Six degrees

Frederick Lugard (right), a British soldier and mercenary famed for his exploration of Africa, also did a stint in Hong Kong, serving as governor in the early 20th century. On this day in 1911, he opened the Chinese stretch of the Kowloon-Canton Railway. Construction had been delayed by the Boxer rebellion (1899-1901) on the mainland and the Boer war (1899-1902) in South Africa. In 1949, the newly formed People's Republic of China cancelled the rail service completely. Lugard wasn't around to enjoy the ride for long - he left Hong Kong in 1912 for his next gubernatorial post, in Nigeria, which is now ruled by the auspiciously named Goodluck Jonathan …

The Pakistani schoolgirl-turned-activist was shot in the head by Taliban militants two years ago. Since her recovery, she has travelled the world advocating education for girls. Last year, Yousafzai became the sixth person to have been bestowed with honorary Canadian citizenship, for her "courageous" fight for human rights. The other five are Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, the Dalai Lama, Aung San Suu Kyi, humanitarian the Aga Khan and, last but not least, Nelson Mandela …

Milosevic, who went by the nickname Sloba, was tried in The Hague on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. In 2000, before the trial had ended, he was found dead in his prison cell, having suffered a heart attack. According to conspiracy theorists, Milosevic's downfall ought to be attributed to a cabal of world leaders known as the Bilderberg Group, whose ranks include royalty, in the shape of the Prince of Wales …