09:03

GHENGIS KHAN

Genghis Khan (1162-1227) was an evil genius and tyrant, a man who not only rejoiced in slaughter, but who also commanded the killing of innocent men, women, and children as his mounted minions raped, pillaged, and plundered wherever they went. For centuries Genghis Khan has been infamous as history’s most ruthless, genocidal maniac. Genghis was a huge man with cat’s eyes, who kept a harem of hundreds of girls. He was also responsible for implementing the first alphabet and postal system among his people.  

THE MONGOLS

The Asiatic Mongols were the most advanced fighting machine of their time; they not only had the world’s finest cavalry soldiers---but were considered by far the most brutal. Mongol soldiers survived both winter blizzards and summer droughts. They fought tigers with their bare hands, and were indifferent to suffering of their own or anyone else’s; they were cold, unfeeling, and mechanical. These soldiers were expected to fight to the death in all circumstances, and they did without question. Each soldier kept from twelve to thirty horses.
The Mongols featured a battlefield communication system; they used banner signals by day and flares by night. By the year 1300, the Mongols introduced gunpowder cannons, bamboo rockets, and incendiary grenades to the battlefield; they were indestructible in their acts of destruction.
All Mongol boys were trained early in the art of mastering a bow with 150-pound tension; a bow that could be fired with deadly accuracy from horseback at a distance of 100 yards. These soldiers could ride for days without food or water, and when necessary they subsisted on blood which was drawn from the veins in their horses’ legs.
MONGOL INVASIONS

MONGOL INVASIONS

Genghis proclaimed himself Khan (King) of the world in 1206, and within a decade he began his methodical annihilation of Muslim cities. The Mongol soldiers would hack to pieces every living person regardless of their age. Captured royal officials would die a slow and painful death as molten silver was dripped into their eyes and ears; their torture was also the means of their execution. At the great trading city of Samarkland, Genghis slaughtered 50,000 people, and took another 100,000 as slaves. On his subsequent rampage through the countryside, Genghis burnt crops, leveled cities, and killed every living human being he encountered. He showed no mercy; he was in fact, merciless.
GHENGIS KHAN EQUESTRIAN STATUE

MONGOL EMPIRE

In 1221, the Mongols conquered the Christian nation of Georgia, killing all 70,000 of their soldiers. Next came Kiev, where Genghis butchered all 90,000 men in the opposing force. The Prince of Kiev was suffocated to death beneath the very same banquet table on which the Mongols would enjoy their victory dinner. In both of these wars, the Mongols used the tactic of a fake retreat to draw the enemy into chasing them---thus drawing their enemy into a well planned ambush by their much larger force. The Mongolian cavalry rode for two years without ceasing; they covered a total of 5500 miles, and they conquered twelve nations in what is considered the most outstanding achievement in the history of war waged on horseback. Hence came the legend of the Mongol’s invincibility. At that point in time, it seemed as if all of Europe would be slaughtered, enslaved, or subjugated by the Mongols. It looked as if Genghis would conquer the world.
MONGOLS BATTLE EUROPEANS

MONGOL INVASIONS OF EUROPE

Batu, Genghis’ grandson, had so completely destroyed the Bulgarian capital of Bulgar, in the year 1237 that it was never rebuilt. 50,000 people died there. Next, they attacked Russia, where they hacked civilians to pieces, indulged themselves in the rape of little girls and nuns before killing them, skinned people alive. Other victims were impaled, and some were burned. The Mongols destroyed Kiev in 1240, then the capital of the “Borderlands” (“Ukraine” in Slavic.) This splendid metropolis was reduced to a pile of skulls and bones; it was decimated, nothing more than a shell of a city, left and forgotten in the Mongol’s desire to destroy everything.
Next up for annihilation was Hungary. The Mongols slaughtered 60,000 of their soldiers on the battlefield before burning its capitals, Buda and Pest. The capitals themselves were burnt to the ground in 1241, and their citizens roasted alive on spits in the hope that they would reveal the locations of Hungary’s treasure. They then marched on to Vienna, Austria; shortly after, Mongol spies were seen in Croatia and Venice, setting off panic there as well.
The Mongol Horde also conquered Poland, where they obliterated the entire Polish aristocracy and army, as well as the Knights Templar and Teutonic Knights. They lopped the ears off the fallen to commemorate the victory; the ears filled nine enormous sacks. They burned down Moravia before inexplicably leaving Europe; every city they’d conquered had been left in ashes.
MONGOL EMPIRE 1300

