Today’s Motto: ‘The first key to leadership is self-control’

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

On this day, 20 Dec….

1880 – New York’s Broadway was first lighted by electricity and became known as the “Great White Way.”

1883 – International cantilever railway bridge opens at Niagara Falls (pic credit-Wikipedia).

1892 – The first U.S. patent issued for a pneumatic automobile tire that could readily and easily be detached or mounted to the rim of a wheel. The inventors were Alexander T. Brown and George Stillman of Syracuse, New York.

1951 – At 1:50 pm, the first electricity ever generated by Atomic power began flowing.

1971 – Pakistan president and Commander-in-Chief,  Yahya Khan resigns after loss in Bangladesh (East Pakistan).

1988 – The Indian Constitution (62nd Amendment) Bill for reducing the voting age from 21 to 18 years receives Parliamentary approval.

1990 – India and Pakistan agree not to attack each other’s nuclear installations.

2010 – The Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology announces it has developed the first ever spherical robot with telescopic arms.

2018 – New figures show average US male weighs 198 pounds and stands 5 feet 9 inches, women 171 pounds and 5 feet 4 inches.

2019 – United States Space Force founded, an armed forces branch dedicated to space warfare.

2022 – The ruling Taliban suspend university education for female students in Afghanistan, part of a wider crackdown on women’s rights in the country.

Born….

1868 – Harvey S Firestone, was an American industrialist who developed straight-side pneumatic tyres. His innovations in the industry changed the design and production of pneumatic tyres, including non-skid tyre treads, low-pressure balloon tyres, and farm tractor tyres.

1970 – Sohail Khan, film  actor, producer. Yonger brother of Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan. He has acted/produced Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya, Hello Brother, Comedy Circus, Krishna Cottege, Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, Jai Ho, Tubelight etc. He is an established  Judo, Karate player and  National awards winner  in these  games. Also nominated  for some film awards.

RIP….

1993 – Colonel Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair,  (awarded Ashok Chakra and Kirti Chakra), one of the outstanding and decorated officers of the Indian Army. His convoy was ambushed by Naga rebels. Col NJ Nair displayed indomitable courage in leading the attack personally to break the ambush and sacrificed his life defending his men. For this supreme act of valour, he was conferred the ‘Ashoka Chakra’. Earlier in 1983, in Mizoram, Col Nair engaged the insurgents in close quarter combat and was awarded the Kirti Chakra in recognition of his exceptional gallantry.

2010- Nalini Jaywant, veteran and legendary actor of 1940s and 1960s. Started acting in AIR plays at age 6 and later debuted in film  Behn, a  Mehboob Khan film and  Anokha Pyar with Balraj Sahni,  Sangram with Ashok Kumar. Her films Kaala Pani, Nastik, Munimji, Bombay Race Course, Railway Platform, Do Raah and  Lakirein etc. She won a Filmfare award, a National Films  and Dada Saheb Phalke award in 2005.

Titbits….

1969 – Jasu Patel, India’s legendary off-spinner  takes 9-69, India vs. Australia at Kanpur.  His bowling helped India defeat Aussies by record 119 runs. Jesu’s  record was broken by Anil Kumble after 40 years on Feb, 19, 1999 in a  match against Pakistan by taking 10 wickets for 74 runs in Ferozeshah Kotla  New Delhi.  Jesu Patel was awarded Padam Shri by Indian Govt. for his feat.

You may have known….

Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

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