RMS Titanic sinks in 1912

 

At 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the British ocean liner Titanic sinks into the North Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles south of Newfoundland, Canada. The massive ship, which carried 2,200 passengers and crew, had struck an iceberg two and half hours before.

On April 10, the RMS Titanic, one of the largest and most luxurious ocean liners ever built, departed Southampton, England, on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. The Titanic was designed by the Irish shipbuilder William Pirrie and built in Belfast, and was thought to be the world’s fastest ship. It spanned 883 feet from stern to bow, and its hull was divided into 16 compartments that were presumed to be watertight. Because four of these compartments could be flooded without causing a critical loss of buoyancy, the Titanic was considered unsinkable. While leaving port, the ship came within a couple of feet of the steamer New York but passed safely by, causing a general sigh of relief from the passengers massed on the Titanic‘s decks. On its first journey across the highly competitive Atlantic ferry route, the ship carried some 2,200 passengers and crew.

After stopping at Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown, Ireland, to pick up some final passengers, the massive vessel set out at full speed for New York City. However, just before midnight on April 14, the RMS Titanic failed to divert its course from an iceberg and ruptured at least five of its hull compartments. These compartments filled with water and pulled down the bow of the ship. Because the Titanic‘s compartments were not capped at the top, water from the ruptured compartments filled each succeeding compartment, causing the bow to sink and the stern to be raised up to an almost vertical position above the water. Then the Titanic broke in half, and, at about 2:20 a.m. on April 15, stern and bow sank to the ocean floor.

Because of a shortage of lifeboats and the lack of satisfactory emergency procedures, more than 1,500 people went down in the sinking ship or froze to death in the icy North Atlantic waters. Most of the 700 or so survivors were women and children. A number of notable American and British citizens died in the tragedy, including the noted British journalist William Thomas Stead and heirs to the Straus, Astor and Guggenheim fortunes.

One hour and 20 minutes after Titanic went down, the Cunard liner Carpathia arrived. The survivors in the lifeboats were brought aboard, and a handful of others were pulled out of the water. It was later discovered that the Leyland liner Californian had been less than 20 miles away at the time of the accident but had failed to hear the Titanic‘s distress signals because its radio operator was off duty.

Announcement of details of the tragedy led to outrage on both sides of the Atlantic. In the disaster’s aftermath, the first International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea was held in 1913. Rules were adopted requiring that every ship have lifeboat space for each person on board, and that lifeboat drills be held. An International Ice Patrol was established to monitor icebergs in the North Atlantic shipping lanes. It was also required that ships maintain a 24-hour radio watch.

On September 1, 1985, a joint U.S.-French expedition located the wreck of the Titanic lying on the ocean floor at a depth of about 13,000 feet. The ship was explored by manned and unmanned submersibles, which shed new light on the details of its sinking.

Himachal Day

After decades of struggle and after India’s independence, the chief commissioner’s province of Himachal was finally recognized on 15^th April, 1948. Every year the Himachal Day is celebrated on this date as Himachal was declared as a province of India on this day. It is also declared as a public holiday within the state.

A grand parade takes place in the city of Shimla to mark this celebrated occasion. Many local events are also organized in various cities, towns, and villages of the state. Mandi, Chamba, Mahasu as well as Sirmour were integrated with the addition of another dozen princely states on this day.

Abraham Lincoln assassinated in 1865

 

Abraham Lincoln, who passed away on 15 April 1865, aged 56, is regularly regarded as one of the great American presidents, Abraham Lincoln became president in 1861, amid a crisis over slavery in the Union. Shortly after his election, seven Southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States, beginning the American Civil War.

An incredibly astute politician, Lincoln outmanoeuvred several political enemies in his time. His oratory and writing appealed to the American people, particularly his Gettysburg Address, which became an iconic endorsement of democracy and republicanism.

As the war came to an end Lincoln made several moves to abolish slavery. In 1863 he issued the Emancipation Proclamation which made more than 3 million slaves free. In early 1865 he pushed Congress to pass the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution which permanently ended slavery. Shortly before the end of the conflict, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln as he watched a play at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C.

Lincoln's actions preserved the Union and pulled the United States through its greatest political, military and moral crisis.

