Today’s Motto: ‘Why’ is the essence of all human progress’
As Every Day makes a new beginning in life, it brings new opportunities, opens new avenues, to perform, make a mark and write a Page in the History Books!
This is Your Day-TODAY: Take a Determined Step Forward and Make History !
On this day, 21 Mar….
1867 – Establishment of Prarthana Samaj in Bombay by Atmaram Pandurang, Waman Abaji Modak, Keshav Chandra Sen and other social reformers (Regd. om March 31, 1867). Its aim was to make people believe in one God and worship only one God. Telugu writer and reformer Kandukuri Veeresalingam spread the awarenenss in South India (pic credit-newscoop.co.in).
1921 – Indian Nati
onal Congress adopted its Flag. The first Flag was designed in 1906 by Swadeshi Movement in Bengal, Indian freedom fighter Mad
ame Bhikaji Cama hurled the Flag in Stuttgart, Germany in 1907. It had a couple of variations showing Ganesha, Kali, Lotus, Vande Matram and Gau Mata inscribed on it, until the Congress under its main leader MK Gandhi, decided to have a Charkha in the centre and three colour rectangular pattern done on Khadi cloth essentially (pics credit-wikipedia.com).
1939 – Gandhi calls on world to disarm, thinks Hitler would follow.
1957 – India’s national calender came into force. (The Indian national calendar, sometimes called the Saka calendar, 
is the official civil calendar in use in India. It is used, alongside the Gregorian calendar, in news broadcasts by All India Radio and in calendars and communications issued by the Government. The Saka calendar is also used in Java and Bali among Indonesian Hindus).
1966 – IRS-P3 was launched by PSLV-D3 from SHAR Centre, Sriharikota. IRS-P3 ca
rries two remote sensing payloads – Wide Field Sensor (WiFS) similar to that of IRS-1C, with an additional Short Wave Infrared Band (SWIR) and a Modular Opto-electronic Scanner (MOS). It also carries an X-ray astronomy payload and a C-band transponder for radar calibration.
1971 – Gavaskar scores the first of his 34 Test tons, 116 at Georgetown.
1977 – Internal Emergency, promulgated on June 25, 1975, withdrawn by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Lok Sabha elections were announced.
1979 – The Cytology Research Centre was set up at New Delhi (renamed as the Institute of Cytology and Preventive Oncology in 1988).
1979 – Morarji Desai, PM, inaugurated the Backward Classes Commission in New Delhi. 1996 – Supreme Court holds that attempt to suicide and its abetment would continue to be punishable of
fences.
1997 – Geet (Siriram) Sethi regains Gold Flake Open billiards in Chennai. He dominated Indian and World Billiards during 1990s upto 2001. He also won Snooker championships and has 2 World records in his name. He was awarded Padma Shri, Arjua Award and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and KK Birla Award. He and Prakash Padukone established Olympoic Gold Quest for promotion of Indian sports.
2013 – The European Space Agency reveals new data 
that indicates that the universe is 13.82 billion years old.
2014 – Russia formally annexes Crimea amid international condemnation. It was part of USSR before its disintegration in 1991-92, alongwith Ukraine and many other states.
Born…. 1916 – Ustad Bismillah Khan, legendary Shehnai (clarionett) Master. Born in Dumraon, Bihar into a family of court musicians. He was taught by his uncle Ali Baksh who was playing Shehnai in Hindu temple Vishwantha in Varanasi. Bismillah Khan took Shehnai vadan to a great heights and popularised it globally. He performed at Red Fort on August 15, 1947 when Indian tricolour was unfurled at Red Fort by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. He also performed in nmusic festivals in Europe and A
merica. Bismillah Khan was awarded Bharat Ratna by AB Vajpayee govt. in 2001.
1934 – Buta Singh, former Home Minister of India. Jalandhar born, Buta Singh was a prominent Punjab politician and a senior leader of Congress (I) during Indira and Rajiv Gandhi regimes. He was also Governor of Bihar and was chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes from 2007 to 2010.
1978 – Rani Mukherjee, popularand versatile Bollywood actress, daughter of Bengal filmy family of Ram and Krishna Mukerji, she debuted in Bengal films with Biyar Phool and Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat in 1996 and did many jubilee making films like Laga Chunri Mein Daag, Saavariya, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Mardani etc. Rani was awarded Filmfare 8 times, Rajiv Gandhi award and several other accolades. 
1980 – Ronaldinho. Popular Brazillian footballer. Expert right winger has played international soccer for over 5 years. Has a net worth of $90 million.
RIP:…… 1955- Walter Francis White. American Human and Civil Rights activist and senator, Worked with President Truman during and after WW-II.
1974 – Candy Darling. Prominent transgender actress who did dseveral off-beat roles in American films like Flesh, 
Women in Revolt etc. (pic credit-artifacts.movie)
1997 – Seven Kashmiri Pandits gunned down by militants in Sangrampura.
2001 – Chung Ju Yung. Prominent South Korean indusrialist, economist who founded 
Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Motors group etc. He oversaw the construction of major national Gyeongbu Expressway as well.
You may have known…. The Election Commission of India advises that no voter should have to 
travel more than two kilometres to the nearest polling station, and that, if necessary, a separate polling station can be set up for the inmates of a leprosy sanatorium.
{Compiled by Lt. Gen. (R) Raj Kadyan}
