Juan Carlos I Birthday

 

Juan Carlos I;  Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938, in Rome, Italy,  is a member of the Spanish royal family, who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until his abdication on 19 June 2014. He acceded to the Spanish throne two days after the death of Francisco Franco. Juan Carlos I was instrumental in Spain’s peaceful transition to democracy. In Spain, since his abdication, Juan Carlos I has usually been referred to as the rey emérito ('king emeritus'). 

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi Birth Anniversary

 

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, born on 5 January 1941, was an Indian cricketer and former captain of the Indian cricket team. He was the titular Nawab of Pataudi from 1952 until 1971, when by the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India the privy purses of the princes were abolished and official recognition of their titles came to an end.

Pataudi was appointed India's cricket captain at the age of 21, and described as "one of (its) greatest". Pataudi was also called the "best fielder in the world" of his time by commentator, John Arlott and former England captain and contemporary, Ted Dexter.

Shah Jahan Birth Anniversary

Shah Jahan, born on 5 January 1592, in Lahore, was the fifth Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1628 to 1658. His reign represented the height of the Mughal architecture.

Shah Jahan married multiple times as was the custom. His favourite was said to be Arjumand Banu Begum who is better known as Mumtaz Mahal. She died during childbirth in 1631 and Shah Jahan was said to be depressed. He got the Taj Mahal built in her honour in Agra. His relationship with his wife Mumtaz Mahal has been heavily adapted into Indian art, literature, and cinema. Perhaps, he is most famous for this architectural feat. 

He also created many other architectural marvels including the Pearly Mosque at Agra, the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid at Delhi, the Shalimar Gardens and some other buildings in present Pakistan. He also got the famous Peacock Throne built. 

Paramahansa Yogananda Birth Anniversary

Paramahansa Yogananda, born Mukunda Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur on 5 January 1893, was an Indian monk, yogi and guru.

Author of the best-selling spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi, this beloved world teacher has introduced millions of readers to the perennial wisdom of the East. He is now widely recognized as the Father of Yoga in the West. He founded Yogoda Satsanga Society of India in 1917 and Self-Realization Fellowship in 1920, which continue to carry on his spiritual legacy worldwide.

Yogananda profoundly impacted the lives of millions with his comprehensive teachings on: the science of Kriya Yoga meditation, the underlying unity of all true religions, the art of balanced health and well-being in body, mind, and soul.

Yogananda was the first major Indian teacher to settle in America, and the first prominent Indian to be hosted in the White House by President Calvin Coolidge in 1927; his early acclaim led to him being dubbed "the 20th century's first superstar guru" by the Los Angeles Times. He lived his last 32 years in America.

Sputnik 1 falls out of orbit and burns up in 1958

On 4 January 1958, the first artificial earth satellite, the Russian Sputnik(companion) 1, fell out of orbit and burned up on re-entering earth's atmosphere.

Sputnik 1 was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program.

Myanmar Independence Day

 

Independence Day is a national holiday observed annually in Myanmar every 4 January. The date celebrates Myanmar's Declaration of Independence from British rule on 4 January 1948.

On 4 January 1948 at 4.20 am, the nation became an independent republic, named the Union of Burma in which the time was chosen for its auspiciousness by an astrologer, with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first President and U Nu as its first Prime Minister. Unlike most other former British colonies and overseas territories, it did not become a member of the Commonwealth. 

Burj Khalifa officially opens in Dubai in 2010

On 4 January 2010, The Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building in the world, officially opened in Dubai.

The Burj Khalifa, known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration in 2010, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is known for being the world's tallest building. With a total height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft, or just over half a mile) and a roof height (excluding antenna, but including a 242.6 m spire) of 828 m (2,717 ft), the Burj Khalifa has been the tallest structure and building in the world since its topping out in 2009, supplanting Taipei 101, the previous holder of that status.