Motto for Today: ‘Wherever you are, be all there.’

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

On this day, 16 August….

1829 – The original siamese twins, Chang and Eng Bunker, arrived in Boston. They were born of Chinese parents in Siam (Thailand). Upon immigrating in to the U.S., they adopted Bunker as their surname. Robert Hunter, a British merchant, discovered them in 1829 and contracted with them to be exhibited as a curiosity in a world tour. Later, they went into business for themselves. In 1839, they became US citizens and married two sisters with whom they raised 10 children. (They were joined at the waist by a band of cartilage. Only after their death was it found that this could have been easily separated).

1858 – Queen Victoria sent the first official telegraph message across the Atlantic Ocean from London to the US.

1932 – Britain instituted new electoral plan for India: to allow limited untouchables andgivingthem

separate representations.

1960 – Captain Joseph W. Kittinger made the longest delayed parachute jump on record when he bailed out of a balloon at 102,800 feet and dropped 84,700 feet (31,330 m) or 16.04 miles before opening his parachute over New Mexico.

2014 – India put the INS Kolkata into service; the battleship, built locally, is the second to be commissioned during the year and signals the nation’s intent to update its military in response to concern regarding China’s growth.

2017 – Lebanon parliament abolishes article 522, which exempted rapists from prosecution if they married their victim.

2018 – Unprecedented flooding and landslides in Kerala, reported to have killed 106 people with 150,000 homeless.

Born….

1899 – Robert Bunsen, German chemist. (We all remember his Bunsen burner from our Chemistry lab days).

1922 – Raunaq Singh, great industrialist and philanthropist.

1960 – David Dhawan, director.

1970 – Manisha Koirala, actor.

1970 – Saif Ali Khan, actor.

RIP….

1886 – Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa dies at the age of 50. His real name was Gadadhar Chatterji. An Indian mystic, leader and saint, he preached unity of religions. Swami Vivekanand was his disciple.

1977 – Elvis Presley, American musician, dies of cardiac arrhythmia.

You may have known…..

No two zebras have the same markings.

Good morning. Have a nice day.

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