a prominent ethnic Armenian philosopher, educator, translator, and linguist. He was a key figure in the Armenian reawakening and reformist movement in the 19th century. Early in his life he started to compile a dictionary of Classical Armenian, intended to comprise two volumes, but the project was discontinued. In 1829 he published Kraganutyun Haykazian Lezv...

a prominent ethnic Armenian philosopher, educator, translator, and linguist. He was a key figure in the Armenian reawakening and reformist movement in the 19th century. Early in his life he started to compile a dictionary of Classical Armenian, intended to comprise two volumes, but the project was discontinued. In 1829 he published Kraganutyun Haykazian Lezvi (A Grammar of the Armenian Language), in essence a grammar of Classical Armenian. His Tramabnutiun Gam Arvest Banakan (Logic, or the Art of Reason), a philosophical treatise, is also in Classical Armenian.

an Italian Jesuit, elected the eighth Superior-General of the Society of Jesus. After Vincenzo Carafa, the 7th Superior General of the Order, died on 8 February 1649, a General Congregation made of representatives of the various Jesuit provinces, met on 21 December of the same year and chose Piccolomini as his successor. He died after eighteen months in offi...

an Italian Jesuit, elected the eighth Superior-General of the Society of Jesus. After Vincenzo Carafa, the 7th Superior General of the Order, died on 8 February 1649, a General Congregation made of representatives of the various Jesuit provinces, met on 21 December of the same year and chose Piccolomini as his successor. He died after eighteen months in office. Before his election as General he had been professor of philosophy at the Roman College; he died at the age of sixty-nine, having passed fifty-three years in the Society.

a French chemistry and physics teacher, and one of the first pioneers of aviation. He and the Marquis d'Arlandes made the first manned free balloon flight on 21 November 1783, in a Montgolfier balloon. He later died when his balloon crashed near Wimereux in the Pas-de-Calais during an attempt to fly across the English Channel. He and his companion, Pierre Ro...

a French chemistry and physics teacher, and one of the first pioneers of aviation. He and the Marquis d'Arlandes made the first manned free balloon flight on 21 November 1783, in a Montgolfier balloon. He later died when his balloon crashed near Wimereux in the Pas-de-Calais during an attempt to fly across the English Channel. He and his companion, Pierre Romain, thus became the first known fatalities in an air crash. He also risked himself while researching the flammability of hydrogen.

an English teacher who developed the most widely used system of shorthand, known now as Pitman shorthand. He first proposed this in Stenographic Soundhand in 1837. He was also the vice president of the Vegetarian Society. Pitman was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1894...

an English teacher who developed the most widely used system of shorthand, known now as Pitman shorthand. He first proposed this in Stenographic Soundhand in 1837. He was also the vice president of the Vegetarian Society. Pitman was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1894. He was a lifelong advocate of spelling reform for the English language, producing many pamphlets during his lifetime on spelling reform. In 1844 he published Phonotypy, his major work on spelling reform. In 1845 he published the first version of the English Phonotypic Alphabet.

a German theologian of early Reformed orthodoxy. After his education in Troppau (Opava), Breslau (Wroclaw, Vratislav), Tübingen, Basel, and Geneva (1577–1584), he served as a tutor to the family of Zerotin in Heidelberg and Basel (1584–1590), and later taught at the Bohemian Brethren school in Ivancice. Between 1591 and 1595 he again tutored for the Zer...

a German theologian of early Reformed orthodoxy. After his education in Troppau (Opava), Breslau (Wroclaw, Vratislav), Tübingen, Basel, and Geneva (1577–1584), he served as a tutor to the family of Zerotin in Heidelberg and Basel (1584–1590), and later taught at the Bohemian Brethren school in Ivancice. Between 1591 and 1595 he again tutored for the Zerotíns, traveling from Moravia to Strasbourg and Basel. He wrote the three volume dogmatic work Partitiones theologicae (Divisions of Theology) and Syntagma theologiae christianae (translated in English as A System of Christian Theology).

a British composer, pianist and educator. There are nine extant symphonies, although the composer's numbering tells us he wrote ten. He also wrote four piano concerti, some chamber music and several piano solo pieces. His instrumental music displays the continental inheritance of his teachers in its use of instrumental forms such as sonata form. Aside from a...

a British composer, pianist and educator. There are nine extant symphonies, although the composer's numbering tells us he wrote ten. He also wrote four piano concerti, some chamber music and several piano solo pieces. His instrumental music displays the continental inheritance of his teachers in its use of instrumental forms such as sonata form. Aside from a cantata and a handful of songs, Potter composed no vocal music. Potter also wrote a couple of articles for periodicals about music, one of them about his visit to Ludwig van Beethoven.

an 18th-century English theologian, dissenting clergyman, natural philosopher, chemist, educator, and Liberal political theorist who published over 150 works. He is usually credited with the discovery of oxygen, having isolated it in its gaseous state, although more

an 18th-century English theologian, dissenting clergyman, natural philosopher, chemist, educator, and Liberal political theorist who published over 150 works. He is usually credited with the discovery of oxygen, having isolated it in its gaseous state, although Carl Wilhelm Scheele and Antoine Lavoisier also have a claim to the discovery. Priestley's science was integral to his theology, and he consistently tried to fuse Enlightenment rationalism with Christian theism. In his metaphysical texts, Priestley attempted to combine theism, materialism, and determinism, a project that has been called "audacious and original". He is also credited with the invention of soda water.

the founder of commercial beekeeping. He introduced novelties in traditional beekeeping that allowed great progress in the practice. Among his most important inventions was a hive frame in a separate honey chamber of his beehive. He also invented a crude queen excluder between brood and honey chambers. Another passion of Prokopovych was teaching. He set up a...

the founder of commercial beekeeping. He introduced novelties in traditional beekeeping that allowed great progress in the practice. Among his most important inventions was a hive frame in a separate honey chamber of his beehive. He also invented a crude queen excluder between brood and honey chambers. Another passion of Prokopovych was teaching. He set up a beekeeping school that prepared more than 700 qualified beekeepers over its 53 years of existence. As a beekeeper, Prokopovych owned 6600 colonies and became wealthy.