Today’s Motto: ‘Trees that are slow to grow usually bear the best fruit’

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

On this day, 11 Aug ….
(Play in the Sand Day).

1841 – The first U.S. patent for collapsible metal tubes was issued to an artist, John Rand.

1909 – SOS 1st used by an American ship, Arapahoe, off Cape Hatteras.

1928 – General Electric broadcast the play ‘The Queen’s Messenger’ for first time over TV and radio at the same time, called simulcast.

1946 – The first mobile long-distance car-to-car telephone conversation took place, in the US (pic credit-www.reddit.com).

1952 – The first artificial aortic valve was successfully fitted in the heart of a 30-yr-old patient. It was made by Dr. Charles A. Hufnagel of the Georgetown University Medical Centre in Washington.

1961 – Dadra and Nagar Haweli declared as Union Territory States.

1984 – Carl Lewis duplicates Jesse Owens’ 1936 feat, wins 4 Olympic track golds (pic credit-espanol.eurosport.com)

1999 – The death of an 83-year-old beekeeper stung by a swarm of Africanized “killer” bees marked the first fatality by that cause in the state of California (USA). The victim was stung at least 50 times by the highly aggressive bees, receiving a high dose of toxins. He then went into cardiac arrest. For two weeks he was kept alive on a respirator. Foster’s three hives had been taken over by wild Africanized honeybees. Originally hybridized in Brazil in the 1950s, the killer bees had migrated north through Mexico. They were first seen in the U.S. in Texas on 15 Oct 1990. Before spreading into California, killer bee attacks had already caused fseveral deaths in other U.S. states.

2008 – Abhinav Bindra wins the men’s 10 m air rifle Gold at the Beijing Olympics, achieving the first individual Olympic gold medal for India and the country’s first gold medal in any Olympic event since 1980.

2016 – A Greenland shark is declared the longest-living vertebrate in the world at 392 years by an international team of scientists.

Born…. 1916 – General Gopal Raghunath Bewur, 8th Chief of Indian Army. He succeeded Field Marshal Makekshaw in 1973, was awarded Padma Bhushan and served as Indian Ambassador to Denmark.

1943 – Pervaiz Musharaf, General  who deposed PM Navaz Sheriff in and became 10th President/dictator  of Pakistan (2001-08) and  He was born in Delhi.  He was also responsible for attacking India in 1999 in Kargill Hills (J&K)

1961 – Suniel Shetty, popular  film actor. He worked in Bollyewood, Tamil and Telugu films. He is also a producer/director. He won filmfare award for film Dhadkan in 2001. Zee Cine award and GIFA and Stardust awards.

1974 – Anju Jain, Indian cricketer(women’s team). She was also a wicketkeeper and played 8 Tests, 65 ODIs. She was awarded Aruna award in 2005.

RIP…. 1908- Khudiram Bose was hanged on this day in Central Jail at Mujaffarpur, Bihar at the age of 19 years. He along with Prafulla Chaki had planned to bomb the carriage supposed to be carrying Kingsford, unfortunately he was betrayed and was caught and finally was sentenced to death and hanged. This day is observed as “Martyr’s Day” in memory of the great freedom fighter. Even today the soul stirring songs composed in his honour are sung by Bengali folk-singers.

Titbits….1984 – During a radio voice test President Reagan joked he “signed legislation that would outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in 5 minutes”.

You may have known….The infant mortality rate in India (death per 1000 births) in 1950-1955 was 165. In 2005-2010 it had dropped to 52.9.

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