Today’s Motto: ‘Rank and position are conferred from above. Leadership is conferred from below’

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

On this day, 26 Aug ….

580 – Chinese invent toilet paper.

1328 – The Cannon, firing a round ball, was first used in battle in  China under Song dynasty, though crude  model  developed in  12th century.  In modern recorded  warfare it was used during the War between  England and  France in 1428 (pic credit-brain.ascapeaudio.com).

1843 – The first U.S. design of a typewriter that successfully typed was issued a patent to Charles Thurber as a “machine for printing by hand by pressing upon keys which contain the type, called “Thurber’s Patent Printer” (pic credit-findagrave.com)

1873 – 1st kindergarten public school opens in St. Louis. (The word kindergarten comes from German [ˈkɪndɐˌɡaːɐ̯tn̩] or listen, which means literally “garden for the children. It is a preschool educational approach traditionally based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school).

1895 – The large-scale production of electricity using hydropower from the Niagara Falls  (near Toronto, Canada), was commercialised.

1909 – An almost perfectly preserved Cro-Magnon man skeleton was discovered by Swiss paleontologist Otto Hauser. At 34,000 years old, the remains provided an example of man’s development leading towards the emergence of Homo sapiens (pic credit-freerepublic.com).

1920 – 1st U.S. roller coaster built.

1938 – A tape recorder was used for the first time in the U.S. to send a radio broadcast. could carry a 15-min programme, which could be edited by cutting.

1947 – Nawab Hamidullah Khan  of Bhopal announced accession of the Bhopal state to the Indian Dominion.  His ancestors had ruled on the throne of  Delhi  between 1707-1737  before Maratha Confederate took over in  1737-1818.  They were also called Nawab of Pataudi,  having large land block near Gurugram,  Delhi. (pic credit-fityclub).

1955 – 1st colour telecast  by NBC,  for a  Davis Cup Tennis match between Australia and  Canada  in New York. (pic credit-tennisuptodate.com)

1959 – The Morris Mini-Minor was introduced by the British Motor Corporation. The car, popularly known as the Mini was only 10 ft long, yet seated four passengers, and one of the lowest priced cars on the market. Its innovative designer, Alec Issigonis, saved space by mounting the engine transversely which eliminated the interior space taken up by a transmission tunnel. Issigonis believed that “when you’re designing a new car for production, never, never copy the opposition.” and created a vehicle that carried the greatest payload in the smallest practical space. It had all-independent suspension, good fuel economy, fast acceleration, manoeuvrability and ease of parking (pic credit-mini.com).

1997 – Employee Provident Fund scheme of 1952 amended to ensure that all PF claims are settled within 30 days from the date of receipt of claims by the PF Commissioner.

Born…. 1910 – Mother Teresa [Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu], Albanian born  Catholic  nun and founder of Missionaries of Charity in India.  Her mission was to serve the poorest of the poor  and  based in Calcutta  in 1950.  She  was awarded  Nobel Peace Prize  in 1979.

1927 – Chaudhary  Bansi L ial, Jat independence activist, three-time Chief Minister of Haryana (May 1967-Nov. 1975 and June 1986 to June 1987)  and considered by many to be the architect of modern Haryana. He was close to  Sanjay Gandhi and  his mother PM  Indira Gandhi. Hewas the Defence Minister of India  from Dec. 1975 to March 1977. His  daughter-in-law  Kiran Chaudhary and  grand daughter Shruti Chaudhary are active politicians of the state.

1956 – Maneka Gandhi, writer, politician.  Wife of Sanjay Gandhi, was  pushed out the PM House after Sanjay Gandhi’s death. She joined Bhartiya  Janata Party  soon  and  has  represented  Pilibhit and   Amethi  since 1989 and has been a Union Minister  in VP Singh  Govt.,  AB Vajpayee and  Narendra Modi Govts  since  then.   She fonded  People for Animals,  an  activist  and a writer/piblisher.  She published Surya magazine  during Emergency and has several books like Hindu Names, Muslim and Parsi Names; for Boys & Girls,  Sanay Gandhi  biography and several books on Animal  laws etc.  (pic credit-fity.club.com).

1966 – Madhur Bhandarkar,  an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer. In 2016, Bhandarkar was honoured with the Padma Shri,  by the Government of India.  He has  produced bold  subject  films like Chandni Bar, Page 3,  Traffic Signal, Fashion,  Trishaktiu, Corporate etc. He also won  National Film Award for Best Direcor for Avijatik, a Bengali film  and Satyajit Ray  Film and Television Institute  Fellowship etc.

You may have known….  India infant mortality rate for 2025 was 24.98, a 3.18% decline from 2024. (In 2015-2016 average infant mortality rate in India was 37, lowest being in Andaman – 10 deaths).

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