Today’s Motto: ‘Run away from flattery but try to deserve it’

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

On this day, 07 Jul….

1456 – A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death. She was a national heroine of France. She was a peasant girl who, believing that she was acting under divine guidance, led the French army in a momentous victory at Orléans in 1429 that repulsed an English attempt to conquer France during the Hundred Years’ War.  She was later captured by the English and burned to death  on false charges, though  acquitted  25 years later.

1550 – Europe introduced the first chocolate.

1668 – Isaac Newton received his M.A. from Trinity College in Cambridge.

1742 – The  German/Russian mathematician Christian Goldbach dated a letter to Leonhard Ruler in which he presented his famous conjecture – “Every even natural number greater than 2 is equal to the sum of two prime numbers.” It has been checked by computer for vast numbers – up to at least 4 x 1014 – but still remains unproved. Goldbach also studied infinite sums, the theory of curves and the theory of equations.

1763 – Britishers declared Mir Jafer as Nawab of Bengal. He had deceived his  king Nawab Siraj ud Daula and joined the British, in defeating own forces in the Battle of Plassey. This fecilitated the British Eastv India Company to establish their rule on Indian soil.

1799 – Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahore in Punjab from smaller Sikh  misls. He was a brave king and made Lahore his capital and spread his kingdom to Kabul, Peshawar.

1891 – A patent was granted for the travellers cheque.

1928 – Sliced bread sold for the first time. Described as the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped.

1948 – Damodar Valley Corporation, for electricity and water  management for irrigation,  first public corporation, was established.

1965 – The first successful surgery to replant a completely amputated thumb was accomplished by Shigeo Komatsu and Susumi Tamai.

1981 – The first solar-powered aircraft, Solar Challenger, crossed the English Channel.

Born…. 1656 – Guru Har Kishan Singh, the eighth Guru of the Sikhs. He was very knowledgeable and used to amaze the Brahmins and other sadhus,  who came to him with the knowledge of the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita. He was declared Guru at the age of 5  but his tenure was just over two years 4 months, as he died of smallpox befor 8th birthday.

1854 – Mohamad Barkatullah,  a freedom fighter. An anti-British anti-imperialist revolutionary who fought from outside India, with fiery speeches and revolutionary writings in leading newspapers, for the independence of India.

1914 – Anil Biswas, a famous Bollywood musician. He has been the charioteer of the golden age of Hindi films who carved many singers. The  names of Talat Mahmood, Mukesh, Suraiya can be counted among them. Gave very famous tunes for love songs  for films like  Aarjoo, Jasoos,  Roti, Kismat, Anokha Pyar, Tarana, Pardesi, Char Dil Char Rahen, Chhoti Chhoti Baten and TV serial Ham Log.

1937 – Jagdish Prasad Goenka, great industrialist. Co-promotor of  Goenkas, Duncon, heading Cotton Export Promotion Council etc.

1981 – Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a former captain and wicket-keeper batsman of the Indian cricket team.  Captained India  in all cricket  formats. Also known as Captain Cool,  for his meticulous  batting and wicket-keeping styles. He has set many records in Tests, ODIs and IPL formats. He  captained and  plays for Chennai Super Kings. Estimated worth $ 180 million (2025).

RIP…. 1999 – Captain Vikram Batra, Army officer, awarded Param Vir Chakra, the highest gallantry award in war. Born in Palampur (Himachal Pradesh),  did Bachelor’s degree from Chandigarh and completed IMA  Commission from Dehradun Military Academy in  Dec. 1997 and did combat courses. Joined 13 J&K Battalion  after having captured Point 5140, his unit was tasked with capturing Point 4875 by his seniors Maj. SV Bhaskar and Lt. Col. Joshi.  His Delta company had an upper hand and killed 5 Pakistani soldiers operating LMGs,  one of Batra’s colleague was under enemy assault when Batra tried to save him and got enemy firing on his head and chest.  He was martyred while fighting for Peak Point 4875 at Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir on July 07, 1999.

Capt. Batra was posthumously  honoured with Param Vir Chakra, the highest gallantry military  award. His father GL Batra received the honour.

You may have known…. With more than 1.2 million employees, Indian Railways is the ninth-largest employer of the world and the second largest employer of India after Defence Ministry.  Running over 69 million Km tracks across India  (can get more  info  on  Indian  Raiways  in  July  06  post).

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