on	22 April 1994
Nationality	United States
Works & Achievements	Foreign Policy of Detente

Richard Nixon was a leader of the Republican Party and became the thirty-seventh President of the United States in 1968 and was subsequently reelected for his second term in 1972. The most significant achievement credited to him during the first term of presidency is a ceasefire with Vietnam and ending of the long time war between the two countries. The former president followed a foreign policy marked by de´¥nte with the Soviet Union and rapprochement with the People's Republic of China. Richard Nixon is the longest serving individual to have held the nation?s two highest executive posts of President and Vice- President in American history. He became the only president to ever resign from the office in 1974, when he left the position in the face of inevitable impeachment in the widely condemned Watergate scandal. Childhood Richard Nixon was born on 9 January 1913, to Francis A. Nixon and Hannah Milhous Nixon in Yorba Linda, California. His childhood was marked by hardship and difficulties. Nixon had four brothers, two of which died before Nixon was 21. His family’s ranch failed in 1922 and Nixon moved to Whittier, California, where his father opened a grocery store. Nixon initially attended Fullerton High School in Fullerton and graduated from Whittier High School in 1930. The hard pressed finance of his family forced him to decline a scholarship to Harvard University and he took admission in Whittier College. Nixon was a brilliant debater and was elected student – body president. While at Whittier, he lived at home and worked in his family’s store. In 1934, he graduated second in his class from Whittier and went on to Duke University School of Law on a full scholarship and graduated third in his class in June 1937. He married Pat Ryan on 21 June, 1940.   Congressional Career Soon after the end of World War II, Nixon was approached by some republicans to contest for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, which he accepted. He won the seat and represented southern California’s 12th Congressional district. Nixon first gained national attention in 1948 when his investigation on the House Un-American Committee broke the deadlock of the Alger Hiss spy case. Alger Hiss, a high State Department official, was alleged to be a Soviet spy. Nixon’s discovery of the films and documents, which were alleged to be accessible only by Hiss, made him a national hero and a controversial figure as well. Due to his popularity, Nixon was easily reelected in 1948.   In the 1950 mid-term elections, Nixon defeated Democratic Representative Helen Gahagan Douglas and won a seat in the United States Senate. As a senator, Nixon took a hard line against global communism and labeled it as “The Threat”. Due to his anti- communism stance, he was elected by Eisenhower as his running mate. In the 1952 presidential elections, Eisenhower and Nixon defeated their opponents by seven million votes. As vice-President, Nixon took major responsibilities and while in office, he officially opened the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, Placer County California. In 1960’s presidential election, he lost by a narrow margin to John F. Kennedy.     Presidency (1969-1974) In 1968, Nixon defeated Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and third party candidate George C. Wallace and became the 37th President of the United States. During his tenure as President, Nixon ended revenue sharing, and the draft. He imposed wages and price controls, indexed Social Security for inflation and created Supplemental Security Income. As Presidents, he eradicated the last remnants of the gold standard, created the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). In July 1969, he visited South Vietnam, and met with President Nguyen Van Thieu and with U.S. military commanders. He replaced American troops with the Vietnam troops, decreasing the American involvement in the Vietnam War.    Nixon believed that the law must be color blind. His tenure as President was marked by the first large-scale integration of public schools in the South. On July 20, 1969, Nixon addressed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin live via radio during their historic Apollo 11 moonwalk. On January 5, 1972, Nixon approved the development of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program, a decision that profoundly influenced American efforts to explore and develop space for several decades thereafter.   Relation with China and the Soviet Union Relations between the Western powers and Eastern bloc changed dramatically in the early 1970s. In 1960, the People’s Republic of China spilt with the Soviet Union, following which the tension between the two countries reached its peak in 1969 and 1970. Nixon decided to use their conflict to shift the balance of power towards the West in the Cold War. In an attempt to improve the relations, China invited American Table Tennis team to China in 1971, which was called “Ping Pong Diplomacy”. Later in 1972, President Nixon traveled to China, where he had direct talks with Mao Zedong.   Following his successful visit to China, Nixon traveled to the Soviet Union, where he met with Soviet Leader Leonid Brezhnev. After an intense session of negotiation, came agreements for increased trade and two landmark arms control treaties: SALTI and the Anti- Ballistic Missile Treaty, which banned the development of systems designed to intercept incoming missiles. They adopted the policy of Détente, in a hope that it will insure a “peaceful coexistence.” Both China and the Soviet Union, cut back on their diplomatic support for Vietnam and advised Hanoi to reach an agreement with America.   Re-election and the Second Term In 1972, Nixon was re-elected defeating Senator George Mc Govern. During his second term as President applied the policies of price control to revitalize the stagnating economy. He also increased the spending on Federal employees’ salaries while the economy was ploughed by the 1973-1974 stock market crash. On January 2, 1974, Nixon signed a bill that lowered the maximum U.S. speed limit to 55 miles per hour in order to conserve gasoline during the 1973 oil crisis. This law was abolished in 1965, though states had been allowed to raise the limit to 65 miles per hour in rural areas since 1987.   Watergate Scandal and Resignation Within a few months, Nixon resigned from his position over the Watergate Scandal, stemming from a break-in at the offices of Democratic national Committee to Watergate Hotel in Washington during the 1972 campaign. This became one of the major scandals involving the Committee to Re-Elect the President. The Watergate scandal exposed the corruption, illegality and deceit displayed by people within the Nixon Administration. Though Nixon denied the charges, his alleged role in ordering a cover-up came into light by his secret tape recordings of White House. He had accepted illicit campaign contributions and harassed opponents with executive agencies, break-ins and wiretaps. The tape recordings were revealed and showed details of his alleged complicity in the cover-up. The scandal resulted in decline in his popularity and he lost support from his own party as well. 20 October 1973 became known as the Saturday Night Massacre. As the Watergate story continued to dominate headlines, Nixon failed to reassure a suspicious public. Though Nixon never admitted to the crime, he resigned from the office on 9 August 1974.   Later Life As a result of Watergate, Nixon was disbarred from the State of New York. The State refused to let him resign his license unless he admitted wrongdoing in Watergate. On September 8, 1974, he was pardoned by his successor, President Gerald Ford, ending any possibility of an indictment. After his resignation from presidency, Nixon traveled extensively and undertook trips to Europe, the Middle East, Russia, Asia and Africa. He authored many books on his political experience and foreign policy and gained great respect as an elder Statesman. On 19 July 1990, the Richard Nixon Library and birthplace in Yorba Linda, California opened as a private institution. Former First Lady Pat Nixon died on 22 June 1993 of lung cancer.   Death and Funeral Former President Nixon suffered a severe stroke at 5:45 pm on 18 April, 1994. Blood clot resulting from his heart condition had formed in upper heart, then broke off and traveled to his brain. Damage to the brain caused swelling and Nixon slipped into a deep coma, following which he died after four days, on 22 April, 1994. He was 81 at the time of his death. Nixon’s funeral took place on 27 April, 1994. He was buried beside his wife, Pat.

