Great Personalities - N

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Nagarjuna : was the philosopher scientist and a great figure of the court of Kanishka whom Hieun-Tsang called “one of the four lights of the world”. He enunciated the theory of Relativity in his great work called Madhyamika Sutra. He is rightly called the Indian Einstein.

Naidu, Sarojini : She was a gifted Indian poetess of English language, commonly known as the Nightingale of India. She was also an orator of eloquence. She was President of the Indian National Congress in 1925 ; was the first woman Governor of an Indian State (Governor of U.P.) after independence.

Naipaul, Sir V.S. : Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul, a citizen of Trinidad, he won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2001. He was the seventh Indian or person of Indian origin to be awarded the Nobel Prize and second for literature, after Rabindranath Tagore.

Naoroji, Dadabhai : popularly known as the “Grand Old Man” of India, was a great nationalist. He was also President of the Indian National Congress. He was earlier elected to the British Parliament. He put forth the theory of the Drain of India’s resources to England.

Napolean Bonaparte (1776-1821) : great French statesman and soldier who rose to be the Emperor of post-Revolution France. He won series of splendid victories against England, Russia and Austria in 1805 but was completely defeated in the battle of Waterloo in June, 1815 and exiled to St. Helena where he died six years later.

Nehru, Jawaharlal : One of the world’s greatest statesman. A great Indian leader and maker of modern India. He was Prime Minister of India from 1947 till his death on May 27, 1964.

Nehru, Motilal : Illustrious father of Pt Jawaharlal Nehru. A great patriot, famous lawyer and leader of the Swaraj Party ; later joined the Congress and sacrificed his all for the country.

Newton : Sir Issac Newton (1642-1727) English physical scientist and mathematician generally known as world’s greatest man of science. He achieved immortal fame for his work on the nature of white light, the calculus and the law of gravitation.

Nigtingale, Florence (1820-1910) : amous hospital reformer. She took to nursing as a career and went to Crimea and organised women’s nursing service in the Crimean War of 1854.

Norgay, Tenzing : Internationally renowned mountaineer who along with Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand made the first successful ascent of Mt. Everest.