My Science School

          By 1429, the English had occupied Paris, and all of France north of the Loire. They had met with very little resistance, due to lack of leadership. Henry V of England was claiming the French throne, and the heir to the French throne, the Dauphin, was not allowed to be crowned. It was at this time that a young girl named Joan changed the course of history.

           Joan had an ordinary childhood. When she was12, she began to hear ‘voices’ of the saints. These voices told her that it was her divine mission to free her country from the English, and help the Dauphin. Joan convinced the Dauphin’s forces, and then the Dauphin himself, that she was a messenger of God. She cut her hair, wore men’s clothes, and armed herself. Joan was given troops to command and the rank of captain. At the battle of Orleans, Joan led the troops to a miraculous victory over the English. Later, Joan persuaded the Dauphin that he should be crowned Charles VII, and personally escorted him safely to his coronation. At the coronation, she was given a place of honour next to the king.

          Sadly, Joan was later captured by the English, tried, and convicted of being a witch. She was burnt at the stake. But, in 1456, a second trial was held, and she was pronounced innocent. Joan was then recognized by the Church to be a saint- St. Joan of Arc. Today, she is the patron saint of France, and is their national heroine. 

             Zenobia ruled the desert country of Palmyra initially with her husband Odenathus. She was one of the great beauties of her day and was highly educated. She spoke several languages-Egyptian and Greek among them and also wrote the first complete history of her country. She was an expert in hunting, and in the use of weapons.

             Though Palmyra was under Rome, it enjoyed a great degree of independence. Zenobia and her husband acquired for Rome the vast territories of Syria, Mesopotamia, and West Armenia. After the tragic death of her husband, Zenobia won even more territories which she claimed as rightfully hers. Powerful and daring, she started minting her own coins, with her likeness on it, as a sovereign ruler. This, together with her growing influence, made Rome declare war on her.

               Zenobia stood up to the most powerful army of her time, and personally directed her armies against the Romans. Sadly, she was betrayed by her neighbours, and defeated. Her beautiful city of palms was turned to ruin, and sacked by the Roman army.

               Zenobia will always be remembered as ‘the warrior queen’ - brave, intelligent, level headed, practical and full of a sheer, devil-may-care attitude that inspires admiration to this day.

            Boudicca was queen of the Iceni people of Eastern England. Her husband had been ruler of the Iceni. The Romans had allowed him to continue to rule over his people, even though they had defeated him in battle. However, when he died, the Romans took over his lands, and stripped and flogged Boudicca. This led to widespread fury and resentment against the Romans. The Iceni, led by Boudicca who herself was a ferocious and skilled warrior, rebelled, and they were joined by other tribes too.

            Boudicca’s army successfully defeated the Roman Ninth Legion, and destroyed the capital of Roman Britain, then at Colchester. They went on to destroy London and Verulamium. Boudicca was eventually defeated by the Romans, but she killed herself, rather than be captured.

                 She has been described as one of the most intelligent women of her day. Tall, and slim, with waist length long red hair, she was an imposing figure who continues to inspire women throughout the centuries. 

Imelda Marcos was the wife of Ferdinand E. Marcos, the 10th president of Philippines. Known as the steel butterfly, she lived a life of luxury. She owned 2700 pairs of shoes. 

Mata Hari was the stage name of Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, a Dutch dancer. During World War I, the French sent her to spy in Belgium, but she helped their enemy Germany also. So, she was shot dead by a French firing squad. 

 

Phoolan Devi was the bandit queen in the Chambal valley. She led a gang of dacoits and targeted high caste - villages. She became a heroine in popular imagination. Finally she surrendered in 1983. Later she was elected to the Lok Sabha. But, she was shot dead by her enemies in 2001.

 

Diana was the princess of hearts; so popular was she. She married Prince Charles, heir to the British Throne. Diana, Princess of Wales was a beautiful woman who played the leading role in more than a hundred charities. She gave birth to two sons. On August 30, 1997 she died in a car crash.

 

       Jiang Qing’s early life included an acting career, failed marriages and jail time for alleged radical activity. In 1938, she became wife to the great communist leader Mao Zedong. She made constant bids for power up the ladder of the Communist Party and eventually came to lead a powerful group known as the Gang of Four.

       The Gang of Four reigned over every cultural institution in China, ordered the destruction of countless ancient books, buildings and paintings. Jiang claimed she was only following the orders of Chairman Mao, but in practice, she abused her position to pursue political enemies and target anything ‘intellectual’ or ‘artistic’. After Mao’s death, she was tried and convicted in 1981, and imprisoned for life. She committed suicide 1991.

 

One of the glamorous women of all time, Marilyn Monroe’s real name was Norma Jeanne Morteson but was baptized as Norma Jeanne Baker. Born in 1926, she became one of the celebrated film personalities of her time. She was now among the most famous women in the world. She died on August 5th, 1962 from an overdose of sleeping pills. 

