Today’s Motto: ‘ When alone, guard your thoughts; when in company, guard your words’

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

On this day,  Sept. 17……..

1872 -The first U.S. patent for an automatic sprinkler system was issued to Phillip W. Pratt.

1908 – The first U.S. airplane fatality was Thomas Etholen Selfridge at Fort Meyer, Arlington Heights, Virginia.

1931 – Very early versions of 33 rpm long-playing records were first demonstrated in New York by Radio Corporation of America or RCA. The record players were so expensive that the product flopped.

1948 – The Nizam of Hyderabad, in a broadcast, announced  Accession of his kingdom in Hyderabad,  into Indian Union, a ceasefire to his troops  after being defeated in the battle between his Razakars and Indian Police Action troops. Announcement was  settled earlier after surrender agreement..

1956 – Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC ) established.

1960 – Agreement reached with Pakistan on the distribution of the River Indus and its tributaries.

2004 – Tamil is declared the first classical language in India.

2018 – Needles purposely hidden in strawberries in Australia, prompt government to order an investigation.

2021 – France recalls its ambassadors to the US and Australia, describing their new Aukus pact and the cancellation of a major military contract as a ‘stab in the back’.

2022 – Cheetahs re-introduced to India from Namibia, after being extinct 70 years ago.

Born….

1879 – Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, Social Reformerof Tamil Nadu. Founded DMK and opposed Hindi as National language.

1915 – MF Husain, exotic and painter with controversial narratives. Founded Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group. Was awarded with 3 Padma Awards including Padma Vibhushan and a National Film award. He directed film  Gaza Gamini with Madhuri Dixit and Meenaxi with Tabu as heroines. Was exiled from India for depicting Indian Gods with bad themes. He got Qatari  citizenship and died in 2015 in England.

1929 – Air Chief Marshal La Fontaine, former Indian Air Chief (pic credit-Wikipedia).

1950 – Narendra Damodar Das Modi, incumbant Prime Minister of India, born in Vadnagar, Gujarat. Was born in a poor, tea-vendor family and later became RSS Pracharak. Appointed Gujarat Chief Minister in October 2001 and remained so until May 2014. Got elected  to Lok Sabha from Varanasi in 2014, 2019 and 2024. Has been awarded with top awards by Russia, UAE, Seoul-Korea’s  Peace Award and several other honors for his leadership and Diplomacy of Friendhip, Amity across the Globe. Has travelled to several countries including Bruini recently in Sept. 2014.

1985 – Ravichandran Ashwin, most succesful Indian off-spin bowler and a lower order batsman. He has played 100 Tests, 116 ODIs, 65 T20s and 214 IPL matches. Taken 516 Test wickets at 12,200 runs . Has been impressive with Bowling in IPLs  and T20s equally. Taken10 wickets  in a match 8 times and 5 Wkts in a Test 36 times.

RIP….

1999 – Hasrat Jaipuri, popular Bollywood lyricist, Urdu poet. Was awarded Filmfare award twice in 1966 and 1972.

You may have known….

Religious Symbols: The Indian traditions and scriptures contain various signs and symbols which have various meanings. For example, the usage of the Swastika, in the Indian context, does not point towards Adolf Hitler or Nazism. It actually is the symbol of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. The arms of the Swastika have various meanings. They signify the four Vedas, the four constellations, or the four basic aims of human pursuit.

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