18 April - World Heritage Day

 

World Heritage Day is celebrated every year on April 18 to raise awareness about the importance of preserving and protecting cultural heritage sites and monuments around the world. This day was established by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in 1982 and was later adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1983.

The main objective of World Heritage Day is to promote the cultural diversity and richness of the world, and to highlight the significance of preserving cultural heritage for future generations. It also aims to encourage people to visit and appreciate cultural heritage sites, as well as to support efforts to protect and conserve these sites.

Every year, a theme is chosen for World Heritage Day to focus on a specific aspect of cultural heritage. For example, the theme for 2024 was “Discover and experience diversity“, which aimed to emphasize the importance of recognizing the diverse and complex histories of cultural heritage sites.

On this day, various events and activities are organized around the world to promote awareness and appreciation of cultural heritage. These events can include exhibitions, guided tours, seminars, workshops, and cultural performances.

In addition, UNESCO also uses this day to announce new additions to the World Heritage List, which recognizes cultural and natural sites of outstanding universal value. The World Heritage List currently includes 1,154 properties in 167 countries, ranging from ancient ruins and archaeological sites to natural wonders and cultural landscapes.

In conclusion, World Heritage Day serves as a reminder of the importance of cultural heritage sites and monuments, and the need to protect and preserve them for future generations. It is a day to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the world and to appreciate the unique value of each cultural heritage site.

18 April - Barindra Kumar Ghosh death anniversary

 

Barindra Kumar Ghosh ( 05 January 1880 – 18 April 1959) an Indian freedom fighter and journalist. He is also known as Barin Ghosh. He was the younger brother of spiritualist Aurobindo Ghosh. The credit for spreading revolutionary ideology in Bengal goes to Barindra Kumar and Bhupendra Nath Dutt, who were the younger brothers of Swami Vivekananda. As a result of the ‘Swadeshi Movement’, Barindra Kumar Ghosh started the publication of the Bengali weekly ‘Yugantar’ in 1906 to propagate revolutionary ideas. He also formed the ‘Maniktalla Party’ in 1907 to coordinate the activities of revolutionary terrorism. In 1908, he was arrested and sentenced to death, but later it was changed to life imprisonment. After spending ten years in Andaman Jail, he spent the rest of his time in journalism. He died on 18 April 1959.

18 April - Ramaswamy Venkataraman stamp issued

 

A commemorative postage stamp issued on 18 April 2012 of Ramaswamy Venkataraman 8th.President of India (1987 - 1992) a distinguished son of India who contributed to the country's emergence as an admired democracy in the modern world.

Ramaswamy Venkataraman ( 4 December 1910 – 27 January 2009) was an Indian lawyer, Indian independence activist and politician who served as a Union Minister and as the eighth president of India. Venkataraman was born in Rajamadam village in Tanjore district, Madras Presidency. He studied law and practised in the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court of India. In his young age, he was an activist of the Indian independence movement and participated in the Quit India Movement.

18 April - Vinoba Bhave started the Bhoodan movement in 1951

 

 Vinoba Bhave started the Bhoodan movement from the village of Pochampally in Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana).

The Bhoodan movement (Land Gift movement), also known as the Bloodless Revolution, was a voluntary land reform movement in India.It was initiated by Gandhian Vinoba Bhavein 1951 at Pochampally village, Pochampally.

The Bhoodan movement attempted to persuade wealthy landowners to voluntarily give a percentage of their land to landless people. Philosophically, Bhave was influenced by Sarvodaya movement and Gram Swarajya.

Bhave crossed India on foot to persuade landowners to give up a piece of their land. His first success came on 18 April 1951 at Pochampally village in Nalgonda district, Andhra Pradesh(now Telangana) which was the centre of communist activity. It was the culmination of the Telangana peasant movement. A violent struggle had been launched by peasants against the local landlords. 

18 April - Yankee Stadium officially opened in 1923

 

 

The original Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees, one of the city's Major League Baseball franchises, since 1923 except for 1974–1975 when the stadium was renovated. It hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the home of the New York Giants National Football League (NFL) team from 1956 through September 1973. The stadium's nickname, "The House That Ruth Built", is derived from Babe Ruth, the baseball superstar whose prime years coincided with the stadium's opening and the beginning of the Yankees' winning history. It has often been referred to as "The Cathedral of Baseball"

Yankee Stadium officially opened on Wednesday, April 18, 1923, with the Yankees' first home game, against the Boston Red Sox. According to the New York Evening Telegram, "everything smelled of ... fresh paint, fresh plaster and fresh grass".

