New Delhi, May 22 -- Dale Carnegie, born Dale Carnagey in Maryville, Missouri, in 1888, became one of the most influential self-improvement writers, public-speaking teachers and personal-development figures of the 20th century. After working in sales, acting and teaching, he began public-speaking classes in New York in 1912, which later grew into the Carnegie Institute of Effective Speaking and Human Relations. His 1936 book How to Win Friends and Influence People became a global success, selling more than 30 million copies over the decades and making Carnegie a defining voice in communication, confidence and personal effectiveness.

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when t...