Richard Nixon Timeline:

1913- Richard Nixon was born on 9 January 1913. 1930- Nixon graduated from Whittier High School. 1940- He married Pat Ryan on 21 June. 1948- Alger Hiss case came in to light. 1948- Nixon was reelected as Vice- President in 1948. 1950- Nixon won a seat in the United States Senate. 1952- Nixon became Vice- President. 1960- He lost his run for presidency to John F. Kennedy. 1968- Nixon became the 37th President of the United States. 1969- The President visited South Vietnam to meet with President Nguyen Van Thieu. 1969- Nixon addressed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin July 20 during their historic Apollo 11 moonwalk. 1972- Nixon approved the development of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. 1971- China invited American Table Tennis team to China in 1971. 1972- President Nixon traveled to China to meet with Mao Zedong. 1972- Nixon was re-elected as President. 1973- Oil crisis in U.S. 1973- 20 October became known as the Saturday Night Massacre after Watergate Scandal. 1974- Nixon resigned from the office on 9 August. 1974- On September 8, 1974, he was pardoned by his successor, President Gerald Ford. 1993- Former First Lady Pat Nixon died on 22 June of lung cancer. 1994- Former President Nixon suffered a severe stroke on18 April. 1994- He died on 22 April, 1994. 1994- Nixon’s funeral took place on 27 April.

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Ralph Bunche

Famous as	American Political Scientist and Diplomat
Born on	07 August 1903
Born in	Detroit, Michigan
Died on	09 December 1971
Nationality	United States
Works & Achievements	Nobel Peace Prize (1950); Known For: Formation and Administration of the United Nations

