November 5
Known at the ‘Bard of Brahmaputra’, Bhupen Hazarika, a singer, poet, musician and more, died on November 5, 2011. One of the greatest cultural icons of Assam, Hazarika, who wrote songs mainly in Assamese, was also a political activist and filmmaker. His songs, known for their themes of humanity and empathy, have been translated into several languages, especially Bengali and... Read More →
November 4
Born on November 4, 1925, the Bengali director Ritwik Ghatak got limited recognition in his lifetime, but was hailed as one of the great Indian filmmakers after his death. He was born at Dhaka in East Bengal, which was then a part of India, but in his lifetime became East Pakistan and, then, Bangladesh. Like millions of others, Ghatak too... Read More →
November 3
The Times of India (ToI), the world’s largest selling English-language newspaper, was founded at a time when the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar still sat at his throne in Delhi, the seven islands of Bombay had not yet been fully joined, and there was no such thing as the Indian Railways. When it came to life on November 3, 1838,... Read More →
November 2
A writer, journalist, politician and union minister, Arun Shourie has worn several hats — and never been far from controversy. Shourie was born on November 2, 1941, in Jalandhar, Punjab, to H. D. Shourie and Dayawanti Devasher, and educated in elite institutions of Delhi — Modern School and St. Stephen’s College. He then studied economics at Syracuse University in the... Read More →
November 1
On November 1, 1956, another important chapter was added to the grand old story of Delhi when it became a union territory of the Indian Union. The formal history of Delhi goes back to at least 1100 years. There are several legends about how Delhi got its name, but no single definitive account. According to one, a king called Dhillu... Read More →
October 31
“I am alive today, I may not be there tomorrow . . . I do not care whether I live or die . . . I have lived a long life and I am proud that I spent the whole of my life in the service of my people . . . I shall continue to serve till my last... Read More →
October 30
Known as the ‘father of the Indian nuclear programme’, Homi Jehangir Bhabha was born on October 30, 1909. A nuclear physicist and institution-builder, he was the founding director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, where he also taught physics. It is generally believed that Bhabha, who dominated the country’s scientific and nuclear establishments in the first two decades after... Read More →
October 29
On October 29, 1999 a super cyclone struck Odisha, causing widespread destruction, with at least 10,000 lives lost and an estimated 1.5 million people rendered homeless. Unofficial estimates suggest those figures could be much higher. Also called the Cyclone 05B and Paradip Cyclone, it was the deadliest storm to hit India after 1971. The Joint Typhoon Warning Centre issued a... Read More →
October 28
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PepsiCo, Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi, who is frequently ranked among the most powerful women in the world, was born on October 28, 1955. The company she leads is an American multinational food and beverage corporation whose products are available around the world. Its portfolio includes 22 brands, each generating more than $1 billion in... Read More →
October 27
Scholar. Diplomat. Minister. Ambassador. President. K. R. Narayanan served India in many capacities in an outstanding career spanning over five decades, the twilight of which saw him occupy the highest office of the land. Kocheril Raman Narayanan was born on October 27, 1920 at Perumthanam, Uzhavoor in Kerala, the fourth of seven children of a deprived Dalit family. His father,... Read More →
