Today’s Motto: ‘Cheerfulness and contentment are great beautifiers’
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!
On this day, 26 Jun….
1498 – The bristle toothbrush was invented in China.
1888 – The first American patent for a gasoline-driven automobile was issued to Karl Benz of Mannheim, Baden, Germany.
1914 – The Indian Relief Act, passes after a protracted period of Passive Resistance led by Gandhi; it reco
gnizes “the validity of Indian customary marriages”.
1954 – Indian PM Nehru, Chinese PM Chou En-lai pledge good-neighbourhood policy at New Delhi. Though the policy was a One-sided effort and China started grabbing Indian terrotories by 1959 and attacked India in 1962, giving Nehru’s policy a big kick !
1975 – Citing what she called a “deep and widespread conspiracy” against her government, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency, which lasted till 1977.
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992 – India leases Tin Bigha corridor (Indian area 178m x 85 m) to Bangladesh as per the Indo-Bangladesh agreement. It connects Dahagram-Angarpota conclave with Bangladesh mainland. (pic credit- Nahid Sultan for commons.wikimedia.org).
1995 – Madhya Pradesh declared “Tiger State” as it homes one sixth of the world’s tiger population. Mandla and Balaghat Distts. are part of Kanha National Tiger Reserve.
1997 – India declares its chemical weapon stockpiles and storage facilities as part of its obligations as signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention.
1999 – Pakistan gave tacit admission that its fighters were involved in the Kargil region against Indian forces.
2004 – In Kashmir suspected Islamic rebels raided a village and shot to death 12 Muslims while they slept.
2012 – Union Cabinet minister Virbhadra Singh, resigned one day after a court in Himachal Pradesh charged him and his wife with conspiracy and corruption in a 23-year-old case related to one of his five terms as Chief Minister.
Born…. 1838 – Bankim Chandra Chatterjee a distinguished Indian writer, poet, and jou
rnalist. He is best known for composing the national song of India, ‘Vande Mataram,’ which played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement. His literary works are considered a cornerstone in the development of Bengali literature.
1888 – Ghanshyam Das Birla, great freedom fighter and social reformer. He was also a successful businessman who diversified his trade into jute, textiles, automobiles (Ambassador Cars), Banking and Finance 
and media. He founded UCO Bank, BITS Pilani, FICCI and took over control of The Hindustan Times in 1930s and funded it for helping Freedom movement.
1929 – Sehjanand Saraswati was a Hindu ascetic, from U.P. and Bihar, freedom fighter who promoted civil resistance among peasants, co-founder of All India Kisan Sabha. 
1985 – Arjun Kapoor, film actor son of famous Bollywood producer Bonney Kapoor from his first wife Mona Shourie. He’s also the grandson of veteran Surinder Kapoor cousin of Raj Kapoor. He’s known for films Ishaqzade, Gundey, 2 States, Ki & Ka, Sandeep Aur Pinkey Farrar, Half Girlfriend, Sin
gham Again etc. He won Filmfare award on Debut and Big Bazar, Zee Cine and StartDust Award etc.
RIP…. 2004 – Yash Johar, film producer. He founded Dharma Productions in 1976 and produced successful films like Dostana, Agneepath, Kal Ho Na Ho, Kuchh Kuchh Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Mera Naam Hai Khan etc., He won a National Film award, 3 Filmfare, 2 International, 5 Zee Cine and an Apsara Film Producers’ Guild award.
Titbits…. 1963 – US President John F. Kennedy gives his famous “Ich bin ein Berli
n
er” , (intended to mean “I am a Berliner”, but may actually mean “I am a dougnut”) speech in West Berlin. You may have known…. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC. {Compiled by Lt. Gen. (R) Raj Kadyan}
