Famous People from Nevada

Nevada is located in the western region of the United States. Carson City is the capital of Nevada, and Las Vegas, its largest city. It's also called the 'Silver State' due to the large number of silver deposits that were discovered there. It is a hometown to many famous personalities of the United States.

Andre Agassi: Andre Agassi was born in the city of Las Vegas. He started his professional tennis career at just 16 years of age. This former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Nevada, has won a record-winning eight Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. Andre Agassi achieved the 'World No. 1' ranking in April 1995. He is also the only male tennis player to have won a career Grand Slam. Andre Agassi has also been acknowledged as being the 'best service returner' and 'best ball striker' by many professional tennis personalities. He is the founder of 'Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation' for the children in Southern Nevada and 'Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy' in Las Vegas.

Pat Nixon: Pat Nixon was the wife of Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States of America. She was the First Lady from 1969 to 1974. She was born in Nevada, but later shifted to Los Angeles and then California, where she completed her graduation. She married Richard Nixon on 21st June, 1940, and assisted him in his presidential election campaigns. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in the early 1990s, and died aged 81, in 1993.

Jim Gibbons: Jim Gibbons is the 28th Governor of Nevada state. He was born on 16th December, 1944 in Sparks, Nevada. He's also the former member of the 'United States House of Representatives' from 1997 to 2006. He served the US Air Force during the Vietnam War, from 1967-1971. He completed his graduation from the US Air Force Air Command and Staff College and the Air War College. In 1975, he joined the Nevada Air National Guard and worked as a Vice-Commander from 1990 to 1996, and later during the first Gulf War. During his military career, he received nineteen service medals.

Edna Purviance: Edna Purviance was an American actress who was born in Paradise Valley, Nevada, on 21st October, 1895. She was well-known as Charlie Chaplin's girl who worked as a leading lady, in more than 30 of his films, over a span of eight years. She was romantically involved in a relationship with Charlie Chaplin, but eventually married John Squire, an airline pilot. On 13th January, 1958, she died of cancer.

Jack Kramer: Jack Kramer is a champion US tennis player of the 1940s, who was born in Las Vegas, Nevada on 1st August, 1921. He held the 'World No. 1' title for a number of years. He is also considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He was the first executive director of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which was founded in 1972. He attended Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, and participated in its tennis sessions in the 1941-1942 seasons. In 1968, he was admitted as a member in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

Kurt Busch: Kurt Busch was born on 4th August, 1978, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a professional race car driver. He drives a Miller Lite Dodge in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He is the elder brother of Kyle Busch who is also a professional race car driver. He entered the racing world at the age of 22. He married Eva Bryan in Virginia, and both are currently living in North Carolina.

These are a few famous people born in Nevada, but there are many more Nevadans who have also contributed to the success of the United States of America.

Famous People Born in Africa

Africa, the second-most populated continent in the world, has produced individuals who have excelled in diverse fields, ranging from politics to sports. Over a period of time, Africans have spread all over the world but they still trace their roots to their birthplace. Here are some famous people born in Africa.

Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was the first President of South Africa to be elected by a democratic representation. He held office from May 10, 1994 to June 14, 1999. Born on July 18, 1918 as Rolihlahla, he was named 'Nelson' by his school teacher, Miss Mdingane. He was the first member of his family to attend school. After completing his basic education, Nelson joined the University College of Fort Hare to pursue a bachelors degree in Arts. He was very active in student politics. He participated in a protest, as a result of which, he was suspended from the institute. He went to Johannesburg, where he completed his studies through correspondence. After graduation, Nelson started studying LLB. In 1942, after finishing his LLB studies, he joined the African National Congress. He played an active role in the Anti-apartheid movement. In 1960, he proposed a military arm for ANC, which led to formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe. His anti-apartheid stand landed him in prison on July 12, 1964. After being in prison for 27 years, he was finally released on February 11, 1990. In 1991, Mandela was elected as the first President of African National Congress. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his valuable contribution to the African nation.

Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor, who has worked in numerous Egyptian, French and English films. He was born to Claire and Joseph Chalhoub on April 10, 1932 as Michel Demitri Chalhoub, in Alexandria, Egypt. Sharif graduated from Victoria College in Alexandria, and went on to earn a degree in Mathematics from Cairo University. He started his acting career in 1953, with an Egyptian film named Sira Fi al-Wadi. In 1955, he took the name Omar al-Sharif after converting to Islam and married the Egyptian actress Faten Hamama. After a few more Egyptian films, he made his debut in Hollywood with the 1962 film, Lawrence of Arabia. His portrayal of the character, Sherif Ali, won him a Golden Globe Award for the Best Supporting Actor. His other notable films were Dr Zhivago and Funny Girl. Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran, in 2003, was his first French film. In November 2005, Omar Sharif was awarded a medal by the UNESCO for his significant contribution to films and cultural diversity.

Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is an African American actress and a former model. She was born on August 7, 1975 in Benoni, South Africa. Charlize spent the initial 15 years of her life in Benoni, before moving to Milan, Italy for a one-year modeling contract that she had won at a local competition. After her contract ended, she stayed back and joined ballet dancing classes. But a knee injury shattered all her hopes of becoming a dancer. After a small role in a 1993 film, 'Children of the Corn III', Charlize got many opportunities to showcase her talent. She rose to fame with movies like 'Mighty Joe Young', 'The Devils Advocate' and 'Two Days in the Valley'. She became the first African to win an Academy Award, when she won the Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of the character Aileen Wuornos in 2003 flick 'Monster'.

Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen is an English cricketer, whose roots can be traced to the African continent. He was born on June 27, 1980 in Pietermaritzburg, Natal in South Africa. Born to an English mother and Afrikaner father, Kevin was one of the four siblings in the family. In 1997, he made his first class debut for Natal's 'B' team at the age of 17. Soon after, he moved to England, disappointed with the racial quota system in South African cricket. His mother's English nationality did help him in this migration but he still had to wait and play county cricket in England for four years, before making his debut at the one day internationals in 2004. His test debut was soon to follow. Pietersen made the most of this opportunity and, very soon, became the third English cricketer to reach the number one position in ICC rankings.

These were just a few of the long list of individuals, who have carved for themselves, a niche in society, against all odds. This was possible only due to their sheer determination, courage and creativity.

Famous Spanish Explorers and Conquerors

The desire to discover the unseen and the unknown, coupled with the motivation to expand empire, wealth and power have compelled human beings to reach the unexplored lands against hundreds of trials and tribulations. The Spanish explorers and conquerors, also driven by these desires, once dominated the world of exploration. The history of Spanish exploration goes back to 1469, when Spain was ruled by King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella I.

Christopher Columbus, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Francisco Pizarro and Hernando DeSoto, are some of the famous explorers who expanded Spanish trade, and brought in immense wealth for the country. Let's have a look at their adventures.

Famous Spanish Explorers and Conquerors

Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus, the renowned explorer was born on August 25, 1451, in Genoa, Italy. He set out on his first expedition on August 3, 1492 at the age of 14. King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella I of Spain provided him three ships for his voyage, Niña, Pinta, and the Santa Maria. With these ships and 90 crewmen,Columbus set out on a journey to find a new route to the far east.

On October 7, 1492, Columbus and his crewmen landed on the Bahamian Island of Guanahani, which was renamed as San Salvador by Columbus. They also traveled to Hispaniola, Cuba and other small islands in search of gold and treasures.

On December 25, 1492, the ship Santa Maria smashed against a rock and was abandoned. Columbus left 39 of the ship's crewmen on Hispaniola island and reached Spain in the ship Nina on March 15, 1493. He was rewarded with new titles and wealth by the Spanish rulers for his endeavors.

