Today’s Motto: ‘Mount the first step, even if you cannot see the top stair’
As Every Day makes a new beginning in life, it brings new opportunities, opens new avenues, to perform and make a mark, to write a Page in History Books!
This is Your Day-TODAY: Take a Determined Step Forward and Make History !
On this day, 
12 Feb….
1502 – Vasco da Gama sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal on his second voyage to India.
1922 – Mahatma Gandhi suspends the nationwide Non-Cooperation Movement after the violent Chauri Chaura incident.
1928 – Mahatma Gandhi officially announced the start of the Bardoli Satyagraha in Gujarat to protest a 22% increase in land revenue. The successful non-violent movement was led by Sardar 
Vallabhbhai Patel.
1950 – Albert Einstein warns against hydrogen bomb.
1960 – Chinese army kills 12 Indian soldiers, which led to a full scale war between the two neighbors in 1962.
1975 – India was declared a smallpox-free nation.
1990 – The Berlin Wal
l is taken down. East Germany and West Germany are reunited over the next year. Warsaw Pact is dissolved. 1999 – Pres
ident’s rule was imposed in Bihar dismissing Rabi Devi, as Chief Minister.
2009 – Renowned Indian economist Amartya Sen was conferred with a D-Litt. degree by the University of Cambridge.
2016 – Student leader Kanhaiya Kumar is arrested on “anti-nationalism” charges by Indian police at an anniversary event of the death of Afzal Guru, at Delhi’s Jawaharlal 
Nehru University.
2023 – India opens the first part of what will be its longest expressway linking Mumbai with New Delhi over 1,386 kilometres.
Born….1824 – Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati , metaphysician, social reformer, religious leader founder of Arya Samaj, a Hindu reform movement of the Vedic tradition. He preached Hinduism with cast, cree
d or other differentiations. He also taught spiritualism without much religious formalities and mantra (Karmkand), so that Hinduism reaches to one and all.
1920 – Pran Krishan Sikand, film actor often cast as a villain in Hindi cinema, became one of Hindi cinema’s most legendary actors, famous for his iconic roles as both a villain and a character actor. Munim ji, Azaad, Aurat, Halaku, Chori Mera Kaam, Kundan, Chori Chori, Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Madhumati, etc. He is known for many innovative character roles in films, Malang Chacha in Upkaar, Poorav Aur Pachhim, Maryada, Victoria No. 203 etc. He acted in about 362 films and won 4 Filmfare and refused to accept thrice. He was was awarded Padam Bhushan in 2001 and Dadasaheb Phalke award in 2013, apart from several other cinma accolades (video credit-saregama music).
1947 – Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Indian Sikh leader of Damdami Taksal. Believed to have been propped up by Congress Party to ignite Khaliastan issue, for Sikh-Hindu divide in Punjab, he entered Akal Takht with his armed followers and was ultiamtely decimated thru’ Operation Blue Star. Though it resulted in killings of PM Indira Gandhi, then Army Chief and thousands of citizens during 1984-90. 
RIP….1998 – Om Prakash, very popular Hindi film comedian called Bollywood ke Daddu, for his role in Namak Halal. A versatile character actor who did about 307 films viz., Howrah Bridge, Gopi, Halchal, Sharabi, Pyar Kiye Ja, Padosan, Saadhu Aur Shaitan, Bees Saal Baad, Chameli Ki Shadi, etc. He won 2 Filmfares for his role Aadmi Aur Insaan, Das Lakh and several other acolades (pic credit-hindiscoopwhoop.com)
Titbits…. 1947 – French fashion designer Christian Dior presents his first influential collection, named the “New Look”.
You may have known…. The Saka calendar is the national calendar of India. It is used, alongside the Gregorian calendar. (The calendar months follow the signs of the tropical zodiac rather than the sidereal zodiac normally used with Hindu calendar. The months in the first half of the year all have 31 days, to take int
o account the slower movement of the sun across the ecliptic at this time. Years are counted in the Saka Era, which starts its year 0 in the year 78th of the Christian Era.
{Compiled by Lt. Gen. (R) Raj Kadyan}
