Uncommon People I Have Known: Sixteen Individuals Who Have Made a Difference
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Of the 14 vaccines routinely recommended in current vaccine schedules, he developed eight: Hilleman was also the first to identify how the influenza virus mutates, and he virtually single-handedly spearheaded creation of the vaccine that prevented the Asian flu outbreak of from becoming a repeat of the Spanish flu pandemic, which killed 20 million people worldwide [ Source ].
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The development revolutionized the poultry industry. He received the Prince Mahidol Award from the King of Thailand for the advancement of public health, as well as a special lifetime achievement award from the World Health Organization. On September 26, , Lt. Shortly after midnight, one of the satellites signaled Moscow that the United States had launched five ballistic missiles at Russia.
The responsibility fell to Petrov, then a year-old lieutenant colonel, to make a decision: Was it for real? The alarm came during tense times. Despite the electronic evidence, Petrov decided — and advised the others — that the satellite alert was a false alarm, a call that may have averted a nuclear holocaust. But he was relentlessly interrogated afterward, was never rewarded for his decision and today is a long-forgotten pensioner living in a town outside Moscow.
Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov 30 Jan. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, he prevented the launch of a nuclear torpedo and likely prevented a nuclear war. Despite being in international waters, the Americans started dropping practice depth charges, explosives intended to force the submarine to come to the surface for identification. There had been no contact from Moscow for a number of days and the sub was too deep to monitor any radio traffic, so those on board did not know whether war had broken out.
The captain of the submarine, Valentin Grigorievitch Savitsky, believing that a war might already have started, wanted to launch a nuclear torpedo.
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Three officers on board the submarine — Savitsky, the political officer Ivan Semonovich Maslennikov, and the second-in-command Arkhipov — were authorized to launch the torpedo if agreeing unanimously in favor of doing so. An argument broke out among the three, in which only Arkhipov was against the launch. Arkhipov eventually persuaded Savitsky to surface the submarine. As of July , billionaire individuals and couples and one family group have signed the pledge. Norman Ernest Borlaug March 25, — Sept. Borlaug received his B.
Biology and Ph. He took up an agricultural research position in Mexico, where he developed semi-dwarf, high-yield, disease-resistant wheat varieties. During the midth century, Borlaug led the introduction of these high-yielding varieties combined with modern agricultural production techniques to Mexico, Pakistan, and India.
As a result, Mexico became a net exporter of wheat by Between and , wheat yields nearly doubled in Pakistan and India, greatly improving the food security in those nations. These collective increases in yield have been labeled the Green Revolution , and Borlaug is often credited with saving over a billion people worldwide from starvation.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in in recognition of his contributions to world peace through increasing food supply. This represented an enormous boon to medical and biological research. By , the HeLa strain of cells was being used by Jonas Salk to develop a vaccine for polio. In HeLa cells were the first human cells successfully cloned. Demand for the HeLa cells quickly grew.
HeLa cells have been used to test human sensitivity to tape, glue, cosmetics, and many other products. Scientists have grown some 20 tons of her cells, and there are almost 11, patents involving HeLa cells. Eugene Lazowski — December 16, was a Polish medical doctor who saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust by creating a fake epidemic. Thanks to a medical discovery by his friend, Dr Stanislav Matulewicz, Lazowski created a fake outbreak of Epidemic Typhus , a dangerous infectious disease. This saved an estimated 8, Polish Jews from certain death in German concentration camps during the Holocaust.
The Germans were weary of Epidemic Typhus because it was highly contagious. While Jews who tested positive for typhus were normally executed by the Nazis, the doctors injected the non-Jewish population in neighborhoods surrounding the ghettos, knowing that a possibility of widespread outbreak inside would cause Germans to abandon and quarantine the area instead. Having spread smiles on over 8, faces, Chari continues to do her bit to make the lives of these small kids a little better. But this duo has transformed the way paper is made. They invented a paper that is made out of elephant dung!
Talk about revolutionizing the market! She started an initiatives for the children of construction workers, who are mostly ignored. They spend their childhood in mud and dust, playing with dangerous tools, unfed and unclothed. She decided to help these kids and provide them a safe, healthy and educated childhood.
Left on the streets when she was just a kid 60 years ago, Prakash Kaur made it the mission of her life to never let another newborn and unwanted girl child face the same fate as hers. She started the Unique Home for girls where she takes care of those girls who have been abandoned by their families. She helps these girls become healthy individuals, and arms them with all the social skills and educational qualifications that they would need to face life on their own terms. Singh has been an inspiration to many who are following in her footsteps.
