Today’s Motto: ‘Knowledge speaks. Wisdom listens’

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

On this day, 16 Feb….

600 – Pope Gregory, the Great, decrees saying “God bless You” is the correct response to a sneeze. He braught many reforms affecting social and family  life of believers.

1659 – 1st known cheque (£400) (on display at Westminster Abbey).
1838 – Kentucky passes law permitting women to attend school under conditions.

1846 – Battle of Sobraon ends 1st Sikh War in India.

1852 – Studebaker founded. Henry and Clement Studebaker founded H. & C. Studebaker, a blacksmith and wagon building business in US. It grew during the Civil War, as The Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, became the world’s largest manufacturer of horse-drawn carriages, and they made a fortune. (Later, Studebaker converted its business to making automobiles, becoming one of the larger independent automobile manufacturers. During WW II, Studebaker manufactured airplanes for the war effort and cars patriotically called “The President,” “The Champion,” and “The Commander.” The company was absorbed by the Packard Corporation in 1954).

1937 – Dr. Wallace Carothers, who invented nylon, received a patent for the synthetic fibre.

1927 – Rail service started between India and Nepal.

1946 – The first commercial helicopter, the four-seat Sikorsky S 51, single rotor helicopter had its maiden flight in California..

1953 – First man-made diamond crystals, the size of grains of sand, were produced in Sweden in a high pressure press by subjecting graphite to 83,000 atmospheres pressure and about 2000°C for an hour.

1959 – After defeating the forces of dictator Batista,Fidel Castro became premier of Cuba and transformed the island country into the Western Hemisphere’s first communist state.

1968 – Beatles Geoge Harrison and John Lennon along with their wives fly to India for transcedental meditation study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi  (pic credit-Walmart.com).

1969 – Mirza Ghalib centenary stamp released.

1994 – Military museun established at Ahmednagar.

1994 – The first successful operation on a foetus without surgically opening the woman’s body was announced by Dr. Ruben Quintero, US.

2019 – India’s new high-speed train the Vande Bharat Express breaks down on its first return trip on Delhi to Varanasi route.

Born….  1812 – Henry Wilson. (born  as Jeremiah Jones Colbath)  18th   American  Vice Preseident  (1873-75) who fought against slavery in the US.

1920 – IS Johar (Inder Sen),  Chakwal  (now in Pakistan)  born,  lawyer, popular Bollywood  comedian, director, producer. He is known for roles in Lawrence of Arabia, Johar Mehmood in Hong Kong, Johar Mehmood in Goa, Death on  the Nile, Ruswai, Ek Thi Ladki, Ek Gaon ki Kahani, Johanny Mera Naam etc.  He was honored with Filmfare twice, British Academy of Film awards (nomination).

1921 – Hua Guafeng. Prominent Chinese revolutionay leader who became 2nd PM and succeeded  as Chairman of Chinese Communist Party after Mao Ze Dong (1976-81). He removed the notorious Gang of Four,  opponents to Mao and his centre of power in later years.

1822 – Rajendralal Mitra. Eminent scholar of  Indology who perfected in Sanskrit,  Persian, Bengali, and English. Translated several books into  different languages. He was honored with Rai Bahadur and C.I.E. titles by the British govt.

1978 – Wasim Jaffer, former  Mumbai  opener,   highest scorer in Ranji Trophy and Irani Trophy scoring over 11,000 runs and scored 5 centuries in Tests including 3 double centuries.

RIP….

1944 – Dadasaheb Phalke (Dhundiraj Govind Phalke), called  the ‘Father of Indian Cinema’. He produced India’s first feature Film, Raja Harishchandra  in 1913. He was Director, Producer, Writer, Editor & Laboratorian. In his career of 19 years, he made 95 full-length movies and 26 short movies. Dada Saheb Phalke Award issued by Government of India is established  in 1969 in his memory. 

You may have known…. 

The cotton textile industry gained a lot as a result of war. On the eve of the war, India had  emerged as the fourth largest cotton manufacturing country next to the USA, the U.K. and Japan in that order.                                {Compiled by Lt. Gen. (R)  Raj Kadyan}