22 August - World Plant Milk Day

 

World Plant Milk Day, celebrated on August 22nd each year, is a global initiative that highlights the growing popularity and importance of plant-based milk alternatives. This day serves as a reminder of the diverse and sustainable options available for those seeking dairy-free alternatives.

As more people become conscious of their dietary choices, plant-based milk has emerged as a nutritional and ethical alternative to traditional dairy milk. Made from sources like soy, almonds, oats, and coconuts, these milk alternatives cater to a variety of dietary needs, including lactose intolerance, allergies, and ethical considerations.

World Plant Milk Day isn't just about providing an alternative; it's also about celebrating the positive impact these choices have on personal health and the environment. Many plant-based milk products are fortified to ensure they match the nutritional benefits of cow's milk while requiring fewer resources to produce. This contributes to a reduced carbon footprint and less strain on land and water resources.

 

22 August - Madras (now Chennai) was founded in 1639

 

On August 22, 1639, a significant event took place in the history of India – the founding of Madras (now known as Chennai). This day marked the establishment of a British settlement on the Coromandel Coast of South India. The settlement was established by the British East India Company and served as a trading post and a strategic base for British colonial activities in the region.

The establishment of Madras was part of the East India Company's efforts to establish a presence along the Indian coastline for trade purposes. The settlement was strategically located between the Portuguese-controlled Goa in the north and the Dutch-controlled Pulicat in the south.

The initial settlement was centered around a fort, Fort St. George, which was constructed to protect the trading interests of the East India Company. Over time, the area around the fort developed into the city of Madras, serving as an important hub for trade, commerce, and colonial administration.

Madras grew and evolved over the centuries, becoming a significant center of British colonial influence in India. It played a vital role during the colonial era, witnessing changes in governance, trade, and culture. The city's architecture, institutions, and cultural diversity reflect its rich historical past and the influences of various civilizations.

Today, Chennai is the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and continues to be a major economic, cultural, and educational hub in South India. It is known for its thriving film industry, educational institutions, and IT sector. The founding of Madras on August 22, 1639, remains a significant historical event that shaped the trajectory of the city and its role in India's history.

 

22 August - Deng Xiaoping birth anniversary

 

Deng Xiaoping, born on August 22, 1904, in Guang'an, Sichuan, China, was a transformative political figure and statesman who played a pivotal role in shaping the modern course of China's history. He is celebrated for his pragmatic and innovative policies that modernized China's economy, ushering in an era of reform and openness that changed the trajectory of the nation.

Deng Xiaoping's political career began during the early days of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the struggle against the Nationalist forces. His leadership skills and commitment to the Communist cause led him to various positions within the party hierarchy. However, it was his tenure as the paramount leader of China from the late 1970s until the early 1990s that would leave an indelible mark on the country.

22 August - Denis Papin birth anniversary

 

Denis Papin, born on August 22, 1647, in Chitenay, France, was a remarkable inventor, engineer, and scientist who made significant contributions to various fields during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His pioneering work in steam power and pressure vessels laid the foundation for many crucial technological advancements that followed.

Papin's most notable contribution was his development of the "steam digester," a device that laid the groundwork for the modern pressure cooker. In 1679, he published a paper titled "A New Digester or Engine for Softening Bones," which described a vessel equipped with a tightly fitting lid and a safety valve. This apparatus, based on the principles of increasing pressure to raise the boiling point of water, allowed for the efficient cooking of food, sterilization, and softening of bones for culinary purposes.

Expanding on his work with steam pressure, Papin later invented the "piston steam engine." Although he didn't build a working model of this engine during his lifetime, his ideas and designs were instrumental in the eventual development of steam engines that powered the Industrial Revolution. Papin's concept of using steam to create pressure and movement paved the way for engines that would transform transportation, manufacturing, and various industries.

In addition to his contributions to steam power, Papin made noteworthy advances in other scientific domains. He conducted experiments on air pressure and vacuum, even collaborating with fellow scientists such as Robert Boyle. His experiments with vacuums led to the development of the "Papinian tablet," a precursor to the pressure cooker's safety valve.

Papin's legacy also includes the "Atmospheric Steam Engine," which was built later based on his ideas and designs. It played a pivotal role in shaping the course of the Industrial Revolution, propelling the mechanization of various industries and enabling the creation of efficient transportation systems.

22 August - Richard III death anniversary

 

Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the last decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, marked the end of the Middle Ages in England. He is the protagonist of Richard III, one of William Shakespeare's history plays.

22 August - Roger Martin du Gard death anniversary

 

Roger Martin du Gard (23 March 1881 – 22 August 1958) was a French novelist and essayist. He received the 1937 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Trained as a paleographer and archivist, he brought to his works a spirit of objectivity and a scrupulous regard for detail, and because of his concern with documentation and the relationship of social reality to individual development, his fiction has been linked with the realist and naturalist traditions of the 19th century. His sympathy for the humanist socialism and pacifism of Jean Jaurès is evident in his work.[1]

He is best known for The Thibaults, a multi-volume roman fleuve which follows the fortunes of two brothers, Antoine and Jacques Thibault, from their upbringing in a prosperous Catholic bourgeois family to the end of the World War I. Six parts of the novel were published between 1922 and 1929. After abandoning a seventh volume in manuscript, he published two more volumes in 1936 and 1940. Written under the shadow of the darkening international situation in Europe in the 1930s, these last parts, which together are longer than the previous six combined, focus on the political and historical situation leading up to the outbreak of the First World War and bring the story to 1918.

Du Gard wrote several other novels, including Jean Barois, which was set against the historical context of the Dreyfus affair. During World War II, he resided in Nice, where he prepared a novel (Souvenirs du lieutenant-colonel de Maumort) which remained unfinished at his death. It was posthumously published in 1983. His other works include plays and a memoir of André Gide, a longtime friend.

Du Gard died in 1958 and was buried in the Cimiez Monastery Cemetery in Cimiez, a suburb of the city of Nice, France.