Hernando De Soto
Hernando De Soto, the famous explorer and conqueror of Spain was born in 1500. He was the first to lead an European expedition to America and discover the Mississippi River.

Hernando De Soto sailed to America in 1514 with Pedrarias Dávila, the governor of Panama. He proved himself to be a clever and excellent leader in the conquest of Central America. In 1530, De Soto led an expedition to the coast of Yucatán Peninsula in search of a passageway between the Atlantic and Pacific ocean, but could not succeed. He joined Francisco Pizarro in an expedition to Peru, and played an important role in its conquest.

In 1536, Hernando De Soto returned to Spain and was made the governor of Peru. In 1539, he reached Florida, with more than 600 soldiers, explorers and priests. They explored the whole region looking for gold, silver and valuable treasures, and discovered the Mississippi river. He also desired to find out a passage to China, for expanding Spanish trade. Fernando De Soto died in 1542 and was buried on the banks of the Mississippi river.

Hernando Cortes
Hernando Cortes, the famous conqueror and explorer was born in 1845, in Medellín province in Spain. He was a student of law in the University of Salamanca, but could not complete his education. Hernando Cortes went to the Spanish colonies in North and South America in the hope of finding better prospects to acquire wealth. He took part in the conquest of Hispaniola and Cuba and was rewarded with a large estate of land for his endeavors.

In 1519, he set out on an expedition to Mexico with 500 men. In his voyage towards the Aztec empire, he subjugated many tribes. When Cortes reached the capital of the empire, the people of Aztec mistook him to be the light-skinned god Quetzalcoatl, and greeted him.

Montezuma, the Aztec leader wanted to oppose Cortes, but could not gather a strong force against him; as people of Aztec believed Cortes to be the god Quetzalcoatl. On November 18, 1519, Cortes reached Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire and captured Montezuma.

In July 1520, the Aztecs attacked Cortes and his men in Noche Triste and defeated them. Cortes fought back and conquered Tenochtitlan on August 13, 1521. He was awarded the title of Marquis of the Oaxaca Valley by the Spanish government.

Vasco Nuñez de Balboa
Vasco Nuñez de Balboa was a renowned explorer, conqueror and governor of Spain. He was the man behind establishing Darién colony in Panama, one of the oldest European colonies in America. In 1501, he went to the Hispaniola island along with Rodrigo de Bastidas and Juan de la Cosa and settled as a planter.

Vasco Nuñez de Balboa set out towards San Sebastian in a ship commanded by Martín Fernández de Enciso. In San Sebastian, they found that the settlement was completely destroyed and many inhabitants were murdered by the local tribes.

Balboa proposed the dwellers of the colony to move towards Darien, to the west of Gulf of Uraba. The people of San Sebastian moved to the Darien region, where they had to fight a battle against 500 local warriors. It was a hard battle, but the Spanish emerged victorious. In September, 1510, Balboa established the Santa Maria colony in Darien, which was the first permanent settlement on American mainland.

On September 1, 1513, Balboa along with 190 Spaniards set out on a journey across the Isthmus of Panama to discover a sea, rich in gold. During his journey, he subdued many local tribes and gathered substantial treasures. Vasco Nuñez de Balboa was the first European to discover the Pacific ocean.

Vasco Nuñez de Balboa is greatly revered in Panama; many places, parks and avenues are named after him. Balboa, the currency of Panama is also named after this great conqueror.

Francisco Pizarro
Fransico Pizarro was the Spanish conqueror of Peru. He was born in Trujillo, Spain. In 1509, he went to North and South America and took part in different explorations and conquests. He also accompanied Vasco Nuñez de Balboa in the discovery of Pacific ocean.

On November 16, 1532, Pizarro along with his brother and 180 men arrived at Cajamarca and defeated and captured Atahuallpa, the King of the Inca empire(ancient empire of South America covering parts of present day Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina and Chile). He conquered the Inca empire and founded the city of Lima on January 18, 1535.

