Today’s Motto: ‘If you want to be happy, be so’
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, 20 Aug ….
1828 – The first session of the Brahmo Samaj of Raja Ram Mohan Roy was held in Ca
lcutta/Kolkata. Dwarkanath Tagore and others led the Bengal Renaissance, congregation of learned men adopting good principles of Hindu, Christian and other Saints for upliftment of society. (pic credit-indica.today) .
1896 – Dial telephone patented.
1897 – Physician Sir Ronald Ross made a key breakthrough when he discovered malaria parasites while dissecting a mosquito. This day is now known as World Mosquito Day, in celebration of this important discovery.
1911 – The first cable message sent around the world from the U.S. by commercial telegraph was transmitted from New York City. It read “This message sent around the world,” left the New York Times building at 7:00 pm and was 
received at 7:16 pm after travelling nearly 29,000 miles through 16 relays via the Azores, Gibraltar, India, Phillipines, Midway, Guam, Hawaii and San Francisco (pic credit-
geotelegeography.com/BBC).
1913 – 1st pilot to parachute from an aircraft (Adolphe Pegoud-France).
1979 – Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh resigns after a short stint of 23 days (July 29- August 20, 1979 after Congress Party withdrew its support, following Charan Singh refusing to withdraw cases against Sasnjay Gandhi. He was appointed as Acting PM until January 14, 1980, mid-term elections to Lok Sabha. Ch
aran Singh was a strict principled Congressman, follower of Gandhi but opposed him on some issues strongly. He opposede Gandhi’s Bhajans saying .. Hindu-Muslim-Sikh-Essai; Sab hain Bhai-Bhai (calling Sikhs as part of Hindu Society).
1980 – Mount Everest climbed by Italian Reinhold Messner, alone.
1995 – Indira Mahila Vikas Yojana launched by PV Narasimha Rao Govt.
2001 – In Spain, Indian champion Viswanathan Anand won the Villarodez Chess 
Championship title by defeating Alexei Shirov of Spain.
2015 – Thirty students at West Point Military Academy, New York, are injured in 
a mass pillow fight (pic credit-bbc.com).
2020 – Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, political activist, falls into a coma after a suspected poisoning (later confirmed to be Novichok poisoning). He ultimately died on Feb. 16, 2024
Born…. 1940 – Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, an internationally renowned environmentalist, expert on Global Climate Change. He received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with US Vice President Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Gunner.
1944 – Rajiv Gandhi. (PM of India: 1984-89). He is considered the father of information revolutio
n in India. He is credited with the computerization and telecommunication revolution of the country. He did the initial work of getting 33% reservations for women in local self-government institutions. But being immature in traditional politics, some of his decesions like Shah Bano case, IPKF, Bofors etc. brought in is downfall and untimely assassination in Mai 1991. His son Rahul and daughter Priyanka Vadra are now prominent leaders of Congress Party and INDI Alliance as mother Sonia Gandhi is not in good health..
1946 – N.R. Narayana Murthy, the founder and well-known industrialist of India’s famous software company Infosys Technologies. He is the founder of Infosys alongwith his wife Sudha Murth; he is now the chief mentor of the company before retiring and becoming chairma emerites. His net wealth is estimated at $ 5.0 Billion (Forbes)
.
1974 – Amy Adams. Italy born American actress known for comic and dramatic roles. She was one of the highest paid actresses for 3 years in a row. She won 2 Golden Globe, 6 nominations to Academy, 7 times to British Academy Film awards, two Primetime Emmy awards.
1976 – Randee
p Hooda, Haryana’s, versatile Bollywood actor and model. He debuted with Monsoon Wedding and followed up with Once Upon A Time, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster, Mein Aur Charles, Jannat, Jism 2, Cocktail, Rang Rasiya, Heroine, Highway, Do Lafzon Ki Kahani, Jaat, Battle of Saragarhi, Swatantra Veer Savarkar etc.
RIP…. 1995 – 305 killed and 345 injured in collision between Purushottam Express and Kalin
di Express at Murlinagar near Firozabad (UP).
2011 – Ram Sharan Sharma. Famous historian of India, indologist, who specialised in the hi
story of Ancient and early Medieval India. He taught at Patna University, Delhi University and was visiting faculty at University of Toronto. He was president of Indian History Congress in 1975, founding Chairman of Indian Council of Historical Research.
You may have known…. Life expectancy in India in years: Male- 71.2, female- 74.4. average- 72.
2. (In 1950 it was 41.9 & 40.4 respectively).
{Compiled by Lt. Gen. (R) Raj Kadyan}