Today’s Motto: ‘Together is always better’

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

On this day, 31 Dec….

(The Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers’ Association to celebrate Farmers Day at Kalamandira in Mysuru).

1600 – East India Company chartered. The company rose to account for half of the world’s trade, particularly in basic commodities including cotton, silk, indigo dye, salt, saltpetre, tea and opium. The company also ruled in  the beginnings of the British Empire in India.

1935 – A patent was issued for the game of Monopoly assigned to Parker Brothers.

1938 – The “drunkometer,” the first breath test for car drivers was officially introduced in Indianapolis. It was the first successful machine for testing human blood alcohol content by breath analysis.

1984 – Rajiv Gandhi takes office as India’s 6th Prime Minister; succeeds his mother, Indira Gandhi following assaasination by her own bodyguards.

1993 – The last research samples of the smallpox virus were scheduled to be destroyed. Smallpox was the world’s most dreaded plagues until 1977, when it was declared eradicated. However, some scientists who wanted to continue research on the virus stopped the destruction plan. The remaining frozen samples are in Moscow, Russia, and the Cents for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, U.S.

1996 – Gold import policy liberalised in India.

2008 – One leap second is added to the end of the year.

2017 – Movie star Rajinikanth announces he is entering politics.

2018 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wins third term in Bangladesh elections with 17 people killed in violent clashes.

Born….

1902 – Dr. Raghu Vira, an  eminent writer, freedom fighter and politician. He wrote  a vedik dictionary, having vast information  knowledge of Vedic Sanskrit, Tibeti, Chinese, Mongolian and Central Asian nations. Did PhD from London and DLit from Leiden nUniversity, Netherlands. He headed Sanatan Dharma College  and Bhartiya Jan Sangh, was member of Constiuent Assembly and Rajya Sabha in 1952 and 1958. He also  worked with  Lala Lajpat Rai, Ram Manohar Lohia and established a research institution,  Saraswati Vihar which his son Lokersh Chandra and daughters look after now.  He collectyed lakh of original manuscripts on Hinduism, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and other South Indian languages.  (pic credit-Wikipedia)

1943 – Ben Kingsley,  British-Indian  actor who acted  in Film Gandhi,  prodcued and directed by  Richard Attenborough in 1982. Also acted in Scindler’s List, Sexy Beast, The Iron Man 3, Shutter Island, Night Hunter etc. He won Academy Award, 2 Golden Globe and BAFTA award etc.

1956 – Prabhu Ganesan, younger son of Shivaji Ganesan,  an actor and film producer from  Chennai . Has acted or produced about 95 films and won some South Indian state film awards. (pic credit- Indian Movie Bazaar ).  

RIP….

1706 – Francois Martin, French explorer and founder of Pondichery in 1674. He was also Governor General of the state between 1699-1706.

You may have known….

Before colonial rule Africa comprised up to 10,000 different states and autonomous groups with distinct languages and customs.

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