Today’s Motto: ‘If you command wisely, you’ll be obeyed cheerfully’

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

On this day,  July 08…………

1497 – Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama departs on his first voyage – becomes first European to reach India by sea.

1856 – Charles E. Barnes patents a crank-operated machine gun. It was ahead of its time, but similar to other machine guns invented later. Although it was invented before the outbreak of the war, there is no evidence that it was used by either side.

1862 – Theodore R. Timby patented the revolving gun turret.

1881 – A patron came into Edward Berner’s drug store in Wisconsin, US, and sat down at the soda-fountain counter. Since it was the Sabbath, the customer couldn’t have the desirable, but scandalous, flavoured soda water. Berner compromised by putting ice cream in a dish and poured over it the chocolate syrup that was previously only served as flavouring in ice-cream sodas.  The name became “sundae”, after the day on which Berner served it.

1954 – Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India, inaugurated world’s longest Bhakra-Nangal Dam canal at Punjab. (In terms of quantity of water, it is the third largest reservoir in India. The dam holds excess waters during the monsoon and provides a regulated release during the year. It also prevents damage due to monsoon floods. It provides irrigation to 10 million acres (40,000 km²) of fields in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Bhakra Dam has ten power generators with five on each side. Power generation capacity 1325 MW).

1996 – U.N. says India is leading in HIV infections.

1997 – 33 persons killed and 67 injured as blast rips through part of Ambala-bound train at Lehra Khana station in

Bhatinda district, Punjab.

2022 – Former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzō Abe assassinated while giving a speech in Nara, Japan.

2023 – Dutch government led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte collapses over disagreements between coalition partners over asylum policies.

Born….

1914 – Jyoti Basu, West Bengal politician. CPI (M) leader who ruled the state for over 30 years as Chief Minister until 2008.

1958 – Neetu Singh, veteran romantic actor. Known for films Sooraj, Do Kaliyan, Das Lakh,  Rickshawala, Yadon Ki Baraat, Deevar, Kabhi Kabhi etc. She married Rishi Kapoor a successful hero of those days, the yougest son of Raj Kapoor. She won Filmfare, Screen, Star Dus and Zee Cine award one each.

1966 – Revathi (Asha Keluni),  popular Tamil, Malyalam and Hindi film  actor/director. She acted in over 100 films like Mauna Ragam. Azhagu, Salaam Venky, Kllukam, Punnagal Mannan etc.  She won 3 National and 6 Filmfare awards.

1972 – Sourav Chandidas Ganguly,  very dashing batsman. Called thje Bengal Tiger of Indian cricket and Maharaja of Indian. Most successful  Captain of  Indian team . He played 113 Tests, 311 ODIs and scored over 18,375 runs  (scored centuries in 1st two Tests 1996 and 16 centuries in all).

RIP….

1990 – Pu Laldenga, founder of Mizo National Front and first chief minister of Mizoram.

You may have known….

The horn of a rhinoceros is made from compacted hair rather than bone or another substance.

 

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