Today’s Motto: ‘Instead of wishing for less Problems, let us wish for more Skills’

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

On this day, 18 Mar….

1818 – US Congress approves 1st pensions for government service.

1919 – Rowlatt Act, intended to perpetuate the extraordinary powers enjoyed by the Government under Lord Chelmsford during the war, provokes countrywide protests. This led to firing on innocent  and unarmed  citizens  having a meeting  in Jalianwala Bagh, Amritsar on April 13, 1919 and firing by   Col. R. Dyer’s  troopps . Over 220 citizens were killed and several injured.

1902 – British magistrates in India sentence Mohandas K. Gandhi to 6 years in prison for disobedience.

1931 – 1st electric shavers go on sale in U.S. from Schick.
1944 – Azad Hind Fauj entered India (Japanese army) from the border of Burma and invaded north eastern India.

1965 – Alexei Leonov  became the first human to have climbed out of a spacecraft in space launched into space when he left the Voskhod 2 while still tethered to the vessel. While outside, he took motion pictures and practiced moving outside of the spacecraft for 10 minutes.
1978 – Pakistani former premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto sentenced to death. He was the main person to bring in separation of East Pakistan into Bangladesh, as he refused to allow Mujib-Ur-Rehman become Pak premier, though  having won a mojority in Dec. 1970 elections.  (pic credit-www.samaatv).

1997 – Indo-Bangladesh friendship treaty, signed 25 years ago, expires.

2014 – Russia formally annexes Crimea, previously part of Ukraine. by signing Treaty on Accession. This state was separated from erstwhile USSTR in 1991-92.  (map credit-www.britannica.com).

Born…. 1858 – Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel, a German engineer who invented the internal-combustion engine that bears his name.

1916 –  Dina Nath Nadim. Famous Kashmiri  poet,  known as  one of  the premier  Kashmiri poets. Also credited with  helping build up  public opinion  for joining Indian Union during partition.

1937 – Gurbachan Singh Bhullar. popular Punjabi writer, short story teller.  He was awarded  Sahitya Akademy  award  for  his collection Agni-Kalas in 2005. His  stories Kutta Ate Manukh, Opra Mard, Mein Ghaznavi Nahin   and Rohi  Biabaan  were  also  very  pupular  and  classic  narration of social issues.

1948 – Eknath Dhondu Solkar. Popular Indian batsman, slow-arm bowler  and  specialist close-in fielder. He played 27 Tests and 7 ODIs  totalling about 6,851  runs and 8 centuries. He also got 53 catches (6 in a Test match) out of 276 wickets to his credit. He was part of Indian teams that  won first  series  against West Indies in 1970-71. series and  beat England in Lord’s Test in 1972. He appeared in Wisdon Book of Cricket  and was honoured with  Arjuna Award in 1972.

1965- Alish Chenai (Sujata). Famous Indian pop singer.  Known for film songs  kajra re, m

ade in India etc. and films SlumDog Millionaire, Bunty & Babli,  Don, Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani etc. She is believed to have quit singing following  sexual exploitation by a famous co-singer.

Titbits…. 1991 – Apple computer head Steve Jobs weds activist billionaire  Laurene Powell (pic credit-abtc.ng)

You may have known….

Until diamonds were found in Brazil during the 18th century, India led the world  in diamond production. The biggest diamond  Kohinoor , the largest cut diamond (106.5 carat)  was  found in  in Golkonda mines India during  1769. (pic credit-AP /Felipe Dana).

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