Today’s Motto: ‘Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot. Make it hot by striking’

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

On this day, Apr. 22….. ..

1823 – Roller Skates were patented in Britain by Robert John Tyers. His Volitos were an “apparatus to be attached to boots … for the purpose of travelling or pleasure.”  The first use of roller skates is believed to be by Joseph Merlin in Belgium in 1760 (pic credit-iStocks) .

1913 – Under the headline Automobilism: the Wear of Roads and Trackways, the English newspaper, The Times, published an early comment on the expense of the construction and maintenance of roads as traffic became more mechanical and of greater volume. The correspondent pointed out that although a reasonable average width of a main road was 18 feet, the wheels of the vehicles together touched only about 6 inches of the surface. Thus, to save the expense of renewing the surface of the whole 18ft width, he offered the solution that roads be prepared with plateways. These would provide four specially prepared tracks (two in each direction) to take the wear from the wheels.

1915 – Modern chemical weapons were first used in a war. German troops released chlorine gas from several metal cylinders on the front lines at Ypres, Belgium during WW I.

1930 – Revolutionaries in Jalalabad hills near Chittagong in Bengal province, clash with British troops, leaving 80 troops and 12 revolutionaries dead (pic credit-Daily Sun).

1969 – 1st human eye transplant performed.

1998 – India and Bangladesh resolve to work together to ”root out terrorism”, push bilateral trade and harness river waters of the region.

2014 – Teddy Houlston became the youngest organ donor in Britain, aged only 100 minutes. The baby’s early death after delivery was anticipated because of a foreseen medical problem. Teddy’s twin was born healthy, but it was known Teddy’s life would be extremely short. Arrangements had been made in advance by the parents to permit donation of his kidneys and heart valves. Surgery began three minutes after death. Teddy’s two kidneys saved the life of an adult renal patient. The parents are proud of this good outcome.

Born….

1870 – Vladimir IIyich Lenin, Russian revolutionary,  freedom fighter and politician. Lead Bolshovik Revolution and headed USSR from 1922-24.

1915 – Hem Barua, famous Assami and English litterateur. He was elected to Lok Sabha thrice (pic  by Avinibesh Sharma).

1916 – Kanan Devi, popular and early cinema actor, singer of Bengal, acted in Vidya Pati, Sesh Uttar, Parichaya, Mikti, Jawab, Street Singer and Mej Didi etc. She was given Padma Shri in 1968 and Dada Seheb Phalke award in 1976. (pic credit-Facebook).

1924 – Baldev Raj Chopra, legendary Bollywood screenwriter, producer, director who directed produced Naya Daur, Kannen, Gumrah, Hamraj, Dhundh, Insaf Ka Tarzu etc.and epic serial Mahabharat.  He was given Padma Bhushan in 2001 and Dada Saheb Phalke award in 1998 (pic credit-IMDb).

You may have known….Some butterflies suck blood.

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