Henry Ford's Death Anniversary

Henry Ford, who passed away on 7 April 1947, aged 83, was an American industrialist and business magnate. As founder of the Ford Motor Company, he is credited as a pioneer in making automobiles affordable to middle-class Americans through the Fordism system. In 1911, he was awarded a patent for the transmission mechanism that would be used in the Model T and other automobiles.

Jackie Chan's Birthday

  

Jackie Chan, born on 7 April 1954, is a Hong Kong-born Chinese stuntman, actor, and director whose perilous acrobatic stunts and engaging physical humour made him an action-film star in Asia and helped to bring kung fu movies into the mainstream of American cinema.

Chan was born to impoverished parents in Hong Kong. The family moved to Canberra, Australia, when Chan was six, but the following year his parents sent him back to Hong Kong to attend a strict boarding school that trained students for jingxi. From age 7 to 17 he studied acrobatics, singing, martial arts, and mime—skills that launched him into a position with a professional tumbling troupe and landed him bit roles as a child actor and, later, as a stuntman. The independent film producer Lo Wei, hoping to find a successor to the late Bruce Lee, cast him in a series of lacklustre kung fu movies in 1976–78. Rather than ape Lee’s gritty persona, in 1978 Chan utilized his own form of bumbling physical comedy in his first successful films, She xing diao shou (Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow) and Zui quan (Drunken Master). He then wrote and directed as well as starred in Xiao quan guai zhao (1979; The Fearless Hyena).

Chan retained complete creative control for Shi di chu ma (1980; The Young Master), his debut with the production company Golden Harvest, which he subsequently helped transform into Hong Kong’s largest movie conglomerate. In the early 1980s, at the time when he was making an unsuccessful foray into English-language cinema, he moved beyond traditional martial arts period movies to modern action-adventure films, such as ‘A’ jihua (1983; Project A) and Jing cha gu shi (1985: Police Story), along with their sequels. The films showcased his directorial talent for fight and stunt choreography. His own stunts were often extraordinarily dangerous; he nearly perished from a fall in Lung hing foo dai (1986; Armour of God) that fractured his skull and impaired his hearing.

In the 1990s Chan finally broke through into the American market. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the cable network MTV in 1995, and the following year his blockbuster Hung fan kui (1995; Rumble in the Bronx) was released in the United States, along with some of his other classic Hong Kong titles. Chan starred alongside American comedian Chris Tucker in Rush Hour (1998), which enjoyed a great deal of success and launched two sequels (2001 and 2007).

Chan continued to work both within the Hollywood system (though he disliked the limitations it placed on actors) and in Hong Kong cinema. In the United States he appeared in such films as Shanghai Noon (2000), The Tuxedo (2002), The Forbidden Kingdom (2008), and The Spy Next Door (2010). Chan starred in a remake of the 1984 action-drama The Karate Kid (2010) and later in the revenge thriller The Foreigner (2017). He did voice work in the computer-animated film Kung Fu Panda (2008) and its sequels (2011) and (2016); The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature (2017); and The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017). His Chinese-language movies included Xin jing cha gu shi (2004; New Police Story); Bo bui gai wak (2006; Baby); Xinhai geming (2011; 1911), a historical drama in which he starred as Chinese revolutionary Huang Xing; Shen tan Pu Songling (2019; The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang); and Vanguard (2020). In 2016 Chan became the first Chinese actor to receive an honorary Academy Award, which recognized his “distinctive international career.”

In addition to acting, Chan pursued a career in the Hong Kong music industry, releasing a number of original albums beginning in 1984. He founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Organization in 1998, which, among other projects, offers scholarships to Hong Kong youths, and he worked as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. 

Saint Francis Xavier's Birth Anniversary

Francis Xavier, SJ (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: Franciscus Xaverius; Basque: Frantzisko Xabierkoa; French: François Xavier; Spanish: Francisco Javier; Portuguese: Francisco Xavier; 7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552), venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was a Spanish Catholic missionary and saint who co-founded the Society of Jesus and, as a representative of the Portuguese Empire, led the first Christian mission to Japan.

Born in the town of Xavier, Spain, he was a companion of Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits who took vows of poverty and chastity at Montmartre, Paris in 1534. He led an extensive mission into Asia, mainly the Portuguese Empire in the East, and was and was influential in evangelization work, most notably in early modern India. He was extensively involved in the missionary activity in Portuguese India. In 1546, Francis Xavier proposed the establishment of the Goan Inquisition in a letter addressed to the Portuguese King, John III. While some sources claim that he actually asked for a special minister whose sole office would be to further Christianity in Goa, others disagree with this assertion. As a representative of the king of Portugal, he was also the first major Christian missionary to venture into Borneo, the Maluku Islands, Japan, and other areas. In those areas, struggling to learn the local languages and in the face of opposition, he had less success than he had enjoyed in India. Xavier was about to extend his mission to Ming China, when he died on Shangchuan Island.

