Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus 

Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) was a Genoese trader, explorer, and navigator. He was born in Genoa, Italy, in the year 1451. "Christopher Columbus" is the English version of Columbus's name. His real name in Italian was Cristoforo Colombo; his name in Spanish was Cristóbal Colón.

In 1492, Columbus landed on the modern day island of the Bahamas, the first European to do so. His initial goal was to find a quicker route to Asia from Europe. He is credited with the discovery of the New World because his voyage started an era of European colonialism in the Americas and was an important moment in European history. While Leif Erikson was the first European to land on the soils of America it was not well documented and did not lead to sustained contact between Europe and the New World.

When the Spanish learned that Columbus had found a New World, many other people, called conquistadors, went there too. This led to the Spanish colonization of the Americas.

Columbus died on May 20, 1506, in Valladolid, Spain.

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the general theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics (alongside quantum mechanics).

He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921, but not for relativity. His theories of special and general relativity are of great importance to many branches of physics and astronomy. They have been given experimental confirmation by many experiments and observations.

Einstein is well known for his theories about light, matter, gravity, space, and time. His most well known equation is E = m c 2 {\displaystyle E=mc^{2}}  It means that energy and mass are different forms of the same thing.

Einstein published more than 301 scientific papers and over 150 non-scientific works. He received honorary doctorate degrees in science, medicine and philosophy from many European and American universities.

Near the beginning of World War II, he warned President Franklin D. Roosevelt that Germany might be developing an atomic weapon, and recommended that the U.S. begin nuclear weapons research. That research, begun by a newly established Manhattan Project, resulted in the U.S. becoming the first and only country to have nuclear weapons during the war.

On praise of his genius, Einstein humbly stated, “I am not a genius, I am just curious. I ask many questions. and when the answer is simple, then God is answering.”

Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton 25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/7 was an English physicist, mathematician and astronomer. He is famous for his work on the laws of motion, optics, gravity, and calculus. In 1687, Newton published a book called the Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica in which he presents his theory of universal gravitation and three laws of motion.

Newton built the first practical reflecting telescope in 1668; he also developed a theory of light based on the observation that a prism decomposes white light into the colors of the rainbow. Newton also shares credit with Gottfried Leibniz for the development of calculus.

Newton's ideas on light, motion, and gravity dominated physics for the next three centuries, until modified by Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.

Early life

Isaac Newton was born on 25 December 1642, in a manor house in Lincolnshire, England. His father died three months before his birth. When Isaac was three his mother remarried, and Isaac remained with his grandmother. He was not interested in the family farm, so he was sent to the University of Cambridge to study. It is sometimes told that Isaac Newton was reading a book under a tree when an apple from the tree fell on his head. This led to his calculations of gravity.

Early workings

Newton explained the workings of the universe through mathematics. He described laws of motion and gravitation. These laws are math formulas that explain how objects move when a force acts on them. Isaac published his most famous book, Principia, in 1687 while he was a mathematics professor at Trinity College, Cambridge. In the Principia, Isaac explained three basic laws that govern the way objects move. He then described his idea, or theory, about gravity. Gravity is the force that causes things to fall down. If a pencil fell off a desk, it will land on the floor, not the ceiling. In his book Isaac also used his laws to show that the planets revolve around the suns in orbits that are oval, not round. Isaac also discovered diffraction. This led him to enter the field of physics, where he prospered.

The Three Laws Of Motion

Following are the three laws of motion.

1. The first law (Law of Inertia)

Newton's first law of motion states is that an object that is not being pushed or pulled by some force will stay still, or will keep moving in a straight line at a steady speed. It is easy to understand that a rocket will not move unless something pushes or pulls it. It is harder to understand that an object will continue to move without help. Think of the rocket again. If someone is flying a rocket and jumps off before the rocket is stopped, what happens? The rocket continues on until it goes into space. The tendency of an object to remain still, or keep moving in a straight line at a steady speed is called inertia.

2. The second law (Law of Acceleration)

The second law explains how a force acts on an object. An object accelerates in the direction the force is moving it. If someone gets on a bicycle and pushes the pedals forward the bicycle will begin to move. If someone gives the bicycle a push from behind, the bicycle will speed up. If the rider pushes back on the pedals the bicycle will slow down. If the rider turns the handlebars, the bicycle will change direction. The formula showing this law is F=m*a, or the force acting on an object is equal to mass times acceleration.

3. The third law (Law of Reciprocal Actions)

The third law states that if an object is pushed or pulled, the object will be push or pull equally in the opposite direction. If someone lifts a heavy box, they use force to push it up. The box is heavy because it is producing an equal force downward on the lifter’s arms. The weight is transferred through the lifter’s legs to the floor. The floor presses upward with an equal force. If the floor pushed back with less force, the person lifting the box would fall through the floor. If it pushed back with more force the lifter would fly into the air.

Impact

Isaac Newton’s calculations changed the way people understood the universe. No one had been able to explain why the planets stayed in their orbits. What held them up? Less than 50 years before Isaac Newton was born it was thought that the planets were held in place by an invisible shield. Isaac proved that they were held in place by the sun’s gravity. He also showed that the force of gravity was affected by distance and by mass. He was not the first to understand that the orbit of a planet was not circular, but more elongated, like an oval. What he did was to explain how it worked.

Sir Isaac Newton was the first to discover the laws of gravitation and the laws of motion. He also established a new field in mathematics known as calculus, though the German Gottfried Leibniz had developed the ideas at the same time. His work has greatly contributed in the areas of science and mathematics making him one of the most influential scientists in human history.

