GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Who first climbed Mount Everest ? Who became the first woman to sail around the world ? Who was Buddha ? Who was Aristotle ? Who was Martin Luther King, Jr. ? What is nternational !ourt ? Who fought World War ? Wh" World War began ?

Who first climbed Mount Everest?

#o$

The highest mountain peak in the world is Mount Everest, in the Himalayas, with a height of 88 8 metres! The Himalayas lie to the north of "ndia from #ashmir to the north$eastern states! Most of the Himalayan ranges are in %epal and so is Mount Everest! "t is always covered with ice and snow! Everest is a very dangerous mountain to climb because of sheer rocks faces and storms! Many Mountaineers failed to climb the peak! &ut a %ew 'ealand mountaineer, Edmond Hillary along with his guide Ten(in %argay, became the first person to scale summit of the world on May )*, +*,-!

Who became the first woman to sail around the world?

#o$

The first woman to sail around the world single$handed was a )8$year old %ew 'ealander, %aomi .ames! "n /eptember +*00, she set sail from 1artmouth on the south coast of England! Her +2$metre yacht, named E3press 4rusador, was fitted with all modern navigation aids and steering gear! Her 8,555$kilometer 6ourney was full of adventure! 7t sea, after four weeks, her radio broke and after another five weeks, the self$steering gear was smashed in a storm! &y putting into port for sometime, %aomi had to get it repaired! "n .une +*08 she successfully completed the sail and was made 1ame 4ommander of the &ritish Empire! /he set another record becoming the first woman to cross 7tlantic single$ handed in +*85!

Who was &uddha?

#o$

7 prince of %orth "ndian #ingdom #apilvastu, /iddhartha 8autama was given the title, &uddha, who founded the &uddhist religion! /iddhartha turned into &uddha after he came across two truths of life! 9ne day he saw an old man with bent back moving with the help of a stick! /econd time he saw a dead man being taken for cremation! He felt very sad by seeing this! Why this happens in life is what he wanted to know! /iddhartha left home when he was young to look for an answer to life:s problems! He found enlightenment while sitting under a &odhi tree in 8aya! He reali(ed that %irvana, a state of absolute peace and happiness, could bring release from the pressures of life! 9nly by giving up all desires for worldly things, this state could be reached!

Who was 7ristotle?

#o$

7ristotle was a 8reek thinker, educator and /cientist! Than those of almost any other person, his ideas have had more influence on the thinking of the Western World! ;or )5 years, he was a pupil of the <hilosopher <lato and these two men are regarded as the most important of the 7ncient 8reek thinkers! 7ristotle was the tutor of 7le3ander the 8reat! He founded lyceum, a school in 7thens! He deeply taught and wrote on many sub6ects, including /cience, <olitics, 7stronomy, =eligion and >ogic! 7ristotle:s philosopher is characteri(ed by its emphasis on reason and practicality! He was accused by the people of 7thens for not worshiping their gods properly and so he left 7thens to avoid a sentence of death!

Who was Martin >uther #ing, .r!?

#o$

Martin >uther #ing .r! was an 7merican %egro who led the fight for fair treatment for his fellow %egroes! "n +*,,, #ing first gained national attention, when he organi(ed a boycott of segregated buses in Montgomery, 7labama! He used non$violent methods like 8andhi! 1uring a massive demonstration in Washington, he made an inspired speech! "n his struggle for the social rights for %egroes, this was a turning point! To give %egroes e?ual rights with whites, laws were passed soon! ;or his efforts he received the %oble <eace <ri(e! >ike 8andhi, #ing was killed by some fanatic who opposed his ideas!

What is "nternational 4ourt?

#o$

"n Holland, a group of statesmen met to discuss ways of stopping wars and solving disagreements between nations in +8**! To set up the "nternational 4ourt of .ustice, this was one of the ways they found! 4ountries who ?uarrel should go to the international court where fifteen 6udges from different countries decide who is in the right! 1ecisions are based on a ma6ority of 6udges present! The countries in dispute have to agree to accept the decision before they go to court! 1isputes are very often about where e3actly frontiers between countries are drawn! The European 4ourt of .ustice is another international court that sits in >u3embourg! This was set up by the countries of the European 4ommunity! "t makes sure that all the countries of the common market obey the rules and it can fine countries, who disobey, very heavily! Every member country appoints a 6udge!

Who fought World War "?

#o$

The World War which started in 7ugust +*+ went on for years to end %ovember +*+8! 9n one side were the two empires of 8ermany and 7ustria$ Hungary, later 6oined by &ulgaria and Turkey! They were called the 4entral <owers! 7gainst them were 7llies$the =ussian Empire to the east, the ;rench to the west, the &ritish and the &elgium! >ater the "taly, the .apan, @nited /tates, and many smaller nations 6oined the 7llies! &ecause so many countries were involved, it later came to be called a World War! 7fter four years, these nations that had started the war were weary and e3hausted! More than ten million soldiers had been killed! &y coming fresh into the struggle, the @nited /tates tipped the scale, and the 4entral powers collapsed in defeat!

Why World War "" began ?

#o$

When 7dolf Hitler, the 8erman dictator sent his soldiers to attack two small neighbouring countries, 7ustria and 4(echoslovakia, nobody stopped him! This was the time, the second world war began! &ut on +st /eptember, +*-*, when Hitler attacked <oland, the polish fought back! To help them, the &ritish and the ;rench stepped in! 9ver$running 1enmark, %orway, %etherlands, &elgium and ;rance, he con?uered <oland and then launched a surprise attack in the west! He then tried to break the spirit of the &ritish but in +* + lost the battle of &ritain against the =!7!;! Meanwhile, the "talian dictator Musolini an ally of Hitler along with .apan had come in the war! The 7merican, &ritish and other forces landed on the %ormady beaches and forced the 8ermans out of ;rance! They swept across 8ermany to meet their =ussian allies in +* ,! "n May +* ,, 8ermany surrendered to the allied forces! 7 few months later

i!e in 7ugust +* , the first atomic bombs were dropped on the .apanese cities Hiroshima and %agasaki! "n /eptember +* ,, .apan surrendered and the war ended!