Today’s Motto: ‘Dreams are strange: at first, they seem impossible, then improbable, then inevitable’

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

On this day, 20 Nov….

1866 – The first U.S. patent for a yo-yo was issued to James L. Haven and Charles Hittrick of Ohio.

1866 – The first U.S. patent on a rotary crank bicycle was issued to Pierre Lallemont of Paris, France. With pedals applied directly to the front wheel, this so called velocipede (“fast foot”) was a major advance on the old hobby horse bicycle that had to be pushed with the feet. It soon came to be known as “the bone shaker” because being made of stiff materials, straight angles and steel wheels, it gave a stiff ride over the cobblestone roads of the day. Soon indoor riding academies, similar to roller rinks, could be found in large cities.

1873 – Rival cities of Buda and Pest unite to form the capital Budapest of Hungary. The two cities are separated by the Danube and connected by 19th century Chain Bridge (pic credit-Wikipedia).

1906 – Charles Stewart Rolls and Frederick Henry Royce formed Rolls-Royce.

1917 – 1st tank battle (Britain breaks through German lines).

1923 – African-American Garrett Morgan patented an automatic traffic signal. He later sold the technology for the Morgan traffic signal to General Electric Corporation for $40,000. His invention came after he had seen an automobile crash into a horse-drawn carriage.

1955 – Polly Umrigar scores India’s 1st Test Cricket double century, 223 vs. New Zealand.

1969 – The Union Home Ministry decides to reserve posts for SC\STs in the public sector undertakings.

1979 – Artificial blood was first used in a patient by transfusion at the University of Minnesota Hospital. The patient was a Jehovah’s Witness, who had refused a transfusion of real blood because of his religious beliefs.

1980 – Steve Ptacek in Solar Challenger piloted its first solar-powered flight.

1985 – A successful heart transplant to a 4-day-old infant, Eddie Anguiano known then as Baby Moses, was performed by Dr. Leonard Lee Bailey of the Loma Linda University Medical Centre.

1995 – Princess Di admits in a TV interview that she cheated on Prince Charles.

2014 – North Korea threatens nuclear tests, and activity has been detected at one of the nation’s nuclear facilities; the threat was made after the U.N. recommended trying North Korean officials in the International Criminal Court for human rights crimes.

2019 – Snakes lived with hind legs for 70 million years (Najash rionegrina), according to research from La Buitrera Palaeontological Area, Argentina, published in “Science Advances”.

Born….

1750 – Tipu Sultan, Mysore and  South India’s Mughal ruler during 1782-1799 . He was an able general  taught by a  French  instructor but known to be cruel  and  introduced trajectory ammunition and warfare.  He fought against Marathas, Travancore state  in collaboration with the British and  later signed agreement with British army to remain in control of the state. When he refused to cede half  of his  state including important trade center  Seringapatnam  (now Shrirangapattana)  British army attacked him and killed on May 4, 1799.

1942 – US President Joe Biden turns 82 years, becoming first octogenarian to serve in country’s highest office. Served a Democratic Party Senator from  Delaware between 1973-2009 and became VP under Barack Obama from 2009-17. Became 46th President in 2021   (pic credit-KUOW).

1946 – Judy Woodruff -American TV broadcaster. Managing Editor of PBS NewsHour up to end 2022.

1956 – Bo Derek (Mary Cathleen Collins) is an American actress who acted in about 15 films from childhood, was nominated for Golden Globe award in 1980 (pic credit-TMDB). 

1969 – Shilpa Shirodkar,  model and Bollywood actor, known for films like Khuda Gawah, Hum, Pehchan, Bhrashtachar, Bewafa Sanam, Kishen Kanhaiya, Ankhen, Raghuvir, Gopi Kishen etc.  She won a Filmfare, some nominations and Zee Rishta award for her roles. (pic credit-Bollywood Bubble).

RIP: – 1882-Henry Draper. American doctor, astronomer. Known for Astrophotography.

1910 – Leo Tolstoy. Legendary Russian novelist.  One of the greatest writers who wrote epics  War and Peace, Anna Karenina,  Childhood, What Men Live By, After the Ball, Hasdji Murat,  The Lion And The Dog etc. He was nominated to Nobel Prize in 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905 and 1906 but was never given the award.

You may have known….

Consumer prices in India increased 3.58 percent year-on-year in October of 2017, above 3.28 percent in Sept.

and market expectations of 3.46 percent. It was the highest inflation rate in seven months, mainly driven by rising cost of food and fuel. Inflation Rate in India averaged 6.75 percent from 2012 until 2017, reaching an all-time high of 12.17 percent in November of 2013 and a record low of 1.54 percent in June of 2017  (pic credit-iStock).

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