Krishnamurti was born into a Brahmin family in what was then British India. In early adolescence, he had a chance encounter with prominent occultist and high-ranking theosophist Charles Webster Leadbeater in the grounds of the Theosophical Society headquarters at Adyar in Madras (now Chennai). He was subsequently raised by Annie Besant and Leadbeater, leaders of the Society at the time. They believed him to be a "vehicle" for an expected World Teacher. While he was young, Besant had control over his life, and won a court case for custody of Krishnamurti and his brother.
As a young man, Krishnamurti disavowed Theosophy and dissolved the worldwide organization (the Order of the Star in the East) established to support it. He resigned from the various trusts and other organizations which were affiliated with Order of the Star, and the Theosophical Society. He returned the monies and properties donated to the Order, among them a castle in the Netherlands and of land, to their donors.
From then on he claimed allegiance to no nationality, caste, religion, or philosophy. He spent the rest of his life travelling the world, speaking to large and small groups and individuals. He authored many books, among them "The First and Last Freedom", "The Only Revolution", and "Krishnamurti's Notebook". Many of his talks and discussions have been published.
Krishnamurti did not accept followers nor worshippers. He thought the relationship between disciple and guru encouraged dependency and exploitation. He accepted gifts and financial support freely offered to him by people inspired by his work, and continued with lecture tours and the publication of books and talk transcripts for more than half a century.
He constantly urged people to think independently, and he invited them to explore and discuss specific topics together with him. His subject matter included: psychological revolution, the nature of mind, meditation, inquiry, human relationships, and bringing about change in society. He stressed the need for a revolution in the psyche of every human being and emphasized that such revolution cannot be brought about by any external entity, be it religious, political, or social.
His supporters, working through non-profit foundations in India, Great Britain and the United States, oversee several independent schools based on his views on education. They continue to transcribe and distribute his thousands of talks, group and individual discussions, and writings by use of a variety of media formats and languages.
XYZ Affair
France was taking American ships in 1797. President John Adams wanted to avoid a war with France, so he sent officials to France to discuss the rights of neutral nations. However, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, the French foreign minister, sent three secret agents who insisted that America give a loan to France and pay a bribe. President Adams refused the offer that France gave. When he told the public in 1798, he addressed the Frenchmen as X, Y, and Z, hence the name of this affair. People hated the XYZ Affair, saying, “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!” America soon quickly declined France’s offer. John Adams decided to start preparing for unofficial war, but not declaring war so as to keep peace.
Craig Defoy
Craig Defoy (born 27 March 1947) is a Welsh professional golfer. Defoy played on the European Tour. He did not win but had three second-place finishes.
Deep Space Network
The Deep Space Network is NASA's group of large antennae at three sites around world. These communicate with satellites and probes in space. The antennae also listen to stars and other events in space.
Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin McMasters Stanton (December 19, 1814 – December 24, 1869) was an American lawyer and politician. He was the United States Secretary of War under Abraham Lincoln administration during most of the American Civil War. Stanton's effective management helped organize the massive military resources of the North and guide the Union to victory under the command by Ulysses S. Grant.
Stanton was born in Steubenville, Ohio, the eldest of four children to David and Lucy Norman Stanton. Throughout his childhood and adult life Stanton suffered from asthma. Stanton studied at Kenyon College. He was also from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He was married to Mary Lamson from 1836 until her death in 1844. They had two children; Lucy Lamson and Edwin Lamson. Then he was married to Ellen Hutchinson. His brother David committed suicide. Stanton died on December 24, 1869 in Washington, D.C. from respiratory failure, aged 55.
Samuel J. Tilden
Samuel Jones Tilden (February 9, 1814 – August 4, 1886) was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency in the United States from which he lost to Rutherford B. Hayes in one of the most contentious and violent American elections in the 19th century. Tilden was also Governor of New York from January 1, 1875 through December 31, 1876.
Tilden was born on February 9, 1814 in New Lebanon, New York. He studied at Yale University and at the University of New York. Tilden was never married and had no children. Tilden died on August 4, 1886 in Yonkers, New York from natural causes, aged 72. Tilden's gravestone has the phrase "I still trust the people" on it.
Horatio Seymour
Horatio Seymour (May 31, 1810 – February 12, 1886) was an American politician and lawyer. He was the 18th Governor of New York from 1853 to 1854 and from 1863 to 1864. He was the Democratic Party nominee for president of the United States in the presidential election of 1868, but lost the election to Republican and former Union General of the Union Army Ulysses S. Grant.
Seymour was born in Pompey Hill, New York on May 31, 1810. He studied at Geneva College. He was married to Mary Bleecker. They had no children. Seymour died on February 12, 1886 from an illness, aged 75. His wife, Mary Bleecker died a month later also from an illness.
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician from Illinois. He was a U.S. Representative, a U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee for President in the 1860 election, losing to Republican Abraham Lincoln.
Douglas had previously defeated Lincoln in a Senate contest, noted for the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. He was nicknamed the "Little Giant" because though short in physical stature, he was a forceful and even dominant figure in politics.
Douglas was born on April 23, 1813 in Brandon, Vermont. He was raised in Jacksonville, Illinois. He was married to Martha Martin from 1847 until her death in 1853. They had three children. Then he was married to Adele Cutts from 1856 until his death in 1861. They had one child. Douglas died from pneumonia caused by Typhoid fever in Chicago, Illinois on June 3, 1861, aged 48.
Surtur (Marvel Comics)
Surtur is a fictional character that appears in comic books by Marvel Comics. The character is based on the giant Surtr from Norse mythology.
Phaistos disc
The Phaistos disc is a bronze age artifact. The disc is about in diameter and is made of clay. It is covered with many symbols. It is from the civilization of Minoa on the Greek island of Crete, possibly from the 2nd millennium BC.
The symbols cover both sides of the disc. They show everyday things. They were stamped onto the disc, pressed into the clay when it was still soft. They run in a spiral. This disc is the first known "printed" work in history; in the sense that there was a re-usable set of characters and drawings. It is the only artefact of its kind. Many questions have been asked about the disc, about its purpose, and if the signs shown actually represent writing.
In total, there are 242 tokens on the disc, taken from a set of 45 unique signs. There are arranged in 61 groups, separated by lines. Groups are between two and seven stamps long. Because the "text" is very short, and the disc is unique, it is likely that it will not be deciphered.
Chris Pratt