MONGOLS INVADE PERSIA

The Mongols had then decided that their next target would be to hit Islamic Persia. They devastated Baghdad in 1258, where they unleashed one of the biggest and bloodiest massacres known to human history. After the city surrendered, every living thing was killed including more than a million civilians. Baghdad, like the other cities, was then burnt to the ground. The caliph was sewn into a carpet, and then trampled to death by horses. Syria fell next to the Mongols.
GHENGIS KHAN

MONGOLS FINALLY DEFEATED

The Mongols were finally defeated in the Valley of Armageddon by the Mamluks from Egypt. The myth of Mongol invincibility was now destroyed forever, and Islam began its resurgence from the near oblivion to which the Mongols had reduced it. Since Muslims were the only people to ever defeat the Mongols on the battlefield, speculation was that perhaps God really did favor Islam.

08:15

Al Pachino






Birth Name:
Alfredo James Pacino
Birthdate:
April 25, 1940
Birthplace:
New York, NY
Occupation:
Actor, Director, Producer
Education:
High School for the Performing Arts, NYC; left before graduating at age 17
HB Studio, NYC; studied with Charles Laughton
Actors Studio, NYC

Family:
Father: Salvatore Pacino, insurance salesman; left home when Pacino was two
Mother: Rose Pacino
Daughter: Julie Marie; mother, Jan Tarrant; born in 1989
TWINS (a baby boy and a girl): Mother, Beverly D'Angelo. Born in Jan 2001

Significant Others:
Jill Clayburgh: actress; met while acting together at Charles Street Repertory Company, Boston (1966); no longer together
Marthe Keller: actress; no longer together
Diane Keaton: actress; no longer together
Jan Tarrant: mother of Pacino's daughter Julie; no longer together
Lyndall Hobbs: newscaster; Australian; born in 1953 in London; no longer together
Penelope Ann Miller: actress; became involved during the filming of Carlito's Way (1993); no longer togethe
r
Beverly D'Angelo: actress; dating since 1997. Mother of his twins
.

Awards:
1967/68: Obie: Best Actor, The Indian Wants the Bronx
1969: Tony: Best Supporting Actor in a Play, Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?
1969: Drama Desk: Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?
1969: Theater World: Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?
1972: National Board of Review: Best Supporting Actor, The Godfather
1972: National Society of Film Critics: Best Actor, The Godfather
1973: National Board of Review: Best Supporting Actor, Serpico
1973: Golden Globe: Best Actor in a Motion Picture (drama), Serpico
1974: BAFTA: Best Actor, The Godfather, Part II
1975: Los Angeles Film Critics: Best Actor, Dog Day Afternoon
1975: BAFTA: Best Actor, Dog Day Afternoon
1977: Tony: Best Actor in a Play, The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel
1992: Golden Globe: Best Actor in a Motion Picture (drama), Scent of a Woman
1992: Oscar: Best Actor, Scent of a Woman

1996: Independent Feature Project: Gotham Award, Lifetime Achievement
1996: Directors Guild of America: Documentary Direction, Looking for Richard
1997: Boston Society of Film Critics: Best Actor, Donnie Brasco2001:
Cecil B. De Mille Lifetime Achievement Award (Presented at Golden Globe Awards 200
After winning his Golden Globe


Holding his OSCAR for "Scent of a Woman"


