Today’s Motto: ‘Knowing Yourself is the beginning of all Wisdom’

This is Your Day:  TODAY:  Take a Determined Step Forward and Make History!
On this day, 02 Feb….

1665 – British forces capture New Amsterdam, the centre of the Dutch colony in North America. The trading settlement on the island of Manhattan is to be renamed New York in honour of the Duke of York,  its new governor. (pic credit-alchatron.com)
1795 – A prize of 12,000 francs was offered by the French government for a method of preserving food and transporting it to its armies. The winner was Nicholas Appert, a French chef who invented a way to can food.

1802 – The first leopard, (Bengal Tiger)  to be exhibited in the United States was shown by Othello Pollard in Boston, Mass. It cost 25 cents to see the ‘import from Bengal’ (pic credit-houstonwelt.eu).
1852 – 1st British public men’s toilet opens (Fleet St. London).

1931 – 1st use of a rocket to deliver mail, Austria.
1935 – The detective Leonard Keeler conducted the first use of his invention, the Keeler polygraph, or lie detector machine.
1947 – Beginning of polaroid photography.

1958 – Mrs Indira Gandhi elected president of the Congress party.
1965 – Government sanction was accorded to the Officers Training School for the start of Short Service Regular Commission.

1967 – US President Johnson orders consignment of 2 million tons of foodgrains, Under PL-70 program,  to be sent to India, to tackle food shortage.

1978 – The Indian National Congress (I) recognised as a national party and allotted the election symbol ‘hand’ (Palm).

1982 – Geet Sethi becomes the youngest Indian to win the National Billiards’ crown at Madras.
Born…. 1719 –  Hakeekat Rai.  Young Hindu brilliant  student,   born in Syalkot (now in Pakistan) murdered by Muslim ruler Shah Nazim when he resisted conversion to Islam.  He was just 13 year old, when stood firmly for his relegion and faith and lost his life.

1816 – Satguru Ram Singh. Legendary Freedom Fighter, spiritual leader,  born near Ludhiana, Punjab, who worked for awakening public to rise up against English tyranny and fight for freedom.  He also foumded Namdhari sect of Sikhs in Punjab and north Indian states

1905 – Ayn Rand (Alice O’Connor). Russia born American fiction writer, poet, philosopher who stressed on Objectivism.  Her works on Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, Amblem, Romantic Manifesto, The Unknown Ideal, Capitalism etc.  She was awarded Prometheus Hall of Fame award, Restrospective Hugo Award etc.
1915 – Khushwant Singh, novelist, lawyer, journalist and politician. Known for humour, sarcasm and an abiding love of poetry. His novel Train to Pakistan was most  popular work, apart from The Company of Women, Biography of a Woman, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and others. He was editor of Illustrated Weekly of India for several years. He also served India’s High Commissioner to England and nominated to Rajya Sabha (1980-86).

Was decorated with the Padma Bhushan in 1974. But he returned the award in 1984 in protest against Operation Blue Star under Congress Govt. In 2007 he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by PM Manmohan Singh govt..

1977 – Shakira. Colombo born pop singer, ans song  writer. Known as Queen of Latin America, she won 3 Grammy, 7 Latin American Gammy awards, Artist of the Millenium and other music honors.

Died:  1960 – Acharya Chatursen Shastri. (Chaturbhuj). Bulandshehar born,  most popular and  well-read  author of  historical and fiction writings in Hindi and Sanskrit.  His famous works  (about 400) are Somnath Mahalaya,  Vyam Rakshamah,  Bharatkosh, Ambpalika, Dharamputra,  Awaragird, Kakadi ka Keemat, Pratishodh, Kasnyadan, Nirmohi,  Bharat Mein Musalman, Goli,  Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu, Acharya Upgupt, Vaishya, Pratishodh etc.

You may have known….

Working on the locally available raw materials and with the skills and tools handed over to them by their forefathers, the village artisans produced products of high aesthetic quality with ease and efficiency.

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