02 April - Death anniversary of Ranjitsinhji

 

 

Colonel H. H. Shri Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II, Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, (10 September 1872 – 2 April 1933),often known as Ranji or K. S. Ranjitsinhji, was the ruler of the Indian princely state of Nawanagar from 1907 to 1933, as Maharaja Jam Saheb, and a noted Test cricketer who played for the English cricket team.He also played first-class cricket for Cambridge University, and county cricket for Sussex.

Ranji has widely been regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of his era.Neville Cardus described him as "the Midsummer night's dream of cricket". Unorthodox in technique and with fast reactions, he brought a new style to batting and revolutionised the game.Previously, batsmen had generally pushed forward; Ranji took advantage of the improving quality of pitches in his era and played more on the back foot, both in defence and attack. He is particularly associated with one shot, the leg glance, which he invented or popularised. The first-class cricket tournament in India, the Ranji Trophy, was named in his honour and inaugurated in 1935 by the Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. His nephew Duleepsinhji followed Ranji's path as a batsman playing first-class cricket in England and for the England cricket team.

Away from cricket, Ranji became Maharaja Jam Saheb of Nawanagar in 1907. He was later Chancellor of the Indian Chamber of Princes, and represented India at the League of Nations.

Ranjitsinhji died of heart failure on 2 April 1933 after a short illness.

02 April - International Children’s Book Day

 

International Children’s Book Day is celebrated on April 2 annually. For centuries the importance of reading has been taught in schools. Still, International Children’s Book Day brings awareness to reading and how essential it is in molding the young minds of the future. Books provide kids with a sense of escapism from their mundane realities or their difficult circumstances and allow them to discover stories on their own terms in a language they understand. Next time you don’t know what to get your little niece or nephew, buy them a book that meant something to you when you were growing up, and share the adventure.

One of the greatest joys in life is gifting a child a book and watching them discover the magical world of reading. This is something that has been celebrated through International Children’s Book Day since April 2, 1967, which is also known as the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish author famous for his fairy tales that include “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Thumbelina.”

The sponsor country for International Children’s Book Day 2023 is Latvia, and the well-known Latvian author and poet Inese Zandere has been chosen to write the message to the children.

The theme of this year’s event is ‘the small is big in a book’.

02 April - World Autism Awareness Day

 

World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day annually on April 2, encouraging Member States of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about autistic individuals throughout the world. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution (A/RES/62/139). passed in council on November 1, 2007, and adopted on December 18, 2007. It was proposed by Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, the United Nations Representative from Qatar and consort to Emir Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and supported by all member states.

This resolution was passed and adopted without a vote in the UN General Assembly, mainly as a supplement to previous UN initiatives to improve human rights.

World Autism Day is one of only seven official health-specific UN Days.

The terms "Autism Awareness Day" and "Autism Awareness Month" are often contested by autism rights advocates, who claim that they feed into perceived ableism against autistic people. Such groups, including the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, advocate using the term "Autism Acceptance day" as an alternative for both events under the belief that it promotes overcoming anti-autism prejudice rather than simply increasing awareness of autism 

The observance of World Autism Awareness Day helps to promote greater understanding and acceptance of autism, reduce stigma, and advocate for the rights and well-being of individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

02 April - Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan born in 1902

 

Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (2 April 1902 – 25 April 1968) was an Indian Hindustani classical vocalist, from the Patiala Gharana. At the age of five, Bade Ghulam began training in vocal music from his paternal uncle Kale Khan, and later from his father. He had three younger brothers namely Barkat Ali Khan, Mubarak Ali Khan and Amanat Ali Khan. He was born on 2 April 1902 in Punjab, British India.