Today’s Motto: ‘It’s not what we look at that matters, it’s what we see’

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

On this day, 18 Aug ….

1891 – The first rainmaking experiments in the U.S. were conducted near Midland, Texas. Patent attorney Gen. Robert Dyrenforth set off explosive balloons and artillery to try to make rainclouds develop. At a time of extreme drought, any effort with a hope of success may have been thought worthwhile to try, but there were no results. The method chosen was to test a theory that rainstorms seemed often to occur where major battles had taken place during the Civil War, and they may have been because of the effect of smoke, dust and disturbances in the air from artillery.

1932 – The Scottish aviator Jim Mollison made the first westbound transatlantic solo flight (pic credit-npg.org.uk).

1926 – Weather map televised for 1st time.

1951 – IIT Kharagpur, a premier engineering institute, was inaugurated.

1960 – The first oral contraceptive Enovid was marketed by the Searle Drug Company in America. (Birth control and abortion are well documented in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. The use of honey, acacia leaves and lint to be placed in the vagina to block sperm. Another methods include acacia gum, which recent research has confirmed to have spermatocidal qualities and is still used in contraceptive jellies. Plants with contraceptive properties were used in Ancient Greece from the 7th century BCE onwards).

1926 – Weather map televised for 1st time.

1990 – President R Venkataraman presented the colours to the Officers Training Academy in recognition of their services to the Nation.

2014 A meeting between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan was cancelled following a Pakistani official’s meeting with Kashmiri separatists.

2018 – Archaeologists confirm the first-ever cheese found from Ancient Egypt, 3200 years old, in the tomb of Ptahmes, mayor of Memphis.

Born…. 1900 – Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, diplomat and politician.  She was the younger sister of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first PM of India. She worked  as  Indian High Commissioner to UK  after being  Ambassador to  Soviet Union, United States  She also represented India at   United Nations and was first woman President to UNGA (1953-54).

1923 – Lieutenant Colonel A. NS. Tarapore an Indian soldier awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously in 1965. The ancestors of Tarapore were related to the army of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Who were given 100 villages as an award for gallantry? One of the main villages was named Tara Por. Hence these people were called Tarapores. His military training was completed at Officer’s Training School, Golconda. He joined the 7th Hyderabad Infantry on 1 January 1942 as a commissioned officer. After Hyderabad State was annexed by India in 1948, Tarapore was selected to join the Indian Army. He was commissioned again in 17 Poona Horse.

1936 – Gulzar,  (Sampooran Singh Kalra)  veteran Urdu  shayar,  song and  film  sceenwriter and  director.  He produced/directed Aandhi,  and was  involved  in Anand,  Aashirwad, Khamoshi,  Guddi,  Mausam, Raazi,  Maachis, Guru,  Slumdog Millionaire, Kiradaar,  Omkara, Bunty Aur Bubly, Jab Tak Hai Jaan etc. Starting with film Bandini as lyricist in 1963,  he  has won 5 National Film awards, 22 Filmfare, one Academy and one Grammy award, Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke and Sahitya Akademi award.

1956 – Sandeep Madhusudan Patil,   Indian middle order batsman and medium pacer who also  played in India’s victorius team in Cricket World Cup 1983, 1984 Asia Cup  and was National Team Selector and National Cricket Academy chief. He edited a Marathi sports magazine Ekach Shatkar and acted in a film Kabhie Ajnabi Thhe,  with  wicket keeper SMH Kirmani  and opposite  Debashree Roy which was a major flop.

1967 – Daler Mehndi, Punjabi  bhangra/pop singer, song writer and producer.  Known as Bhangra King, Daler’s signature pop songs  Bolo Ta Ra Ra which sold 20 million  discs,  Dardi Rab Rab Kardi, Ho Jayegi Balle Balle  and many more were  on top of music charts.  He led several nusic concert tours to Europe, UK, America, Pakistan and Gulf countries. He was suspected of human trafficing  in 2018 but released after 2 months. He also joined  politics in 2019, joined the BJP. He  sang for some films like I Am Singh,  Rang de Basanti, Bolo Ta Ra Ra re, Antrangi Re, Dangal, The Surgical strike etc.  His net worth is $ 13 million (Rs. 120-124  crores) in 2024-25.

RIP…. 1227 – Genghis Khan, Monghol militant raider  of Central Asia  who conquerored  many smaller states  including  laerge part of   China and  North Indian states, brutally attacked  their temples,  women  and  cultures. He looted the wealth of temples like  Gold, ornaments and precious  stones etc. He also established his  rule over there and installed his   commanders to  stay  as his repsentatives. He died in Xingquing, a Muslim majority  state of  present  China.

1845 – Netaji  Subhash Chandra Bose, a great general, a brave soldier, a wonderful player of politics, a diplomat and a  powerful orator. A sage by nature, a devotee of God and a patriot by body and mind. His speech given in Rangoon’s ‘Jubilee Hall’  to  his  supporters and INA  units,  will forever be etched in the pages of history. He said – “My friends of the freedom struggle! Freedom wants a sacrifice. You have sacrificed a lot for freedom. but there is still life to be sacrificed. Freedom today needs priests who offer their heads like flowers. There is a need for such youths who can cut off their heads and offer them to the goddess of freedom. ‘You give me blood; I will give you freedom.’ Not even a drop of blood is enough to make an ocean of blood ready and drown the British Empire in it.”                                  He is believed to have died in an aeroplance crash, flying from Tokyo to Taihoku,  Taiwan; but most of his  followers never accepted  the  ‘conspiracy  news’. Many belived he lived in  India for several years after Independence as Gumnami Baba, a Sage in a Temple. He has a daughter Anita  Bose from marriage with Emille Shelki,  in Germany during his stay there.

1998 – Persis Khambatta, Indian model, actress, author. (She won the Femina Miss India contest in 1965. She was the second winner of Femina Miss India and third Indian woman to participate in the Miss Universe pageant. At the Femina Miss India contest, she also won the Miss Photogenic award).

You may have known…. 1.  India’s fertility rate is 1.9  as of 2025. It is gradually declining. In 2015,  it was 2.2.   There are 195 countries in the world today. India’s population growth rate has been decreasing in recent years, and it is now below the world average. 

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