Renaissance Helicopter, The Environmentalist Emperor & Stuffed Bladders

Leonardo da Vinci had an idea for a helicopter!

Illustration by- My father

Illustration by- Pronoy Mukherjee

Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian artist and inventor. He lived in the 15^th century. Leonardo had many ideas for things that were invented many centuries after him like a tank-like vehicle, cycle, clock etc. One of these ideas was of helicopter. Leonardo never made any of these inventions but drew them in his journal. This journal was bought by Bill Gates in 1998.

Illustration by- Pronoy Mukherjee

A 3^rd century Indian emperor prohibited the killing of certain wild or vulnerable animals like our modern governments. Ashoka or Ashok (the more appropriate pronunciation of his Indian name) was the 3rd Mauryan emperor and under him the Mauryan empire rose to its height. Ashoka was a Buddhist and he believed that animals shouldn’t be harmed. So, he ordered that certain animals were prohibited to be killed. Here is the list of the animals: Parrots, starlings, adjutants, Brahmani ducks, geese, bats, queen-ants, she-tortoises, boneless fish, skates, river tortoises, porcupines, tree squirrels, stags, Brahmani bulls, monkeys, rhinoceroses, grey doves and village pigeons. Can you believe eating so many animals?

Illustration by- Pronoy Mukherjee

The first balls were made of pig bladders!

Illustration by- Pronoy Mukherjee

We all have played with balls as children whether it be basketball, cricket, tennis or football but do you know Alexander too may have played with a ball? The first balls were invented by the Greeks who used pig bladders as balls, later when the Romans captured the Greeks they too started playing with balls but sewed strips of leather around the bladder and stuffed it with hair, leaves and feathers. Pig bladders are oval, so, this could have been the inspiration for the shape of the rugby ball.        

  

Illustration by- Pronoy Mukherjee