Motto for Today: ‘Friends that flatter you can be often more dangerous than the enemies who attack you.’

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

On this day, Dec.19………..

1854 – The first U.S. patent was issued for a sewing machine with a four-motion feed, which enabled sewing curving seams.

1863 – Frederick Walton of London, England, applied for a patent on his invention of linoleum for “improvements in the manufacture of floor cloths and coverings and similar fabrics and in pavements. He developed linoxine by oxidizing linseed oil to produce a rubbery base. The burlap received multiple coats and was then calendared between rollers with heat and pressure. Linoleum or kamptulicon was warmer and more comfortable to the feet than the ordinary painted oil-cloth. (The name linoleum is formed from two Latin words for linen and oil.)

1871 – Albert L. Jones of New York City received the first U.S. patent for corrugated paper as an “improvement in paper for packing”.

1871 – Samuel Clemens received a patent for “An Improvement in Adjustable and Detachable Garment Straps”. He is better known as the author Mark Twain. (He subsequently held two more patents. One was for “Mark Twain’s Self-Pasting Scrapbook” in 1873, and the other in 1885 for an educational game that helped players remember important historical dates).

1899 – Black American inventor, Granville T. Woods was issued a U.S. patent for an “Amusement Apparatus” (electric race track). Woods, as the most prolific African-American inventor of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, has been called the black Edison.

1910 – Rayon was first commercially produced, in Marcus Hook, USA, by the American Viscose Company. At the time, it was known by the name of artificial silk or a similar name. It was not until 1924 that the term rayon was adopted. Production in 1911 was 362,000 pounds.

1950 – Rose Marie Reid of Los Angeles received a U.S. patent for a one-piece bathing suit “embodying a novel construction for causing it to snugly fit the body of a wearer in a flattering manner,” using elastic fabric. It would “shape and support portions of the body of the wearer in areas of the bust and abdomen in a flattering manner without discomfort or impedance to free movements of the body.” The elastic fabric and elastic securing bands were designed to enable the garment to be put on without having buttoned openings which would “detract from the appearance of the garment.”

1952 – Nehru announces the Government’s decision for establishing an Andhra State, constituting Telugu speaking areas of the State of Madras, excluding the city.

1958 – The first known radio broadcast from outer space was transmitted. President Eisenhower’s voice issued a Christmas greeting from a pre-recorded tape on a recorder aboard an orbiting space satellite. His full message was, “This is the President of the United States speaking. Through the marvels of scientific advance, my voice is coming to you from a satellite circling in outer space. My message is a simple one. Through this unique means I convey to you and all mankind America’s wish for peace on earth and goodwill to men everywhere.”

1961 – Goa was liberated after Portuguese surrendered to the Indian troops.

1978 – The Lok Sabha expels Indira Gandhi from the House and sentences her to imprisonment for a term lasting its prorogation. She was released from jail on December 26.

1995 – Unidentified aircraft drops a heap of sophisticated arms and ammunition, including AK-47 rifles, rocket launchers and anti-tank grenades in Purulia district in West Bengal.

2000 – The Government suffers an embarrassing defeat with the Rajya Sabha adopting a motion recording its “disagreement” with the Prime Minister for defending three of his Cabinet colleagues charged in the Babri Masjid demolition case”.

Born….

1934 – Ms Pratibha Patil, former President of India.

1969 – Nayan Ramlal Mongia, cricketer (Indian Test batsman-wicketkeeper).

1975 – Mahi Gill, actor.

1984 – Ankita Lokhande, actor.

RIP….

1915 – Alois Alzheimer, German psychiatrist who recognised the disease named after him.

1994 – K. A. P. Vishwanathan, famous Tamil author.

You may have known….

A dog’s heart beats up to 120 times per minute, which is 50% faster than the average human heart

beat of 80 times per minute.

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