He spent just Rs. He claims he could generate electricity for the entire village through his machine, if he could get a regular supply of water through the canal.
Sixteen Individuals Who Have Made a Difference Frank P. Sherwood. UNCOMMON PEOPLE I HAVE KNOWN Sixteen Individuals Who Have Made a Difference. History may have forgotten them, but we haven't. Meet 15 interesting people who never got the credit they deserved. They become so well known that when someone asks "who is the most interesting person in the world? Some individuals are just too mysterious to remember such as Agent , whose.
The only obstacle is that the canal has water for only three months in a year. Siddappa is an example of how one can bring a larger change without having enough resources or education. She started a mobile library for students who could not afford to buy books. Her initiative has not only helped the economically poor students to get access to books but has also developed a reading environment in the government school.
Bal Pandian is an ordinary villager, but his extraordinary feats have made him a legend. This man loved birds ever since he was a child and as he grew older he dedicated his life to conserve the species. When there were a large number of birds to take care of, it was very hard to arrange the big amount of Rs. We salute the man who has given more priority to these birds than to his own life and comforts. Coming out of the closet is indeed very challenging and difficult in this country, and when you belong to such an illustrious family, a lot more follows after the disclosure.
When Shachi Singh saw a poor boy on a railway station, she decided to help all those kids who are living on streets, spending their days doing small-time odd jobs to earn their daily bread and butter. She started an organization, Ehsaas, which caters to the needs of such children. Thanks to her hard work, Lucknow station is now free of child labour. Her efforts made the government create child-friendly booths for lost children across 72 districts of Uttar Pradesh.
From rescuing these children from manual labour to helping them live a decent life, Singh has been a support system for all these children and we respect her dedication for the cause. She is a lady full of compassion and warmth. While working in UK, an incident changed the way Dr. Patel thought and she decided to dedicate her life to treating those in need for free. She came to India and started working in Kutchh, and began her own school called Dhanvantri School for mentally and physically challenged children.
This inspiring woman is helping the less privileged get an equal opportunity to study and succeed. By helping these children experience something which they generally are deprived of, by giving them a chance to grow, Dr. Patel has been enhancing and colouring the lives of all these children. Shri Sathyanarayan Mundayoor—Sathyanarayanji to adults and Uncle Moosa to the young—has spent 32 years in North East India influencing the education and reading movements at various levels.
He quit his well-settled government job to live a more meaningful life. Keen on developing reading habits among students, he started a public library and with his regular efforts, some of the remotest villages in the North East now have over 13 such libraries. The books are donated by well-wishers, and Uncle Moosa is single-handedly managing the initiative for a brighter future of these students.
We salute this guy who dared to take education and books to the off beat locations of the country. He has been an innovator ever since he was in school. He would observe the mechanics and would try to fix broken things at his home. While he was at school, he would help engineering students finish their projects.
As a year old, he came to Bangalore from Bijapur District in Karnataka, with a laptop, a wireless router and a 1-way bus fare in All this without even having a college degree! He sets an example of how lack of resources cannot stop you if you are really passionate about your dreams. He makes sure that his passengers are comfortable. Snacks, water, newspaper, dustbin — this small vehicle has it all. Do you know the most amazing thing about this auto? The meter is always at zero!
He greets you with a card and a note at the end of your ride. It fills our heart with love when we see people like Udaybhai, who with limited resources are trying to spread happiness and love in the country. Basanti was married at the young of 12 and soon after the marriage her husband died. She shifted to Uttarakhand to learn knitting and weaving and became literate. Through her passion and dedication, she has managed to work actively in the social sector. Her love towards nature led her to start various initiatives to conserve forests and other natural resources.
She engaged the community and convinced them to refrain from cutting down trees along the Kosi river in Uttarakhand.
With her regular efforts she has managed to involve the forest department to contribute to her cause. She has proved that though the path is difficult, it can be achieved with dedication. Quite often we see incidents where the differently-abled are deprived of a good career opportunity in spite of having the appropriate qualification.
Born with cerebral palsy, Avelino never let this disability come in his away. He became a certified investment consultant and started an association called DRAG to help address the issues of the disabled.
