In the year 1473, Joao Vaz Corte-Real, a Portuguese sailor reached Newfoundland. This perhaps led to the establishment of the first colony of the New World. Two decades later, during his second voyage, Columbus founded Isabela, the first permanent Spanish settlement on Hispaniola (modern day Dominican Republic and Haiti). This for sure was one of the earliest colonies, if not the earliest. For the next five centuries, colonialism shaped the world socially, politically, econom

Vaccination was first used more than two centuries ago. Penicillin was discovered nearly a century ago. We have made breakthroughs in cancer and HIV treatment. Lost productivity due to common cold costs the world over USD 100 billion every year. Yet, there is no cure for common cold. You can’t just take a pill and report to work the next day. (Picture source: Daily Mail)