Today’s Motto: ‘People who reside in the past, can seldom see the future’

This is Your Day-TODAY:  Take a Determined Step Forward and Make History!   

On this day,  July 27……..

1586 – Potatoes were introduced to Britain by Sir Thomas Harriot, an English scientist and mathematician, according to one traditional—but doubtful—story. (In fact, the origin of the potato is not definitively known, and there are other theories).

1586 – Sir Walter Raleigh brought the first tobacco to England from Virginia (pic credit-TheCollector).

1823 – The Döbereiner lighter process was invented by Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner.

1866 – Cyrus W. Field finally succeeded, after two failures, in laying the first underwater telegraph cable 1,686 miles long across the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe.

1888 – The first U.S. electric automobile, designed by Philip W. Pratt, was demonstrated in Boston, a tricycle powered by six Electrical Accumulator Company cells, weighing 90 pounds.

1920 – Radio compass used for 1st time for aircraft navigation.

1921 – Insulin was isolated at Toronto University by Canadians Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best. It proved an effective treatment for diabetes.

1949 – The British De Havilland Comet, the world’s first jet-propelled airliner, made its maiden flight in England. (Before the time of the Comet. today’s speed and comfort standards did not exist. Commercial transport used piston engines and most planes were akin to WW2 aircraft. Flying was made difficult by the bad weather of low cruising levels; the cruising speed was reduced making long trips a tough and exhausting matter. The development of jet-engines in WW2 led to a new milestone in commercial air transport).

1949 – Agreement reached on the ceasefire line in Kashmir.

1994 – Parliament votes to ban tests for determining the sex of an unborn child, as these tests have resulted in thousands of aborted female foetuses.

2002 – A Sukhoi Su-27 fighter crashes during an airshow at Lviv, Ukraine, killing 85 and injuring more than 100 in the largest airshow disaster in history.

2017 – Amazon founder Jeff Bezos briefly becomes world’s richest person at $91.4B USD, overtaking Bill Gates for half a day  (current worth about $ 211 B).

2021 – China tests a missile with a hypersonic weapon system, later called “very close” to a Sputnik moment by a US general.

Born….

1967 – Rahul Bose, Bengali and Bollywood actor. Famous for films Mr. & Mrs Iyer, Dil Dhadkane Do, Vishwaroopam,  haurya, Japanese Wife, Pyar Ke Side Effects, Chain Kulli kiMain Kulli, Bulbul etc. Have won 4 folm awards (pic credit-India TV).

1977 – Rinkie Khanna, model and Bollywood actor. Younger daughter of legendary Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Khanna.

RIP….

1972 – Charu Majumdar, father of Naxalite Movement  started  for peasants in  Naxalbari area of Siliguri  in 1967.  Was a member of Communist Party of India, later co-founded CPI (M-L),  died in prison on July 27, 1972.

1992 – Amjad Khan, son of former  popular actor Jayant. Amjad played  mostly  villain roles like Gabbar Singh. Acted in 132 films over 20 years.  like Sholey, Kalia, Satte pe Satta, Qurbani etc. Awarded Padma Shri, (1975) Padma Bhushan and Padam Vibhushan  (2001), Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavna and Sangeet Natak Akademy award and Fellowship. Also Fukuoka Asian Culture award in 2004.

 You may have known….

Qutb Minar: It is the second highest brick minaret in the world. The minaret, towering 80 meters (270 feet) into the sky, is made of marble and red sandstone bricks that are carved with sayings from the Koran. Construction took four years, starting in 1193. A circular staircase with 379 steps leads to the top; it is closed to visitors. Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosqueaa, the first mosque built in India, lies at the minaret’s foot.

Nearby is the Iron Pillar of Vikramaditya era,  so named because it’s made from metals that don’t rust. It is claimed there was a Hindu mandir on the site which was demolished by Qutub-di-Ebak.

                                                                                                                                             {Compiled by Lt. Gen. (R) Raj Kadyan}