Today’s Motto: ‘A knock on the rough terrain is worth thousand words of sermon’

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!

By Editor's Desk Last updated Jan 31, 2025

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

On this day, 31 Jan….

1893 – The trademark “Coca-Cola” was first registered in the United States Patent Office.

1915 – 1st German poison gas attack, against Russians.

1928 – Scotch tape 1st marketed by 3-M Company. (Scotch tape was invented by a college dropout named Richard Drew).

1945 – Private Eddie Slovik became the only U.S. soldier since the U.S. Civil War to be executed for desertion.

1948 – Cities swept by riots in wake of Gandhi murder.

1958 – The United States entered the space age by launching the first successful orbiting satellite, Explorer-I, four months after the Soviet launch of Sputnik on 4 Oct 1957.

1960 – Milkha Singh at Lahore sets record for 200m in 20.7s.

1963 – Peacock declared as National Bird of India. Peacock is most reverred and mythological bird in Asia, including India, Sri Lanka and some Far Eastern countris. More than 80% peacocks are found in India, in jungles, parks or domestic environmemt. It is believed to be a chariot of Saraswati, Shiva’s son Kartik, Subramaniam and Shanmugam in South India. Peacocks can live 15-50 years and have their feather as long as 2 meters, which they spread out while dancing in rainy and pleasant mood. It’s a grand specacle to watch, when a Peacock dances and pea-hens run around the king bird.

1985 – Under the 52nd Constitutional Amendment, Anti-Defection Bill was passed unanimously in Lok Sabha. and Rajya Sabha. This avoided the Representatives of People to switch over Political parties. It allowed defection when two-thirds of the legislators of a political Party in Assembly or Parliament decide to leave an merge with another Party. Speakeer, Dy. Speaker of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Chairman are exempted from this law.

1985 – The final Jeep rolled off the assembly line at the AMC plant in Ohio. (Willys MB Jeeps went into production in 1941 specifically for the military, arguably making them the oldest four-wheel drive mass-production vehicles now known as SUVs).

1996 – Asia’s first Sports University inaugurated in Pune.

1997 – INS Vikrant, Indian Navy’s first aircraft carrier, de-commissioned.

2019 – Leaked Indian government reports says unemployment rate at 6.1% highest since 1972-73, up from 2.2% in 2011-12.

2024 – Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and social media companies Discord, TikTok, X and Snap reprimanded before a US congressional hearing for not doing enough to protect children online.

Born….1896-D R Bendre. Legendary Kannada Poet,writer and freedom fighter. Born in Dharwad, Karnataka, he was conteporary of Tagore, William Keats and others. He was appointed President of Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in 1943, and was awarded Sahitya Akademy in 1958, Kelkar award, Padma Shri and Jnanpeeth award in1973.

1923 – Major Som Nath Sharma, was the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, the highest Indian gallantry award. He was awarded the medal posthumously for his bravery in the Kashmir operations in November 1947.

1975 – Preity Zinta, model, Bollywood’s romantic actress, entrepreneur, sports and IPL promotor. She started her film career with Dil Se and Soldier in 1998, and appeared as heroine in Sangharsh, Kya Kehna, Kal Ho Na Ho, Koi Mil Gaya, Mission Kashmir, Veer Zara, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Lakshya etc. She has won 2 Filmfare, Zee Cine, StarDust and Smita Patil Memorial award, apart from IIFA, Chicago Cine and several others. She’s also the co-promotors of Punjab Superkings in IPL franchise. (pic credit-www.masala.com)

RIP…. 1969 – Saint Meherbaba. A saint, teacher and spiritual Guru with following among Sindhi, Marathi and Gujarati devotees. Believed to have gotten God-realisation in 1925 and then started preeching poor and suffering masses in silence with gestures and his thought-books.

1994 – Milind Desai, 12, the youngest editor in Gujarati journalism.

2000 – KN Singh, a erstwhile Prince of Uttrakhand, national javelin-throw winner, lawyer and Bollywood actor, who stated his career with film Sunehra Sansar in 1936 and went on to act in over 200 films mostly as a Police inspector, or villain. Films like Sikandar, Bidyapati, Mukti, Jwar Bhata, Humayun, Aan, Awara, Jaal, CID, Howrah Bridge, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Amrapali, An Evening In Paris gave him superfame and awards aplenty.