Shakuntala Devi (1929-2013)

Shakuntala Devi was an Indian writer and mathematical genius popularly known as the “human computer”. She was reputed to make complicated mathematical calculations in her head and effortlessly speak out the results! Born into an impoverished family in southern India as the daughter of a circus performer, she started displaying her skills at an early age. Her father recognized her as a child prodigy and took her on road shows where she displayed her ability at calculation. What was really amazing about the young girl’s mathematical prowess was that she did not receive any formal education owing to her family’s financial situation, yet emerged to be one of the most brilliant mathematical minds of her time.

Ralph Macchio (1961-)

Ralph Macchio is an American actor who shot to fame as Daniel LaRussoo in ‘The Karate Kid’ series. Although initially hesitant about the idea of becoming an actor, he became one of the most popular teen stars of the 1980s with the television show ‘Eight Is Enough’. After that, ‘The Karate Kid’ happened. Macchio later portrayed several diversified characters and is known for his versatile acting skills. In addition to being an actor, Ralph is also a producer and director. Macchio has appeared in a number of films like ‘Crossroads’, ‘My Cousin Vinny’, ‘The Outsiders’, apart from sequels to ‘The Karate Kid’. He has also appeared in television series like ‘Eight is Enough’ and has made guest appearances of many television series like ‘How I Met Your Mother’.

Matthew McConaughey (1969-)

Matthew McConaughey is one of the leading actors in Hollywood. He first tasted stardom with the critically successful film ‘Dazed and Confused.’ He went to the ‘University of Texas’ at ‘Austin College of Communication,’ graduating with a degree in film, television, and radio. He initially appeared in a few TV commercials and played minor roles in a couple of films, before getting a breakthrough in the Joel Schumacher thriller film, ‘A Time to Kill.’ His film career soon took a big leap and he received many acting offers. Some of his well-known films include, ‘Amistad,’ ‘EDtv,’ ‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,’ ‘The Wedding Planner,’ ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,’ ‘The Lincoln Lawyer,’ ‘Dallas Buyers Club,’ ‘Interstellar,’ and ‘Magic Mike.’

Matthew Rhys (1974-)

Matthew Rhys Evans is an actor from Wales who has garnered fame for portraying Philip Jennings in the acclaimed television series ‘The Americans’, a performance that earned him two Golden Globe Award nominations and one Primetime Emmy Award. A native of Cardiff, Rhys has been interested in acting since he was quite young. When he was 17 years old, he played Elvis Presley in a school musical and subsequently enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Rhys’ professional career began while he was attending RADA. He simultaneously started working in the BBC show ‘Backup’ and the Marc Evans’ film ‘House of America’.

Sean Combs (1969-)

Sean Combs, better known by his stage name ‘Puff Daddy,’ is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. Puff Daddy, who successfully carved a niche for himself, went on to become one of the most popular artists in the American music industry. Puff Daddy serves as an inspiration to many young musicians as he fought his way to stardom, after having started his journey from humble beginnings. Tragedy struck his family when he was still a child. He lost his father, who was shot dead, and was raised by his single mother. After dropping out from ‘Howard University,’ where he was studying business, he established the ‘Bad Boy Records,’ a record label which launched the careers of many successful artists.

Aurangzeb (1618-1707)

Aurangzeb was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India. His reign lasted for almost half a century (from 1658 to 1707) and was marked by several conquests and the vast expansion of the Mughal Empire. The empire reached its greatest extent under him, even though temporarily; during his lifetime the extent of Mughal empire was more than 3.2 million square kilometres. The third son of Emperor Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb was made the viceroy of the Deccan when he was just 18 and he went on to aid his father in expanding the empire by undertaking several military campaigns. A very aggressive person, he desperately craved for power and had his father imprisoned when he fell ill.

Walter Cronkite (1916-2009)

Walter Cronkite was one of America’s most trusted broadcast journalists, best known for anchoring the ‘CBS Evening News’ from the 1960s to the early 1980s. He gave up his college education to take up a full-time career in newspaper reporting and gained entry into the broadcasting industry as an announcer for ‘WKY’ radio station in Oklahoma. He gained recognition with his broadcast name “Walter Wilcox” and established himself as one of American’s best war reporters during World War II. He joined ‘CBS News’ as the anchor of the Sunday evening news program called ‘Up To the Minute’ and covered most of the important political activities in the US through the 1960s and the 1970s.