Today’s Motto: ‘In an argument, never take the other’s silence as victory’

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

On this day, 17 Oct….

1855 – Bessemer steelmaking process patented. (A steel-making process was patented by Sir Henry Bessemer, a British inventor and metallurgist. His patent was for a method of making steel by blasting compressed air through molten iron to remove impurities and excess carbon. The “Bessemer Process,” made it possible to mass-produce steel inexpensively. The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass production of steel. It was also called the Gilchrist-Thomas process after the discoverer Sidney Gilchrist Thomas (pic credit-mtkgt.gravelacura.com).

1870 – The Port of Calcutta was brought under the management of a constitutional body.

1917 – In the First World War, Britain launched air strikes on Germany for the first time.

1919 – The Khilafat Movement was launched under the leadership of Maulana Jauhar Ali, Maulana Shaukat Ali and Abdul Kalam Azad. (The Khilafat movement {1919–26} was a pan-Islamic, political protest campaign launched by Muslims in British India to influence the British government. The movement became the reason for the separation of an Islamic Pakistan from mainland India, in the process unleashing tremendous separation trauma, mainly upon ethnic Punjabis. The subsequent murder of Gandhi in India was also the indirect fallout of the Khilafat Movement).

1949 – The Constituent Assembly of India adopted Article 370 of the Constitution, making special provisions for Jammu & Kashmir.

1956 – The Queen opened Calder Hall, the first gas-cooled and Britain’s first nuclear power station in the shadow of the massive chimneys of the Windscale plant, where explosives were made for Britain’s first atomic bomb. “This new power, which has proved itself to be such a terrifying weapon of destruction,” she said, “is harnessed for the first time for the common good of our community.”

1959 – Queen Elizabeth-II  is fined $140 for withdrawing her racehorse entry. (pic credit-glamourmagazine.co.uk)

1979 – Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

1994 – Kapil Dev’s final one-day international (v West Indies).

2008 – The Monopolies and Restricted Trade Commission ordered an investigation into a coalition of private airlines, Kingfisher, and Jet Airways.

2009 – The Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean, held the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting and tried to warn all nations of the danger of global warming.

Born…. 1947 – Brinda Karat, politician wife of CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat. Was elected to Rajya Sabha from West Bengal in 2005.

1955 – Smita Patil, film actress. She appeared in several movies, including films in Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam, and Kannada. Some of her famous films are Charan Das Chor, Umbertha, Arth, Bhoomika, Aakrosh, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai, Qayamat etc. She married popular actor Raj Babbar. She won 2 Filmfare and 2 niminations and Padma Shri award.

1970 – Anil Radhakrishna Kumble, cricketer (great leg spinner). He is the first Indian spinner and second Indian bpwler to cross the 200-wicket mark in limited-overs international cricket. Also, Anil Kumble is the highest Test wicket-taker (619) for India. Known for his passion.; even with a broken jaw in 2002, Kumble bowled when needed and led India to great success against West Indies and in-form Brian Lara. Kumble is also known as ‘Jumbo’  in the cricketing  world.

RIP….1906 – Swami Ramatirtha, a Hindu religious leader, noted for teaching practical Vedanta in a highly personal and poetic manner.

1981 – Kannadasan, a great Tamil poet, writer and lyricist. Also wrote with pseudonym ‘Kavi Arasu’. Was awarded Sahitya Akademi prize in 1980

Titbits…. 1814 – At night, a deadly flood of beer broke out at the Horseshoe Brewery in London. The metal bands of an immense beer brewing vat snapped, releasing a tidal wave of 3,555 barrels of Porter beer, which swept away the brewery walls, flooded nearby basements, collapsed several tenements, and resulted in eight deaths.

You may have known…. India has more than 50% of its population under 25 and more than 65% under 35. In 2020, the average age of an Indian was 29 years

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