Who is Who

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Fahrenheit, Gabriel Daniel (1686-1736): German physicist who introduced the mercury thermometer and fixed thermometric standards.

Falk, Lee (1912-’99): Creator o the popular cartoon characters Mandrake the Magician and Phantom.

Fallopio, Gabriele (1523-’62): Italian anatomist, discovered Fallopian tubes, leading from ovaries to the uterus, in which fertilisation takes place.

Faraday, Michael (1791-1867): English physicist who founded the science of electro-magnetism.

Farah, Nuruddin (b.1945): Somali novelist, and a major writer of Africa.

Faulkner, William (1987-1962): American novelist, whose series of novels (The Sound and the Fury, etc.) depict the American South. Nobel prize, 1949.

Fawkes, Guy (1570-1606): English conspirator. Served with Spanish armies in Netherlands. Involved in Gunpowder Plot (Nov.5, 11605) to blow up houses of parl. Executed.

Fazal, Abul (1561-1602): Prime minister of Akbar the reat. Scholar, wrote Ain-i-Akbari and Akbarnama.

Federer, Roger (b.1832): Switzerland, Tennis champion at 24. Won fourth successive wimbeldon in 2006. 12 Grand slam single titles, 55 career titles.

Fellini, Federico (1920-’93): Great Italian film maker. Five-time academy award winner. La Strada(1954), La Dolce Vita (1959), 81/2 (1963).

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Fermi, Enrico (1901-’54)): Pionieering scientist who discovered over 400 radio isotopes. Element number 100 is named fermium after him.

Fielding, Henry (1707-’54): English author known for Tom Jones (1749).

Fischer, Bobby (b.1943): World Chess champion, 1972-75.

Fitzgerals, Edward (1809-’83): English poet and translator. Translated The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (1859).

Flaubert, Gustave (1821-80): French novelist, leading exponent of French realism. Madame Bavar.

Fleming, Sir Alexander (1881-1955): British bacteriologist and discovered of penicillin (192. Nobel prize (1945).

Flinders, Mathew (1774-1814): English explorer who charted large parts of the land he names Australia. Flinders river, Flinders Island named after him.

Fonda, Henry (1905-;82): US actor who became a Hollywood star. Won academy award in ’82 for on golden pond. Daughter Jane and son Peter joined films.

Ford, Gerald R (b.1913); American republican president, (1974-77)

Ford, Henry (1863-1947): Pioneer (American) motor car manufacturer and industrialist. Founder of Ford motor company and Ford foundation.

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Forster, Edward Morgan (1879-1970): Novelist, shortly writer and essayist. Author of a passage to India.

Forsyth, Fredrick (b.1939): British journalist and author of best-sellers like day of the Jackal, The Odessa file and The Dogs of War.

Fancis of Assisi, St. (1181/2-1226): Founder of the Franciscan order.

Frank, Anne (1929-c): Jewish girl who fled Germany with family to escape Nazi persecution, and author of The Diary of a Young Girl.

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-’90: American statesman, and scientist. Invented the lighting conductor.

Frederick II (the great) (1712-’86): King of Prussia for 46 years. Able ruler and great scholar.

Freud. Sigmund (1856-1939): Austrian psychiatrist and founder of psychoanalysis. The interpretation of dreams.

Frost, Robert (1874-1963): American poet well-known for his poem stopping by woods on a Snowy Evening.

Fry, Elizabeth (1780-1845): English prison reformer, philanthropist.

Gaddafi, Muammar al (b.1942): Libyan leader and military dictator; took power in a coup in 1969 and became president in 1977

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Gagarin, Yuri (1943-68: Soviet cosmonaut, the first man to orbit the earth in spacecraft Vostok l in 1961.

Gainsborough, Thomas (1727-88):British portrait and landscape painter. Viscount Kilmorey, Blue Boy, The Watering Place.

Gaitonde, V.S. (b.1924): India’s celebrated abstract painter.

Albraith, John Kenneth ( 1908- 2006): American economist, diplomat and writer. Ambassador to India, 1961-3. The Affluent Society.

Galileo Gallilei (1564-1642): Italian scientist and astronomer who laid the foundations of modern science. The first man to see the satellites of Jupiter.

Gallup, George Horrace (1901-‘84): Renowned American statistician who studies public opinion through questions put to a representative group-‘ Gallup poll’

Galsworthy, John (1867-1933): English novelist and dramatist. The Forsyte Saga. Nobel prize, 1932.

Gama, Vasco da (1460-1524): Portuguese navigator, discoverer of the sea route from western Europe to India.

