Today’s Motto: ‘The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is just tenacity’
As Every Day makes a new beginning in life, it brings new opportunities, opens new avenues, to perform and make a mark, to write a Page in History Book
This is Your Day-TODAY: Take a Determined Step Forward and Make History!
On this day, July 31……..
1658 – Aurangzeb appoints himself Mongol emperor, calling himself ‘Alamgir’, meaning “Conqueror of the World.”
1849 – Benjamin Chambers was issued a U.S. patent for the breech loading cannon. Prior to this technology, troops used musket loading guns and had to run to the front of the gun to reload – wasting time and risking lives.
1861 – 9,300 mm rainfall in July in Cherrapunji, (also known as Sohra in Meghalya/Assam) became a world record for a calendar month.
1965 – The last cigarette commercial Advt. appeared on British television.
1971 – Dave Scott became the first person to drive a vehicle on the Moon – the battery-powered Lunar Rover (LRV) – as part of the Apollo 15 mission to the mountainous Hadley-Apennine region. This LRV, the first to be carried on an Apollo mission, built by Boeing, weighed 460 lb and folded into a space 5 ft by 20 in.
1985 – Lalit Maken, Congress (I) MP, his wife and a visitor at their residence in Delhi were shot down by terrorists (pic credit-Times Content).
2003 – Felix Baumgartner became the first man to cross the English Channel by unpowered flight.
2012 – A second power grid failure in India in two days leaves 670 million people without power.
2019 – American officials announce Osama Bin Laden’s son, Hamza bin Laden and potential successor has been killed in US air strikes in Pakistan.
Born….
1880 – Nawab Rai Dhanpat Rai, Munshi ‘Prem Chand’, great litterateur, writer, editor, journalist and headmaster. Known for Godan, Do Bigha Zamin, Grih Dah, Kafan, Poos Ki Raat, Bade Ghar ki Beti, Eadgah, Sawa Ser Gehun etc.
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911 – Pannalal Ghosh, great classical composer and flute player. Was awarded Sangeet Natak Akademy award in 1954 and Padma Vibhushan in1971.
1947 – Mumtaz, romantic Bollywood actor who gave 8 blockbuster jubilee making films 
with veteran Rajesh Khanna including Do Raaste, Loafer, Roti, Aap Ki Kasam, Brahamchari, Prem Kahani, Sacha Jhootha, Dushman, and Jheel Ke Us Paar, Khilona, Apraadh, Chor Machaye Shor etc. Was honored with 2 Filmfare and 1 Bengal Film Journalists award. (pic credit-Tribune India).
1965 – Joanne [J. K.] Rowling, writer (Harry Potter novels).
RIP….
1940 – Udham Singh, fiery revolutionary, freedom fighter and social reformer, was hanged
by the British Government in the Pantone Villa Jail, London.
1980 – Mohd Rafi, one of the greatest playback singers. Born in Kotla Sultan Singh near Amritsar, sang about 40,000 songs and Bhajans, many are memorable and evergreen. Was awarded 7 Filmfare, one National Film award, and StarDust Best Singer of the Millanium Award. (Baiju Bawra, 1952 film song credit-Mastkalandar)
You may have known….
- Month July named to commemorate Julius Caeser and August to commemorate his son Augustus, by the Romans. (Both have 31 days)
2. Fatehpur Sikri: A city in the Agra District of Uttar Pradesh. The city was founded in 1569 by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, and served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1571 to 1585, when it was abandoned. After his 
military victories over Chittor and Ranthambore, Akbar decided to shift his capital from Agra to a new location 37 km west south-west, to honour the Sufi saint Salim Chishti. It has a series of royal palaces, harem, courts, a mosque, private quarters and other utility buildings. He named the city Fatehabad, with Fateh, meaning “victorious.” It was later called Fatehpur Sikri. It is at Fatehpur Sikri that the legends of Akbar and his famed courtiers, the nine jewels or Navaratnas, were born. Fatehpur Sikri is one of the best preserved examples of Mughal architecture in India. 
{Compiled by Lt. Gen. (R) Raj Kadyan}
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