Vrindavan Lal Verma Birth Anniversary

Vrindavan Lal Verma, born on 9 January 1889, was a Hindi novelist and playwright. He was honoured with Padma Bhushan for his literary works; Agra University presented him with honorary D. Lit. He received Soviet Land Nehru Award and the government of India also awarded him for his novel, Jhansi Ki Rani.

Har Gobind Khorana Birth Anniversary ?

Har Gobind Khorana, believed to be born on 9 January 1922, was an Indian-American biochemist. While on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he shared the 1968 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Marshall W. Nirenberg and Robert W. Holley for research that showed the order of nucleotides in nucleic acids, which carry the genetic code of the cell and control the cell's synthesis of proteins. Khorana and Nirenberg were also awarded the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University in the same year.

Sir William James Herschel Birth Anniversary

Sir William James Herschel, born on 9 January 1833, was a British ICS officer in India who used fingerprints for identification on contracts.

The English first began using fingerprints in July of 1858, when Sir William Herschel had Rajyadhar Konai, a local businessman, impress his hand print on the back of a contract. The native was suitably impressed, and Herschel made a habit of requiring palm print on every contract made with the locals.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

 

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on January 9 every year to mark the contribution of the Overseas Indian community to the development of India. January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate the occasion because on this day in 1915, Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa. After his return, he led India’s freedom struggle and shaped the history of India. The objective of PBD is to strengthen the engagement of the overseas Indian community with the Government of India and reconnect them with their roots.

The decision to celebrate Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was taken in accordance with recommendations of the High Level Committee (HLC) on the Indian Diaspora set up by government of India under the chairmanship of L.M. Singhvi. The then Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, received the report of the Committee at a public function at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on 8 January 2002, and announced the "Pravasi Bharatiya Divas" (PBD) on 9 January 2002. The day was chosen to mark the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India in 1915.

The occasion is marked by special programs to recognise the contributions of NRI/PIO individuals of exceptional merit, felicitate NRI/PIO individuals who have made exceptional contributions in their chosen field/profession (Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Hindi: NRI/PIO Award)) and provide a forum to discuss issues and concerns of people of the diaspora. The event has been organised every year since 2003, and is sponsored by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), initially sponsored by FICCI.

David Bowie Birth Anniversary

 

David Bowie, born on 8 January 1947, was an English singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, and his music and stagecraft had a significant impact on popular music.

Anton Trstenjak Birth Anniversary

 

Anton Trstenjak, born on 8 January 1906, was a Slovene psychologist, theologian, and author. He is notable as a pioneer of Slovenian clinical psychology and was practicing his own Logotherapy-inspired psychotherapy. As author he wrote books in specific areas of applied psychology such as ecological psychology, pastoral psychology, psychology of work and organization, and his overview of the field of psychology in general.

Keshab Chunder Sen Death Anniversary

 

Keshab Chunder Sen, also spelt as Keshub Chandra Sen, who passed away on 8 January 1884, was a Hindu philosopher who attempted to incorporate Christian theology within the framework of Hindu thought.

 

Sen was born to one of the prominent families in Calcutta and was well educated. At 19, he became part of Brahmo Samaj founded by reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy.

While Brahmo Samaj was intended to revitalise Hindu religion through Vedas and ancient sources, Sen held the belief that Christian doctrine could give new lease of life to stratified Hindu society.

The social reformer in 1866 had established a new society called, Bharatvarshiya Brahmo Samaj (Brahmo Samaj of India). But he later organised a new society called Naba Bidhan or Nava Vidhana (New Dispensation).

He condemned child marriage and was instrumental in having the marriage rites of his society recognized by law in 1872. He also advocated widow remarriage and intercaste marriage.

 

Keshub Chandra had to establish a new society since his followers broke away after he allowed his 14-year-old daughter to marry son of maharaja of Cooch Behar despite being in opposition of child marriage.

He restored numerous ancient Vedic rituals and sent 12 students to preach under a flag with the symbols—a crescent, a cross, and a trident—of Islam, Christianity, and Shaivism (the branch of Hinduism that worships Shiva as the ultimate reality).