Today’s Motto: ‘If you consider it essential to ask someone’s advice……

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

On this day, 19 Mar….

1827 – Charles Darwin made his earliest scientific discovery, at age 18. He dissected some specimens of a baranacle-like marine organism, the polyzoan Flustra. Thus he began what became a lifelong interest in natural history.

1915 – Pluto photographed for 1st time (although unknown at the time).

1935 – British fire on 20,000 Muslims, killing 23.

1942 – FDR orders men between 45 & 64 to register for non-military duty.

1945 – Adolf Hitler issues “Nero Decree” to destroy all German factories following defat of Allies forces in WW-II, at the hands of Axis  group led by America.

1954 – A sled powered by six rockets with a human rider reached 421 mph, running on heavy rails mounted in concrete at Air Force Base, Alamogordo, US. It was the effects of braking from such speed that was being studied, to simulate the effects on pilots bailing out of airplanes travelling at supersonic speeds.   By year’s end, on 10 Dec 1954, further tests increased to a land record speed of 632 mph.

1954 – The first helicopter Sikrosky S-55 arrived at Bombay by Sea from Russia. It was received by then PM Jawaharlal Nehru personally.
1958 – The London Planetarium, Britain’s first, opened in the west wing of Madame Tussaud’s. It is one of the world’s largest.

1998 – BJP-led coalition government is sworn in. Atal Behari Vajpayee became the second time Prime Minister of India.

2003 – Airstrikes by an American and British-led coalition signal the beginning of the Invasion of Iraq,  without United Nations support and in defiance of world opinion.

2024 – Finland is ranked the happiest country in the world by the UN for the seventh year in a row, with Afghanistan the lowest ranked.

Born…. 1907 – Dilawar Hussain. Indian Test cricketer  who also  did  double MA and Doctorate in Philosophy. He played only 3 Tests for India and  scored 2,000  first class runs. He later shifted to Pakistan and became criclet official there.

1939 – Abbas Ali Baig,  Indian strokeplayer batdsman who played just  10 Tests but impressed with a  century (112)  on debut v England in  1959.  He scored  12, 367 runs in First Class career spanning over 21 years.

1984 – Tanushree Dutta, Indian film actress. Model and pageant walker. She won Femina Miss India title in  2004 and  worked  in films  viz.,Rokk, Bhagam  Bhag,  Aashiq,  Banaya Aapne, She had a #MeToo case against  veteran Nana Patekar  which  is yet to be decided   in  the  court.

RIP….  1982 – Acharya J. B. Kripalani, writer, nationalist, parliamentarian, founder of Kissan Mazdoor Dal and president of Indian National Congress in 1946.

Titbits….

1831 – 1st U.S. bank robbery (City Bank, New York/$245,000).

2012 – Wendy’s fast food  chain  overtakes Burger King to become the second best-selling hamburger  chain. It  had a turnoveer of  $ 2.18 billion in 2023 .  (pic credit- David Paul Morris-Getty Images).

You may have known…. The father of India’s missile programme  APJ  Abdul Kalam  had visited Switzerland back in 2006. Upon his arrival, Switzerland declared May 26th as Science Day.

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