Sir Ram Nath Chopra's Death Anniversary

 

Sir Ram Nath Chopra CIE, IMS who passed away on 13 June 1973, aged 90, in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India, was an Indian Medical Service offer and doyen of science and medicine of India. He is considered the "Father of Indian Pharmacology” for his work on pharmaceuticals and his quest for self-sufficiency of India in drugs through the experimental evaluation of indigenous and traditional drugs. After service in the army, he established a research laboratory where he worked as a professor of Pharmacology at the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine which was established in 1921. He also served as the director of this institute from the year 1935 to 1941.

Chopra was born in Gujranwala. His father Raghu Nath was a government official. After school in Lahore he went to the Government College there and then went to England in 1903 and studied at the Downing College, Cambridge. In 1905 he qualified in the Natural Sciences Tripos and was admitted BA. He received a B.Chir in 1908 and an MA in 1909. He worked under Walter E. Dixon, professor of the newly established position in pharmacology. He was inspired by the experimental approaches in pharmacology. While at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, Chopra wrote the examination for the Indian Medical Service and stood third in it. Chopra was commissioned a lieutenant in the Indian Medical Service on 1 August 1908 and promoted to captain on 1 August 1911. He saw active service in East Africa and in the Afghan War of 1919. He was promoted to the temporary rank of major on 7 May 1919 and confirmed in the substantive rank on 1 August 1920, (back-dated to 1 February 1920). In 1922 he was appointed Professor of Pharmacology at the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine which had been established the year before. He took a special interest in indigenous drugs and noted that a key aim for India should be self-sufficiency in drug resources. He conducted pioneering studies on herbal remedies including Rauvolfia serpentina. He headed a Drugs Enquiry Committee of 1930–31 which examined the need for imports, control and legislation.

Chopra took an interest in public health. He was invested as a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in the 1934 New Year Honours list and knighted in the 1941 New Year Honours list. Government of India issued a postal stamp on his 101st birth anniversary with a denomination of Fifty paise^.

 

Helsinki Day

Helsinki Day (Finnish: Helsinki-päivä, Swedish: Helsingforsdagen) is an annual celebration in Finland, held on 12 June, to celebrate the date of the city’s foundation in 1550. The number of attendees in the events on the day exceeds one hundred thousand. On the day, the Helsinki Medal is awarded to noteworthy citizens by the city council.

The event was started by mayor Lauri Aho and secretary of the Helsinki Society Jorma Waronen in the late 1950s. The first Helsinki day was celebrated in 1959 on the 409th anniversary of the founding of Helsinki.

The number of attendees at events on Helsinki Day already exceeded ten thousand in the early 1960s. In the same decade, the events were made more entertaining and diverse. Main events, such as ice hall concerts, were added. As the day gained popularity, the association of neighbourhood societies wanted to expand the celebration to a full Helsinki Week in the late 1970s, but the city council denied permission. Nowadays, Helsinki Week, culminating on Helsinki Day, has been established, and it is directed by the event unit of the Helsinki city council.

Since the 1990s, various units of the city council, organizations and corporations have organized events on Helsinki Day. The free-of-charge "Kaivari" concert in Kaivopuisto is probably the best known among the public, as well as the dinner under the sky which has been held in Helsinki since 2013.

Helsinki Day includes the selection of the annual Stadin Kundi ("Man of the city") and Stadin Friidu ("Woman of the city") by Stadin Slangi ry.

National Corn on the Cob Day (United States)

Corn on the cob is a popular barbecue and picnic treat during the summer season, so it is not surprising that it is one of the foods that have their own unofficial holiday. National Corn on the Cob Day is celebrated annually on June 11.

Corn on the cob is a dish consisting of a cooked ear of sweet corn that is eaten directly off the cob. The corn for cooking corn on the cob is usually harvested while the kernels are still tender, which is why the dish is most often cooked in the beginning and middle of summer. It is one of the most popular Fourth of July foods; according to statistics, corn and potatoes are the most consumed grilled side dishes at Independence Day barbecues.

Corn on the cob has a long history. It was eaten by Native American tribes long before the arrival of European settlers. Sweet corn eaten off the cob was a staple food and a prominent source of sustenance for aboriginal peoples in Central America and what is now the Midwestern United States and Southern Canada.

Corn on the cob can be fried, grilled, roasted, baked, boiled, steamed, or even microwaved. It tastes the best if cooked on the same day the corn is harvested because as the time passes, the sugar in the kernels begins to convert into starch, making the corn lose its sweetness. Most cooking methods require removing the green husk leaves. However, corn on the cob can be roasted or grilled with the husk, which helps to retain moisture and flavour. In this case, the husk is removed before serving.

Corn on the cob is usually served with butter, salt, and black pepper and eaten while still warm. It is a tricky food to eat. It is perfectly appropriate to eat corn on the cob holding it at each end with your fingers; you can use a napkin to keep your fingers clean. You can also use special utensils called corn cob holders, which are inserted into each end of corn on the cob, or slice off the kernels with a special knife.

You can celebrate National Corn on the Cob Day by inviting your friends and family over for a BBQ party or simply cooking some delicious corn on the cob for lunch or dinner if you’re not in the mood for partying. 