No doubt, the main intentions behind the Spanish explorations were expansion of empire and market; and accumulation of gold and treasures for Spain. But, they were also inspired by a desire to explore the unseen world, and in the process, contributed to the advancement of the entire world by discovering many new lands and trade routes.

Famous People in the Dominican Republic

Considering the small size and economy of the Dominican Republic, it has been tough for people to excel in professional field and make their presence felt all over the world. The country has produced some of the best sport persons and musicians. Let us know some of the famous people from this Caribbean country.

Juan Pablo Duarte
Juan Pablo was a liberal leader of the famous La Trinitaria, along with Francisco del Rosario Sanchez and Ramon Matias Mella. These people are considered as national heroes, as they helped the Dominican Republic achieve independence from Haiti in 1844. Juan Pablo is considered as the architect of the Dominican Republic.

Rafael Trujillo
Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina was a famous military dictator, who ruled the Dominican Republic from 1942 to 1952. He was also the official president of the country from 1930 to 1938. His totalism known as, 'The Trujillo Era', is referred to as, one of the bloodiest in the 20th century.

Mariasela Alvarez Lebron
Mariasela Lebron was the first Dominican woman to win the Miss World contest in 1982. She became a noted television personality, with the successful run of her award-winning show, Esta Noche Mariasela. A mother of four, Mariasela lives in Spain.

Pedro Mir
Pedro Julio Mir Valentin was a poet and writer. His only novel, When They Loved the Communal Land, was highly appreciated not only in the country, but all over the world. In 1984, the Dominican Congress named him, Poet Laureate of the Dominican Republic. Pedro Mir was also awarded the Dominican National Literature Award for his lifetime achievements in 1993.

Milly Quezada
Milagros Quezada Borbon (better known as Milly Quezada), is considered as the queen of merengue music in the Dominican Republic and USA. She received the Latin Grammy awards for her albums, Pienso asi and MQ.

Santiago Rodriguez
Santiago Luis Polanco Rodriguez was considered as one of the richest Dominican drug kingpins in the United States. He was the first to distribute crack cocaine in mass quantity in the country. Santiago Rodriguez organized Dominican, Jamaican and American street drug dealers into an empire. He has retired from his life of crime, and lives in the Dominican Republic.

Oscar de la Renta
Oscar de la Renta was born in the Dominican Republic but, at present he is an American citizen. A leading fashion designer, Oscar has won many awards which includes CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990, and CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year in 2000.

Junot Diaz
He is a famous novelist and a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His best-known works include, Drawn (1996) and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2007), for which he won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The New Yorker magazine included him in the list of 20 top writers of the 21st century.

Juan Luis Guerra
One of most of the most recognized international faces of the country, Juan Guerra has won 11 Grammy and Latin Grammy awards, and two Latin Billboard Music awards. He has sold over 20 million records and is known for his merengue, bolero, and Latin fusion pop style.

Felix Sanchez
An athlete by profession, he won the first ever gold medal for the Dominican Republic in 400 meters hurdles, during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Born in the United States, Felix has competed for the Dominican Republic since 1999, because his parents were from that country. Felix Sanchez is also known as Super Felix, Invincible and the Dictator.

Amelia Vega
Amelia Victoria Vega Polanco was crowned Miss Universe in 2003, the first Dominican woman to achieve this feat. She also won the National Costume competition, and is the third among Miss Universe winners to do so.

Dania Ramirez
Dania Ramirez is a television star. She has acted in Heroes, and the award winning television series, The Sopranos. She has appeared in many music videos, and won critical appraise for her role as, Callisto in X-Men: The Last Stand.

Alexandra Cheron
Alexandra Cheron is a successful Hollywood actress and model. One of the richest persons of Latin origin, she has acted in movies like, Miami Vice (2006) and the recently released Fast and Furious 4 (2009).

