Topic: Biography (Page 28)

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πŸ”— Taqi ad-Din Muhammad ibn Ma'ruf

πŸ”— Biography πŸ”— Biography/science and academia πŸ”— Egypt

Taqi al-Din Muhammad ibn Ma'ruf ash-Shami al-Asadi (Arabic: ΨͺΩ‚ΩŠ Ψ§Ω„Ψ―ΩŠΩ† Ω…Ψ­Ω…Ψ― Ψ¨Ω† Ω…ΨΉΨ±ΩˆΩ Ψ§Ω„Ψ΄Ψ§Ω…ΩŠβ€Ž, Ottoman Turkish: ΨͺΩ‚ΩŠ Ψ§Ω„Ψ―ΩŠΩ† Ω…Ψ­Ω…Ψ― Ψ¨Ω† Ω…ΨΉΨ±ΩˆΩ Ψ§Ω„Ψ΄Ψ§Ω…ΩŠ Ψ§Ω„Ψ³ΨΉΨ―ΩŠβ€Ž, Turkish: TakiyΓΌddin) (1526-1585) was an Ottoman polymath active in Cairo and Istanbul. He was the author of more than ninety books on a wide variety of subjects, including astronomy, clocks, engineering, mathematics, mechanics, optics and natural philosophy.

In 1574 the Ottoman Sultan Murad III invited TaqΔ« ad-DΔ«n to build the Constantinople observatory. Using his exceptional knowledge in the mechanical arts, TaqΔ« ad-DΔ«n constructed instruments like huge armillary and mechanical clocks that he used in his observations of the Great Comet of 1577. He also used European celestial and terrestrial globes that were delivered to Istanbul in gift-exchange.

The major work that resulted from his work in the observatory is titled "The tree of ultimate knowledge [in the end of time or the world] in the Kingdom of the Revolving Spheres: The astronomical tables of the King of Kings [Murād III]" (Sidrat al-muntah al-afkar fi malkΕ«t al-falak al-dawār– al-zij al-Shāhinshāhi). The work was prepared according to the results of the observations carried out in Egypt and Istanbul in order to correct and complete Ulugh Beg's Zij as-Sultani. The first 40 pages of the work deal with calculations, followed by discussions of astronomical clocks, heavenly circles, and information about three eclipses which he observed at Cairo and Istanbul. For corroborating data of other observations of eclipses in other locales like Daud ar-Riyyadi (David the Mathematician), David Ben-Shushan of Salonika.

As a polymath, TaqΔ« al-DΔ«n wrote numerous books on astronomy, mathematics, mechanics, and theology. His method of finding coordinates of stars were reportedly so precise that he got better measurements than his contemporaries, Tycho Brahe and Nicolas Copernicus. Brahe is also thought to have been aware of al-DΔ«n's work.

TaqΔ« Ad-DΔ«n also described a steam turbine with the practical application of rotating a spit in 1551. He worked on and created astronomical clocks for his observatory. TaqΔ« Ad-DΔ«n also wrote a book on optics, in which he determined the light emitted from objects, proved the Law of Reflection observationally, and worked on refraction.

πŸ”— Yasuke – The First African Samurai

πŸ”— Biography πŸ”— Africa πŸ”— Japan πŸ”— Japan/History πŸ”— Japan/Biography

Yasuke (variously rendered as εΌ₯助 or εΌ₯δ»‹, 彌助 or ε½Œδ»‹ in different sources) was a man of African origin who served as a retainer under the Japanese daimyō Oda Nobunaga. In 1579, Yasuke arrived in Japan in the service of Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano, Visitor of Missions in the Indies, in India.

Yasuke is thought by some to have been the first African that Nobunaga had ever seen and he was one of the many Africans to have come with the Portuguese to Japan during the Nanban trade. He was also present during the Honnō-ji Incident, the forced suicide of Nobunaga at the hands of his samurai general Akechi Mitsuhide on 21 June 1582.

