Today’s Motto: ‘You change the world by being yourself’

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

On this day, 16 Jan….

1818 – The Rana of Udaipur signed a treaty with the British to protect Mewar. Udaipur is also called ‘the City of Lakes’ and Mewar was the Kingdom of Rana Sanga, who ruled there for 25 years.

1909 -British explorer Ernest Shackleton claimed to have found the magnetic south pole.

1920 – 1st assembly of League of Nations in Paris.
1939 – Popular comic strip “Superman” debuts.
1942 – Jawaharlal Nehru succeeds Gandhi as head of Indian National Congress.

1957 – Three B-52’s took off from Castle Air Force Base in California on the first nonstop, round-the-world flight by jet planes. The trip lasted 45 hours and 19 minutes.

1969 – Two manned Soviet Soyuz spaceships (Soviet Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5) became the first vehicles to dock in space and transfer personnel.
2000 – P. Moses, Indian High Commission Staff member, badly beaten up and abducted by Pakistani intelligence operators in Islamabad.

2016 – First ever flower grown in space – a zinnia aboard the International Space Station using NASA Veggie system.

2024 – Iran carries out a missile attack on militant group Jaish al-Adl in Balochistan, Pakistan, killing two children and angering Pakistan.
Born….

1920 – Nani Palkhiwala (Nanabhoy Ardeshir), veteran Indian law expert  who fought the famous  Keshvanand Bharti Case in He wrote sevral law books like We, the People, We the Nation, The Global Economy, Kanga and Palkhiwala (on Income Tax), Selected Writings etc.  He was awarded Padam Vibhushan in 1998. (pic credit-the Better India).

1926 – O. P. Nayyar, the great Indian music composer known as moswt rhythmic and melodeous musician/singer. He  did compose for Kaneez (1949), Aasmaan, Baaz, Aar Paar, Naya Daur,  CID, Mangu, Mehbooba, Mr. & Mrs. ’55, Baap Re Baap,  Mere Sanam, Sawan Ki Ghat, Ek Baar Muskura Do, .Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, Don etc. over 550 songs. He won 8 National awards and several Filmfate and other awards. (song video credit-Orange Sadabahar Films)

1946 – Kabir Bedi, an eminent  model, RJ, theatre and film  actor, and a reular Columnist. He also acted in Shakespeare’s Othelo in theatre. His prominent roles in films like Taj Mahal, Kacche Dhage,  Khoon Bhari Maang,  Kismat, Aatank Hi Aatank, Main Hoon Naa, Kites, Blue, Kamagata Maru etc. He acts in Italian films like Octopussy. He has been a Voting member for Oscar Awards company Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In June 2010 he was honored with Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

RIP…. 1938 – Sarat Chandra Chatterji, famous Bengali novelist and writer. Many of his novels were adapted for successful films  like Parineeta (1914), Devdas,  Srikanta,  Charitraheen, Datta, Pather Dabi, Palli Samaj, Barodidi, Shubhodai, Brahman Ki Beti (2006) etc.

1989 – Prem Nazir (Abdul Khadir), popular and influentiol Malayalam actor. Recored in Guinness Book of Zrecords for having played lead  in maximum  (700)  out of 724 Malyalalee films. Awarded Padam Bhushan in 1983 and several other state cine honors.

1997 – Dr. Datta Samant, prominent Maharashtra Trade Union leader, shot dead in Mumbai.He led the most successful mill workers’ strike in  1982 by Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh (INTUC affiliated). He was elected to Lok Sabha  in 1984  as Independent defeating  Congress  candidate and others.

You may have known….

Other irrigation systems in India include a network of major and minor canals from Indian rivers, groundwater well based systems, tanks, and other rainwater harvesting projects. Of these groundwater system is the largest.  Though India has  several canal irrigation projects,  the Buckinghan Canal  a 796  km long  from Kakinada (A.P.) to  Chidambaram  (Tamil Nadu) is  the longest  irrigation project in India.  China’s Beizing-Hangzhau  artificial canal  (1278 km )  is considered as the longest and a World Heritage  site.

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