AL PACINReal Name: Alfredo Pacino
Occupation: Actor, Director, Writer
Date of Birth: April 25, 1940
Place of Birth: New York, NY, USA
Sign: Sun in Taurus, Moon in Sagittarius
Education: High School of the Performing Arts dropout; studiedacting at the Actors Studio and the Herbert Berghof Studio, both in New York City.
Relations: Kid: Julie Marie (mother, Jan Tarrant); Companion:Beverly D'Angelo (actress)
Nickname: Sonny
Height: 5' 6"
Mini Biography:
One of the greatest actors in all of film history, Al Pacino established himself during one of film's greatest decades, the 70s, and has become an enduring and iconic figure in the world of American movies. Born on April 25th, 1940 in New York City, Pacino's parents (Salvatore and Rose) divorced when he was young. His mother moved them into his grandparents' house. Pacino found himself often repeating the plots and voices of characters who he had seen in the movies, one of his favorite activities. Bored and unmotivated in school, the young Al Pacino found a haven in school plays, and his interest soon blossomed into a full-time career. Starting on the stage, Pacino went through a lengthy period of depression and poverty, sometimes having to borrow bus fare to make it to auditions. He made it into the prestigious Actors Studio in 1966, studying under the legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg, creator of the Method Approach that would become the trademark of many 70s era actors. Making appearances in various plays, Pacino finally hit it big with "The Indian Wants the Bronx", winning an Obie award for the 1966-67 season. Gaining notoriety on the theater scene, Pacino then won the Tony Award for "Does the Tiger Wear a Necktie?". His first feature films made little departure from the gritty realistic stage performances that earned him respect: he played a junkie in Me, Natalie (1969) and Panic in Needle Park, The (1971). What would come next would change his life forever.
The part of Michael Corleone in Godfather, The (1972) was one of the most sought-after roles in film history. Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, 'Ryan ONeal, Robert De Niro, and a host of others were bandied about for the role, but director Francis Ford Coppola had his heart set on the unknown Italian Pacino. From the studio, to the producers, to the cast on down, nobody else wanted Al Pacino. Though Coppola won out through slick persuasion, Pacino was in constant fear of being fired and replaced at any minute during the hellish shoot. But the role was a career-making hit, and earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Instead of taking on easier projects for money, Pacino threw his support behind tough important films, such as the true life crime drama Serpico (1973) and the tragic real life bank robbery film Dog Day Afternoon (1975). Pacino opened eyes around the film world for his brave choice of roles; and he was nominated three consecutive years for the "Best Actor" Academy Award. He faltered slightly with Bobby Deerfield (1977), but regained his stride with the law film ...And Justice for All (1979), for which he received another Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. This would unfortunately signal one of the only bad points in his career, one that produced the flops Cruising (1980) and Author! Author! (1982). He took on another vicious gangster role and cemented his legendary status in the ultra-violent Scarface (1983), but a monumental mistake was about to follow. Revolution (1985) endured an endless and seemingly cursed shoot in which equipment was destroyed, weather was terrible, and Pacino became terribly ill with pneumonia. Constant changes in the script also further derailed an already terrible project. The Revolutionary War film is considered one of the worst films ever, gained Pacino his first truly awful reviews, and kept him out of movies for the next four years.
Returning to the stage, Pacino has done much to give back and contribute to the theatre, which he considers his first love. He directed a film Local Stigmatic, The (1989) but it remains unreleased to the public. His self-imposed exile lifted, he returned in striking form in Sea of Love (1989) as a hard-drinking cop. The film marks the second phase of Pacino's career, the first film to feature his now famous dark, owl eyes and hoarse, gravelly voice. Making a return to the Corleones he made Godfather: Part III, The (1990), and earned raves for his first comedic role in the colorful Dick Tracy (1990). This earned him another Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and two years later he was nominated for Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). He went into romantic mode for Frankie and Johnny (1991). In 1992 he finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his amazing performance in Scent of a Woman (1992). A mix of technical perfection (he plays a blind man) and charisma, the role was tailor-made for him, and remains a classic. The next few years would see Pacino becoming more comfortable with acting and movies as a business, turning out great roles in great films with more frequency and less of the demanding personal involvement of his wilder days. Carlito's Way (1993) proved another gangster classic, as did the epic crime drama Heat (1995) directed by Michael Mann. He returned to the director's chair for the highly acclaimed and quirky Shakespeare adaptation Looking for Richard (1996). City Hall (1996), Donnie Brasco (1997), and Devil's Advocate, The (1997) all came out in this period. Reteaming with Mann and then Oliver Stone, he gave two commanding performances in Insider, The (1999) and Any Given Sunday (1999).
In his personal life, Pacino is one of Hollywood's most enduring and notorious bachelors, having never been married. He has a daughter Julie Marie with acting teacher Jan Tarrant, and a new set of twins with long-time girlfriend Beverly D'Angelo. His romantic history includes a long-time romance with Godfather co-star Diane Keaton. With his intense and gritty performances, Pacino was an original in the acting profession. His Method approach would become the process of many actors throughout time, and his unbeatable number of classic roles has already made him a legend among film buffs and all aspiring actors and directors. His commitment to acting as a profession and his constant screen dominance has established him as one of movies' legends.
IMDb mini-biography by
Brian Stewart
Trivia
(16 October 1997) Recieved a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
(October 1997) Ranked #4 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.
Was arrested in January 1961, charged with carrying a concealed weapon.
Son of Salvatore Pacino (insurance agent) and Rose Pacino (she died when Al was 22).
He has a daughter, named Julie Marie, with acting teacher Jan Tarrant.
Dropped out of school at the age of 17.
Turned down Kramer vs. Kramer (1979).
Turned down Born on the Fourth of July (1989).
Turned down Apocalypse Now (1979).
Turned down the role of Han Solo in Star Wars (1977).
Turned down Pretty Woman (1990).
Turned down Crimson Tide (1995).
Originally asked for $7 million for _Godfather: Part III, The (1990)_ (qv), a figure that so enraged director Francis Ford Coppola that he threatened to write a new script that opened with Michael Corleone's funeral. Pacino settled for $5 million.
Father of twins Anton and Olivia with Beverly D'Angelo.
His grandparents originate from Corleone, Sicily.
Was frequently refered to as "that midget Pacino" by producers of 'The Godfather' who didn't want him for the part of Michael Corleone.
Francis Ford Coppola asked Pacino to play Captain Willard in his film 'Apocalypse Now'. Pacino politely turned down the offer saying he'd "do anything" for Francis but he "woudn't go to war with him!"
Stopped a 2-pack-a-day smoking habit in 1994 to protect his voice. He now only occasionally smokes herbal cigarettes.
Al was so much into character (playing a plain-clothes NYC cop) while filming 'Serpico' he actually pulled over and threatened to arrest a truck driver for exhaust pollution.
Is an avid fan of opera.
Once worked as an usher at Carnegie Hall.
Larry King considers Pacino's appearance on his show ("Larry King Live") in November 1996 one of his personal all-time favorite interviews.
As of 2002, Al Pacino's current salary is around $10 million a picture.
One of the few Hollywood stars who has never married. 