 

Gustave Courbet's Birth Anniversary

 

Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet, born on 10 June 1819, in Ornans, Doubs, France, was a French painter who led the Realism movement in 19^th-century French painting. Committed to painting only what he could see, he rejected academic convention and the Romanticism of the previous generation of visual artists. His independence set an example that was important to later artists, such as the Impressionists and the Cubists. Courbet occupies an important place in 19th-century French painting as an innovator and as an artist willing to make bold social statements through his work.

Courbet's paintings of the late 1840s and early 1850s brought him his first recognition. They challenged convention by depicting unidealized peasants and workers, often on a grand scale traditionally reserved for paintings of religious or historical subjects. Courbet's subsequent paintings were mostly of a less overtly political character: landscapes, seascapes, hunting scenes, nudes and still lives. Courbet was imprisoned for six months in 1871 for his involvement with the Paris Commune and lived in exile in Switzerland from 1873 until his death four years later.

Judy Garland's Birth Anniversary

 

Judy Garland, born Frances Ethel Gumm; on 10 June 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, U.S., was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. Garland achieved international recognition for her portrayal of Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Her recording of "Over the Rainbow” became an enduring song in American popular music. Over a career spanning more than forty-five years, she recorded eleven studio albums, and several of her recordings were later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. 

At the age of two, Garland began her career by performing with her two sisters as a vaudeville act, The Gumm Sisters. In 1935, she signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at thirteen and appeared in supporting roles in ensemble musicals such as Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937) and Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry (1937). The success of The Wizard of Oz propelled her into leading roles in MGM musicals including Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Easter Parade (1948) and Summer Stock (1950). In the 1950s and early 1960s she expanded her range with dramatic performances in A Star Is Born (1954) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), both of which earned her Academy Award nominations and demonstrated her capacity to convey vulnerability and resilience on screen.

Beyond her film work, Garland cultivated a distinguished career in live performance and recordings. Her 1961 live album Judy at Carnegie Hall won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, capping a series of sold-out engagements at the Hollywood Bowl and concerts. That same year she became the first woman—and, at thirty-nine, the youngest recipient—of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures. Her honours also included a Golden Globe Award, an Academy Juvenile Award for her early contributions, and a Special Tony Award for her role in reviving vaudeville. In 1997 she was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 1999 the American Film Institute ranked her eighth among the greatest female screen legends of classic Hollywood cinema.

Garland's personal life was marked by both public fascination and private struggle. She married five times and had three children, including actress and singer Liza Minnelli. From her teenage years onward, she faced health challenges exacerbated by studio pressures on her appearance and performance, and she developed dependencies on prescription medications that affected her physical and mental well-being. Financial difficulties, including substantial tax debts, added to her burdens. She died in London in 1969 from an accidental barbiturate overdose at age forty-seven. Garland's resilience, artistic range and enduring recordings have ensured her lasting impact on popular culture and her reputation as a cultural icon.

Michael III, prince of Serbia assassinated in 1868

Michael III, who passed away on 10 June [29 May, Old Style], 1868, aged 44, in Košutnjak, near Belgrade) was the prince of Serbia (1839–42, 1860–68) and modern Serbia’s most enlightened ruler, who instituted the rule of law and attempted to found a Balkan federation aimed against the Ottoman Empire.

The second son of Miloš Obrenović, Michael succeeded to the Serbian throne on the death of his elder brother, Milan, on July 8, 1839, but fled into exile after a revolt in 1842. Having travelled widely, he returned on his father’s restoration to the throne (1858), served as commander in chief of the army, and became prince again on Miloš’s death in 1860. An enlightened though increasingly authoritarian ruler, Michael gradually freed Serbia from Turkish controls until all Ottoman soldiers had left the country in 1867. Nevertheless, his Balkan League, designed to unite all South Slavs against Turkey, collapsed soon after his death. In domestic affairs, Michael reformed the judicial system, revised the electoral laws, and instituted a regular conscript army (1861), for which Russia furnished supplies; he also established a state mortgage bank (1862), the Serbia Learned Society (1864), the first Serbian coinage since the Middle Ages (1868), and the national theatre. His reign was cut short by his assassination.

 

Donald Duck Day (United States)

 

Every year on 9 June, fans across the globe celebrate Donald Duck Day — a tribute to one of Disney’s most iconic and endearing characters. Donald made his first appearance in The Wise Little Hen, released on 9 June 1934, and quickly waddled his way into hearts with his sailor suit, trademark hat, and unforgettable voice.

Unlike the ever-smiling Mickey Mouse, Donald is known for his short temper, hilarious tantrums, and determined spirit. These quirks made him relatable and loveable, especially when he stubbornly refused to give up, even in the most absurd situations. Over the decades, Donald has starred in more than 150 theatrical films, making him one of the most prolific Disney characters ever. He even won an Academy Award in 1943 for the wartime short Der Fuehrer’s Face.

 

Donald’s popularity goes beyond animation — he has inspired comics, merchandise, theme park attractions, and generations of fans who see a bit of themselves in the flustered but well-meaning duck.