Today in History @ 23-Apr

Famous birthdays today

a. German theoretical physicist, Max Planck (b. 1858). He won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1918 for his work on the quantum theory, which revolutionised human understanding of atomic and subatomic processes. Juxtapose it against, Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity which revolutionized our understanding of space and time. Together they constitute the fundamental theories of 20th-century physics. Both have forced humankind to revise some of the most-cherished philosophical beliefs, and both have led to industrial and military applications that affect every aspect of modern life.

Strangely, his earliest work was on the subject of thermodynamics. He was a keen musician and was on the verge of pursuing music after his elementary education. Nobel laureates Walther Bothe, Gustav Hertz and Max von Laue were his doctoral students.

b. Women's rights & education activist Pandita Ramabai (b. 1858). She was the first woman to be awarded the titles of “Pandita” as a Sanskrit scholar and “Sarasvati” after being examined by the faculty of the University of Calcutta (in 1878).

c. Son of Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, Jamling Tenzing Norgay (b. 1965). His climb of Mt. Everest in 1996 is documented in the film “Everest” in 1998. In 2002, he collaborated with Peter Hillary (son of Edmund Hillary) to re-scale Mt. Everest commemorating 50 years of the conquest of Mt. Everest by their respective fathers.

His book, “Touching My Father's Soul”, was notable for the frankness with which it discussed the relationship between the often wealthy climbers and the Sherpas who obtain their incomes from assisting expeditions.

d. Acclaimed Indian actor Manoj Bajpayee (b. 1969).

Famous death anniversaries today

a. Indian filmmaker Bharat Ratna, Oscar awardee and Dadasaheb Phalke awardee Satyajit Ray (d. 1992), who is known for his humanistic approach to cinema. His first film, Pather Panchali established his reputation as a major film director, winning numerous awards including Best Human Document, Cannes, 1956 and Best Film, Vancouver, 1958. It is the first film of a trilogy – The Apu Trilogy – a three-part tale of a boy’s life from birth through manhood. The other two films of this trilogy are Aparajito and Apur Sansar.

He controlled many aspects of filmmaking: wrote all the screenplays of his films, many of which were based on his own stories, designed the sets and costumes, operated the camera since Charulata (1964), composed the music for all his films since 1961 and designed the publicity posters for his new releases. The incredible storyteller, through the medium of his films, depicted the everyday struggles, conflicts, joys, and sorrows of human race, perfectly. In his career span, Ray directed more than 36 movies. His movies received 32 National Awards out of which, he took home six for the Best Director.

France's most prestigious award The Legion d'Honneur is given to those with an outstanding lifetime achievement in their chosen field of work. The then French president Francois Mitterrand, instead of inviting Satyajit Ray to France, personally went to Calcutta to present the director with the honor in 1987. This made him the first Indian filmmaker to have received the honor.

b. One of the earliest first playback singers in the Hindi film industry, Padma Vibhushan Shamshad Begum (d. 2013). Her songs from the 1940s to the early 1970s remain popular and continue to be remixed.

Her first big break in Hindi cinema came in 1941 with “Khazanchi”, which turned out to be one of the greatest musical hits of its time. Shamshad Begum, who sang all the nine songs in the movie, soon became a household name. Eventually, she shifted to Bombay and recorded songs for movies like Babul, Mother India, C.I.D, Shahenshah, Love in Shimla, Shikari, Baiju Bawra, Andaz, Naya Daur and many others.

c. One of the founders of English Romanticism and one its most central figures William Wordsworth (d. 1850). His most famous work, “The Prelude” is considered by many to be the crowning achievement of English romanticism. The poem, revised numerous times, chronicles the spiritual life of the poet and marks the birth of a new genre of poetry.

d. Soviet politician who served as the first President of Russia, Boris Yelstin (d. 2007).

e. Austro-Hungarian?economic anthropologist,?economic sociologist, and politician Karl Paul Polanyi (d. 1964). He is best known for his book?The Great Transformation,?which questions the conceptual validity of self-regulating markets.

Other famous events

a. 1984, researchers finally identified the cause of AIDS—the HIV virus

b. 2013 West Indian cricketer, Chris Gayle, smashes the fastest century in history (30 balls).

c. 2019 World's first malaria vaccine, giving partial protection to children, begins in Malawi by the WHO

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