He was beatified by Pope Paul V on 25 October 1619 and canonized by Pope Gregory XV on12 March 1622. In 1624, he was made co-patron of Navarre. Known as the "Apostle of the Indies”, "Apostle of the Far East”. "Apostle of China" and "Apostle of Japan", he is considered to be one of the greatest missionaries since Paul the Apostle. In 1927, Pope Pius XI published the decree "Apostolicorum in Missionibus" naming Francis Xavier, along with Thérèse de Lisieux, co-patron of all foreign missions. He is now co-patron saint of Navarre, with Fermin. The Day of Navarre in Navarre, Spain, marks the anniversary of Francis Xavier's death, on 3 December.

William Wordsworth's Birth Anniversary

  

William Wordsworth, born on 7 April 1770, in Cockermouth, Cumberland, England, was  an important Romantic English poet, who in later life became the British Poet Laureate.

Wordsworth met fellow poet Samuel Coleridge in 1795 and together they became the leading figures of the English Romantic movement, publishing their "Lyrical Ballads" in 1798.

Wordsworth's most well-known poems include "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" and "She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways", though his masterpiece is considered the autobiographical "The Prelude", addressed to Coleridge and published posthumously.

Ravi Shankar's Birth Anniversary

Ravi Shankar (full name Robindoro Shaunkor Chowdhury), born on 7 April 1920, in Benares, Benares State, British India, was best known for popularizing the sitar, a stringed musical instrument, and Indian classical music, during the second half of the 20th century. As a composer, he created music for radio, film, and concert settings. His friendships and collaborations with western classical violinist Yehudi Menuhin (West Meets East, 1967), and popular music guitarist George Harrison of the Beatles (Concert for Bangladesh, 1971) exposed his work to wider audiences.

In addition to his work in India, he performed with western orchestras in Moscow, America, and London, as well as festivals such as Montery Pop, and Woodstock. He continued to perform until just weeks before his death at age 92

He won 5 Grammy Awards, and was nominated for an Oscar for his score to the film "Ghandi".

He is the father of musicians, Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar.

World Health Day

World Health Day is commemorated every year on the founding day of the World Health Organisation (WHO). On April 7, annually, the day is observed in order to raise awareness about global health issues and highlight the importance of well-being. To celebrate this day, people from around the globe come together to promote a healthier world for everyone and to recognise WHO’s achievements.

WHO is an autonomous organisation that works under the United Nations (UN) to promote health-related issues globally. As we celebrate World Health Day today let us take a look at this year’s theme, significance of the day and about its history.

World Health Day: History

Established on October 24, 1945 the main goal of the United Nations is to promote worldwide peace, security, and better living conditions for everyone. One important factor for better living was public health. Taking this in consideration, the diplomats who created the United Nations discussed the need for an International World Health Organisation. On April 7, 1948 the constitution of the World Health Organisation came into being.

The World Health Assembly (WHA) was formed to overlook the work for the WHO. The World Health Organisation was formed by the merger of the Heath Organisation of the League of Nations and the office international d’Hygiene Publique and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). However, it began functioning in 1951, after acquiring sufficient capital resources. India was added to the WHO constitution on January 12, 1948.

World Health Day: Significance

The key operation of World Health Day is to raise awareness among people about the health issues they deal with worldwide. It teaches people, organisations and governments how to address global health issues as a part of the UN’s sustainable development goals.

World Health Day: Interesting Facts

1. WHO has worked on several issues like Smallpox, Chickenpox, Polio, TB, Leprosy etc. in developing countries.

2. Organisations that participated in WHO highlight all their activities through media like news and press releases, so that people are aware of it.

3. World Health Day is celebrated by government, non-government, NGOs and other organisations worldwide.

4. To achieve the goal of World Health Day, people in WHO hold debates between individuals about different health related topics, organise exhibits, competitions and award ceremonies.

 

International Beaver Day

 

International Beaver Day is celebrated annually on April 7. The holiday was created in 2009 by Beavers Wetlands & Wildlife (B.W.W.), a non-profit organization with members in the United States, Canada, and other countries. April 7 was chosen as the date for the holiday because it marks the birthday of Dorothy Richards - popularly known as the 'Beaver Woman' - who was born in 1894. Richards engaged in the study of beavers for 50 years of her life.

Beavers are a unique and keystone species, having a great impact on the ecosystem. Since 1985, B.W.W. has made big strides in research and education with the intention to create awareness about the little dam-builders known as beavers.