David Bowie, born on 8 January 1947, was an English singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, and his music and stagecraft had a significant impact on popular music.
Anton Trstenjak, born on 8 January 1906, was a
Slovene psychologist, theologian, and author. He is notable as a pioneer of
Slovenian clinical psychology and was practicing his own Logotherapy-inspired
psychotherapy. As author he wrote books in specific areas of applied psychology
such as ecological psychology, pastoral psychology, psychology
of work and organization, and his overview of the field of psychology in
general.
Keshab Chunder Sen, also spelt as
Keshub Chandra Sen, who passed away on
8 January 1884, was a Hindu philosopher who attempted to incorporate Christian
theology within the framework of Hindu thought.
Sen was born to one of the prominent families in
Calcutta and was well educated. At 19, he became part of Brahmo Samaj founded
by reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
While Brahmo Samaj was intended to revitalise Hindu religion
through Vedas and ancient sources, Sen held the belief that Christian doctrine
could give new lease of life to stratified Hindu society.
The social reformer in 1866 had established a new
society called, Bharatvarshiya Brahmo Samaj (Brahmo Samaj of India). But
he later organised a new society called Naba Bidhan or Nava Vidhana
(New Dispensation).
He condemned child marriage and was instrumental in having the marriage
rites of his society recognized by law in 1872. He also advocated widow
remarriage and intercaste marriage.
Keshub Chandra had to establish a new society since
his followers broke away after he allowed his 14-year-old daughter to marry son
of maharaja of Cooch Behar despite being in opposition of child marriage.
He restored numerous ancient Vedic rituals and sent 12 students to
preach under a flag with the symbols—a crescent, a cross, and a trident—of
Islam, Christianity, and Shaivism (the branch of Hinduism that worships Shiva
as the ultimate reality).
Elvis Aaron Presley, born on 8 January 1935, also known mononymously as Elvis, was an American singer and
actor. Known as ‘King of Rock and Roll, he is regarded as one of the most significant
cultural figures of the 20th century. Flaunting his curled lip, long
sideburns, swivelling hips, and over-greased pompadour, he popularized rock and
roll music in America in the '50s. His charm left many ladies floored back then
while men took tips from him on how to woo women.
In 1956, following his six television
appearances on The Dorsey Brothers' "Stage Show", Elvis was cast in his first acting role, in a supporting part in Love Me Tender (1956),
the first of 33 movies he starred in. The 31
feature films as an actor and two theatrically released
concert documentary films, all enjoyed financial success. For a number of years,
he was one of Hollywood's top box office draws and one of its highest-paid
actors.
In 1977, the three-time Grammy winner's shocking death left the
world saddened. He reportedly suffered from a heart attack, likely brought on
by his diet and drug use. Even though the singer is not with us
anymore, he lives on through his legacy.
Known
both for his iconic songs which are still considered as classic hits and his
high-octane performances on-stage, the singer-actor was given the honorific
title of the ‘King of Rock and Roll’ for his many achievements over a short but
influential span of his career.
On this
special occasion for the best-selling solo artist of all time, let’s take a
trip down the streets of his timeless music released decades ago, which is
still listened to and enjoyed by millions of his fans worldwide. Here are a few
of the many tunes which make Elvis an evergreen artist.
JAILHOUSE ROCK
This funky and upbeat number from Elvis’ 1957 film
having the same name was an instant success on the musical charts worldwide at
the time. The song’s jovial and suggestive lyrics were contrasted by the
intense and raspy vocals of the three-time Grammy Award-winning singer, making
for an interestingly rocking number that fans love to this day.
IF I CAN DREAM
This solemn and heart-stirring ballad was performed
by Elvis in tribute to legendary Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in
1968 at a Television special. His rich and moving vocal performance was
appreciated by many and is considered one of his best works to date.
CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE
This romantic mid-tempo number has some of the most
romantic lyrics in the musical repertoire of Elvis. Released in 1961 as part of
his album ‘Blue Hawaii’, the song is an evergreen Valentine’s Day classic and
has been sung by several prominent artists, including Celine Dion and Britney
Spears.
SUSPICIOUS MINDS
Originally recorded in 1968 by songwriter Mark James, the song
became an overnight success once Elvis released his version in 1969. The lyrics
highlight issues faced by a couple in a relationship, stressing the need to
overcome them. The song was released just two years into Elvis’ marriage with
Priscilla Presley, leading to fans’ belief that the Guinness Record-holding
artist had poured some of his personal emotions while singing the song.
