Joe Biden (1942-)

Joe Biden is the president-elect of the United States and will become the 46th president when he will assume the charge on 20 January 2021. Biden is the is the oldest person ever elected to the White House. He served as the 47th vice president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. Before becoming the Vice President, he had represented Delaware as a United States Senator from 1973 to 2009. Born in a middle-class family in Pennsylvania, Joe Biden learned the value of hard word, determination and perseverance from his parents who always encouraged him to stand up for himself and bounce back after failures. As a child he used to stammer but he overcame this problem by memorizing and reciting long passages in front of the mirror.

Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968)

Robert Francis Kennedy was a famous politician of USA in the 1960s. He was the younger brother of the US President John F. Kennedy. He served as a senator for New York for three years and also served as the US Attorney General under his brother. He was a member of the Democratic Party and served as the campaign manager for his brother in the presidential election. Later, he was a leading candidate for the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party before his assassination. He practiced as an attorney in Washington D.C before joining politics. He fought against corruption in labour unions and wrote a book titled ‘The Enemy Within’, on corruption in the organised labour unions.

Bo Derek (1956-)

Bo Derek is an American film and television actress and producer, best known for being one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1970s and 1980s. She established her iconic image with films like ‘10’, ‘Tarzan, the Ape Man’ and ‘Bolero’. Born as Mary Cathleen Collins in California, USA, she became a wild child in high school and skipped classes to hitchhike to the beach. At 16, she quit high school when she landed an offer to star in the film ‘Fantasies’ directed by John Derek. Although John was 30 years her senior and married, they soon became romantically involved. The couple eventually married and Cathleen took on the name Bo Derek, undergoing a Hollywood makeover.

Milkha Singh (1929-)

Milkha Singh is a former Indian track and field sprinter who was the first Indian male athlete to win an individual athletics gold medal at a Commonwealth Games. Fondly called ‘The Flying Sikh’—a title bequeathed to him by the former President of Pakistan, General Ayub Khan—he is highly respected for his sporting achievements. He has made his motherland proud by winning several Gold medals in international sporting events like the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. He had entered the 400m race at the 1960 Olympic Games as one of the favorites and had even led the race till the 200m mark before he lost his speed and other runners overtook him. Sadly, the contender for Gold couldn’t even win a Bronze!

Tipu Sultan (1750-1799)

Tipu Sultan was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore renowned for his bravery in the wars against the British East India Company. Well known for his valor and courage, he is regarded as the first freedom fighter of India for his fierce battles against the British who tried to conquer the territories under the sultan’s rule. The Treaty of Mangalore, which he signed with the British East India Company to bring an end to the Second Anglo-Mysore War, was the last occasion when an Indian king dictated terms to the British. As the eldest son of Sultan Hyder Ali of Mysore, Tipu Sultan ascended to the throne after the death of his father in 1782.

Joel McHale (1971-)

Joel McHale is an American comedian, actor, producer, host, and writer. Born in Rome to American parents and raised in Seattle, Washington, he is a much popular comedian in the contemporary entertainment scene. McHale is best known for hosting E!’s ‘The Soup’ as well as for playing Jeff Winger in the comedy sitcom ‘Community’. He has acted in several popular movies including ‘Spy Kids: All the Time in the World’, ‘Spider-Man 2’ and ‘The Big Year’. As a comedian, he has also worked in the improv comedy group at Unexpected Productions. In 2014, he served as a host at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner conducted in Washington D.C.

Robert Byrd (1917-2010)

Robert Carlyle Byrd was an eminent 20th century American politician. His encyclopedic knowledge about the working of the Senate earned him great respect from his fellow legislators. He served the nation as a member of the United States Congress from 1953 to 2010. This made him the longest serving Congressman in the history of the country. In his youth, he was an active member of Ku Klux Klan and occupied the top post of the local chapter. When in Senate, he filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for 14 long hours. However, later he regretted his anti black stance and publicly apologized for it. In spite of that, he could never get rid of the taint. That he managed to direct huge amount of federal loan to his state was another bone of contention.