Gregor Mendel

Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), Austrian monk, whose experimental work became the basis of modern hereditary theory.

Mendel was born on July 22, 1822, to a peasant family in Heinzendorf (now Hynčice, Czech Republic). He entered the Augustinian monastery at Brünn (now Brno, Czech Republic), which was known as a center of learning and scientific endeavor. He later became a substitute teacher at the technical school in Brünn. There Mendel became actively engaged in investigating variation, heredity, and evolution in plants at the monastery's experimental garden. Between 1856 and 1863 he cultivated and tested at least 28,000 pea plants, carefully analyzing seven pairs of seed and plant characteristics. His tedious experiments resulted in the enunciation of two generalizations that later became known as the laws of heredity. His observations also led him to coin two terms still used in present-day genetics: dominance, for a trait that shows up in an offspring; and recessiveness, for a trait masked by a dominant gene.

Napoleon Bonaparte: A hero in France

The French called Napoleon Bonaparte “a man of destiny.” A hero in France, Napoleon was hated elsewhere in Europe. Today, Napoleon is remembered as one of the greatest military leaders of all time. He built an empire that covered much of Europe.

Napoleon Bonaparte was born in 1769 on Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. At the age of 16, Napoleon chose a career in the French army.

In 1789, a revolution began that rocked France. The king and queen were executed. Hungry working people demanded new freedoms. Revolutionary governments in France swept away old laws. They declared war on supporters of the former king. The French Revolution lasted until 1799.

Sir Isaac Newton was a famous scientist

Isaac Newton was always wondering about the things he saw around him. What holds the Moon and planets in the sky? How does a rainbow form? He uncovered basic laws of nature. He used mathematics to explain these laws and predict how objects would behave. He became one of the greatest scientists of all time.

Newton was born in Woolsthorpe, England, on December 25, 1642. He loved to build mechanical models, but he was not a good student. His mother took him out of school so that he could help run the family farm. Newton did not like farming. He liked to read and study on his own. A former teacher knew that Newton was very smart and helped him go to the University of Cambridge.

Albert Einstein was a genious person

Dents in space, light in bundles, and matter that turns into energy sound like science-fiction fantasies. However, Albert Einstein said they were real. Other scientists proved through observations that Einstein’s theories were right. Einstein revolutionized the science of physics and helped bring in the atomic age.

Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany, on March 14, 1879. He grew up in Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. Einstein taught himself geometry when he was 12 years old. School bored him because it required endless memorizing and reciting. He often skipped classes to study on his own or to play his violin. Yet he graduated from college in 1900 and earned a Ph.D. degree in 1905. From 1902 to 1907, Einstein worked as a clerk in the patent office in Zürich, Switzerland. His job left him plenty of time to think.

The Beatles were a Rock Music Sensation

The Beatles were a rock music sensation in the 1960s and 1970s. Everyone had a favorite among the four. For some people, it was Paul McCartney, the sweet one, or John Lennon, the funny one. For others, it was George Harrison, the mystery man, or Ringo Starr, the bouncy drummer. The Beatles changed popular music for all time, with their songs and their sparkling personalities.

All four Beatles were born in Liverpool, England. All four loved music, especially American rhythm-and-blues and rock music. Lennon and McCartney were the main songwriters, with Harrison as their brilliant guitarist. When Starr joined up in 1962, the group began rocking with the songs “Love Me Do,” “Please Please Me,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” and “She Loves You.”

Who was Plato?

Plato was a very original thinker who lived in ancient Greece. He asked questions that nobody had asked before. He even tried to explain how the human mind works.

Plato was born about 428 BC in Athens, Greece. He became a pupil of Greek philosopher Socrates. Then he set up a school in 387 BC. He called his school the Academy. Pupils studied astronomy, biology, mathematics, politics, and philosophy at the Academy.

Plato wrote dialogues debates that he imagined taking place between teachers and pupils. He hoped these dialogues would help students understand his ideas.

Plato investigated many topics, from friendship to the heavens. But his most important work was a study of knowledge.....

Socrates: The Ancient Greece Philosopher

What is love? What is truth? What is justice? Socrates, a philosopher in ancient Greece, asked big questions like these and tried to make people think. Socrates was born in Athens, Greece, in 469 BC. He devoted his life to philosophy. He taught students, made speeches, and debated with anyone who would listen to him.

Socrates wanted to find out the best way to live. He wondered why some people behaved well and others behaved badly. He thought that bad behavior resulted from ignorance. He believed that once people knew what was right, they would choose to behave well. Behaving well, Socrates claimed, was the best way to live.

Socrates’ beliefs made him urge fellow citizens to think hard about what they were doing. Was it right? Was it honest? Was it permitted by law? Through questions like these, he hoped to help people recognize their mistakes. This knowledge would bring them closer to the truth and help them lead better lives.

Nelson Mandela is a Hero

Nelson Mandela, a boy from an African village, grew up to become the first black president of South Africa.

Before he became president, Mandela led a long and difficult struggle against segregation in South Africa. Under segregation, black and white people were kept apart. Segregation denied blacks many basic rights. Mandela spent many years in prison for trying to end segregation in South Africa.


Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in 1918 in a small village in the Transkei region of South Africa. His father was a chief of the Thembu tribe. Mandela’s parents named him Rolihlahla, an African word that means troublemaker. Little did they know how fitting his name would be!

At the age of seven, Mandela became the first person in his family to go to school. At school, Mandela was given the name Nelson. He went on to attend college and earn a law degree in the city of Johannesburg.

Julius Caesar The Brilliant Soldier

Was Julius Caesar mostly interested in serving the people whom he ruled? Or was he only interested in grabbing power? People who met the Roman statesman could not agree. Caesar was a brilliant soldier and a clever, capable ruler. But he was also extremely ambitious.

Caesar was born in 100 BC, to one of Rome’s most famous families. But his family had many enemies, and Caesar thought it best to leave Rome. He trained as a soldier and went to study in Greece. But he hoped for a political career.

Caesar returned to Rome in 73 BC and made plans to run for office. He worked on the election campaigns of army general Pompey and Crassus, a very rich noble. The men were running for consul, which was then the highest office in Rome. To win support for the candidates.