Today’s Motto: ‘Hesitation to take risk is the biggest risk’

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

On this day, 09 Jan….
(Today is clebrated as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas since 2003 to mark the contribution of Overseas Indian community in the development of India. Since 2015, its format has been revised to celebrate the PBD once every two years).

1664 – Shivaji started Surat campaign and left the city after plundering the place.

1760 – Afghans defeat Marathas in battle of Barari Ghat. (This was one of a series of Afghan victories over the Marathas in their war to gain control of the decaying Mughal Empire, which gave the British time in which to consolidate their power in Bengal. At the Barari Ghat (ferry station) of the Yamuna River, 10 miles north of Delhi, the Maratha chief Dattaji Sindhia, retreating from the Punjab before the Afghan army of Aḥmad Shah Durrānī, was surprised by Afghan troops who, concealed by high reeds, crossed the river. Dattaji was killed and his army scattered. His defeat opened the way to the Afghan occupation of Delhi).

1799 – British Prime Minister William Pitt introduces Income Tax to raise funds for the war against Napoleon. This was the first ever introduction of income tax in the world. He ruled Britain between 1783-1800.

1816 – Sir Humphry Davy’s safety lamp was first used in a coal mine in UK

1915 – Gandhiji, reached Bombay on his return from South Africa. He became a member of the Indian National Congress, led India’s freedom struggle and changed the lives of Indians forever. He was awarded Kaiseri-e-Hind Gold Medal for Ambulance service on Jan, 11.

1996 – PM PV Narasimha Rao unveils India’s state-of-the-art Main Battle Rank (MBT) `Arjun’ at a New Delhi function.

1998 – Soviet chess legend Anatoly Karpov defeated India’s Viswanathan Anand to retain his FIDE chess title. Anand is among the top world chess legend having won FIDE  World Chess title 5 times and defeated almost all greats in his time. He won all three major titles -Corus, Linares and Dortmond from 1998 onwards. (pic credit-IndianExpress.com).

2007 – Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone, a revolutionary invention combining touch capabilities, iPod, a camera and other features. This marked a significant milestone in mobile technology.

Born….1889 – Dr. Vrindavanlal Varma, famous Hindi writer and social reformer. He mainly wrote historical and social novels, most famous being “Mriganainee” (pic credit-Hindwi) .                                                                                                                                                                       1916 – Ramkrishna Ramnarayan Ruia, great industrialist and educationist.

1922 – H. Gobind Khorana. Also called Hargobind Khorana was an Indian-American biochemist who shared the 1968 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Marshall W. Nirenberg and Robert W. Holley.

1927 – Sundarlal Bahuguna, a noted Garhwali environmentalist, Chipko movement leader forsaving trees and environment. A follower of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of Non-violence and Satyagraha (pic credit-Right Livelihood).

1965 – Farah Khan, Bollywood choreographer, dancer, actor and  film director. She has directed about 100 songs and the film Om Shanti Om. Also acted in  films like Jalwa, Main Hoon Na,  Kuchh Kuchh Hota Hai, Tees Maar Khan, Happy New Year etc.  She has won a National and 7 Filmfare awards.

1974 – Farhan Akhtar, Bollywood Director, Actor, Producer, Singer.  Son of veteran  scriptwriters Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani. He has acted and produced films like Zindgi  Na Milegi Dobara,  Don series,  Bhaag  Milkha  Bhag etc. He has won 2 National Film  awards and  5 Filmfares. (pic credit-LifeStyle Asia).

1983 – Kalki Koechlin. Indo-French  actress born in Puducerry, who debuted with  Dev-D, an Anurag Kashyap film and Shaitan, Yeh Zindgi Na Milegi Dobara, Margarita With a Straw, Kho Gaye Ham Kahan etc.  She is a scriptwriter and producer too. She has won a National award, 2 Filmfare, French Ministry of Culture award Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, Screen awards and The Hindu Metroplus Playwright awards (pic credit-IMDb)

RIP: 1923 – Satyendranath Tagore, Bengali litterateur. He became the first Indian IAS officer , challenging the British supremany in 1863. He was also member of Brahmo Samaj.                        1945- Sir Chhotu Ram (Chaudhary Ram Richhpal  Ohliyan).  Sampla-Rohtak- born legendary  farmer leader, philonthropist of undivided  Punjab.  A statesman, freedom fighterr and a great orator. He won many local elections and built many colleges, hospitals and dharamshalas. He was also called Deebandhu, He also promoted National Unionist Party for Hindu-Muslim unity and published  Indian Gazzett, a  weekly still  being published. He was honored with British OBE and title of Rai Baghadur.

2022- Bob Saget. (Robert Lane) American comedian, actor, voice artisty, director, TV Host and producer. He is known for  sitcom How i Met Your Mother, Funny  Home Videos. Funniest Home Videos, Full House, Fuller House etc. He won several  awards like Grammy, Student Academy, TV Land award and Critics Choice real award  etc.  (pic credit-Getty Images).

You may have known…. There are more than 7,100 different languages in use around the world.

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