Arafat, Yasser (1929-2004): Mohammed Abdel-Raouf Araft al-Oudwa al-Husseini) Palestinian president until death. Leader of PLO from 1968; shared Nobel peace prize, ’94.

Archer, Thomas (1668-1743): British architect. Practitioner of Baroque style.

Archimedes (287-212 B.C): Greek mathematician and engineer. Known for Archimedes principle. Invented Archimedean screw.

Aristotle (384-322 B.C): Greek teacher and philosopher, pupil of Plato, tutor to the young prince Alexander of Macedon.

Armstrong, Louis ‘Satchmo’ (1900-71): American jazz trumpeter, and singer, a popular entertainer of 2oth century

Armstrong, Neil (b.1930): American astronaut, the first the moon, (Apollo XI mission) 21 July 1969.

Arnold, Mathew (1822-’88): English poet and critic. The scholar gypsy.


Arundale, George Sydney (1878-1945): An Englishman who adopted Indian as his home. Advocate of national education and the Swadeshi movement. Married Rukmani Devi.

Aryabhatta (476-520): Indian mathematician astronomer. India’s first satellite was named after him.

Ashapurna Devi (1909-’95): Bengali writer. First woman Jnanpith award winner. Prathama Pratishruti, Subarnolata, Bokul Katha.