Alex Rodriguez
Nicknamed as A-Rod, he is a professional baseball player. Considered as one of the best baseball players of all time, A-Rod plays for New York Yankees, of Major League Baseball. He holds the record of hitting 500 home runs at the youngest age. In 2007, Rodriguez and Yankees signed a 10 years contract for $275 million, which is the richest contract in baseball history.

Making an exhaustive list of famous people from the Dominican Republic is not possible. Sports is an area in which Dominicans excel. There are famous sport persons like, Carlos Cruz (World Lightweight Boxing Champion), Joan Guzman, Leo Cruz, Sammy Sosa, etc. Baseball is the national game of the country, and Dominican baseball players dominate the game all over the US.

Famous African American Actors

An African American is an individual who is a resident of United States, whose roots can be traced to the African continent. They make up approximately around 13 % of the United States population and have made their presence felt in diverse fields, ranging from politics to sports. Here are some African Americans who have excelled in the field of acting.

Denzel Washington
An American actor and director, Denzel Washington, was born on December 28, 1954 in New York, United States. His father, Reverend Denzel Washington Sr., was an ordained Pentecostal minister while his mother, Lennis "Lynne" owned a beauty parlor. In 1977, Denzel completed his B.A. in Drama and Journalism from Fordham University. In 1982, he got his big break in acting in a TV series named 'St. Elsewhere'. In 1992, Spike Lee's film, 'Malcolm X' proved to be a turning point in his career. His portrayal of the Black Nationalist leader earned him appreciation from all around. He also portrayed other real-life figures like Steve Biko, Rubin Carter and Frank Lucas on big screen. 'Cry Freedom', 'Glory', 'The Hurricane', 'Training Day' and 'American Gangster' are some of his notable films. Denzel Washington has won two Oscars; for his performance in 'Glory' (1989) and 'Training Day' (2001). He became only the second African American actor to win the Academy Award, when he got the Oscar for his portrayal of Detective Alonzo Harris in 'Training Day'.

Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy is an American actor, a comedian and a singer, hailing from Brooklyn, New York. Born on April 3, 1961, Eddie was one of the two children born to Lillian and Charles Edward Murphy. Being a son of a comedian, Eddie started experimenting with his talent at the age of 15 by writing and performing. He made his big screen debut with 1982 film, '48 Hrs'. In 2007, he won the Golden Globe for the Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'Dreamgirls'. He has also starred in noteworthy films like 'Beverly Hills Cop', 'Dr. Dolittle', 'I Spy' and 'The Nutty Professor'. He has been nominated for various awards including the Oscars and BAFTA.

Halle Berry
Halle Berry is an American actress, who became the first African American to win the Academy Award. She was born on August 14, 1966 in Ohio, United States. In 1986, she became the first Afro-American to take part in the Miss World. Her Hollywood journey started with Spike Lee's 'Jungle Fever' in 1991. She won the Academy Award for the Best Actress for her film 'Monster's Ball' in 2001. Her 1998 film, 'Introducing Dorothy Dandridge' earned her a Golden Globe as well as an Emmy Award. Some of her prominent films were 'Gothika', 'X Men', 'X Men United' 'Race the Sun' and 'The Flintstones'. In 2003, she topped For Him Magazine's list of 100 Sexiest Women in the World.

Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an Academy Award winner American actor. He was born on June 1,1937 in Memphis, United States. His father, Morgan Porterfield Freeman Sr. was a barber and his mother, Mayme Edna was a cleaner. Morgan made his television debut in 1971 with a TV series 'The Electric Company'. His film debut came with an American film, 'Brubaker' in 1980. He won an Academy Award for 'Million Dollar Baby' in 2005 and a Golden Globe for 'Driving Miss Daisy' in 1989. Some of his notable films were 'Deep Impact', 'Unforgiven' 'Street Smart' and 'Bruce Almighty'. In partnership with Lori McCreary, Freeman has a production company named Revelations Entertainment.