18 April - Dr. Dhondo Keshav Karve birth anniversary

 

Dhondo Keshav Karve, also known as Maharshi Karve, was a prominent social reformer and educator in India. He was born on 18 April 1858, in Sheravali village, Maharashtra, and passed away on 09 November 1962, in Pune, India.

Karve is best known for his contributions to women's education and women's rights in India. He strongly advocated for women's empowerment and played a pivotal role in promoting education and social reforms for women in a time when women's education was not widely supported.

In 1896, Karve established the first residential school for widows in Hingne, near Pune, which aimed to provide education and support to widows who faced social ostracism and neglect. This institution later grew into the renowned Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Samstha (MKSSS), an organization dedicated to women's education and social upliftment. MKSSS pioneered several educational initiatives for women, including the establishment of the first women's university in India, SNDT Women's University, in 1916.

Karve's efforts in promoting women's education earned him widespread recognition and respect. He was honored with the title of "Maharshi" (Great Sage) by Mahatma Gandhi for his selfless dedication to the cause of social reform.

Apart from his work in women's education, Karve actively worked towards various social causes, including the eradication of child marriage, the promotion of family planning, and the upliftment of marginalized communities. He received several awards and accolades for his contributions, including the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, which he received posthumously in 1958.

Dhondo Keshav Karve's efforts in championing women's education and social reforms in India have left a lasting impact. His work continues to inspire generations, and the institutions he founded continue to play a vital role in empowering women and promoting social progress in the country.

18 April - Surya Sen and 62 men of the Indian Republican Army raided the Chittagong Shastragar

 

Surya Sen, also called Surya Kumar Sen (22 March 1894 – 12 January 1934), was an Indian revolutionary who was influential in the Indian independence movement against British rule in India and is best known for leading the 1930 Chittagong armoury raid.

Sen was a school teacher by profession and was popularly known as Master Da ("da" is an honorific suffix in Bengali language). He was influenced by the nationalist ideals in 1916 while he was a student of B.A. in Berhampore College (Now MES College).In 1918, he was selected as president of the Indian National Congress's Chittagong branch. Sen was known for recruiting a group of young and passionate revolutionaries known as the Chittagong group. The group included Ananta Singh, Ganesh Ghosh and Lokenath Bal, and fought against the British stationed in Chittagong.

Sen led a group of revolutionaries on 18 April 1930 to raid the armouries of police and auxiliary forces in Chittagong. The plan was elaborate and included seizing of arms from the armoury as well as destruction of communication system of the city (including telephone, telegraph and railway), thereby isolating Chittagong from the rest of British Raj.However, although the group gained the arms, they failed to capture the ammunition. They hoisted the Indian National Flag on the premises of the armoury, and then escaped. A few days later, a large fraction of the revolutionary group was cornered on Jalalabad Hill by a British Indian Army detachment. In the ensuing fight, twelve revolutionaries died, many were arrested, while some managed to flee, including Sen.

18 April - Damodar Hari Chapekar death anniversary

 

Damodar Hari Chapekar (24 June 1869 – 18 April 1898), was immortalized among the revolutionary martyrs of India. Damodar Hari Chapekar and his two brothers Balkrishna Chapekar and Vasudev Chapekar have also left their indelible mark on Indian history. These three brothers were influenced by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and were famous by the name ‘Chapekar Bandhu’. He died on 18 April 1898.

18 April - Tatya Tope death anniversary

 

 Tantia Tope also spelled Tatya Tope (16 February 1814 — 18 April 1859) was a general in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and one of its notable leaders. Despite lacking formal military training, Tantia Tope is widely considered as one of the best and most effective courageous generals in the Indian struggle for independence.

Born as Ramachandra Panduranga Yewalkar to a Marathi Deshastha Brahmin family, in Yeola, (near Nasik). Tantia took on the title Tope, meaning commanding officer. His first name Tantia means General. A personal adherent of Nana Saheb of Bithoor, he progressed with the Gwalior contingent after the British reoccupied Kanpur (then known as Cawnpore) and forced General Windham to retreat from the city. Later on, Tantia Tope came to the relief of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi and with her seized the city of Gwalior. However, he was defeated by General Napier's British Indian troops at Ranod and after a further defeat at Sikar, he abandoned the campaign.

According to an official statement, Tantia Tope's father was Panduranga Yewalkar and his mother was Rukhma Bai.Tope was a Maraṭha Vashista Brahman by birth.In a government letter, he was said to be the minister of Baroda, while he was held identical to Nana Saheb in another communication.A witness at his trial described Tantia Tope as "a man of middling stature, with a wheat complexion and always wearing a white chukri-dar turban".

Tope was executed by the British Government at Sipri (now Shivpuri) on 18 April 1859.