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He has been self-employed for over 12 years now and has over clients. We can learn a lot from this hero who has made it possible through his dedication and passion. Sanitation is one of the biggest problems of India and somehow it has always been neglected in rural India. Atul Bhide started by constructing 10 toilets from his own money and then got the project sponsored to construct toilets more.
Of all children, perhaps those of a sex worker are most ignored. Somehow their education is never taken seriously. Priti and Pravin Patkar are two amazing souls who understood the situation and decided to bring a change. The duo started an organization, Prerana, which caters to the educational needs of these children.
She was also aboard the Titanic's two sister ships -- both of which sank, and both of which she survived. Maurice Ralph Hilleman August 30, — April 11, was an American microbiologist who specialized in vaccinology and developed over 36 vaccines, more than any other scientist. And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts: Photograph via Johns Hopkins University. His love for the country and fellow human beings touches the heart of anyone who meets him.
Thanks to their help, many kids have been able to continue their studies and pursue various career options. We salute their spirit and admire them for their immense dedication. This 66 year old man from Kasargod, Kerala went an extra mile to preserve the environment. Today, he lives in his 32 acre lush green forest which is home to many birds and animals. Not only have his efforts changed the environment around him, they have also helped to raise the water table of nearby areas.
He traveled 20 kms everyday from his village to a nearby internet cafe to make education more interesting for his students. This, in spite of living on a farm and having limited access to electricity. Her organization, Prajwala, has been rehabilitating the victims after rescuing them.
Shelters have been built and a factory has been opened where skills like carpentry, welding, etc. Through her blog she talks about the horrifying reality. Working with police and law enforcement agencies, Krishnan is making sure that no girl in the country faces this dreadful plight.
We are filled with admiration and respect for this amazing lady. This wonderful year old man has been helping the remotest villages in Himachal Pradesh through his inventions for over 50 years now. He has managed to make six different types of adhesives from cactus. Age is not a concern for this energetic man as he plans to invent many more such tools that could simplify lives of people living in the Himalayas. While we still come across people who believe in caste distinctions and untouchables, this couple has developed an entire village for them.
Often those who are suffering from leprosy, mental sickness, etc. Spread over 30 acres of land, Sahyog has given a new life to many less fortunate people. People like Soni make us believe that compassion is the biggest treasure one can have. Some stories are so powerful and heartbreaking that you fail to measure the impact that they leave on you. Rather than letting that black day affect her life in a negative way, she took it as an opportunity to help other women undergoing similar misfortune. This is the mark of a true braveheart.
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The wedding reception was a fundraiser for an education fund for underprivileged children. No box gifts were allowed; only donations to the fund. This is just a glimpse into the lives of this wonderful duo, whose lives are dedicated to bringing happiness in the lives of others less privileged. They have developed a low-cost sanitary napkin manufacturing machine that produces bio-degradable, pulp-fibre sanitary napkins, which are comparable in quality to MNC products.
Kudos to the duo for working towards the unacknowledged but important issue of the society. He spent two years in a hospital, unable to move. Though his doctor claimed he would never be able to move again, Gulia had a vitally different view from his. He is the man who brought water to drought-affected Beed. Maharashtra has been facing droughts for many years now.
Muttha is one of those people who witnessed the drought and saw the hardships of the people. He started his efforts by reviving various lakes and recharging wells, and as a result, about hectare of land received silt and the cumulative water storage capacity was increased by 20 lakh cubic metres. We talk about education opportunities for every section of the society. Shilpa is bridging this gap. We need more such leaders who are not only giving education opportunities to those who need it but also preparing them for a bigger world and tougher competition.
While kerosene lamps look like a solution to light up these villages, they do more harm than good. Always active in the field of rural development, Dr. Bodavala planned to solve this issue. She has beautifully broken the boundaries and made the lives of these young children a little better through music. This vibrant lady is actively working to make this initiative popular across India.
He erected water harvesting structures, made lawns, and with the use of various modern techniques, brought about the unimaginable change. With his help and technology, we are certain we can revive many such barren lands. From financial support, education and insurance facilities to intangibles like dignity of labour and quality of life, Dr. Adhav is doing everything possible to make the lives of waste pickers a little easier.
His efforts for this ignored section of the society are commendable and we need more such amazing people. He has started initiatives to make people aware of the lesser-known historical places of Delhi. He plans to find all monuments and spread the word about heritage in such a way that every child in Delhi will start loving this city. While we see people disrespecting these amazing sites by littering, Rooprai is doing commendable work in spreading awareness about our rich heritage.