December 13: Massacre of Nanking

It's indeed unfortunate that still so few people in the world know about the Nanking Massacre. Not to accuse anyone of being ethnocentric (specifically Eurocentric or Americanocentric) here, but I am pretty sure if the same massacre had happened on European or American soil, there would be countless memorials, forums, discussions, debates, etc. going on to try to make sense of this undescribable atrocity. Yet up to this day, still very few people know about it. If you look at the sheer number of people being murdered, tortured, or raped during the Nanking massacre, you may be able to sympathize a little more with the lingering anger of the Chinese people (and many other Asian people) towards Japan, especially in regard to the continuing unapologetic attitude toward and even denial of the present Japanese prime minister and many Japanese people about this dark chapter of their history. Personally, of course I don't advocate hatred among peoples despite even the most horrific , bloodly, and unjust historical events. However, I do call for contemplation, remorse, and better understanding. After all, that's what history is for - to make us a better people.

He was born in Khwarazm, presently in Uzbekistan. He studied mathematics and astronomy under Abu Nasr Mansur.

He was a colleague of the Central Asian philosopher and physician Ibn Sina, the historian, philosopher and ethicist Ibn Miskawayh, in a university and science center established by prince Abu Al Abbas Ma'mun Khawarazmshah. He also travelled to Pakistan and India with Mahmud of Ghazni, who also became his patron, and accompanied him on his campaigns there, learning the language, and studying the religion and philosophy, and wrote Ta'rikh al-Hind ("Chronicles of India"). He also knew the Greek Language, the Sanskrit Language and possibly Syriac and Berber. He wrote his books in Persian and Arabic, but his native language was Khwarezmian.

Some of his notable achievements included:

• At the age of seventeen, he calculated the latitude of Kath, Khwarazm, using the maximum altitude of the sun.
• By th age of twenty-two, he had written several short works, including a study of map projections, "Cartography", which included a methodology for projecting a hemisphere on a plane, .
• By the age of twenty-seven, he had written a book called "Chronology" which referred to other work he had completed (now lost) that included one book about the astrolabe, one about the decimal system, four about astrology, and two about history.
• He calculated the radius of the Earth to be 6,339.6 kilometres (this result was replicated in the Western world in the 16th century).

Biruni's works number more than 120.

His contributions to mathematics include:

• theoretical and practical arithmetic
• summation of series
• combinatorial analysis
• the rule of three
• irrational numbers
• ratio theory
• algebraic definitions
• method of solving algebraic equations
• geometry
• Archimedes' theorems
• trisection of the angle

His non-mathematical works include:

• Critical study of what India says, whether accepted by reason or refused (Arabic تحقيق ما للهند من مقولة معقولة في العقل أم مرذولة - a compendium of India's religion and philosophy
• The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries (Arabic الآثار الباقية ع&a mp;# 1606; القرون الخالية - a comparative study of calendars of different cultures and civilizations, interlaced with mathematical, astronomical, and historical information.
• The Mas'udi Canon (Arabic القانون المسعودي - a book about Astronomy, Geography and Engineering, named after Mas'ud, son of Mahmud of Ghazni, to whom he dedicated
• Understanding Astrology (Arabic التفهيم لصناعة التنجيم - a question and answer style book about mathematics and astronomy, in Arabic and Persian
• Pharmacy - about drugs and medicines
• Gems (Arabic الجماهر في معرفة الجواهر about geology, minerals, and gems, dedicated to Mawdud son of Mas'ud
• Astrolabe
• A historical summary book
• History of Mahmud of Ghazni and his father
• History of Khawarazm