Today’s Motto: ‘What separates extraordinary from the ordinary is that little ‘extra’.

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

On this day,  Aug . 28………

1600 – Mughals capture Ahmednagar.

1830 – “Tom Thumb,” the first locomotive built in America, ran from Baltimore to Ellicotts Mill.

1845 – The first issue of the Scientific American was published by Rufus Porter, a versatile and eccentric Yankee, who was by turns a portrait-painter, schoolmaster, inventor and editor (Today, Scientific American publishes 18 foreign-language editions around the globe).

1883 – The first controlled flight in a glider was made by John J. Montgomery at Wheeler Hill, California. He sailed a distance of 603 feet at a height of about 15 feet.

1963 – The longest floating pontoon bridge in the world opened – in US.

1963 – Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his famous “I have a dream speech” addressing civil rights march at Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C. (pic credit-Britannica).

1972 – General Insurance Business in India was nationalised.

1973 – India and Pakistan sign POW accord paving the way for return of over 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of war.

1997 – Indian Election Commission orders that no convicted person will be allowed to contest elections even if an appeal against the conviction was pending in a higher court.

1998 – India and Pakistan clash at the Security Council after New Delhi denounced the running of terrorist training camps in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Afghanistan.

2019 – Climate change activist Greta Thunberg arrives in New York after sailing across the Atlantic in an emissions-free voyage.

2023 – “Barbie” becomes Warner Bros’ highest-grossing global release, overtaking “Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows Part 2” taking $1.34 billion.

Born….

1896 – Firaq Gorakhpuri (real name Raghupati Sahay),  a popular lecturer and Hindi/Urdu poet. Scholar in Urdu, Persian and English. Honored with Padma Bhushan, Sahitya Academy, Gule-Naghma  and  several other literary awards.

1905 – Major Dhyanchand, remembered as a  Hockey ka Jaadugar.  Most popular Indian Olympian, Impressed by his skill Hitler offered him German citizenship during 1936 Berlin Olumpics but Major declined the offer. He was honored with Bharat Ratna in 2002.

1928 – Ustad Vilayat Khan, great classical Sitar player, composer. Ruled classical world for about 5 decades for his Raag Miyan ki Todi, Punjabi Dhun, Yaman etc.Was hononored with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan  (pic credit-Jack Vertoogian for Getty Images).

1966 – Priya Dutt,  dauughter of popular  celebrity Sunil Dutt,  social worker and politician (3 time Lok Sabha member from Congress Party.

1975 – Captain Anuj Nayyar, MVC, an Indian Army officer of 17 JAT who was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India’s second highest gallantry award, for exemplary valour in combat during operations in the Kargil War in 1999.

1975 – Ejaz Khan, Bollywood actor.

You may have known….

Deshnoke i.e. beauty is in the eye of the beholder: Deshnoke is a small town in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district where the famous Karni Mata Temple is situated. The people of Deshnoke, including the royal family, believe in worshiping the rats who reside at the temple. According to their belief, getting leftovers of the rats is considered to be a high honour. Also, if a rat is killed, it is replaced with a gold or silver rat.                                                       

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