03 January - John Ronald Reuel Tolkien birth anniversary

 

J.R.R. Tolkien, whose full name is John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, was a renowned English writer, philologist, and academic. He is best known for his fantasy works, including "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Here are the details of his birth and death:

• Birth: J.R.R. Tolkien was born on 03 January 1892 in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State (now part of South Africa).

• Death: He passed away on 02 September 1973 in Bournemouth, England.

J.R.R. Tolkien's literary works have had a profound impact on the fantasy genre, and his Middle-earth legendarium has become a cultural phenomenon. His contributions to literature, language, and storytelling continue to be celebrated by readers and scholars worldwide.

03 January - Shri Randhir Prasad Verma death anniversary

 

Shri Randhir Prasad Verma,  was an Indian police officer who was killed in action while fighting off a robbery attempt at a bank in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India. He was posthumously awarded the gallantry award Ashoka Chakra. The Government of India also issued a Commemorative postage stamp in his honor in 2004.

He single-handedly confronted a gang of terrorists armed with AK 47 automatic rifles at the Dhanbad branch of Bank of India on 03 January 1991, attempting robbery. A fierce gun battle resulted with Verma killing two of the robbers with his pistol but himself shot to death.

He was honoured with Ashoka Chakra, the highest Peacetime Award for gallantry in India.

 

03 January - International Mind-Body Wellness Day

 

International Mind-Body Wellness Day is the perfect time to make a renewed commitment to love your body and your mind by implementing new ideas for growth and health in the coming year!

The world of natural medicine has been around for thousands of years, with Hippocrates being credited as the father of this movement. His research and teachings were instrumental in launching the continued exploration of the way medicine is used in the world.

Modern day practices of mind-body wellness have been more recent. In the past several decades, many people have been focusing on and researching the connection between the mind and the body as they work together synergistically toward a healthy life. Whether it is a healthy and positive mind that promotes a healthy body, or the other way around, the connection between mind-body wellness has been reinforced by science in recent years.

International Mind-Body Wellness Day celebrates and raises awareness for the integral relationship between the mind and the body, encouraging people to honor and enjoy all of the aspects of wellness. Learn more about the mind-body connection and practice wellness on this day and every day. 

03 January - Kuriakose Elias Chavara death anniversary

 

Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara (1805–1871) was an Indian Catholic priest, social reformer, and the co-founder of the Congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (C.M.I.), a religious order within the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in Kerala, India. He played a crucial role in the educational and social development of the region.

Here are some key points about Kuriakose Elias Chavara:

1. Early Life: He was born on 10 February 1805, in Kainakary, Kerala, India, into a Syrian Catholic family.

2. Educational Contributions: Chavara was a pioneer in the field of education. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of schools in Kerala and contributed to the spread of literacy, especially among the lower castes and girls.

3. Religious Life: He was ordained as a priest in 1829 and, along with Fr. Thomas Palackal and Fr. Thomas Porukara, founded the Congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (C.M.I.) in 1831. This religious order was dedicated to education, social work, and the spiritual upliftment of society.

4. Educational Institutions: Chavara established the first Catholic Sanskrit School in Kerala at Mannanam in 1846. He also founded the St. Joseph's Press at Mannanam in 1844, contributing significantly to the field of printing in Kerala.

5. Literary Contributions: Besides his educational endeavors, Chavara was a prolific writer. He wrote several books, including a Malayalam grammar book, and worked on the first Malayalam-English dictionary.

6. Beatification: Kuriakose Elias Chavara, along with Euphrasia Eluvathingal, was beatified by Pope John Paul II on February 8, 1986. He was canonized by Pope Francis on 23 November 2014, becoming Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara.

Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara is remembered for his multifaceted contributions to education, social reform, and spirituality in Kerala, and he continues to be venerated in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara passed away on 03 January 1871.

 

03 January - Munshi Nawal Kishore birth anniversary

 

Munshi Nawal Kishore (03 January 1836 – 19 February 1895) was a book publisher from India. He has been called Caxton of India. In 1858, at the age of 22, he founded the Nawal Kishore Press at Lucknow. This institution today is the oldest printing and publishing concern in Asia.Mirza Ghalib was one of his admirers.

Munshi Nawal Kishore was the second son of Munshi Jamuna Prasad Bhargava, a zamindar of Aligarh, and was born on 3 January 1836. At the age of six, he was admitted in a local school (maktab) to learn Arabic and Persian. At the age on 10, he was admitted in Agra College, but he never completed his education there for an unknown reason. During this time, he developed his interest in journalistic writing, and issued a short-lived weekly paper Safeer-e-Agra. He briefly served as an assistant editor and editor of Koh-i-Noor, a magazine of Koh-i-Noor Press owned by Munshi Harsukh Roy.

On 23 November 1858, he founded a printing press known as Munshi Nawal Kishor Press. From 1859, he started publishing weekly newspaper Avadh Akhbar, also known as Oudh Akhbar.

He died on 19 February 1895 in Delhi. His body was buriedinstead of traditional cremation. The Government of India issued a postage stamp on him in his honour in 1970.

Munshi Nawal Kishore published more than 5000 books in Arabic, Bengali, Hindi, English, Marathi, Punjabi, Pashto, Persian, Sanskrit and Urdu during 1858–1885.The Ram Kumar Press and Tej Kumar Press, started by his sons, are successors to the Nawal Kishore Press.

Munshi was a member of the Indian National Congress

03 January - NASA's twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, successfully landed on Mars

 

NASA's twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, successfully landed on Mars in January 2004. Spirit landed on 03 January 2004 (Universal Time), and Opportunity landed on 25 January 2004. These rovers were part of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission.

January 3, 2004, is significant date for the mission, it might be related to the beginning of analytical tests or experiments conducted by the Spirit rover shortly after its landing on Mars. The rovers were equipped with various scientific instruments to analyze the Martian soil and rocks, searching for evidence of past water activity and potential signs of life.