World History: India and Global Figures

Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769 in Corsica and died on May 5, 1821 on Saint Helena. He rose to power during the French Revolution, became Emperor of France, and led successful military campaigns before his defeat at Waterloo and exile.

Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910 in Skopje (then part of the Ottoman Empire, now North Macedonia). Her birth name was Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu. She founded the Missionaries of Charity and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work in India.

Mother Teresa felt the call of God at age 12. At this young age, she became interested in the lives of missionaries and their service in Bengal. By age 18, she had decided to become a missionary and joined the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland. The age of 12 marks the beginning of her spiritual journey toward religious life.

Mother Teresa took her initial vows as a nun on May 24, 1931 in Darjeeling, India. This was after she completed her religious training with the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland. The initial vows marked her formal entry into religious life before she took her final vows in 1937.

Mother Teresa passed away on September 5, 1997 in Calcutta (now Kolkata). She died of cardiac arrest at the age of 87. Her death was peaceful and she was surrounded by the sisters of her Missionaries of Charity order.

Mother Teresa was born Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in Skopje (now North Macedonia) in 1910. She adopted the name Teresa after Saint Therese of Lisieux when she became a nun. 'Agnes Gonxha' is the English approximation of her Albanian birth name.

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre occurred on April 13, 1919, when British troops fired on unarmed Indian civilians. This is a landmark event in Indian independence history.

Annie Besant founded the Home Rule League in 1916. While Tilak also started a Home Rule League, Annie Besant was the primary founder mentioned in most textbooks.

The capital of British India was shifted from Calcutta to New Delhi in 1912. This was announced in 1911 and completed in 1912.

The Reserve Bank of India was established in 1935 under the RBI Act of 1934. It began operations on April 1, 1935.

The Indian Rebellion of 1857 (also called the Sepoy Mutiny) began in Meerut on May 10, 1857, when Indian soldiers (sepoys) revolted against their British officers. The rebellion then spread to Delhi and other parts of India, becoming a major uprising against British rule. New Delhi wasn't even founded until much later (1911-1931).

The Salt Satyagraha (Salt March) was indeed launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930 as a protest against the British salt tax. Gandhi led a 240-mile march to the Arabian Sea coast at Dandi, where he famously made salt by evaporating seawater, defying British law. Sarojini Naidu also participated but Gandhi was the leader.

The Quit India Movement (also known as the August Movement) was launched by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8, 1942, during the All-India Congress Committee session in Bombay. The movement demanded an end to British rule in India and was a major escalation in the independence struggle. The slogan 'Do or Die' became associated with this movement.

The Indian flag in 1906 (during the anti-partition agitation) had three colors: red, yellow, and green. This flag was hoisted in Kolkata at the Parsee Bagan Square. It had eight lotuses in a red strip on the top, a sun and crescent in a green strip on the bottom, and Vande Mataram in Hindi in the middle yellow band. The tricolor (saffron, white, green) came later.

The Sun Temple in Konark, Odisha, is designed in the shape of a colossal ornamented chariot with 24 large stone wheels driven by seven horses. It was built in the 13th century by King Narasimhadeva I.

The Brihadisvara temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was commissioned by Rajaraja Chola I in the 11th century. Marthanda Varma was a Travancore ruler, Tipu Sultan was Mysore's 18th-century ruler, and Vikramaditya is a legendary title used by multiple Hindu kings across different eras.

Fatehpur Sikri was built by Emperor Akbar as his imperial capital after the Sufi saint Salim Chishti blessed him with a son. Qutub Minar was built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, Red Fort by Shah Jahan, and Charminar by Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah.

The Gateway of India was built in 1924 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay. India Gate is in Delhi (WWI memorial), Victoria Terminus is a railway station, and Elephanta Caves are ancient rock-cut temples.