πŸ”— Queen Elizabeth II has died

πŸ”— Biography πŸ”— Polynesia πŸ”— Australia πŸ”— Canada πŸ”— New Zealand πŸ”— Politics πŸ”— Women πŸ”— Biography/Royalty and Nobility πŸ”— Women's History πŸ”— United Kingdom πŸ”— Biography/politics and government πŸ”— Politics of the United Kingdom πŸ”— South Africa πŸ”— Zimbabwe πŸ”— Caribbean πŸ”— Melanesia πŸ”— Scouting/Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting πŸ”— Scouting πŸ”— Current events πŸ”— Malta πŸ”— Commonwealth πŸ”— Caribbean/Jamaica πŸ”— Canada/Political parties and politicians in Canada πŸ”— Polynesia/Niue πŸ”— Caribbean/Antigua and Barbuda πŸ”— Caribbean/Bahamas πŸ”— Zimbabwe/Rhodesia πŸ”— Polynesia/Cook Islands πŸ”— Caribbean/Saint Kitts and Nevis πŸ”— Polynesia/Tuvalu πŸ”— Belize πŸ”— Melanesia/Solomon Islands πŸ”— Caribbean/Barbados πŸ”— Grenada πŸ”— Canada/Governments of Canada πŸ”— Caribbean/Saint Lucia πŸ”— Caribbean/Saint Vincent and the Grenadines πŸ”— British Royalty πŸ”— Melanesia/Papua New Guinea

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom from 6Β February 1952 until her death in 2022. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days was the longest of any British monarch and the second-longest recorded of any monarch of a sovereign country. At the time of her death, Elizabeth was queen of 14 other Commonwealth realms in addition to the UK.

Elizabeth was born in Mayfair, London, as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King GeorgeΒ VI and Queen Elizabeth). Her father acceded to the throne in 1936 upon the abdication of his brother, King EdwardΒ VIII, making Elizabeth the heir presumptive. She was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In November 1947, she married Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, and their marriage lasted 73 years until his death in April 2021. They had four children together: Charles III; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.

When her father died in February 1952, Elizabethβ€”then 25 years oldβ€”became queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (known today as Sri Lanka), as well as Head of the Commonwealth. Elizabeth reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonisation of Africa, and the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities and withdrawal from the European Union. The number of her realms varied over time as territories have gained independence and some realms have become republics. Her many historic visits and meetings include state visits to China in 1986, Russia in 1994, the Republic of Ireland in 2011, and visits with five Popes.

Significant events include Elizabeth's coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver, Golden, Diamond, and Platinum Jubilees in 1977, 2002, 2012, and 2022, respectively. Elizabeth was the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch, and the second-longest verifiable reigning sovereign monarch in world history, only behind Louis XIV of France. She faced occasional republican sentiment and media criticism of her family, particularly after the breakdowns of her children's marriages, her annus horribilis in 1992, and the death of her former daughter-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997. However, support for the monarchy in the United Kingdom remained consistently high, as did her personal popularity. Elizabeth died on 8 September 2022 at Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire. She was succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III.

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πŸ”— Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy

πŸ”— Biography πŸ”— Science Fiction πŸ”— Biography/arts and entertainment πŸ”— Journalism

Jerry Eugene Pournelle (; August 7, 1933 – September 8, 2017) was an American polymath: scientist in the area of operations research and human factors research, science fiction writer, essayist, journalist, and one of the first bloggers. In the 1960s and early 1970s, he worked in the aerospace industry, but eventually focused on his writing career. In an obituary in gizmodo, he is described as "a tireless ambassador for the future."

Pournelle is particularly known for writing hard science fiction, and received multiple awards for his writing. In addition to his solo writing, he wrote several novels with collaborators, most notably Larry Niven. Pournelle served a term as President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

Pournelle's journalism focused primarily on the computer industry, astronomy, and space exploration. From the 1970s until the early 1990s, he contributed to the computer magazine Byte, writing from the viewpoint of an intelligent user, with the oft-cited credo, β€œWe do this stuff so you won’t have to.” He created one of the first blogs, entitled "Chaos Manor", which included commentary about politics, computer technology, space technology, and science fiction.

Pournelle was also known for his paleoconservative political views, which were sometimes expressed in his fiction. He was one of the founders of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy, which developed some of the Reagan Administration's space initiatives, including the earliest versions of what would become the Strategic Defense Initiative.

πŸ”— Jon Postel

πŸ”— Biography πŸ”— Internet πŸ”— Computing πŸ”— Computer science πŸ”— Biography/science and academia πŸ”— Computing/Computer science πŸ”— Computing/Early computers πŸ”— Computing/Networking

Jonathan Bruce Postel (; August 6, 1943 – October 16, 1998) was an American computer scientist who made many significant contributions to the development of the Internet, particularly with respect to standards. He is known principally for being the Editor of the Request for Comment (RFC) document series, for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), and for administering the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) until his death. In his lifetime he was known as the "god of the Internet" for his comprehensive influence on the medium.