     Kalpana Chawla explored the limits of her dreams and died a heroine’s death. She was the first Indian born woman to travel to space. Her flying dreams were inspired by J.R.D Tata, a pioneering Indian pilot. After earning her degree in aeronautical engineering from the Punjab Engineering College, Kalpana Chawla left for the United States. She obtained two Master’s degrees, and a Ph.D. In 1982, she married Jean Pierre Harrison, and became a U.S citizen. She joined the NASA Ames Research Center.

      On December 5th, 1997 she flew to space in the STS-87 Columbia spacecraft. It made 252 orbits round the Earth, and Chawla was given a special award by her peers. In 2003, the ill-fated STS-107, Columbia space craft flew into space carrying Kalpana Chawla and six other crew members. While re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, the space shuttle shattered and everybody in it met a tragic end in 2003. 

        “My public life began when I was three”, said Indira Gandhi. Indira was born into the aristocratic Nehru family. She married Feroz Gandhi, a supporter of the Indian National Congress. Indira was groomed by her father Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. Indira Gandhi was elected president of the Congress party in 1959, and the Prime Minister of India in 1966. The public applauded her bold decision to privatize 14 major private banks in 1969. In 1971, she led India to victory over Pakistan, and recognized the Republic of Bangladesh.

       The Emergency declared in June 26, 1975 was a dark chapter in her political life as large scale cruelties were committed. Indira Gandhi lost power in the 1977 elections, but she won a landslide majority in 1980. Her fight against terrorism in Punjab led to her untimely death. On October 31st, 1984, Indira’s own bodyguards shot her in cold blood.

 

         Captain Lakshmi fought fearlessly on the battle field for India’s freedom. She was a doctor, and received her MBBS degree from the Madras Medical College in 1928. She moved to Singapore, and set up a successful practice. In 1943, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose called upon women to join his Indian national Army.

         An inspired Lakshmi, joined as Colonel in the Rani of Jhansi regiment. She fought on the battle front, and treated the wounded. However, Captain Lakshmi was captured and brought to India. She received a hero’s welcome. After Independence, she became a Rajya Sabha MP. During the Bangladesh crisis, she organized relief camps and medical help in Calcutta for the Bangladesh refugees. She was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1998.

 

         Aruna Asaf Ali was a true heroine of the Independence movement. On August 8th, 1942, the British threw Mahatma Gandhi and the other great leaders into prison. In the nation’s hour of need, Aruna Asaf Ali proved her mettle. Watched by thousands, she hoisted the national flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan.

         Aruna was iron willed, and as lovely as a rose. In 1924, she married Asaf Ali brushing off the opposition of society. The Salt movement saw Aruna Asaf All in her element. She prepared salt, led processions, and addressed meetings. She was arrested.

          She was arrested again in 1932, when she took part in the Satyagraha movement. Following her hoisting of the national flag, Aruna Asaf Ali was forced to go underground. After her death, Aruna Asaf All was awarded the Bharat Ratna. 

         Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, the youngest of three children of an Albanian builder, on August 26th, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia. At the age of 18, she joined the Order of the Sisters of Our Lady of Loreto in Ireland. It was here that she chose the name Teresa, in memory of Saint Terese of Lisieux.

          Mother Teresa later came to Calcutta to teach. However, she always wanted to serve   the poor, and she received what she believed to be a call from God, telling her to devote her to working with the poorest in India. So she got permission to establish a new order of nuns, called The Missionaries of Charity. She and her fellows gathered dying people off the streets of Calcutta and brought them to this home to care for them. Mother Teresa’s first orphanage was started in 1953. While in 1957, she and her Missionaries of Charity began working with lepers. In the years following, her homes have been established in hundreds of locations in the world. Mother Teresa died in 1997.

          Mother Teresa has been given many awards, including the ‘Padmashree Award’, ‘The Nobel Peace Prize’, ‘The Pope John XXIII Peace Prize’, and ‘Medal of Freedom’ as well as many more. All through her life, she served people suffering from various incurable diseases, and those unwanted by the society... so is it any wonder that she is called ‘The Angel of Mercy’? 

Vijayalakshmi Pandit was the daughter of Motilal Nehru. Jawaharlal Nehru was her brother. In 1919, her family came under the magical spell of Mahatma Gandhi.

In 1932, as part of the civil disobedience movement, Vijayalakshmi Pandit organized hartals and processions and delivered speeches. She was arrested along with her sister Krishna, and spent one year in the Lucknow jail. During the Quit India movement, she braved British fire to help the wounded and carry them to hospitals. She was jailed.

After Independence, she had a distinguished innings in the field of foreign affairs. She became India’s first ambassador to the Soviet Union. She headed the Indian delegation to the United Nations from 1947 to 1949. She was elected to the Lok Sabha. In 1953, she was elected as the first woman president of the UN General Assembly. Vijayalakshmi Pandit died on December1, 1990.