Today’s Motto: ‘Strength often bows to wisdom’
As Every Day makes a new beginning in life, it brings new opportunities, opens new avenues, to perform and make a mark, to write a Page in the History Books!
This is Your Day-TODAY: Take a Determined Step Forward and Make History!
On this day, 16 Aug ….
1858 – Queen Victoria sent the first official telegraph message across the Atlantic Ocean from London to the US. (Test messages had been exchanged for 10 days).
1932 – Britain instituted new electoral plan for India: to allow limited untouchables and giving them separate representation.
1960 – Captain Joseph W. Kittinger made the longest delayed parachute jump on record when he bailed out of a balloon at 102,800 feet and dropped 84,700 feet (31,330 m) or 16.04 miles before opening his parachu
te over New Mexico.
2008 – Usain Bolt sets a new 100 metres dash world record of 9.6
9 seconds at the Beijing 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Usain is the greatest sprinter in the world, who has won 8 Golds (100m, 200m thrice in consective Olymoics and 4×100 m Relay twice). He also improved his 100 m record in 2009 to 9.58 sec. He has also interest in music and wrote his autobiography in 2010 and 2012 and another book on Sport.
2014 – India put the INS Kolkata into service; the battleship, built locally, i
s the second to be commissioned during the year and signals the nation’s intent to update its naval might in response to concern regarding China’s growth.
Born….1899 – Robert Bunsen, German chemist. (We all remember his Bunsen burner from our Chemistry lab days).
1922 – Raunaq Singh, great industrialist and philanthropist. Her founded Apollo Tyres, Bharat Gas, Bharat Steel Tubes, Raunaq International (exports), Raunaq Automotives. His family migrated to Delhi from Pakistan in 1947 and he could earn One Paisa a day when he decided to move to Calcutta and set up Apollo Tyres which changed his life exponentially. In 30 years of enterpreneurship, he became Tyre Tycoon, Steel Pi
pe major and industrial/domestic gas baron. His family later acquired tyre company in the US and prospered at faster pace.
1970 – Manisha Koirala, Nepal born Bollywood actress started her career with a Nepali film Pheri Bhetula and then Saudagar in Mumbai with veterans Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar. She acted in Bombay, Agni Saakshi, Kache Dhage, Indian, Gupt, Akele Ham Akele Tum, Khamoshi, Lajja, Dil Se and lately Heeramandi etc. She won 5 Filmfare, Screen, BFJA and several other awards. She survived a stint with deadly dise
ase cancer and spends her life doing social work.
1970 – Saif Ali Khan, Bollywood actor, son of famous cricketer MAK Pataudi Jr and veteran actress Sharmila Tagore. He has done Dil Chahta Hai, Omkara, Kal Ho Na Ho, Ham Tum, Parineeta, Salam Bombay, Ham Saath Saath Hain, Cocktail, Love Aaj Kal etc. He has won a National Film award, 7 Filmfares and Padma Shri in 2010. He married actress Amrita Singh (1991-2004) and later Kare
ena Kapoor in 2012.
RIP….1886 – Swami Ramakrishna Paramahams dies at the age of 50. His real name was Gadadhar Chatterji. An Indian mystic, leader and saint, he preached unity of religions. Swami Vivekanand was his disciple.
1977 – Elvis Presley, popular American musician, dies of cardiac arrhythmia. Popular as the ‘King of R
ock & Roll’ he was one the best selling music personalities. he won several top awards in music and cinema world. His estimted net worth in 1977 was $ 5 million ($ 300 million indexed as of today).
2018 – Atal Behari Vajpayee. First BJP Prime Minister, who led India for 3 terms; in
1996 (for 16 days), 1998 (13 months) and 1998 (Full term) as head of National Democratic Alliance NDA). he was honoured with Padma Vibhushan in 1992 and Bharat Ratna in 2015. Vajpayee is known for Pokhran Nuclear Tests in 1998, leading a Delhi-Lahore Bus Travel in Feb. 1999 as Freindship Yatra with Pakistan) and winning the Kargil War in 2000 against Pakistan infiltration in an effort to regain control over Siachin Glacier.
You may have known…. India’s average population density is 418.5 /km². The highest State-wise population density per sq km (2011) is: UTs: Delhi – 11,297 and 
Chandigarh – 9,252; States: Bihar – 1102. West Bengal 1029. The lowest are: Arunachal Pradesh – 17 and Andaman & Nicobar Islands – 46. {Compiled by Lt. Gen. (R) Raj Kadyan}