The earth is a terribly old place, and through its many ages several men have come, and several gone. There have been some, however, who left a rather indelible mark on the planet, leaving it a considerably better place than they found it. Men who changed the world – the greats, the men of mettle – have caught our fancies and our imaginations like none else, and you might forgive us for assuming that, to that end, the following facts about six incredible men who easily fall into the aforementioned category, will interest you:
Born in 1564, William Shakespeare is widely credited as being the greatest playwright to have ever graced the history of mankind. With an impressive portfolio that boasts 37 plays and 154 sonnets, Shakespeare penned works that are, even today, among the most renowned and most widely read, displaying his prowess with almost all genres out there – tragedy, romance, comedy, you name it, with iconic works such as “Romeo and Juliet” and “Hamlet” among them.
Shakespeare’s contribution to the world has been massive. Consider this: a large portion of the words we use today were coined by him. He was also a major source of inspiration for other great writers like Charles Dickens, and John Keats, and his plays are believed to have laid the foundation for Freudian psychoanalysis. Shakespeare’s influence, therefore, extended beyond his lifetime, inspiring several generations and cultures the world across.
Check out these facts about Shakespeare:
1 Shakespeare introduced more than 3,000 words to the English language and has often been credited by the Oxford English Dictionary for the same.
2 None of his plays were published by him, or in his lifetime. Instead, fellow actors John Hemminges and Henry Codell posthumously recorded and published 36 of his plays in 1623 as a dedication to the man who is by far considered the best playwright to have ever existed.
3 Shakespeare, besides having written 37 plays and 154 sonnets, was also an established actor.
4 More than 80 variations of the spelling of Shakespeare’s name are recorded.
5 Shakespeare’s birthday is still a mystery; it is, however, widely considered to be on April 23, three days before his baptism, which was recorded on April 26, 1564.
Scientist, Nobel laureate, and amateur violinist. This is the same man who gave the world the famous theory of relativity and revolutionized all of physics in the process. In 1921, he was awarded a Nobel Prize for his explanation of the photoelectric effect. Possessing a genius that knew no bounds, Einstein published multiple papers and theories on matter and energy spanning across topics ranging from the capillary forces of a straw to exploring Brownian motion.
Einstein made some pretty great contributions to the world, among them the theory of lasers, which makes possible the use of CDs and similar devices, and have tremendous usage in medical and industrial fields. His theories of relativity also enable usage of the GPS system. Moreover, other theories he explained are practically made use of in most electronic gadgets that we use; furthermore, nuclear weapons and warfare and their development has its basis in Einstein’s theories.
Check out these facts about Einstein:
1 Einstein’s most remarkable breakthroughs are a result of visual experiments he performed in his head, rather than practically applying them in the lab! He was, indeed, a man who thought in pictures than in words.
2 Albert Einstein was a self-proclaimed agnostic, and not, as is common belief, an atheist.
3 Einstein, being a slow learner as a child, spoke very slowly.
4 In 1952, Einstein was offered the presidency of Israel. He declined.
5 The parietal lobe of Albert Einstein’s brain was 15% larger than that of the average human brain.