Greta Garbo's Death Anniversary

 

Greta Garbo, who passed away on 15 April 1990, aged 84, was a Swedish-American actress who rose to international stardom in the 1920s and 1930s, becoming synonymous with an aura of mystery and sophistication. She began her acting career in European films before moving to the United States in 1925 to work for MGM, quickly becoming one of the leading actresses of her time.

Garbo was renowned for her cinematic presence and natural performances, setting her apart from other actresses of the era who were often seen as overly theatrical. She was nominated four times for the Academy Award for Best Actress and received an honorary Oscar in 1954 for her "unforgettable screen performances." Some of her most famous films include Anna Karenina (1935), Camille (1936), and Ninotchka (1939).

Although primarily known for her dramatic roles, Garbo's performance in Ninotchka showcased her talent for comedy and revealed a different dimension to her abilities. It was marketed with the tagline "Garbo Laughs," playing on her reputation for gravitas, and the film was a commercial and critical success.

Despite her incredible fame and success, Garbo was an intensely private individual. She rarely gave interviews, avoided public appearances, and was highly secretive about her personal life. She famously never married, had no children, and lived alone as an adult, leading to endless speculation and rumour about her personal relationships.

Garbo retired from acting in 1941, at the age of 36, after the commercial failure of her film Two-Faced Woman. Though she had planned on returning to the screen, the perfect role never came along. She lived the remainder of her life in relative seclusion in New York City, avoiding the limelight and declining all offers to return to film or stage.

Leonardo da Vinci's Birth Anniversary

 

Leonardo da Vinci, born on 15 April 1452, in Anchiano, near Vinci, Republic of Florence [Italy], was an Italian painter, draftsman, sculptor, architect, and engineer whose skill and intelligence, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. His Last Supper (1495-98) and Mona Lisa (c. 1503-19) are among the most widely popular and influential paintings of the Renaissance His notebooks reveal a spirit of scientific inquiry and a mechanical inventiveness that were centuries ahead of their time.

The unique fame that Leonardo enjoyed in his lifetime and that, filtered by historical criticism, has remained undimmed to the present day rests largely on his unlimited desire for knowledge, which guided all his thinking and behaviour. An artist by disposition and endowment, he considered his eyes to be his main avenue to knowledge; to Leonardo, sight was man’s highest sense because it alone conveyed the facts of experience immediately, correctly, and with certainty. Hence, every phenomenon perceived became an object of knowledge, and saper vedere (“knowing how to see”) became the great theme of his studies. He applied his creativity to every realm in which graphic representation is used: he was a painter, sculptor, architect, and engineer. But he went even beyond that. He used his superb intellect, unusual powers of observation, and mastery of the art of drawing to study nature itself, a line of inquiry that allowed his dual pursuits of art and science to flourish.

World Art Day

 

Every year, on April 15, people come together to celebrate World Art Day. It is a special occasion dedicated to honouring the contributions of artists and highlighting the importance of art in our lives. Art has always been a powerful medium for sharing knowledge, sparking conversation and promoting artistic freedom. Interestingly, the date coincides with the birthday of the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci. From museum pieces to street murals, art is used for storytelling, documenting history and preserving the past. 

World Art Day: History

World Art Day was officially established on April 15, 2012, during a General Assembly meeting of the International Association of Art (IAA) in Guadalajara, Mexico. The opening celebration was a special tribute to the birthday of the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci, as he is considered the symbol of freedom of expression and peace.

Artists from around the world joined this historic event, which was supported by the IAA’s national committees. In ancient Greece, there were six official categories of art, Architecture, Painting, Sculpting, Music, Literature and Dance. However, in 1911, the concept of art expanded and Cinema as the seventh art was introduced by Ricciotto Canudo.

World Art Day: Significance

Art holds a special place in culture, as it is a powerful way of storytelling and immortalising the beauty of the past. World Art Day also honours the efforts of artists who fill colours to our lives and shape our cultural identity. Leonardo Da Vinci, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Raja Ravi Varma, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil, and Nandalal Bose, are some of the iconic artists, who have inspired the world with their creativity and talent.