The island country Maldives, one of the most geographically dispersed countries, is a chain of twenty-six atolls spread around 90,000 sq km. The word ‘atoll’ – an island, or a group of islands, formed of coral – is a word that has its roots in the Maldivian language Dhivehi. The word ‘atoll’ derives from the Dhivehi word atholhu. Much to the delight…
The Black Death, also known as Black Plague, is one of world’s worst pandemics. The disease entered European lands in around 1343 through Crimea, passing the Silk Route and beginning from Central Asia. One of the main causes is believed to be rat fleas hosted by black rats, of which trade ships used to be replete…
Ever wondered to what extent liquid mercury could inspire someone? A look at Cloud Gate might give you an idea. Cloud Gate is a public structure that stands at the Millennium Park in Chicago, USA. The sculpture is a seamless structure of stainless steel reflecting the city’s skyline. Made of 168 stainless steel plates, its highly-polished surface is as clear and…
Former Ethiopian distance runner Miruts Yifter is an interesting personality and no less than a mystery. He won the bronze medal in 10,000 m in the 1972 Munich Olympics, but could not arrive on time to compete in the 5,000 m final. His country labelled him a traitor, and even imprisoned him for missing the race. His absence, however, still remains a mystery. In 1976 Ethiopia…
Eminent physicist Albert Einstein was born in the year 1879. Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of peace, was born in 1869 and Adolf Hitler, the epitome of terror, in 1889. Hence the expression that Einstein was born between peace and terror. Einstein admired Mahatma Gandhi. He even expressed this admiration in a letter written in 1931 addressed to the Indian…
The Nobel Prize is one of the most prestigious awards at the international level. The award honours academic, cultural and/or scientific advances. Literature was one of the five categories established according to the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish polymath, in 1895. The other four categories were physics, chemistry, peace and medicine. The first in the world to receive the…