Gamow, George (1904-68): Russian-born US nuclear physicist. With Ralph Alpher and Hans Bethe, he developed the Bog Bang theory. Gamow-Teller theory of beta decay is known after his and Edward Teller.

Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) (1869-1948): Father of the Indian nation, and one of the greatest personalities of the 20th century. From 1893 to 1914 he lived in South Africa opposing discrimination against Indians. Un 1915, returned to India, dominated the Congress party. Without weapons or armies, he led India to independence. Lived an austere life, devoted to truth, non-violence and worked for Hindu Muslim experiments with truth.

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Gandhi, Rajiv (1944-’91): Grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru; a commercial pilot turned politician; Indian prime minister from 1984 to 1989. Assassinated. Bharat Ratna, 1991.

Gandhi, Sonia (b.1946): Italian by birth, naturalised in India. Wife of former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi, widowed on his assassination. Meteoric rise from primary membership to presidentship of congress party in just two years. Elected to Lok Sabha in 1999, 2004 and 2006. The party’s surprise victory in 2004 made her Leader of Congress – led united progressive alliance, but Ms Gandhi declined to become PM.

Ganesan, Sivaji (1927-2001): Legendary actor; over 3000 Tamil films in five decades. Dada Saheb Phalke award, 1996.

Garbo, Greta (1905-’90): Swedish film actress of poetical quality. Ninotchka.

Gargi, Balwant (1916-2003): Punjabi writer who wrote popular plays. Sahitya Akademi award for Rang Manch; Nangi was autobiographical.

Garibaldi, Giuseppe ( 1807-’82): Italian general and patriot, who, with Mazzini and Cavour, created a united Italy.

Gates, Bill (b.1956): World’s richest private individual until 2007. Co-founder of Microsoft Corp.; he revolutionized the computer industry. Philanthropist who has made record donations. In 2006 announced decision focus on charity work.

Gaugin, (Eugene Henri) Paul (1848-1903): French painter. Sought the simplicity primitive life in Tahiti. The Yellow Christ.

Gaulle, Charles de (1890-1970): French general and statesman; first president of the fifth republic, 1958-69.

Gautama, Siddhartha (Buddha, The Enlightened) (c.563-c. 483 B.C.): Founder of Buddhism. The Indian prince who renounced luxury and became an ascetic.

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Gavaskar, Sunil (b.1949): Indian cricketer who scored 1000 runs in tests in a calendar year thrice; scored 34 centuries in tests (world record).

Geisel, Theodor Seuss (pen name: Dr.Seuss) (1904-’91): Writer of nearly 50 books of rhymes and doodless, including The Cat in the Hat.

Genghis Khan (1161-1227): Mongol conqueror who overran the greater part of Asia and founded the Mongol world empire.

George, Boy (real name: George O’Dowd) (b.1962): The gender bender pop idol of the 1980’s

Getty, jean Paul (1892-1976): American. Founded oil empire.

Ghali, Boutros-Boutros (b.1922): Egyptian politician. The first African UN secretary general 1992-’96.

Ghalib, Mirza Asadullah Khan (1796-186: Renowned Urdu poet. Diwan-e-Ghalib.

Ghosh, Tushar Kanti (1899-1994): Prominent Indian journalist, one of world’s longest-serving editors.

Ghoshal, Sumantra (1949-2004): Management guru who was professor at London. Business school. Founder director of Indian business school, Hyderabad.

Giacometti, Alberto (1901-66): Swiss painter and sculptor.

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Gibbon, Edward (1737-’94): English historian who wrote decline and fall of the Roman empire.

Gibran, Kahlil (1883-1931): Lebanese-born US writer and artist. He has written in Arabic and English. His poetry translated into more than 20 languages and his paintings exhibited across the world.

Gide, Andre (1869-1951): French writer of short novels. The counterfeiters.

Gielgud, Sir John (b.1904-2000): One of the century’s great classical actors and the finest speaker of Shakespearean verse in the history of theatre. Acted even at 90.

Girl, Varahagirl Venkata (1894-1980): Third vice-president and fourth president of India. Veteran trade unionist. Bharat Ratna, ’75.

Gish, Lillian (1896-1993): American silent film actress whose career spanned 8 decades. Sisiter Dorothy Gish (1898-1968), also actress.

Gladstone, William Ewart (1809-’98): British Liberal statesman. Prime minister four time between 1868 and 1894.

Goebbels, Paul Joseph (1897-1945): Nazi propaganda minister; orator.

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von (1749-1832): German poet and thinker. Faust.

Gokhale, Gopal Krishma (1866-1915): Indian statesman whom Gandhi regarded as his political guru. Founded servants of India society (1905).