Will Smith
Will Smith is an American actor and a rapper. He was born on September 25, 1968 in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a refrigeration engineer, Willard Smith and a school administrator, Caroline Smith. A talented rapper, he started rapping in his teens itself. His big screen debut came in 1993, with Fred Schepisi's 'Six Degrees of Separation'. Smith made his presence felt in the industry with an action role in 'Bad Boys' in 1995. Other notable Will Smith films include 'Men in Black', 'Ali', 'I Robot', 'I am Legend' and 'Hancock'. Will Smith has been nominated for two Academy Awards and four Golden Globes. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films open at Number 1 position and eight consecutive films to gross over $100 million.

Famous People from Africa

A vast continent, stretching from the deserts of the Sahara to the fertile tracts of the Nile; from the Atlas mountains in the north to the Cape of Good Hope in the south. This might be the first picture that comes to our mind, when we think about Africa. Africa also has a rich tradition of leaders, environmentalists, sportsmen and statesmen. Let's study a few of them.

Wangari Maathai
A famous environmentalist from Kenya, Wangari Maathai is the first woman to attain a doctorate degree from the under privileged region of East and Central Africa. Wangari Maathai led a life full of struggles and is still working hard for the sake of environmental conservation. Well known for the "Green Belt Movement", she has inspired people worldwide, to take up the cause of afforestation.

Wangari Maathai was born in a Kikuyu family, an ethnic group in Kenya and came from the Ihithe village of Nyeri District. She did her schooling at St. Cecilia's Intermediate Primary School. After completing graduation from the Loreto High school in Limuru, she received a scholarship for studying at Mount St. Scholastica College in Kansas, USA. Biology was her major subject at the graduation level. Her brilliant academic record became her driving force and she went on to pursue a Master's degree in biology, at the University of Pittsburg.

Returning to her homeland was not a pleasant experience. Despite her great achievements, Wangari Maathai had to face gender bias in her own country and also found it difficult to get a job. However she didn't lose hope and finally got employed as a research assistant in the School of Veterinary Medicine in Nairobi. In 1971, Wangari Maathai became the first woman from East Africa to attain a Doctorate degree in Anatomy.

Dr. Maathai was an activist by nature and got involved with organisations like the Red Cross Society, United Nations Environment Programme and National Council of Women of Kenya. 5th June 1977 was a historic day in the life of Wangari Maathai, as the first sapling of the "Green Belt Movement" was planted that day. The main objective of the Green Belt Movement is to preserve native plant species by creating nurseries. The nurseries are also meant to provide income to the women and their families running them.

Wangari Maathai's husband filed for divorce in 1979. She also lost the elections for the post of chairman of the National Council of Women of Kenya. But her personal problems and failure in the elections didn't stop her from continuing with her work in various activities of the Green Belt Movement. Many non-governmental organizations from European countries supported the cause of environmental conservation taken up by her. Dr. Maathai was often referred to as a crazy woman opposing the developmental activities in the country; however it didn't deter her from pursuing a hard battle of saving trees. Once she was even attacked by miscreants during a tree plantation program.

Resilience was one force which helped Wangari Maathai to deal with failures in life. Finally, in 2004 Dr. Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Nelson Mandela
One of the greatest leaders of the 20th century, Nelson Mandela demonstrated immense courage, patience and determination to free his nation from the shackles of apartheid. Born on 18th July, 1918 in Transkei, South Africa, Mr. Mandela became the President of South Africa in 1993. Before that, he had to spend 27 years in prison. He is also known by an honorary title Madiba, in South Africa.

Mandela's political life began after the 'National Party' which supported racism came to office in South Africa. Thereafter Mr. Mandela entered the fray and his struggle began. Foundation of the African National Congress' Youth League was laid in 1944 by Nelson Mandela and African National Congress too adopted its 'Programme of Action' in 1949. He actively participated in the 'Defiance Campaign' of the African National Congress.

