Today’s Motto: ‘If everything is important, then Nothing Is’

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

On this day, 25 Jun….

1630 – Fork introduced to American dining by Gov Winthrop.

1658 – 6th Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb arrested his father Shahjahan and put him in Agra Fort Jail and enforced horrible conditions for his living there, including rationing water to drink. the worst cruelty of his life.  (pic credit-tv9hindi.com).

1667 – 1st blood transfusion performed by French Doctor Jean-Baptiste Denys (pic credit-prensaunica.com).

1867 – Barbed wire was patented by Lucien B. Smith of Kent, Ohio. His simple idea that was an artificial “thorn hedge” for prairie farmers’ natural.

1924 – Tuberculosis vaccine was developed by Prof Albert Calmette and Alphonse Guerin.

1932 – Commencement of India’s 1st cricket Test v England at Lord’s.

1947 – First publication of The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank).

1950 – Beginning of the Korean War, between  North Korea supported by  China, Russia and South Korea supported by America and Western nations. The war ended on July 27, 1953.

1951 – Advent of colour TV.

1975 – President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed  (5th President of India),  signed the declaration of Emergency Rule in India on PM Indira Gandhi’s  recommendation. It was not approved by the Union Cabinet, then.  Indira’s younger son Sanjay Gandhi and some ministers viz., law minister Siddharth Sankar Roy, VC Shulka, Jagdish Tytler, Jagmohan etc. were believed to have supported her  crucial step, to save her  position as PM’s  post.   Prime Minister Indira Gandhi implemented the same very next day. Some hardline steps like putting Opposition leaders in jail, Press Censorship and forceful  sterlization (vesectomy) and demolition in Old Delhi’s crowded  muslim areas for decongestion etc., were unleased by her govt. which led to her defeat in 1977, and rise of first non-Congress  Oppposition Janata Govt. led by PM Morarji Desai.

1983 – India won ‘Prudential World Cup’ Cricket Championship held in England after   defeating West Indies in Final match. Indian team  led by legendary pacer-batter Capt. Kapil Dev (Nikhanj) and comprising Mahinder Amarnath (man of the Match), Sunil Gavaskar, Madan Lal, Sandeep Patil, Roger Binny, Balwinder Sandhu and SMH Kirmani etc. put up a target of 183 to WEst Indies led by  Capt. Clive Lloyd, comprising  of  Vivian  Richards, G Greenidge, Desmond Hynes, Andy Roberts, Melcolm Marshal, Gomes  etc. who could gather only 140 runs.                                                                                                                                The credit must go  to the Capt. Kapil Dev for his 175 (not out) in the earlier  Group B match against Zimbawbe, when Indian team was down 5 at 17 runs on the scoreoard, before Kapil came in.

2021 – New type of ancient human announced “Nesher Ramla Homo” lived 140,000-120,000 years ago, a possible ancestor of Neanderthals, uncovered in Ramla, Israel.

2024 – China’s Chang’e 6 mission is the first to return samples from the far side of the moon, landing in its Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Born….1900 – Louis Mountbatten, last British Viceroy and first Governor General of Independent India between Feb. 20, 1947 to  June 21, 1948. He was replaced by veteran  freedom-fighter, statesman, writer, lawyer from Madras  Chakravarty  Rajagopalachary, “Rajaji”. (he later became the Chief minister of his state Madras in April 1952).

1903 – George Orwell [Eric Arthur Blair], popular British writer; born in Motihari, Bihar.

1931 – Vishwanath Pratapsing, 7th Prime Minister of India between 1989-90 after blaming PM Rajiv Gandhi for Bofors kick-backs and forming  short-lived Janata Dal govt.

1974 – Karisma Kapoor, most popular  film actress (between 1990-2004), the elder daughter of Randhir Kapoor and Babita. Being the grand daughter of  legendary Raj Kapoor and coming from the First Family of Bollywood, she was the first lady Kapoors to enter film line despite family disapproval.  She debuted with Prem Qaidi in 1991 and acted in many blockbusters like Raja Babu, Anari,  Saajan Chale Sasural,  Raja Hindustani,  Dil To Pagal Hai, Hero No. 1, Biwi No. 1, Judwa, Fize, Bombay Talkies, Dangerous Ishq etc.  She worked in a  few films after marriage to industrialist Sanjay Kapur in 2003. She has  won  a National Film award and 4 Filmfare awards  (pic credit-wikibio.com).

RIP…. 2009 – Michael Jackson, American recording artist, entertainer and King of Pop music.

You may have known….

When many cultures in the world were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilisation).

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