17:59

Imran Khan

He was smart, handsome, tall, reserved, and dazzled the world with his amazing talent, he gave cricket another name and made cricket popular with his personal looks and talent. Imran khan was an unbelievably talented all rounder who’s name has been mentioned several times in Guinness World Record as one of the best all rounders (person who can bat as well as ball) in the history of cricket and has reached the top like no one else.
He was born in Lahore, Pakistan into a family of six. He entered the world on November 25,1952, the only boy and seventh member of his family. His parents gave him the name Imran Khan Niazi and truly loved him since he is the only boy in their family.
Imran was part of a well-educated family. His parents believed that their children should get the best of education, and become something. Imran's parents have believed this and followed through with it, and that is why Imran's sisters are so successful today.

His older sister Robina is an alumnus of the LSE and has a senior position in the United Nations in New York; his other sister Aleema has a master's degree in business administration and runs a successful business; Uzma is a highly qualified surgeon is working in a Lahore hospital; while his other sister Rani is a University graduate who coordinates charity work. When it was time for Imran to go attend a college, he went to the prestigious public school in Lahore, the Aitchison College. There he was by far the best player on his team, being a very fine batsmen. He was still though quite far from becoming the best in the world. As Imran grew older, his interests went from being a batsmen to being a fast bowler.
When sixteen, Imran made his debut for Lahore. Imran's cousins Javed Burki, and Majid Khan were a great part of cricket therefore when he made his test debut people thought that he made it because his family was on the Pakistan's Cricket Team. (Nepotism)

Later, Imran had to put cricket to the side and focus more on his studies.
Undoubtedly he was back again at the age of eighteen. He played admirably which resulted in him moving to England as he was chosen to play for a private school there.As the year 1971 approached, he made his test debut while visiting England.During this tour, he was fined many times by the management because he was looked upon by his peers as being a very snobby and wild player. Also on this tour, Imran did not play as well. Because of his "not so good" bowling,
Pakistan was coasted to settle for a draw. This was the only test match on the tour.

When Imran was twenty-one, he was admitted in the
Oxford University. For three years he studied economics and politics. In 1974 Pakistan toured England and therefore he was selected because of his form for Oxford University and his experience with speaking English. He had not succeeded to make a big mark because all three of his tests were drawn.

In 1976 Imran returned to Pakistan after being away for four years. During the 1976-77 season, Imran got a place in the Pakistan cricket team. He had impressed the team with his fantastic bowling. Later he moved to play with Sussex. The biggest reason for Imran to do this was because of his love affairs with the nightlife of London. He was quite angry at Worcester (a team he played for before he played for Sussex), because of the racism he found there. During the time he had been playing for other teams, Imran had become quite a big star.Everyone was able to see that this guy had talent and played very well. At this point, not only was he playing well, but had basically become a superstar. Imran continued to play for Sussex, because he enjoyed it there. At this point he had become the "father" of the reverse swing. His most famous partner was Sarfaraz Nawaz, in which the partners could make a lot of runs.Soon after, under the orders of the top official, Imran came back to
Pakistan to play test cricket for the series against India. During this match, Imran hit two sixes and a four with only seven balls remaining. Because of Imran's huge success, one could easily say that Imran was one of the most adored cricketer through the land at this point.