BLUE SUEDE SHOES
This catchy number is iconically associated with
Elvis not just because of its infectious energetic vibe but also because the
singer himself owned a pair of blue suede shoes, which became famous after this
song came out in 1956. The number was originally a #1 hit by Carl Perkins, a
friend of Elvis, but today, it is remembered as an evergreen song of the rock
and roll legend.
Earth's
Rotation Day is celebrated on January 8 every
year to mark the anniversary of the demonstration by French physicist Léon
Foucault of the Earth's rotation on its axis.
In 1851, Foucault accomplished this through an
experiment using a pendulum, famously known as the Foucault Pendulum. It
provided visual proof of Earth's rotation. The pendulum's plane of oscillation
rotates over time, a phenomenon that can only be explained by the Earth
rotating beneath it. Foucault's pendulum became a symbol, which is displayed in
museums worldwide. January 8 was chosen to mark the day Foucault proved that
the Earth rotates on its axis.
Galileo Galilei, who passed
away on 8 January 1642, was an
Italian philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician who made essential
contributions to the sciences of astronomy, motion and strength of the material
and several developments of scientific methods.
If we talk about his discoveries, Galileo was the first person
to report telescopic observations of the mountains on the moon, the rings of
Saturn, the moons of Jupiter and the phases of Venus. He calculated the law of
free fall, conceived by the principle of inertia; he also determined the
parabolic trajectory of projectiles and promoted the relativity of motion.
Galileo’s significant contributions were observational data,
which he obtained with a telescope he made himself. He was the first
astrophysicist to scan the spaces with a light-magnifying instrument; he is
also referred to as the father of observational astronomy.
Telescopic
Discoveries of Galileo
Galileo was not only the first inventor of the reflecting
telescope, but he also significantly enhanced its power. What
set Galileo apart was that he quickly figured out how to improve the
instrument.
Galileo was the first to observe the rough, cratered surface of
the moon; Jupiter’s four largest satellites named the Galilean moons; dark
spots on the sun’s surface, known as sunspots; and the phases of the phases of
Venus with his unprecedentedly powerful telescopes.
Earth’s
Orbit
Soon after the invention of the telescope in the Netherlands, Galileo
created his own from improvised spectacle lenses. He learned how to make unprecedentedly
powerful telescopes, which he used to study the solar phases of the planet
Venus. He also concluded that the sun is the central point of the solar system,
not the Earth, as was formerly assumed, after noticing and studying the similar
phases of Venus and the moon. Such discoveries of Galileo took the world of
inventions to another level.
The
Law of Falling Bodies
The Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle taught that heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones, but Galileo wasn’t convinced. By climbing to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Galileo demonstrated this theory by dropping items of various weights off the side, which states that every object will fall at an equal rate. All items hit the ground simultaneously. This law of falling bodies was his crucial contribution in the field of motion.
The
Principle of Pendulum
The law of the pendulum was discovered by Galileo Galilei, which made
the young scientist famous. Galileo observed that no matter how big the swings
are, the time it will take for each swing to complete will be the same because
the kinetic energy left in the pendulum will always be the same; it is just
shifted from one direction to the other. This law is eventually used to
regulate clocks.
Stephen Hawking, born on 8 January 1942, was an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author. Hawking is regarded as one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists in history. His work on the origins and structure of the universe, from the Big Bang to black holes, revolutionized the field, while his best-selling books have appealed to readers who may not have Hawking's scientific background.
Bimal Roy, who passed away
on 8 January 1966, was a Bengali Indian film director. He is particularly noted
for his realistic and socialistic films such as Do Bigha Zamin, Parineeta,
Biraj Bahu, Madhumati, Sujata, Parakh and Bandini, making him an important
director of Hindi cinema. Inspired by Italian neo-realistic cinema, he made Do
Bigha Zamin after watching Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves (1948). His work
is particularly known for his mise en scène which he employed to portray
realism. He won a number of awards throughout his career, including eleven
Filmfare Awards, two National Film Awards, and the International Prize of the
Cannes Film Festival. Madhumati won 9 Filmfare Awards in 1958, a record held
for 37 years.
Ashapoorna Devi, born on 8
January 1909, was a prominent Indian novelist and
poet in Bengal. For her contribution as a novelist and short story writer, the Sahitya
Akademi conferred its highest honour, the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
upon her in 1994.
During her lifetime, Ashapurna composed more than
thirty novels, poetry, ten volumes of collected works, besides children’s
fiction. However, it was her powerful trilogy which catapulted her to fame and
glory.
The three novels (written between 1964-1974) Pratham
Protisruti, Subarnalata, and Bokul Katha depict the
women’s liberation from colonial to independent India.
By 1857, India - in whole or in part - had been under the rule of the British East India Company (on behalf of the Crown) for nearly a cen...
