Today’s Motto: ‘Leaders do not make excuses for failure, they make changes’

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

On this day, 30 Dec….

1803 – During the Second Anglo-Maratha War, the Maratha chief Daulat Rao Scindhia signed Treaty of Surji-Anjangaon with the British East India Company, after being defeated. As a result, the British gained control over major territories, including Delhi, Agra, and Bharuch.  East India Company soon captured Delhi, Agra and Bharuch.

1906 – All India Muslim League was established under the leadership of Nawab Salimullah Khan of Dhaka. This party eventually became the driving force behind the demand for a separate Muslim state, leading to the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

1930 – First photo showing the curvature of the Earth was exhibited.

1943 – In a powerful declaration of sovereignty, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose hoisted the Indian National Flag at the Gymkhana Ground in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. On this day, Bose declared the islands the first Indian territory to be freed from British rule, renaming them “Shaheed” and “Swaraj” Islands.

1947 – Indian PM Nehru  informs Pakistan and other dominion representatives that it has decided to refer the Kashmir issue to the Security Council under Article 35 of the United Nations Charter (pic credit-theprint.in).

1949 – India became one of the first non-communist countries to officially recognize the newly established People’s Republic of China.                                                                                                 2016 – Last day Indians  were allowed to deposit in banks old  500 and 1,000 rupee notes which were scrapped 50 days earlier. Later some more windows were also given.

Born…. 1865 – Rudyard Kipling, English litterateur and author, born in Bombay. He was a young journalist in British India. He wrote in verses, stories, novels and  children’s stories; some of these were popular viz.,  “The Jungle Book, Kim, Riki-Tiki-Tavi and Just-50 stories” and was honoured with Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907.                                                                                                                                              1884- Hideki Tojo. Japanese General  who fought the  Chinese aggression and US, Allies forces   in WWII  1941-44 brilliantly, also served as Prime Minister.                                                                   1956 – Sheryl Lee Ralph. American actress. Known for roles of Dreamgirls in Broadway, The Distinguished, TV serials It’s A Living, Monisha, The Fabulous Four etc.  1968 – Sabir Bhatia,  an Indian entrepreneur who founded the first  Webmail  communication service platform- Hotmail.com.  He later sold it to Microsoft Gmail.com and others  followed  much later.

1975 – Eldrick Tont ‘Tiger’ Woods, golfer (16 Majors and 74 PGA wins).  He won several Best Golfer awards (82)  from 2006 to 2019; met a near fatal  accident on  Feb. 23, 1921 but survived and restarts his golf tours.

Rip……  1971 – Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai; he was the father of the Indian space programme. He became chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (May 1966).

1975 – Dushyant Kumar, the renowned Hindi poet and Hindi ghazal composer, known for his revolutionary verses that captured the political and social unrest of his era. His poetry  collections and novels Surya Ka Swagat, Duhri  Zindgi, Qaid Parinde Ka Byaan, AwazonKe Ghere, Chhote Chhote Swaal, Masiha Mar Gaya, Mann Ke Kone, Aangan Mein Ek Vriksh etc. were widely acclaimed. He was awarded Sahitya Akademi award.                                                                                                                                                            

2006 – Saddam Hussein, the President  of Iraq is hanged in Baghdad by American forces. He was marked as big risk for US oil trade and was allegedly planning to develop Atom Bombs.

2018 – Mrinal Sen, the legendary Bengali filmmaker and a pioneer of the New Wave cinema in India.  He dirercted and produced many Bengali, Hindi and Telugu films like  Bhuwan Shome, Mrigayaa, Chorus, Ek Din Pritidin, Khsandhar, Calcutta 71 etc. He won 5 National Films and 4 Filmfare and many international  awards.

You may have known….  1.  As of late 2025, the Indian Navy operates 14 active guided-missile frigates across four different classes (Nilgiri, Shivalik, Talwar, and Brahmaputra), with more under construction. China possesses a significantly larger fleet, with open-source data suggesting a number around 48 frigates (pic credit-naval-technology.com).                                                                                                                                       2.  In 1881 America had  three men  served  as Presidents: Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, and Chester A. Arthur.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   {Compiled by Lt. Gen. (R)  Raj Kadyan}