Motto for Today: ‘Even when all are in the gutter, some never stop looking at the stars.’

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

On this day, Mar.15…….

44 – BC Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus and several other Roman senators on the Ides of March.

1564 – Akbar removed ‘Jeziya’ or toll-tax for his non-Muslim subjects. The Islamic ruler Qutb-ud-din Aibak imposed jizya on non-Muslims first time which was called kharaj-o-jizya. Aftar Akbar abolished it, Jeziya was re-introduced by Aurangzeb in 17th century. (Jizya or jizyah is a per capita yearly tax historically levied by Islamic states on certain non-Muslim subjects ‘Dhimmis’ permanently residing in Muslim lands under Islamic law. The Quran and hadiths mention jizya without specifying its rate or amount. Jizya rate was usually a fixed annual amount depending on the financial capability of the payer. Historically, the jizya tax has been understood in Islam as a fee for protection provided by the Muslim ruler to non-Muslims, for the exemption from military service for non-Muslims, for the permission to practise a non-Muslim faith with some communal autonomy in a Muslim state, and as material proof of the non-Muslims’ submission to the Muslim state and its laws. Jizya has also been understood by some as a ritual humiliation of the non-Muslims in a Muslim state for not converting to Islam, while others argue that if it were meant to be a punishment for the dhimmis’ unbelief then monks and the clergy wouldn’t have been exempted).

1892 – An escalator design was patented in the U.S. by inventor Jesse W. Reno of New York City. Otis manufactured their first escalator in 1900 which they had exhibited at the Paris Exposition that year, and then installed it at the Gimbal Brothers store in Philadelphia in 1901.

1907 – Finland is 1st European country to give women the right to vote.

1937 – 1st blood bank forms (Chicago, Illinois, US).
1946 – British Prime Minister Clement Attlee agrees with India’s right to independence.

1950 – India’s Planning Commission Day.

1957 – Britain becomes the 3rd nation to explode a nuclear bomb.

1969 – Indian Navy’s first Helicopter Squadron was commissioned in Goa.

1998 – Mr. Vajpayee is appointed Prime Minister. The number of MPs supporting the formation of a government by the BJP stands at 264 in a house of 539, just short of the working majority of 270. However, the President sees the figure as crossing the half-way mark as the Telugu Desam decides to remain neutral. Earlier, the Congress (I) conveys to the President its decision not to stake claim to form a government.

2019 – Climate change strikes held by school children take place around the world inspired by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg.

2021 – Vatican issues judgement that priests cannot bless same-sex unions, that God “does not and cannot bless sin”.
Born….

1901 – Guru Hanuman, the pioneer and contributor of wrestling in India. He was bestowed with the Padamshri in 1983. His pupil Satpal and Kartar Singh won Gold Medals in Asian Games.

1934 – Kanshi Ram, Indian Dalit leader.

1943 – Sahib Singh Verma, politician.

1976 – Abhay Deol, actor.

1984 – Honey Singh, singer.

RIP…. 1992 – Dr. Rahi Masum Raza, film screenplay, story and dialogue writer.

2008 – Sarla Thakral, first Indian woman to fly an aircraft (1936).

You may have known….

Some chameleons have tongues that are twice as long as their bodies.                  {Compiled by Lt. Gen. (R) Raj Kadyan}