Today’s Motto: ‘Laughing at live dragons is not a valour’

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

On this day, 05 Feb….

1825 – Housewife Hannah Lord Montague of Troy, New York took her scissors and created the first detachable collar on one of her husband’s shirts in order to reduce her laundry load to the collar only.

1918 – 1st U.S. pilot  2nd Lt. Stephen W Thompson, to down an enemy airplane in WW-I. It was a French  airplane. (pic credit-nationalmuseum.af.mil).

1922 – Readers Digest First Published, in New York by DeWitt Wallace and his wife Lila Bell Wallace. It’s now shifted to Manhatten.

1929 – The first U.S. patent for starting blocks, titled “Foot Support,” was issued to George T. Bresnahan of Iowa City. He described his invention as “what might be termed a starting block” to be used on a running track or field.

1989 – The last Russian troops withdraw from the capital city of Kabul.

1991 – The last of 1.2 lakh Indians in Kuwait manage to return to India. It was necessitated due Iraqi invasion into Kuwait.

Born….

1630 – Guru Har Rai,  7th Sikh Guru,  He was the Grandson of 6th Guru Hargobind Rai and was named Guru at the age of 14 years on March 3, 1644.  He preached love and peace among all communities. He contracted Smallpox while attending to patients in  Delhi. His youngest son Har Krishan was appointed next Guru of Sikhs.

1976 – Abhishek Bachchan, Bollywood actor, son of  legendary couple Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri. He acted in Refugee, Dostana, Paa, Sarkar, Raavan, Delhi-6, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Bol Bachchan, Ghoomar, Dhoom -2 and 3,  Guru, Sarkar, Sarkar Raj, Buntry Aur Bubli,  Happy New Year, Housefull 3, Manmarziyaan etc. He won  4-5 Filmfare awards including Best Debutant and for Support actor titles. He has done about 70 films including some productions. He’s married to popular romatic Diva Aishwarya Rai.

1985 – Christiano Ronaldo. One of the top soccer players who captained Portugese team in FIFa World Cup and won Golden Shoe. He scored 42 Goals in 2007-08 Football League and 31 Goals later in League. He also captained and owned  Manchester United  and became  the highest paid  footballer at $ 285 million  in 2024.

1992 – Neymar (da Silva Santos Jr.),  most  sillful young  Brazilian soccer player who emerged as the highest paid Brazilion footballer  with 100 Goals. He also joined Barcelona and captained Brazil team  in 2012, 2016 to win Olympic Silver and Gold respectively.

RIP….   1881 – Thomas Carlyl. Most respected and famous  Scottish  satirist, author and historian. His works on French Revolution, On Heros, Hero Worship,  Called Fredrick the Great etc. are highly respected in the Victorian era.

2008 – Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Indian guru, founder of Transcendental Meditation. He set up meditation centre world over, wrote books David wants to Fly, The Late, Great Planet Earth etc.  and set up Mahesh Yogi Vedic University and Maharishi Mahesh University for Information  Technology. He was named Messanger of Inner Peace by many European organisations and had several celebrities as his disviples. He died in Vlodrop Netherland nearing  the age of 90.

You may have known….

Indian Iron and Steel industry was in advanced stage long ago. (The iron column near Qutab Minar in Delhi is standing in the open and is exposed to sun, rain and weathering over 1,500 years old and it still looks fresh. It seems that this column will continue to stand there till eternity. This rare monument is a testimony to the forging and fabricating ingenuity of ancient India).

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