Today’s Motto: ‘Gathering knowledge is not synonymous with gathering wisdom’

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

On this day, 11 Mar….

1784 – Tipu Sultan and Britishers signed the treaty at Mangalore which is known as the Mangalore treaty.

1795 – Battle at Kurla India: Marathas beat Mongols.

1811 – The Luddite riots began in Nottingham, England. There was poverty and misery, made worse by the new inventions – machinery which could do jobs better and faster than people.

1881 – Ashley Eden unveiled in Calcutta Town Hall the first statue of Indians Ram Nath Tagore and Dwarkanath Tagore.

1881 – A statue of Ramnath Tagore was installed at the Kolkata Town Hall,  the first time a Statue of an Indian was placed in a public square.

1891 – National Archives, originally called the Imperial Record Department, it was founded in Kolkata to serve as the custodian of the Government of India’s records.

1918 – The first cases of “Spanish Influenza” in the U.S. were reported. It became the worst epidemic in American history, killing over 600,000 – until it disappeared as mysteriously as it had begun. Worldwide, up to 40 million people died in its wake.                                                                                                                                                                                                    1948 – India’s first modern ship, ‘SS Jal Usha‘,  an 8,000 ton  vassel, was  completed and launched by PM Jawaharlal Nerhru on   March 14, 1948, at Visakhapatnam (pic credit-jovizag.com).

2011 – Indian defense scientists at DRDO, successfully test-fired the Dhanush and Prithvi  missiles from the Odisha coast, both capable of striking targets 350to 750  km away with 500 kg payload. These can be fired up on targets  from  ship to ship or earth to ship.

2025 –Prez Droupadi Murmu cites langar seva, dedication and martyrdom of Gurus at Civic  Reception in SAS Nagar,  Mohali.  She also attended Annual  Convocation of the Punjab University in Chandigarh (pic credit-YouTube.com).

Born…. 1863 – Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the reformist ruler of Baroda State, was the Maharaja of  Baroda from 1875-1939. He was adopted son  of Maharani  Jamnabai following thye death of  her husband King  Sir Khanderao Gaekwad and no male inheritant  available then. He is  known for establishing the Bank of Baroda.

1931 – Rupert Murdoch, Australian and American media moghul. He  inherited a small newspaper The News from his father in Adelaide in 1952 and went on  acquire  media houses in Australia, New Zealand, England and even India. His empire included News Corporation, 21st Century Fox, Fox News, Fox Corporation which included  print and electronic media brands like The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Australian, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, HarperColins, News of the World, South China Post and SkyNews, BSkyB etc. He was adjudged 31st Richest American  and 71st in the World in 2022.  He married 5 times and has 6 kids. His eledst son  Lachlan Murdoch controls his  entire media  empire worth $ 19.5 billion,  while Grace and  Chloe Murdoch  to  join later  have no  Voting right as per family settlement in  Sept. 2025.  (pic credit-inkl.com).

1942 – Capt. Amarinder Singh, a veteran Punjab politician, military historian, former royal and Indian Army officer  who served as the 15th Chief Minister of Punjab. He joined politics thru’ Akali Dal, then shifted to Congress Party and is now in Bharatiya Janta Party since  Sept. 2022. He has written books on history Sikh Wars and  The Monsoon War-Young Officer’s Reminisce- 1965 India-Pakistan War.

1991 – Poonam Pandey, India  model, TV  and film actress. Known for her roles in Nasha, Khatron Ke Khiladi,  Lock Upp serial, AA Gaya Hero, Malinji &n Co., Touch  the Fire Comedy etc. She’s known for comic acts and statements in the social  media. (pic credit-wallpapersden.com)

RIP…. 1689 – Sambhaji, Chhatrapari Shivaji’s successor and eldest son, who was captured at Sangameshwar, was assasinated in the Tulapur  prison of Aurangzeb by Mughal officer Muqurab Khan.              Titbits….   1302 – Romeo and Juliet’s wedding day, according to Shakespeare. The Italian youth lovers believed to have had a tragic romance story in 1550s by Matteo Bandeleo;   later retold  by Arther Brooke and  William Painter. Shakespeare is believed to have borrowed  the story plot and  changed into theatric drama tale.(digital image  credit- John Massey Wright – Folger Shakespeare Library) 

You may have known….India is home to over 1.4 billion people and more than 1,600 languages, making it one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. Among these languages, English holds a unique position — not as the most spoken mother tongue, but as a vital bridge for communication across states, industries, and even international borders. In 2025, English continues to shape India’s education system, job market, and digital culture, while evolving into unique blends like Hinglish.

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