The African National Congress was banned in 1960, which led to the arrest of Mr. Mandela. After which he went underground and founded Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military outfit of the African National Congress. This military wing carried out the sabotage operations of government installations. Nelson Mandela left for Algeria in 1962 for military training. He was arrested after his return and charged for illegally fleeing the country. Mr. Mandela was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment. He was charged with sabotage while serving this five year sentence, and further sentenced to life imprisonment.

Mandela's popularity grew after he was imprisoned. Robben Island, where he was sent for serving the term, became the 'center of learning'. Mandela organized political education classes in the jail. Mr. Mandela refused to accept the remission offered to him in the '70s and '80s decade. He never compromised with his ideologies for the sake of remission and was finally released on 11th February, 1990. The armed struggle against the government was stopped immediately. Nelson Mandela influenced the struggle against apartheid greatly during his stay in jail.

On 10th May 1994, Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa and completed his term in 1999. He was the first President to be elected democratically in the History of South Africa. He retired in June 1999 and now lives in Transkei, his birthplace.

Kofi Annan
The former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan was born in Kumasi, Ghana on 8th April 1938. He was the seventh Secretary-General and served two terms starting from 1st January 1997 to 1st January 2007.

Mr. Annan is known for the reforms he brought about in the functioning of the United Nations. His priorities included:

    * Strengthening the operations carried out in the areas of security and peace-keeping.
    * Promoting the virtues of equality, human dignity and tolerance.
    * To reinstate people's faith in the United Nations, by forging ties with new partners in economic and cultural areas.

Kofi Annan influenced world politics positively and tried to resolve the conflicts between different nations peacefully. During the invasion of Iraq in 2003, he did not permit the US and UK to go ahead without the consent of the United Nations. The transfer of power from African Union peacekeeping mission to United Nations took place peacefully in Sudan; Mr. Annan played a vital role in this process of peaceful transition.

Addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic was at the top in his priority list. For the same reason, he proposed to set up a 'Global AIDS and Health Fund'. This was an attempt to increase funding to battle AIDS. In collaboration with a few Arab and Muslim nations he tried to work in the sector of women empowerment. On the 10th of December 2001, Kofi Annan was given the Nobel Peace Prize.

In his farewell address on 31st December 2006, Mr. Annan shared his views regarding the unjust world economic policies, violence in Middle East and Africa and the issue of human rights.

Desmond Tutu
The world famous religious leader Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born on 7th October 1931 in Klerksdorp, Transvaal South Africa. Bishop Desmond Tutu was honored with many different awards including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.

Desmond Tutu studied at the Johannesburg Bantu High School. Before graduating from the University of South Africa in 1954, he took up training for teaching from the Bantu Normal School in Pretoria. After teaching in high school for three years, Desmond Tutu went to England to pursue a Master's course in Theology. He served in many respectable posts and positions including the Dean of St. Mary's Cathedral located in Johannesburg, Bishop of the country called Lesotho and the General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches.

This famous theologian voiced his opinion fearlessly against apartheid and xenophobic violence in South Africa. He also criticized Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe for racist violence against white people.

Desmond Tutu advocated free trade between the developed and poor countries. Tutu's following statement made at the 31st G8 Summit at Gleneagles, Scotland in 2005 speaks a lot about his study and concern for the poor countries.

"I would hope they would begin to say, 'lets to do something about subsidies'. You ask the so-called-developing world, 'Why can't you people produce more?' - and they produce - and then they find that the markets have barriers that are put down or are clobbered twice over."

A counselor at 'One Young World', an organization trying to bring together 1500 leaders of the morrow, Desmond Tutu holds immense faith in today's youth.

The works and sacrifices of these great souls of Africa will inspire people from the world for a long time. They have laid a path with utmost sincerity and honesty. Let's make a resolve to carry their work forward.

Famous People from Alaska

Alaska is the 49th state of the United States of America and has evolved from being an undeveloped state to one of the major contributors to the US economy. Today, it boasts of more than 5 times the jobs it had 50 years ago and a much more prosperous population. During the 1970s and 1980s, Alaska witnessed an unprecedented development phase due to which its population thrived. Earlier people who lacked facilities, now progressed in all aspects of life. Famous people from Alaska who were and are still a subject of public interest are listed below.

