Franklin D. Roosevelt's Death Anniversary

Dr. Rajkumar's Death Anniversary

Kumaran Asan's Birth Anniversary

M. Visvesvaraya's Death Anniversary

Punjab National Bank founded in 1894

Vinoo Mankad's Birth Anniversary

Sugar Ray Robinson's Death Anniversary

World Hamster Day

World Hamster Day on April 12 is dedicated to these cute little rodents who are easy to raise. All you need is a love for animals, and the dedication to ensure all the pet’s needs are met. 

It is estimated that hamsters have been around for at least 15 million years, but they were not domesticated until the 20^th century. This exciting development started when the zoologist Israel Aharoni went on an expedition to look for Syrian hamsters in a cornfield on April 12, 1930. The 13 captured critters were then bred to produce the first domesticated hamsters, with the entire population of pet Syrian hamsters (also known as golden hamsters) actually descendants of this original group.

Pet hamsters quickly spread to places such as the US and UK, although they remain in the wild in various European and Asian countries like China, Belgium and Greece. Sadly, the wild version of the Syrian hamster is now considered an endangered species.

These days the most popular type of household hamster is the Syrian variant, with dwarf hamsters also very common. Like their fellow rodents, they are widely used in laboratories as test subjects in the study of various diseases and medical conditions such as lung cancer, gallstones and pulmonary fibrosis.

No wonder these wonderful animals deserve a day of celebration!

International Day for Human Space Flight

 

International Day for Human Space Flight takes place across the world on April 12. The day celebrates the first space flight and the first human being in space — the great Soviet cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin.

On April 12, 1961, Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth in Vostok 1 (Vostok 3KA-3) on a flight lasting 108 minutes and became the first human being to leave the confines of the Earth's atmosphere. The space capsule was carried aloft by a Vostok 8K72K rocket, derived from the R-7 ICBM, from a launch site that was claimed to be at 47oN 65oE, not far from the mining town of Baikonur in Kazakhstan. In fact, the true launch site was about 320km to the southwest, near Tyuratam railway station and the name 'Baikonur' was used to cause confusion and keep the location secret. Presently known as Gagarin's Start (45.920278oN 63.342222oE) the launch pad is part of the world's largest operational space launch facility now known as the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

This historic event opened up experiences for humanity like never before. Following Gagarin’s flight to space, there was a renewed enthusiasm for the study of spaces and the cosmos. The day also celebrates humankind’s remarkable progress in building a sustainable relationship with space and using the knowledge for the betterment of every inhabitant of our planet. International Day for Human Space Flight is a celebration of scientific temperament.