Today’s Motto: ‘We become what we think about’

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

On this day, 15 Oct….

1492 – Christopher Columbus noted in his Journal the use of tobacco among Indians—the first recorded reference to tobacco.

1686 – Aurangzeb attacked and conquered Bijapur, and this was the end of the Muslim Adilshahi era. He had taken his father Shah Jehan prisoner when he took over the throne,  defating his brother Dara Shikoh.

1815 – Napoleon Bonaparte arrives on the island of St Helena to begin his exile. (Napoleon dominated European affairs 1799-1815 while leading France against a series of coalitions in the Napoleonic Wars. He won most of these wars and the vast majority of his battles, rapidly gaining control of continental Europe before his ultimate defeat in 1815. One of the greatest commanders in history, his campaigns are studied at military schools worldwide and he remains one of the most celebrated and controversial political figures in Western history).

1860 – 11-year-old Grace Bedell writes to Lincoln, tells him to grow a beard. (It influenced Abraham Lincoln to grow his familiar beard. Lincoln later met with Bedell).

1917 – A Parisian dancer Mata Hari is executed for espionage by the French Government after being convicted of passing military secrets to Germany.

1827 – Charles Darwin was accepted into Christ’s College at Cambridge, but did not start until winter term because he needed to catch up on some of his studies. A grandson of Erasmus Darwin of Lichfield, and of Josiah Wedgwood, he had entered the University of Edinburgh in 1825 to study medicine, intending to follow his father Dr. Robert’s career. However, Darwin found himself unenthusiastic about his studies, including that of geology. Disappointing his family that he gave up on a medical career, he left Edinburgh without graduating, in April 1827.

1932 – Tata Airlines (later to become Air India) makes its first flight. JRD Tata, the founder of  Tata Airlines in 1931 had taken flying training in England and France (1929)  and came to India. He flew the first commercial flight from Karachi to Madras (Chennai) on Oct. 15, 1932. Tata Airlines  became Air India in 1946 and the nationalised by PM Nehru’s govt. in 1953. JRD led the Airlines as Chairman until 1978 when he was removed by PM Morarji Desai for having supported Indira Gandhi on Emergency in 1975. Tata was honoured with Padma Vibhushan in 1955,  named Air Vice Marshall  (Honorary) in April 1974, Legion of Honour by French govt. in 1983 and Bharat Ratna in 1992.

1949 – Process of the integration of the Indian State was completed when the last three states – Tripura, Manipur and Banaras were merged. (Though the Portugese territories of Goa, Daman and Diu were merged on  Dec. 19, 1961) after a long agitation and  military action (pic credit-transcend.org).

1950 – The first American radio paging service, Aircall of New York City, sent the first page to a doctor who was on a golf course 25 miles away.

1997 – Arundhati Roy (37), the Delhi-based author wins Britain’s most prestigious literary award ‘Booker Prize’ for her novel “The God of Small Things”.

2000 – Sachin Tendulkar becomes the highest run-getter in one-day internationals (9379 runs) during his innings of 69 in the final of the ICC cricket tournament against New Zealand.

2003 – China became the third nation to send a man into space. Lieutenant Colonel Yang Liwei, 38, was launched on a Long March CZ-2F rocket in the Shenzhou-5 spacecraft at 9 am local time (1 am GMT). He completed 14 Earth orbits during a 21-hour flight which ended with a parachute-assisted landing on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia in northern China.

Born….1542 – Akbar Abul-Fath  Jalaluddin, third Mughal Emperor of India (1556-1605).

1931 – Avil Pakir Jailabddin Abdul Kalam better known as APJ , famous Indian scientist and pioneer of India’s missile programme. Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu) born  to a boatsman  ferrying Hindu pilgrims from Dhaushkoti to Rameshwaram, aerospace Engineer, did his studies in Ramanathanpuram and  St. Joseph College, Thiruchirapalli. He did  aerospace engineering in Madras Institute of Engineering in 1955. Having missed selection to IAF, he joined DRDS as a scientist. He grew to be the Chief  Scientific Advisor to the Prime Ministers from 1992 to 1998, Secretary of DRDO upto 1999  and worked on development of first Agni Missile and to be known as the Missile Man of India.  Having also worked under Dr. Raja Ramanna, the Chief architect of India’s first  Nuclear Testing in 1974 at Pokharan, Kalam became the architesct of 2nd Nuclear Test in 1998. He was elected 11th President of India in July 2002, as NDA candidate supported by SP and NCP.

RIP….1918 – Shirdi ke Saibaba’ better known as ‘Saibaba’.  He was around 70 when he died. Born in a Brahmin family at Patri village in Hyderabad, he was magician saint to all caste and creed  of people, healing with  his tricks using  ash from fireplace. He  was reverred by the Hindus, Muslims and Christian equally. The mystery of his body diappearing  after death and  a few flowers  found next morning  mesmerised people and  raising a Samadhi at the place for his followers. His sect became defunct after the deeath of his descendent Satya Sai Baba and financial  frauds in Trust funds.

You may have known….To improvise, in 2014, Google hired an Arabian camel (as well as  a handler) to explore the Liwa Oasis in the United Arab Emirates. The camel helped limit any disruption of the natural environment (compared to, say, a Jeep), and the camera, called a Trekker, rested on the animal’s hump. The oasis has some of the world’s tallest sand dunes, as well as a lush grove of date palms. For centuries, locals have enjoyed fruit from the palms, and used their trunks to weave tents and baskets.                                                       {Compilied by Lt. Gen. (R)  Raj Kadyan}