Irene Bedard
Irene Bedard is a famous American actress born and brought up in Anchorage, Alaska. Irene has acted in a lot of Hollywood flicks and was voted by People Magazine, as one of the top 50 beautiful people in 1995. She is best known as the voice for the main character in the animated Disney film Pocahontas.

Molly Hootch and Anna Tobeluk
Both Molly Hootch and Anna Tobeluk, were credited with revolutionizing the native Alaskan village education. Prior to 1976, many native villages in Alaska lacked education facilities beyond the eighth grade. A number of native students together filed a suit against the State of Alaska to provide high schools in 100 of its villages. The case was named Tobeluk but is popularly referred to as the Molly Hootch case for her role as a leader in the plaintiffs agitation. 126 schools were granted high school status by the court as a result of this effort.

Howard Rock
Howard Rock edited the Tundra Times and was instrumental in getting the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act passed. His efforts prevented the Atomic Energy Commission from conducting nuclear tests at a site near Point Hope in Alaska, which is where he was born.

Trajan Langdon
Trajan Langdon is a famous basketball player who played for Cleveland Cavaliers and currently a top player for CSKA Moscow in Russia. Langdon, also nicknamed 'Alaska Assassin', is the first Alaskan to play in the NBA.

Carlos Boozer
Carlos Boozer is yet another basketball sensation raised in Alaska. He has been a part of the All-Star NBA team as well as a part of the gold medal-winning US basketball team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Elizabeth Peratrovich
Elizabeth Peratrovich was a civil rights activist who worked for the native Alaskan people. She was the major force behind bringing about a change in the government attitude with regards to the Alaska's racial relations. Elizabeth championed the passage of the Anti Discrimination Bill which guaranteed equal treatment in public accommodations for all the citizens.

Ernest Gruening
Ernest Gruening was the territorial governor of Alaska from 1935-1953. As a governor, he formed the Territorial Guard to protect the Alaskan region from Japanese incursions during World War II. He lobbied for the statehood of Alaska and was senator from Alaska from 1956 to 1958. He served as an able leader and opposed the Vietnam War very strongly.

Benny Benson
Benny Benson is the person who was instrumental in created the official flag of the State of Alaska. In a competition for students of grades seven through twelve in 1926, Benny's design was selected as the winning entry for the territorial flag which later on became Alaska's state flag.

Libby Riddles
Libby Riddles was the first woman to win the 'Last Great Race on Earth' in 1985, which is the name for the 1,049-miles Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. She achieved this at the age of 29 years, and took 18 days, 2 minutes and 17 seconds on a route from Anchorage to Nome.

Susan Butcher
Susan Butcher is the only woman to win the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, for three consecutive years in a row, from 1986 to 1988. Butcher is a very popular figure among the Alaskans.

Scott Gomez
Scott Gomez is the first Alaskan to play in the American National Hockey League (NHL) and also the first player of Latino origin to achieve this distinction. Currently, he is playing for the New York Rangers.

Big Mike Heney
Heney is best known as the person who built two of the most impeccable railroads: the White Pass and Yukon Route, and the Copper River and Northwestern Route; which are considered to be a marvelous engineering feat. He did this without having any sort of formal technical education.

Ray Mala
Ray Mala was a famous actor of yesteryears and the most famous Alaskan film personality. He starred in Eskimo/Mala The Magnificent, an Oscar-winning film, and also the first film to win an Academy Award in the Best Film Editing category.

Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, captured the world's attention when she was nominated for the post of vice-president by the Republican Party. Although she lost along with Senator John McCain who was the presidential nominee, her popularity grew manifold. Sarah Palin is one of the most sought-after politicians in the world.

These people have brought glory, name and fame to Alaska and the state continues to revel in their glory.