Today’s Motto: ‘Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs’

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

On this day, 18 Dec….
1796 – 1st U.S. newspaper to appear on Sunday (Baltimore Monitor).

1849 – William Bond took the first photograph of the Moon with a telescope. He discovered a  comet in 1811. Was named Director of Harvard  College Observatory.

1913 – The  “Solomon Commission” was convened in Pretoria to investigate the grievances of Indian settlers in South Africa, after a  movement led by MK Gandhi, an Indian lawyer hired by Gujarati businessmen trading in Transval and Johannesburg.  Cape town born Richard Solomon was later appointed as  Attorney General and Governor of  Cape Town.

1926 – In  a letter published in Nature, G.N. Lewis coined the word “photon”.     

1989 – Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar made his One Day International (ODI) debut against Pakistan.                                                                                                                                                                                       1992 – BJP leaders express regret in Parliament,  over the demolition of the Masjid in Ayodhya.

2002 – American Fashion designer Calvin Klein announces,  he is selling his company to shirt-maker Phillips-Van Heusen for $430 million.

2011 – The last US troops withdraw from Iraq, formally ending the Iraq War, after having defeated President Saddam Hussain in April 2003  and  hanged him  in  2006.  Known as 2nd Gulf War started in 2003 with US President George W Bush-II  ordering his troops to attack  Iraq and it ended 2011.

2023 – Pope Francis will allow priests to bless same-sex couples, though not when connected  to a civil or same-sex union.  Pope Francis was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City from 13 March 2013 until his death in 2025.

Born…. 1756 – Guru Ghasidas, freedom fighter and social reformer. He belonged  to upper caste but  abdicated it,  embraced lower  and most exploited caste and set up  Satnami Sect.  A  great Scholar from Chhattisgarh in the early 19th century. It was Guru Ghasidas who started preaching in a deep forested part of Chhattisgarh. His sons Guru Amardas, Guru Balakdas, Gru Aagardas and Guru Adgadhiya  Das carried his teachings to followers of Satnam Panth.

1946 – Steven Spielberg, popular Hollywood  scriptwriter, director and producer.  He made several  blockbuster films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET-Extra Terrestrial, Close Encounters, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Scindler’s  List, West Side Story  etc. He won 12 Emmy, 9 Golden Globe, 3 Academy  and 2 BAFTA awards (pic credit-Rotten Tomatos).

1963 – Brad Pitt, American/Hollywood  actor and producer. Known for films like  Bullet Train, Wolfs, Once Upon a Time, Meet Joe Black, Fight Club, Troy, Mr. & Mrs Smith etc. He has married twice, Jeniffer Anniston (2000-2005) and  Anglina Jolie (2014-19). Has been awarded Golden Globe and Academy awards.

1967 – Capt Abhimanyu Singh,  Haryana BJP leader, who served Indian Army for 6 years  but left because he got selected for Civil Services. He faught Lok Sabha and Assembly elections from Narnaud (Hissar),  several times and won in 2014 and was made a minister in Haryana cabinet. He is also the Publisher of a Hindi newspaper chain Hari Bhoomi from Haryana,  Madhya Pradesh and  Chhattisgarh.

1971 – Barkha Dutt, famous TV  journalist, worked with NDTV, Tiranga TV and currently runs own channel ‘MoJo Story’. She has been  awarded Padam Shree and several other awards like Star Guild, ITA Awards for her  investigative stories (pic credit-famousbirthdays.com).

1977 – Shruti Seth, Gujarati, TV  serials and Bollywood actor. Known for roles in Sharat Thoda Jadoo,  Ciomedy Nights Bachao, Comedy Circus, Bloddy Brothers, Mentalhood, TV Biwi aur Mein, 36 Days etc.  (pic credit-JungleKey.in)

1986 – Vaishali Desai, popular romantic actor, model.She won Femina Miss India International in 2005. Done some TV serials and films like Kal Kisne Dekha,  American Desi, Takkaa  Fitt,  Solid Patels etc. Now works as Head-Corporate Communications , Voltas,  a Tata group Corporate,  in Mumbai.

Titbits….  1898 – Automobile speed recorded  first time  at – 39 mph.                                                                               You may have known….    1. You are more likely to die falling coconut than a shark attack .

2.  Recent data from the Global Firepower Index 2025 lists India as having approximately 4,201  tanks. This number focuses primarily on main battle tanks (MBTs).

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