Strange Beauty Tips From Beautiful Women Rulers Of History: Empress Elisabeth, Nefertiti, Queen Elizabeth I
Portrait painting of empress Elisabeth of Austria (1854)Public Domain, Source: Wolfgang Sauber/Wikimedia Commons. I agree, each one of us is beautiful just the way we are, yet some people are born pretty — and I don’t mean lovely soul or a pretty mind, I am talking about a pretty face, like the one that makes you reconsider looking at your reflection in the mirror for days.
Read full storyActs of Vengeance Committed by Genghis Khan: Wiping Off Nations, Marrying His Daughters to Enemies, Piling Bones
The Mongols Empire was the largest contiguous land empire in history and yet was also the most brutalPublic Domain, Source: Wikimedia Commons. Genghis Khan, along with his loyal followers, were known to have caused havoc on the earth — they killed people in millions at one go, erased multiple kingdoms from the face of history, and grazed several invaluable monuments, culture, and properties to the ground.
Read full storyYour words still got a home: Writing lessons that never get old
It has been a long time since most of us have travelled anywhere. With the pandemic and global lockdown, we had no choice but to sit and cosy up at home, sip cold lattes that we prepared, and catch up with family members — something we had wanted to do for a long time.
Read full storyUncredited skills make you a more focused and successful writer
Before we dig into the details, let me tell you something about this post. This story is not a step-by-step guide for every single skill I mentioned below. Instead, I have jotted down the things I learned from my short experience as a writer and how they may help you too. I hope the following uncredited skills make you a more focused and successful writer.
Read full storyIt’s Okay To Be Not Proud of Yourself All the Time: When Guilt Defines Us For Who We Truly Are
It was back in the year 2004 when this happened. I was very young — hardly eight or nine years old. We had gone to Mumbai, in India, during summer break for a short vacation.
Read full storySome Fairy Tales Were Borrowed From Real-Life Historical Accounts. Meet the real-life Snow White: Margaretha Von Waldeck
We don’t realize that many of the fairy-tales we heard as children were actually derived from real-life stories from historyPublic Domain, Source: The Arthur Szyk Society, Burlingame/Wikimedia Commons.
Read full storyYou Are the Imposter You Always Thought You Were Because To Be Creative You Have To Abandon ‘Originality’
This must have been surprising. I felt the same, too, when I was introduced to this concept. I mean, come on, creativity is often linked to a lonesome pursuit of a creative genius — who not only transforms the world but also changes the perspective of the generations to follow. Creativity is meant to be personal and therefore, unique. This is supposed to be a universal truth that has to be unanimously agreed upon.
Read full storyTragic Tales of History’s Seven Shortest Reigning Rulers: Lady Jane Grey, Empress Yuan, Tsar Michael II, and others
The period when rulers could come in power either by descent or by influence was a dangerous yet dramatic time to be alive. History bears testimony to the rulers who survived only to bring great developments into their kingdoms: some built empires and dynasties, while others left no place on the earth undevoured. Yet, there were a few unfortunate rulers who were killed because of an inevitable conspiracy — with no luck at all from their side.
Read full storyGrowing up is inevitable, but making peace with it is not
I recently turned twenty-five. Hitting the silver jubilee, made me realize a lot of things- especially about how far I have come in life, how many people I have met, and how much I have learnt every single day.
Read full storyFear of failure and fear of quitting are two sides of the same coin: One cannot exist without another
I was just eight months old when I started speaking. By that, I don’t mean broken words or phrases — I actually started talking in complete sentences. It’s funny how I turned out to be a nervous speaker now when I have spoken for a very long time.
Read full storyThe Curious Tale of Human Ancestry: Understanding Human Evolution
Human beings are animals though of a particular kind. We are primarily hairless and bear remarkable similarities with the apes. Nonetheless, we have been naturally selected to be the most superior of all living beings. In his play Hamlet, William Shakespeare wrote about the uniqueness of humans,
Read full storyWhen the Delhi Sultanate Was in the Hands of a Female Muslim Ruler: The Tragic Tale of Raziya Sultan
“My two sons have given themselves up to wine, women, gambling, and worship of flattery. Government is very heavy for their shoulders to bear. Raziya, though a woman, has a man’s head and heart and is better than my two sons.”
Read full storyStop thinking old age is the end of your life journey. Think of it as starting a new independent phase.
I was 23 and couldn’t stop thinking about ageing— until the Japanese senior citizens saved me. It was embarrassing even admitting that. But trust me, there was a time in my life when I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about it.
Read full storyFear of Failure: Is It Real? Musk and Jobs on How to Own Fear
I don’t remember the number of times I have been told to ‘not fear failure’ or ‘fear fear itself’ or the most cliche of all ‘fear is for people who don’t succeed’. I agree failure is the stepping stone for success, but that isn’t it. Fear of failure does exist and that makes things more difficult for most of us.
Read full storyThe Roman Vestals: Women Who Ruled Ancient Rome
The ancient Romans were superpowers of the world once. There are many reasons behind their dominance— they fought well, provided well, and ruled well. Despite that, they held certain beliefs and practices that wouldn’t make much sense now. One of the many such insane beliefs was that in Vestals.
Read full storyThe ‘First’ Women of Ancient Times: Enheduanna (first author), Dibutades (first portraitist), Hypatia (first scholar)
The history that we know today was made from women, by women, and because of women — nobody can deny that. History bears witness to the fact that most often, behind every hero in history, there was an equally brave mother or a super supportive wife. Instead of talking about such super-women from the past, we often dwell on the achievements of the men of our societies.
Read full storyRegretful Decisions in History: Hydrogen filled Hindenburg, Thalidomide to treat morning sickness, The Donner Party
Whether you agree or not, but most of your decisions come back and haunt you. Imagine how regretful all those publishing companies who rejected Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone must have been after realizing that they turned down not just any book — but one of the biggest hits of the century.
Read full storyOliver Cromwell: The Criminal Who Was Executed *After* His Death
Imagine, at a time when ‘hanged, drawn and quartered was a popular punishment, it would take someone extraordinary to earn the reward to be beheaded after being already dead for two years!
Read full storyThe entertainer Lionel Blair dies at 92: The world pays tribute to the showbiz legend
The management team of Lionel Blair shared the heartbreaking news of his death on Thursday. Though the reason behind his death remains unclear, their management team affirmed that Blair died in the company of his loved ones. With his seventy-year long career as a dancer, choreographer, and actor, Blair had managed to wow millions of people around the world.
Read full storyAncient Egyptians Gave Us Bowling Game, Lock, Papyrus Sheets, Calendar
Ancient Egyptian society was one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Not just that, they were the world superpowers for a very long time. They gave the world some of the most remarkable inventions and advancements the world had ever known — from the legendary pyramids and mummified bodies, the ancient Egyptians gave the world its first wig, make-up items, accessories, toys, and games.
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