Today’s Motto: ‘An extraordinary man is generally found Alone; others in a Crowd’

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

On this day,  Dec.17……..

1398 – Timur (Tamerlane) captures and sacks Delhi, defeating Sultan Nasir-u Din Mehmud’s armies which include elephants.

1836 – The world’s first suburban railway opened in England (Photo credit-Wikipedia).

1895 – A “machine for making paper twine” invented by George L. Brownell was issued the first U.S. patent for this type of equipment. It twisted strips or ribbons of paper into cord which was as strong as any known steel of the time.

1903 – The first manned, powered, sustained and controlled airplane flights were achieved by the Wright brothers with The Flyer, a wood and fabric biplane, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The biplane flew low over the ground for 120-ft, aloft for 12 secs. For the first time, a machine carrying a man had raised itself by its own power into the air in full flight, flown forward without reduction of speed and had finally landed at a point as high as that from which it started. Three more flights were made in the next few hours. The last one, with Wilbur Wright aboard, was the longest, covering 852-ft (260-m) in 59 secs. The wind then upset The Flyer, damaged it, and it never flew again.

1919 – Albert Porta an expert seismographer and meteorologist predicted that a conjunction of six planets on this date would spell the end of the world. The alignment of planets would cause a magnetic current which would pierce the sun and thereby engulf the earth in flames. As the date approached suicides and hysteria were reported throughout the world.

1924 – 1st U.S. diesel electric locomotive enters service, New York.

1929 – Bhagat Singh and Rajguru killed Sanders, Asst Superintendent of Police.

1933 – Lala Amarnath scores a century (118) in his Test Cricket debut.

1961 – India seizes Goa and 2 other Portuguese colonies. (Provocative action against our nationals in the vicinity of Anjadip Island and Portugal’s belligerent attitude to the problems of its colonial possessions in this country resulted in the Government of India’s decision to liberate Goa, Daman and Diu).

1971 – Cease fire between India and Pakistan in Kashmir.

1972 – New line of control (LoC) agreed to in Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

1979 – The first rocket automobile vehicle claimed to break the sound barrier on land was driven by stunt driver Stan Barrett who reached 739.7 mph.

2014 – Sony Pictures cancelled release of its movie “The Interview” after hacking attacks and threats thought to be ordered by the North Korean government; the movie was reportedly a comedy depicting an attempted assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

2017 – French sailor François Gabart sets round-the-world record for fastest solo navigation of the globe in 42 days 16 hours.

2018 – Dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster’s word of the year is “justice”.

2019 – Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf sentenced to death in absentia for high treason.

2019 – China’s 1st domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, enters naval service.
Born….

1946 – Suresh Oberoi, Bollywood actor, in mostly Villain roles in  who acted in Ek Phool Do Mali,  Soldier, Aitbaar, Raja Hindustani, Animal and Vijaypath etc.

1972 – John Abraham, Model and actor. Acted in films like Baabul, Dhoom,, No Smoking, Batla House, No Smoking, Wazir, and biopic PM Narendra Modi (2019).

#John Abraham

You may have known….
Sausages were created around 3000 BC – before Bible was written.

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