Today in History @ 14-Apr

Famous birthdays today

a. Indian Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, Padma Vibhushan Ali Akbar Khan (b. 1922). He was trained by his father, the legendary Alauddin Khan, and began performing at age 13, soon becoming the court musician to the maharaja of Jodhpur. He was instrumental in popularizing Indian classical music in the West, both as a performer and as a teacher. He first came to America in 1955 on the invitation of violinist Yehudi Menuhin and later settled in California. Nominated five times for the Grammy Award, he was also a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and the National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship.

b. Indian jurist, economist, politician, social reformer and chief architect of Indian Constitution Bharat Ratna Dr. B R Ambedkar (b. 1891). He was India's first Minister of Law and Justice. He was a prolific student, earning doctorates in economics from both Columbia University and the London School of Economics.

c. Dutch physicist, mathematician, astronomer and inventor Christiaan Huygens, FRS (b. 1629). He is widely regarded as one of the greatest scientists of all time and a major figure in the scientific revolution. In physics, he made groundbreaking contributions in optics and mechanics, while as an astronomer he is chiefly known for his studies of the rings of Saturn and the discovery of its moon Titan. As an inventor, he improved the design of telescopes and invented the pendulum clock, a breakthrough in timekeeping and the most accurate timekeeper for almost 300 years.

d. Indian space scientist K Sivan (b. 1957). He is the Chairman of ISRO and former Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

e. Indian singer and one of the earliest female payback singers of Hindi film industry, Padma Bhushan Shamshad Begum (b. 1919). She had a distinctive voice and was a versatile artist, singing over 6,000 songs in atleast 6 languages.

f. British historian Arnold Toynbee CH, FBA (b. 1889). He was an author of numerous books and a research professor of international history at the London School of Economics and King's College London. From 1918 to 1950, Toynbee was considered a leading specialist on international affairs. His 12-volume “A Study of History (1934–61)” put forward a philosophy of history, based on an analysis of the cyclical development and decline of civilizations, that provoked much discussion.

g. Recognised as Nepal's wealthiest person, Binod Chaudhary (b. 1955).

h. American economist and professor of foreign policy, national security, nuclear strategy and arms control, Thomas Schelling (b. 1921). He was awarded the 2005 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (shared with Robert Aumann) for "having enhanced our understanding of conflict and cooperation through game-theory analysis.

Famous death anniversaries today

a. German composer George Handel (d. 1759) famous for operas and concerts. He received his training in Halle and worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy before settling in London in 1712. He was buried at Westminister Abbey. His music had a strong influence on Classical-era composers like Mozart & Beethoven.

b. Indian sage Raman Maharshi (d. 1950).

c. British epidemiologist William Farr (d. 1883) who is also regarded as one of the founders of medical statistics.

d. American marine biologist, author and conservationist Rachel Carson (d. 1964). Her influential book Silent Spring (1962) and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement. She was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter.

Other famous events

a. 1611 Word "telescope" is 1st used by Prince Federico Cesi

b. 1865 US President Abraham Lincoln is shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington

c. 1894 1st public showing of Thomas Edison's kinetoscope (moving pictures)

d. 1902 J. C. Penney opens his first store, The Golden Rule Store, in Kemmerer, Wyoming

e. 1903 Dr Harry Plotz discovers a vaccine against typhoid

f. 1912 RMS Titanic hits an iceberg at 11.40pm off Newfoundland

g. 1927 The first Volvo car premieres in Gothenburg, Sweden

h. 1958 Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2 with space dog Laika aboard burns up during reentry into Earth's atmosphere