The Internet Society's Postel Award is named in his honor, as is the Postel Center at Information Sciences Institute, University of Southern California. His obituary was written by Vint Cerf and published as RFC 2468 in remembrance of Postel and his work. In 2012, Postel was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame by the Internet Society. The Channel Islands' Domain Registry building was named after him in early 2016.

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πŸ”— Piyama-Radu

πŸ”— Biography πŸ”— Military history πŸ”— Ancient Near East πŸ”— Military history/Classical warfare

Piyamaradu (also spelled Piyama-Radu, Piyama Radu, Piyamaradus, PiyamaraduΕ‘) was a warlike personage whose name figures prominently in the Hittite archives of the middle and late 13th century BC in western Anatolia. His history is of particular interest because it appears to intertwine with that of the Trojan War. Some scholars assume that his name is cognate to that of King Priam of Troy.

πŸ”— For Edward Snowden: How to live in an airport

πŸ”— Biography πŸ”— Aviation πŸ”— France πŸ”— France/Paris πŸ”— Iran πŸ”— Aviation/airport

Mehran Karimi Nasseri (Persian: Ω…Ω‡Ψ±Ψ§Ω† Ϊ©Ψ±ΫŒΩ…ΫŒ Ω†Ψ§Ψ΅Ψ±ΫŒβ€Ž pronounced [mehˈrΙ’n kΓ¦riˈmi nΙ’seˈri]; born 1946), also known as Sir Alfred Mehran, is an Iranian refugee who lived in the departure lounge of Terminal One in Charles de Gaulle Airport from 26 August 1988 until July 2006, when he was hospitalized. His autobiography was published as a book, The Terminal Man, in 2004. His story was the inspiration for the 2004 Steven Spielberg film The Terminal.

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πŸ”— Krista and Tatiana Hogan

πŸ”— Biography πŸ”— Canada πŸ”— Psychology πŸ”— Disability

Krista and Tatiana Hogan (born October 25, 2006) are Canadians who are conjoined craniopagus twins. They are joined at the head and share a skull and a brain. They were born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and are the only unseparated conjoined twins of that type currently alive in Canada. They live with their mother, Felicia Simms, in Vernon, British Columbia, have two sisters and a brother and often travel to Vancouver for care at BC Children's Hospital and Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children.

πŸ”— Ronald Read – Philanthropist, investor, janitor, and gas station attendant

πŸ”— United States πŸ”— Biography πŸ”— Military history πŸ”— Military history/North American military history πŸ”— Military history/United States military history πŸ”— United States/Military history - U.S. military history πŸ”— Military history/Military biography πŸ”— Biography/military biography πŸ”— Military history/World War II πŸ”— United States/Vermont

Ronald James Read (October 23, 1921 – June 2, 2014) was an American philanthropist, investor, janitor, and gas station attendant. Read grew up in Dummerston, Vermont, in an impoverished farming household. He walked or hitchhiked 4Β mi (6.4Β km) daily to his high school and was the first high school graduate in his family. He enlisted in the United States Army during World War II, serving in Italy as a military policeman. Upon an honorable discharge from the military in 1945, Read returned to Brattleboro, Vermont, where he worked as a gas station attendant and mechanic for about 25 years. Read retired for one year and then took a part-time janitor job at J. C. Penney where he worked for 17 years until 1997.

Read died in 2014. He received media coverage in numerous newspapers and magazines after bequeathing US$1.2 million to Brooks Memorial Library and $4.8 million to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Read amassed a fortune of almost $8 million by investing in dividend-producing stocks, avoiding the stocks of companies he did not understand such as technology companies, living frugally, and being a buy and hold investor in a diversified portfolio of stocks with a heavy concentration in blue chip companies.

πŸ”— Har Gobind Khorana

πŸ”— United States πŸ”— Biography πŸ”— Medicine πŸ”— Biology πŸ”— Biography/science and academia πŸ”— India πŸ”— Molecular and Cell Biology πŸ”— Medicine/Medical genetics πŸ”— United States/Asian Americans

Har Gobind Khorana (9 January 1922 – 9 November 2011) was an Indian-American biochemist. While on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he shared the 1968 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Marshall W. Nirenberg and Robert W. Holley for research that showed the order of nucleotides in nucleic acids, which carry the genetic code of the cell and control the cell's synthesis of proteins. Khorana and Nirenberg were also awarded the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University in the same year.

Born in British India, Khorana served on the faculties of three universities in North America. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1966, and received the National Medal of Science in 1987.