Today’s Motto: ‘Only the guy who isn’t rowing, has time to rock the boat’

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

On this day, 01 Oct……….

1854 – Postal stamp introduced in India. These stamps bore the Head of Queen Victoria with India at top and value at bottom.

1869 – First postcards are issued. (The world’s oldest postcard was sent in 1840 to the writer Theodore Hook from Fulham in London, England. The study and collecting of postcards is termed deltiology).

1886 – Baluchisthan became a part of India.

1932 – Indian Military Academy became functional with Brigadier LP Collins, DSO, OBE as the Commandant. The training was for a period of two and a half years. The first course of 40 Gentlemen Cadets had on its rolls Sam Manekshaw, Smith Dun and Mohd Musa, later to be Chiefs of the armies of their respective countries, i.e. India, Burma (now Myanmar) and Pakistan.

1934 – Adolf Hitler expands German army & navy & creates an air force, violating Treaty of Versailles.

1953 – State of Andhra Pradesh partitioned from Madras.

2006 – Indra Nooyi becomes the new CEO of PepsiCo.

2019 – Indian government bans the export of onions, an important food staple to control prices, causing shortages in Bangladesh and Nepal.

Born….

1847 – Annie Besant, famous philosopher and thesophist.

1906 – SD Burman (popular as Sachin Da). Legendary Bengali music director, singer and writer. Descendent from Tripura’s Royal family, he gave excellent music direction in about 80 films like Sujata, Bandini, Taxi Driver, Pyaasa, Guide, Jewel Thief,  Talash, Araadhana, Prem Nagar, Abhimaan  etc.  Was awarded Filmfare 2 times, Bengal Film Journalists award and Sangeet Natak Akademy award in 1958 and Padam Shri in 1969.. (video credit-Shemaroo Filmi Gaane)

1919 – Majrooh Sultanpuri, poet. (Full name: Asrar ul Hassan Khan).He gave us some of the best melodies, chirpy songs and romantic numbers of Hindi cinema.

1928 – Sivaji Ganesan, legendary Tamil actor. Acted in about 250 films like Karnan, Vasantha Maligai, Padayappa, Muthal Mariyathai, Parasaktyhi etc. Was first Indian celebrity to win Best Actor award in Afro Asian Film Festival in Kahira (Egypt) in 1960. Also One National and several Filmfare South awards.

1945 – Ram Nath Kovind. Former President of India (July 2017 -2022).  Was prominent Supreme Court lawyer and social, political activist.  Now leads Parliament appointed committee on One Nation One Election, which submitted the report a few days ago.

RIP…. 1995 – Aditya V Birla, famous industrialist runs miltinational companies in Textile, metal, telecom , cement, finance etc. in about 25 countries.  With Headquarters at Mumbai, it has a net worth  over $100 B at present.  Awarded Padam Bhushan in 2023.

1997 – Gul Mohammed (36), world’s shortest man, died in New Delhi. Standing 56.16 cm tall, and 17 kg weight,  Mohammed entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 1992 (pic credit-World Rising).

You may have known….

INDIAN MARRIAGES ARE A GRAND AFFAIR. THESE ARE UNIQUE IN THE DIFFERENT REGIONS AND STATES. IF YOU HAVEN’T HAD A CHANCE TO ATTEND SOME OF THESE, HERE  IS A PEEK INTO 15 DIFFERENT WEDDING CEREMONIES.

Bengali Wedding: Known for its gusto and pompous celebration, Bengali weddings are incomplete without the ‘Saat Paak’ in which the bride encircles the groom seven times while covering her face with the betel leaves. Shubhodrishti, another ritual is followed after the saat paak in which the bride removes the leaves from her face and the couple’s eyes finally meet. This ritual is followed by the blowing of the conch shells.

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