Lesser-known facts about the father of modern science
English novelist, essayist, and journalist George Orwell was born Eric Blair on June 25, 1903 in Motihari in British India.
George Orwell is particularly known for 'Animal Farm' (1945) and the bleak dystopian novel 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' (1949). The term "Big Brother," which originates from the novel, is widely used as a synonym for abuse of government power and mass surveillance.
Born on July 11, 1811 in Calcutta, British India, English novelist and author William Makepeace Thackery is chiefly known for his satirical novel 'Vanity Fair,' published in 1848.
Besides 'Vanity Fair,' other works by Thackery that deserve special mention are 'The History of Henry Esmond, Esq.' (1852) and 'The Luck of Barry Lyndon,' first published as a serial in 1844. The novel was adapted by Stanley Kubrick into the 1975 film 'Barry Lyndon.'
Born in the wealthy Bombay (Mumbai) suburb of Malabar Hill, British India, on December 30, 1865, English journalist and author Rudyard Kipling was greatly influenced by the country.
Kipling's most famous work of fiction is 'The Jungle Book,' first published in 1894 as a collection of short stories. 'The Jungle Book' has since been adapted numerous times for film and television. Pictured is the embossed cover of the first edition with artwork by John Lockwood Kipling, Rudyard Kipling's father.
British actress Vivien Leigh was born Vivien Mary Hartley on November 15, 1913 in Darjeeling, British India (British Raj). One of her best-known roles is that of Scarlett O'Hara in 'Gone with the Wind' (1939).
Leigh, pictured with Clark Gable in a scene from 'Gone with the Wind,' is also celebrated for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in the film version of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' (1951). Both films earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Lucknow in British India was where Harry Roger Webb was born on October 14, 1940. Webb changed his name to Cliff Richard in the 1950s after returning to England with his family.
Cliff Richard was seen as Britain's answer to Elvis Presley with hits like 'Move It,' which was backed by the Drifters but better known later as 'The Shadows.' Richard is still recording and performing today.
English actress Julie Christie was born in Chabua, in the state of Assam, British India, on April 14, 1940.
Christie became an icon of the "Swinging Sixties" after appearing in 'Darling' (1965), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and the epic 'Doctor Zhivago' (1965).
Born Arnold George Dorsey in Madras, British Indian, on May 2, 1936, Engelbert Humperdinck is regarded by many music critics as one of the best romantic balladeers in the business.
Humperdinck came to prominence in the 1960s with 'Release Me' and 'The Last Waltz,' both huge hits in the United Kingdom. He's also enjoyed chart success in America. He was performing as recently as 2019 during a tour of the Far East.
Lumley's television credits include the hit sitcom 'Absolutely Fabulous' (1992–2012) and the action-adventure series 'The New Avengers' (1976–77). Lumley is no stranger to Hollywood either. Among her big screen credits is appearing opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013).
For all her life, actress Merle Oberon concealed the truth about her parentage, claiming that she had been born in Tasmania, Australia. In fact, she came from Bombay, British India, where she entered the world on February 19, 1911. Oberon took her secret to the grave and it was only revealed many years later.
Merle Oberon's movie credits include an Oscar-nominated turn in 'The Dark Angel' (1935), and as Catherine in 'Wuthering Heights' (1939) in which she starred opposite Laurence Olivier.
Freddy Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar on September 5, 1946. His parents were from India and in fact Mercury spent much of his childhood in Panchgani, near Bombay.
After returning to Zanzibar in 1964, Mercury and his family fled to England to escape a violent uprising against the Sultanate. Mercury would go on to achieve worldwide fame as the lead vocalist with the rock band Queen.
Born Nariman Eruch Avari in Darjeeling, India, on April 13, 1952, actor Erick Avari is a familiar face on television and on the big screen.
Erick Avari has appeared in 'Stargate' (1994), 'Independence Day' (1996), and 'Planet of the Apes' (2001), among other Hollywood productions. He's worked almost non-stop in TV since 1987.
While Ben Kingsley is British, born in Yorkshire on December 31, 1943 (and in fact raised in England), his father was from Jamnagar, in the Indian state of Gujarat. Kingsley's real name is Krishna Pandit Bhanji.
Coincidentally, Mahatma Gandhi, who Kingsley portrays in the acclaimed 'Gandhi' (1982), is from Porbandar, which is also in Gujarat state.
Born Terence Allen Milligan in Ahmednagar, British India, "Spike" Milligan grew up to become one of the most influential British comedians of his generation.
Milligan, together with Peter Sellars (left), Harry Secombe, and Michael Bentine (not shown) created 'The Goon Show,' a comedy radio show which ran from 1951 to 1960. He later appeared on television in 'Q5,' a surreal sketch show credited as a major influence on the members of 'Monty Python's Flying Circus.'
English naturalist, writer, zookeeper, conservationist, and television presenter Gerald Durrell was born in Jamshedpur, British India, on January 7, 1925.
Durrell's novels include the hilarious 1956 memoir 'My Family and Other Animals,' published the same year he founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, whose patron is Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, and the Jersey Zoo on the Channel Island of Jersey.
Shillong, a hill station and the capital of the Indian state of Meghalaya is where actress Karen David was born on April 15, 1979.
'The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior' (2000) and 'Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit' (2014) are among the films Karen David has appeared in. She is currently starring in the television series 'Fear the Walking Dead' as Grace Mukherjee.
English singer-songwriter Peter Sarstedt was born on December 10, 1941 in New Delhi, British India.
Peter Sarstedt will forever be remembered for writing and performing the song 'Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?,' a huge UK hit in 1969. Though he continued to record and tour widely, he never again achieved the success he enjoyed with his debut single. The track remains a classic, however, and Sarstedt won a coveted Ivor Novello Award for his efforts.
Sources: (Daily Mail) (AllMusic) (BBC)
See also: Indian actors making it big in Hollywood
A household name in the United Kingdom, English actress Joanna Lumley was born in Srinagar, British India on May 1, 1946.
Did you know that two of Hollywood's most famous actresses from the Golden Age of Cinema were born in India? Or that the author of the bleak dystopian novel 'Nineteen-Eighty Four' also hails from the subcontinent? Actually, you'll be surprised at how many Western celebrities come from this vast nation.
Click through and find out the British and American stars born or raised in India.
Western celebrities born or raised in India
British and American icons with ties to the Indian subcontinent
LIFESTYLE Entertainment
Did you know that two of Hollywood's most famous actresses from the Golden Age of Cinema were born in India? Or that the author of the bleak dystopian novel 'Nineteen-Eighty Four' also hails from the subcontinent? Actually, you'll be surprised at how many Western celebrities come from this vast nation.
Click through and find out the British and American stars born or raised in India.