Today’s Motto: ‘Failure is nothing more than success just postponed’

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

On this day,  Aug . 21……..

1 841 – The first U.S. patent for a venetian blind was issued to John Hampson.

1888 – William Seward Burroughs of St. Louis, Missouri, received patents on four adding machine applications, the first U.S. patents for a “Calculating-Machine” that the inventor would continue to improve and successfully market (pic credit-The Guardian).

1986 – More than 1700 people died when toxic gas erupted from Lake Nyos, a volcanic lake in the West African nation of Cameroon. The gas was carbon dioxide which, being more dense than air, hugged the ground and flowed down valleys.

2000 – Uma Bharti, the Sanyasin Member of Parliament of  BJP, resigns from the Lok Sabha and the party’s national executive committee.

2018 – Water-ice first detected on the Moon by India’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft (2008-9) in findings published by scientists.

2023 – Saudi border guards accused of killing hundreds of migrants, shooting them as they tried to cross into the country from Yemen in report by Human Rights Watch.

Born….

1961 – V. B. Chandrasekhar, veteran Indian spin bowler, created a sensation when he took 42 wickets in 5 Tests abroad (total 242 wkts in 58 Tests in all). He  was part of Indian Spin Quartet along with Bishan S Bedi, EAS Prasanna and Srinivas Venkatraghavan who ruled Indian bowling  scene for about 3 decades.

1978 – Bhumika Chawla, South/Bollywood  cinema actor, known for films like Kushi, Okkadu, Tere Naam, Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha, Run, MS Dhoni etc. Honored with 2 Nandi Film, 1 Filmfare and 1 Zee Cine  awards.  (pic credit- Flikr). 

1986 – Usain Bolt,  top Jamaican sprinter, ruling record holder in 100m and 200m runs and 4×100 m relay and has 8 Olympics Gold medals in his name from 2008, 2012 and 2016 Games.

RIP….

1978 – Vinoo Mankad, cricketer (44 Tests for India, 2,109 runs).

1995 – Subramanyan Chandrasekhar, Indian-American astronomer and astrophysicist who shared (with William A.Fowler) the 1983 Nobel Prize for Physics for formulating the currently accepted theory on the later evolutionary stages of massive stars, which has led to the discovery of black holes and neutron stars.

2006 – Ustad Bismillah Khan, most popular Shehnai vadak  Played Shehnai in  most official functions like Independence Day and others. Honored with Bharat Ratna in 2001.

You may have known….

Worshipping weapons – Aayudh/Astra Puja: It happens only in India, right? A part of the Navratra celebrations, Ajudh or Astra Puja  or Shastra Puja  is an occasion to pay one’s respect to all tools, machinery, gadgets, implements and especially weapons before going  towards War front. The rituals vary but this puja is observed across India. (pic credit-Outlook)

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