Ralph Bunche was an American political scientist and diplomat and an active leader who contributed heavily in the Civil Rights Movements in the United Students. Dr. Ralph Bunche also played an instrumental role in the formation and administration of the United Nations and served as the assistant to United Nations Special committee on Palestine and thereafter as the Principal Secretary of the U.N. Palestine Commission. Most of all, he is noted for his contribution towards establishing a peace agreement between Israel and the Arab states in 1949 when the Armistice agreements were signed between these two countries. In addition to this, Ralph Bunche had an important role in the creation and adoption of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. In 1950, Dr. Bunche was awarded Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation in Palestine and another award 'Medal of Freedom' was presented from President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Childhood and Early Life Ralph Bunche was born on 7 August 1903, in Detroit to a barber father and a musician mother. His family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the hope that the poor health of his parents would improve in the dry climate. His parents died two years later, and Ralph, along with his two sisters, was raised by his grandmother. There Ralph supported his family’s hard pressed finance by selling news papers, working for a carpet laying firm and taking any odd job he could find. Bunche as a child was a brilliant student, debater and valedictorian of his graduating class at Jefferson High School.   He attended the University of California, Los Angeles and graduated summa cum laude in 1927. With a scholarship granted by Harvard University and a fund of a thousand dollars raised by the black community of Los Angeles, he went to study at Harvard. There he earned a master’s degree in political science in 1928 and a doctorate in 1934, where he was already teaching in the department of Political Science. From 1934 to 1938, on a Social Science Research Council Fellowship, he did post doctoral research in anthropology at Northwestern University, the London School of Economics, and Cape Town University in South Africa.   Career Ralph maintained strong ties with education throughout his life and remained an avid learner. He chaired the Department of Political Science at Harvard University from 1928 until 1950, where he lived in the Brook land neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and was a member of the American Federation of Teachers affiliate at Harvard. He then served as a member of the New York City Board of Education from 1958 to 1964 and as a member of the Board of Overseers of Harvard University for 5 years, beginning from 1960. Bunche was a trustee of Oberlin College, Lincoln University, and New Lincoln School.   In 1936 Bunche authored a book entitled A World View of Race, in which his view on War on Race. From 1936 to 1940 Bunche served as contributing editor of the journal Science and Society. During World War II, Bunche served the Office of Strategic Services as senior social analyst on Colonial Affairs before joining the State Department in 1943, where he was appointed Associate Chief of the division of Dependent Area Affairs under Alger Hiss. With Hiss, Bunche became one of the leaders of the Institute of the Pacific Relation (IPR). He had a leading role in the formation of the United Nations in 1945.   United Nations and Palestine Towards the end of the World War II, Bunche actively participated in the preliminary planning for the United Nations and became an adviser to the U.S. delegation for the “Charter Conference” of the United Nations held in 1945. Ralph Bunche also had an important role in the creation and adoption of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. According to the United Nations documents, “He championed the principle of equal rights for everyone, regardless of race and creed.”   In the year 1947, Bunche became involved with the Arab- Israeli Conflict. He served as assistant to the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine. In 1948, he traveled to the Middle East as the chief aid to Count Folke Bernadotte, who had been appointed by the U.N. to mediate the conflict. After the assassination of Bernadotte, Bunche became the chief mediator and after eleven months of incessant negotiation, he accomplished the task with the signing of the 1949 Armistice agreements- the work for which he was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1950. Thereafter, he continued to work for the people, who had not yet attained self-government and became the undersecretary-general in year 1968.   A Prominent African American Ralph Bunche had always been active in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, though he never held an important position in the group. He criticized both America’s social system and the established Negro organization, but generally he is thought of as a moderate. From his experience as co-director of the Institute of Race Relations at Swarthmore College in 1936, he authored the book “A World View of Race.” He was a member of the Black Cabinet and helped to lead the Civil rights March led by Martin Luther King, in Montgomery, in 1965. In his view, racial prejudice is an unreasoned phenomenon without scientific basis in biology or anthropology; segregation and democracy are incompatible.” He believed that democracy is color blind.   Death and Honors Bunche died in 1971 and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. He was 68 at the time of his death. In 1951, Bunche was awarded the Silver Buffalo Award by the National Boy Scouts of America for his work in scouting and positive impact for the world. On 12 January, a United States postage stamp was issued in the memory of Dr. Bunche. The Ralph Bunche Library, founded by the first secretary of the State, in 1978, is the oldest Federal government library. Apart from these, many schools, parks and research centers are named after him.

Timeline:

1903- Ralph Bunche was born on 7 August 1903. 1928- He earned a master’s degree in political science from Harvard University. 1934- He earned a doctorate degree from Harvard University. 1928- He chaired the Department of Political Science at Harvard University until 1950. 1958- He served as a member of the New York City Board of Education from 1958 to 1964. 1945- He was adviser to the U.S. delegation for the “Charter Conference” of the United Nations. 1947- Bunche became involved with the Arab- Israeli conflict. 1948- He traveled to the Middle East as the chief aid to Count Folke Bernadotte. 1949- Armistice agreements were signed. 1950- Bunche was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1950. 1963- He received ‘Medal of Freedom’ from President John F. Kennedy in 1963. 1965- He took part in Civil rights March led by Martin Luther King, in Montgomery. 1968- He became the undersecretary-general in year 1968. 1971- Ralph Bunche died.

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