Padampat Singhania Birth Anniversary

 

Padampat Singhania, born on 3 February 1905, was a n Indian industrialist and member of the Indian Constituent Assembly. He had been one-time, youngest FICCI president during 1935-36.

C.N. Annadurai Death Anniversary

 

Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai, who passed away on 3 February 1969, popularly known as Anna, also known as Perarignar Anna (Anna, the scholar or Elder Brother), was an Indian politician who served as the fourth and last Chief Minister of Madras State from 1967 until 1969 and first Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for 20 days (after Madras State was renamed Tamil Nadu) before his death. He was the first member of a Dravidian Party to hold either post.

Greece officially recognised as independent, sovereign state in 1830

Two centuries ago, in 1821, the Greek people started a revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which had occupied these lands for nearly 400 years, and on 15 January 1822 they officially declared their Independence, but it wasn't until 3 February 1830 that Greece was officially recognised as an independent, sovereign state with the signing of the London Protocol, an agreement between the three Great Powers.

Ferdinand Magellan Birth Anniversary

 

Ferdinand Magellan, born on 3 February 1480, was a Portuguese explorer best known for leading the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth, although he himself did not complete the journey. Born into a family of minor Portuguese nobility, Magellan became interested in exploration at a young age.

Magellan served the Portuguese crown in various capacities, including military campaigns in India and Africa, but later moved to Spain after a falling out with the Portuguese king. In service to Spain, he proposed an ambitious plan to reach the Spice Islands (now part of Indonesia) by sailing westward, thereby circumventing Portuguese-controlled routes.

He set sail in 1519 with a fleet of five ships. Although he faced challenges, including mutiny and severe navigational hurdles, Magellan successfully entered the Pacific Ocean by navigating through the strait that now bears his name at the southern tip of South America.

Magellan was killed in the Philippines during a skirmish with local tribes, never completing the circumnavigation himself. One of his ships, however, the Victoria, led by Juan Sebastian Elcano, returned to Spain in 1522, thus completing the first circumnavigation of the Earth. Only 18 of the original 270 crew members survived.

First Electric Train inaugurated in India in 1925

On February 3, 1925, India inaugurated the services of its first electric train. The daily service started between then Bombay Victoria Terminus (now CSMT) and Coorla (now Kurla) on the Harbour line. A 129 ft high railway gantry was assembled to make this possible.