The great physicist, Albert Einstein, thought that Newton's idea of gravity was not completely accurate. He corrected many of the things that Newton did.

Death

Isaac Newton died on 31 March 1727, in London, EngIand.

He is buried in Westminster Abbey. He set the stage for many famous physicists to come, such as Albert Einstein, James Chadwick, and Stephen Hawking.

Muhammad ﷺ

Muhammad ﷺ

Muhammad ﷺ(Arabic: CE 570 – 8 June 632 CE) 

 was an Arabian religious and political leader. Muslims and Baha'is believe he was a messenger and a prophet of Allah (God). He is believed to be a descendant of Ishmael, a son of Abraham, and a seal to all prophets. He is seen as an example for all Muslims to follow.

History

Childhood

Muhammad ﷺwas born about 570 AD in Mecca. His father, whose name was Abdullah, died six months before Muhammad's birth. His mother, Amina, died when he was six years old. So, his grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib, took care of him after the death of Amina but unfortunately he too died two years later when Muhammad ﷺ was eight. After his grandfather's death, his uncle Abu Talib took care of him, and was a support to him for many years of his adult life.

Beginning of the Prophethood

In 610 AD, when Muhammad ﷺ was forty years old, he went for a walk to the mountain of Hira near Mecca. According to Muslims, the angel Jibrail (Gabriel) spoke with him in a cave on the mountain. The story says that when Muhammad ﷺ first saw the angel Gabriel, he fainted, because Gabriel was so large. This is what Jibrail said to Muhammad:

According to Muslim tradition, the mountain of Hira was the place where Jibrail first spoke to Muhammad

"Read... in the name of God Who made man from a drop of blood... God is Most Rewarding... He Who taught man to write with pen... and taught man what he knew not." Muhammad ﷺ went back home to his wife Khadijah, and told her what had happened. New revelations came to him commanding him to preach what was being sent down from God. When Muhammad ﷺ first started teaching, many of the people of Mecca, who worshipped idols, did not like the things that Muhammad ﷺ said. But there were also people who listened to his preaching and obeyed his messages. These people were the first of the followers of Islam. Leaders of Mecca punished and tortured the followers of Islam. Some followers of Islam were executed. Muhammad ﷺ resisted this and continued to teach Islam.

The Hijra

After Muhammad ﷺfinished in Mecca, he took his message to Medina, where some people learned about him and his followers. They welcomed him into their city, and Muhammad wanted them to convert to Islam. They agreed, and many of his followers went to Medina. This movement from Mecca to Medina is called the Hijrah. The Hijra was also the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Muhammad  stayed behind until all of his people left Mecca safely.

His Stay in Medina

Muhammad ﷺ and Abu Bakr arrived in Medina. Some people welcomed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to their homes. He used his camel to show everyone where he would build his house. Also, the first mosque of Medina, a small place for prayer, was built in the back of this house.

The people in a strong Jewish tribe in Medina disagreed with the teachings and rules set by Muhammad. This tribe told their allies in Mecca to sell of all the things and homes that Muslims of Mecca left behind. The Muslims and those from Mecca were advised to fight for their property. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told them not to do that.

Muslims were called all over Medina to gather at a mosque that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ prayed in. They were told to fight against the people of Mecca who burned down their homes and stole their property.

The Wars

The Quraysh pagans of Mecca heard about this, and they sent a larger army numbering 1000 warriors to fight the Muslims. They met in Badr, but the pagans were defeated and Abu Jahl, one of the pagan leaders, was also killed.

But, the Muslims lost the second battle at Uhud. One year after the fight at Badr, the army of Mecca had outside help. Muslim archers failed to listen to Muhammad's instructions and Khalid ibn al-Walid cleverly took advantage of that. Hamza, Muhammad's last uncle, was killed when a slave from Mecca threw a spear into his chest. Muhammad ﷺhimself was injured.

Then in 627, Abu Sufyan led the Quraysh and its allies to attack Medina itself. However, they could not pass the trench that the Muslims had dug around Medina. After several weeks, the coalition broke up and went home. The Medinians were considered victors.

Final Exit

Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina. Muhammad ﷺ is believed to be buried at the building with the green dome. It used to be his home when he was alive.

In 632 AD, on June 8, Muhammad ﷺ became very sick. Before he died, he told his followers about his death. He is buried in the chamber of his wife Aisha (RA) in Medina, where the Masjid al-Nabawi (Mosque of the Prophet) is. In Medina, his friend Abu Bakr went to the Masjid al-Nabawi and shouted to the people:

"If any of you worship Muhammad, you should know that Muhammad ﷺ is dead. But those of you who worship Allah (swt) (God), let it be known that Allah (swt) (God) is alive and cannot die."

Although Muhammad ﷺ died, Islam soon spread all over the Middle East. Then, centuries later, it continued till it reached Africa, Asia and Europe. Islam has become one of the world's biggest and fastest growing religions.

His Wives

list of his wives' names...

Khadijah bint Khuwaylid

Sawda bint Zamʿa

Aisha

Hafsa bint Umar

Zaynab bint Khuzayma

Umm Salama

Zaynab bint Jahsh

Juwayriyya bint al-Harith

Ramla bint Abi Sufyan

Safiyya bint Huyayy

Maymunah bint al-Harith

Maria al-Qibtiyya