Today’s Post: ‘Change in our lives begins at the end of comfort zone’

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

On this day, 21 Dec….

1891 – 1st game of basketball, based on rules created by James Naismith, played by 18 students in Springfield, Massachusetts (pic credit-Britannica).

1898 – Chemists Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium.

1911 – Central Bank of India established.

1913 – 1st crossword puzzle (with 32 clues) printed in New York World.

1914 – 1st feature-length silent film comedy, “Tillie’s Punctured Romance” released.

1923 – Nepal became a fully independent country freed from the status of a protectorate of Britain, while their PM Chander Shamsher Jang Bahadur  Rana signed the agreement  with British Envoy William O’Connor.

1933 – Dried human blood serum was prepared for the first time in the U.S. The powdered, dried blood serum was used successfully for transfusions for the prevention of childhood diseases.

1937 – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt Disney’s first full-length (83 minutes), animated film opened in Los Angeles. It was the first commercially successful film of its kind.

1949 – The Portuguese rulers declared Indonesia a sovereign nation.

2008 – Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan were included in the list of 50 powerful people of the world by the US magazine News Beak.

2013 – Author J.K. Rowling announces plans to produce a play based on the life of her character Harry Potter.

2016 – Sports drama film “Dangal” directed by Nitesh Tiwari and starring Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra premieres – first Indian film to earn $300 million worldwide.

Born….

1932 – Ameen Sayani, legendary  radio announcer, who compered Binaca Geetmala over Radio Ceylon for years for 42 years, Bournvita Quiz Contest on AIR and many more programs.  His iconic style and voice are imitated by many radio jockeys even today. He was honored as Living Legend award in 2006 and Padam Shree in 2009, apart from many other awards. He died on Feb, 21, 2024 (video credit-Prasar Bharti Archives). 

1959 – Krishnamachari Srikkanth, aggressive Indian opener, offbreak bowler, commentator and coach. He scored a half century and got 5 wickets in an ODI in Visakhapatnam in 1988. He also captained Indian team, played for Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad and was awarded  CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement in 2019 and Khel Ratna award in 2020.

1963 – Govinda (Arun Ahuja), legendary and one of most popular Bollywood actor. He acted mostly in romantic and comic roles in films like Ankhen, Raja Babu, Coolie No. 1, Jaan Se Pyara, Dulara, Khuddar, Shola aur Shabnam, Hero No. 1, Dulhe Raja, Anari No. 1, Had Kar Di Aapne ( in 6 roles). He acted in about 160 films and won 3 Filmfare, 1 Star Screen and 4 Zee Cine  awards.  He was elected to  Lok Sabha on Congress ticket from Mumbai in 2004 but is now in Shiv Sena (Shinde).

1989 – Tamannah Bhatia, a popular Hindi, Telugu, Tamil actor who has done about 85 films and got nominatipons to Filmfare and won several industry awards in South and  Mumbai (pic credit-Facebook).

Titbits….

1936 – Bradman’s 2nd consecutive Test Cricket duck! Led to Australia all out 80.The legendary  Aussie batsman called The Don was the first to score 29 enturies and 6,996 runs @ 99.94 average,  in 48 Tests. He had earlier scored a Century in 22  balls in a  County match in 1931. He  also went on to  score 256 runs later  (14 Sixes and 29 Fours). His most records  were  beaten  by Indian  Little Master(s)  Sunil  Gavaskar  and Sachin Tendulkar.

You may have known….

Elvis Presley  had  got a ‘C’ in his 8th grade music class.

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