One of the most important figures in the history of socialist movement, Karl Marx is equally relevant in today's society, economics and politics. "The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it." - Karl Marx. Karl Marx was a German philosopher, sociologist, political theorist, economist, historian and revolutionary. Being one of the most influential personalities ever lived, he revolutionized the entire world with his works. He popularized the concept of communism and authored books like 'The Communist Manifesto' and 'Das Kapital'. Here are some interesting yet lesser-known facts about him. While Marx possessed an unparalleled intellect, he was not very strong physically. He suffered from various health conditions including gallbladder disorders, headaches, joint pain, liver problems, headache, insomnia, depression etc. In a 1999 BBC poll, Karl Marx was voted as the "Greatest Thinker of the Millenium". He won it by defeating names like Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton. While Marx is known for writing on heavy topics such as politics, economics, history etc., he used to write a lot of poems, plays and fiction stories in his University days. In fact, he was a very romantic person and wrote many love poems for his wife Jenny. Marx had immense respect for the scientist Charles Darwin. 'Das Kapital', one of his most notable works, is dedicated to Charles Darwin. He met Friedrich Engels while living in Paris and the two then became very good friends. In fact, Engels co-authored the books 'The Communist Manifesto' and 'Das Kapital'. In his University life, Marx once participated in a duel with a young military cadet. He lost it and ended up having a wound in the left eye. According to many historians, Marx suffered from extreme poverty in his adult life. He owed money to a number of lenders and landlords. His four children (out of seven) died due to poverty. He once applied for the clerical position at railway, but got rejected due to his poor handwriting. In his honour, a mountain in Southwestern Tajikistan is named as Karl Marx Peak. When Abraham Lincoln got re-elected in the year 1864, Marx congratulated him through a long letter. In London, Marx worked at the American newspaper 'New York Daily Tribune'. He used to write about several important historical phenomena such as American Civil War, Industrial Revolution in Britain, British rule in India, Crimean War etc.