During the early 80's Imran was not only at his cricketing peak, but had quite a few relations with women. He had a relationship with Susannah Costantine,ex-model Marie Helving, and artist Emma Sargeant. Some of his relations ended simply because of difference in culture and because of the busy and traveling life of Imran. He brought some of his relationships back home to Pakistan in which he was frowned upon because he was an individual of Muslim faith.

When Imran was thirty, he became the captain of the Pakistan cricket team. He lead them to a victory against England in their second test match.

During the years of his captaincy, Imran had broken his shin. Even though this was so, Imran continued to bowl, whether there was pain or not. Because of his injury, Imran was able to put bowling to the side and concentrate more on his batting. Imran improved his batting greatly which led him to his first century
in a one day match.
In 1987, Imran decided to retire from cricket. Javed Miandad took his place. Because Pakistan's best captain was gone; the team was in somewhat of crisis .President of Pakistan Zia ul Haq asked him Personally to come back, therefore he was back as a captain in 1988.In later interviews he mentioned that personally his passion for the game was no more in 1987, he was already recognized around the globe.
1992 was the year of the World Cup Cricket competition, the most prestigious cricket event, Pakistan’s start was not good and lost couple of games and was looking to be kicked out in early stages he later told that during that time the manager of cricket team came to him and asked him that should I buy the tickets to go back home imran replied angrily that don’t come to me again and remember you are not out until you are really out. The Tiger was absolutely correct ,he gathered his team gave them a lecture inspired the spirits of the young team with his charisma, and the team replied with going into final. In the final at the age of 39, Imran showed no signs of his age scoring highest runs for his team. And then with his prolific captaincy he smacked the opponents, took the last wicket for his team and made history by winning the First and sole World Cup for his motherland.
He ended his career with an outstanding score of 3807 runs and 362 wickets in only test matches. During his career, Imran had turned the Pakistan cricket stars into the stars they are today. The day that Imran retired was a very big day. So big that the President of that time, Zia personally tried to stop him from retiring. Imran said that he wanted to retire at the highest point of his popularity so that people would be able to remember him forever.4 He wanted his name to be in all hearts and be recognized for all his accomplishments. Imran had officially ended his career as a cricketer and is truly remembered by all.
Social work
For more than four years after retiring from cricket in 1992, Khan focused his efforts solely on social work. By 1991, he had founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, a charity organization bearing the name of his mother, Mrs. Shaukat Khanum. As the Trust's maiden endeavor, Khan established Pakistan's first and only cancer hospital, constructed using donations and funds exceeding $25 million, raised by Khan from all over the world. Inspired by the memory of his mother, who died of cancer, the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, a charitable cancer hospital with 75 percent free care, opened in Lahore on 29 December 1994.Khan currently serves as the chairman of the hospital and continues to raise funds through charity and public donations. During the 1990s, Khan also served as UNICEF's Special Representative for Sports and promoted health and immunization programmes in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
On 27 April 2008, Khan's brainchild, a technical college in the Mianwali District called Namal College, was inaugurated. Namal College was built by the Mianwali Development Trust (MDT), as chaired by Khan, and was made an associate college of the University of Bradford in December 2005. Currently, Khan is building another cancer hospital in Karachi, using his successful Lahore institution as a model. While in London, he also works with the Lord’s Taverners, a cricket charity.
Marriage
Imran Khan with his wife jemima
In 1995, Imran decided to settle down and marry. He married Jemima Goldsmith who is the daughter of a billionaire. She was Jewish and converted to Islam by choice just before the two got married. Their wedding took place in Paris. When they came back to London, they threw a party which was more for the public.
On
November 18th 1996, Imran and Jemima were the proud parent's of a baby boy. The named him Suleiman Isa. On April 10th, 1999 Jemima gave birth to yet another baby boy. They have named him Kassim. Today, Imran has entered the world of politics and has set up his own party Tehreek-a-Insaf (Campaign for Justice). The party is struggling and in the two elections it participated in, it could get none seat in the first and won a single seat in the next election that seat was of Imran himself. So he himself has become Member National Assembly He continues to fundraise for his hospital. He does this by taking tours with popular stars. Some stars donate their money to Imran's hospital.
The marriage of former Pakistan cricket star Imran Khan and UK socialite Jemima Goldsmith has ended in 2004 .However they remain very close friends and jemimma khan
decided to keep his name for rest of her life.