04 December - Inder Kumar Gujral born in 1919

 

Indra Kumar Gujral (4 December 1919 – 30 November 2012) was an Indian politician and freedom activist who served as the 12th Prime Minister of India from April 1997 to March 1998.

Born in Punjab, he was influenced by nationalistic ideas as a student, and joined the All India Students Federation and the Communist Party of India. He was imprisoned for taking part in the Quit India movement. After independence, he joined the Indian National Congress party in 1964, and became a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha.

He was the Minister of Information and Broadcasting during the emergency. In 1976, he was appointed as the Ambassador of India to the Soviet Union. In 1996, he became the Minister of External Affairs in the Deve Gowda ministry, and developed the Gujral doctrine during this period. He was appointed as the 12th Prime Minister of India in 1997. His tenure lasted for less than a year.

He retired from all political positions in 1998. He died in 2012 at the age of 92, following hospitalization due to a lung infection.

11 October - Amitabh Bachchan born in 1942

 

Amitabh Bachchan born 11 October 1942 is an Indian film actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for films such as Zanjeer, Deewaar and Sholay, and was dubbed India's "angry young man" for his on-screen roles in Hindi films. Referred to as the Shahenshah of Bollywood (in reference to his 1988 film Shahenshah), Sadi ka Mahanayak (Hindi for, "Greatest actor of the century"), Star of the Millennium, or Big B,[5] he has since appeared in over 200 Indian films in a career spanning more than five decades.Bachchan is regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian cinema.

He was the most dominant actor in the Indian movie scene during the 1970s–1980s, with the French director François Truffaut calling him a "one-man industry". Beyond the Indian subcontinent, he also has a large overseas following in markets including Africa (South Africa and Mauritius), the Middle East (especially UAE and Egypt), the United Kingdom, Russia, the Caribbean (Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago), Oceania (Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand) and parts of the United States.

Bachchan has won numerous accolades in his career, including four National Film Awards as Best Actor, Dadasaheb Phalke Award as lifetime achievement award and many awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies. He has won fifteen Filmfare Awards and is the most nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare, with 41 nominations overall. In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer and television presenter. He has hosted several seasons of the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, India's version of the game show franchise, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He also entered politics for a time in the 1980s.

The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions to the arts. The Government of France honoured him with its highest civilian honour, Knight of the Legion of Honour, in 2007 for his exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond. Bachchan also made an appearance in a Hollywood film, Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby (2013), in which he played a non-Indian Jewish character, Meyer Wolfsheim.

25 September - World Lung Day

World Lung Day is observed annually on September 25th to raise awareness about the importance of lung health and the global burden of lung diseases. Organized by the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), the day focuses on advocating for better lung health through prevention, research, and access to treatment. It highlights issues such as chronic respiratory diseases, tuberculosis, lung cancer, asthma, and the harmful effects of air pollution and smoking.

World Lung Day encourages individuals, communities, and governments to prioritize lung health and adopt measures to combat lung-related illnesses. This includes promoting clean air, vaccination against respiratory infections, smoking cessation, and access to effective healthcare. It's a day to unite for healthier lungs worldwide and ensure that lung health becomes a global priority for all.

#WorldLungDay #HealthyLiving

18 September - Vishnuvardhan born in 1950

 

Vishnuvardhan (18 September 1950 – 30 December 2009), born Sampath Kumar, was an Indian film actor predominantly in Kannada cinema.He appeared in 200 films in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.He was called The Phoenix of Indian Cinema.He made his debut in the 1972 film, Vamsha Vriksha, in a supporting role. The same year he played the lead role in Puttanna Kanagal's Naagarahaavu, and was recognized as 'The Angry Young Man of Kannada Cinema'.He has played a variety of roles in different genres.

In 2008, a poll conducted by CNN-IBN listed Vishnuvardhan as the most popular star in the Kannada Film Industry.A road stretching 14.5 km from Banashankari Temple to Kengeri in Bengaluru has been named after the superstar. It is the longest road in Asia to be named after a celebrity. He was a martial artist, In an interview with The Hindu, he had said that it was the era of Bruce Lee and it was only Kamal Haasan and himself who had learnt martial arts in his generation.He was also the story writer of the 1997 movie Ganesha I Love You directed by Phani Ramachandra.

He was also fondly called as Sahasasimha and Abhinava Bhargava by the people of Karnataka.

18 September - World Bamboo Day

 

World Bamboo Day is celebrated annually on 18 September to raise awareness about the importance of bamboo and promote its sustainable use. The day was officially declared during the 8th World Bamboo Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2009. Bamboo is recognized for its environmental benefits, including its role in combating climate change, providing sustainable livelihoods, and offering a renewable alternative to wood, plastic, and other materials.

Bamboo is versatile, fast-growing, and has a wide range of applications, from construction to textiles and even food. World Bamboo Day encourages the preservation and cultivation of bamboo as part of a global movement toward more eco-friendly and sustainable practices.

18 September - International Red Panda Day in 2021

 

International Red Panda Bear Day, celebrated third Saturday of September every year, aims to raise public awareness and support for red panda conservation issues.

Endemic to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China, red pandas are facing the threat of extinction due to poaching, habitat destruction and fragmentation and inbreeding depression.

The exact number of individuals of the species that exist in the wild is not known today, but some estimates report it to be as low as 10,000 mature individuals; therefore the IUCN List classifies it as an ‘endangered’ species.

17 September - Maqbool Fida Husain known as M. F. Husain born in 1915

Maqbool Fida Husain better known as M. F. Husain (17 September 1915 – 9 June 2011) was a controversial Indian artist known for executing bold, vibrantly coloured narrative paintings in a modified Cubist style.He was one of the most celebrated and internationally recognized Indian artists of the 20th century.He was one of the founding member of Bombay Progressive Artists' Group. M.F. Husain is associated with Indian modernism in the 1940s. His early association with the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group used modern technique, and was inspired by the "new" India after the partition of 1947. His narrative paintings, executed in a modified Cubist style, can be caustic and funny as well as serious and sombre. His themes—sometimes treated in series—include topics as diverse as Gandhi, Mother Teresa, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the British Raj, and motifs of Indian urban and rural life.

Husain's later works have stirred controversy, which included nude portrayals of Hindu deities, and a nude portrayal of Bharat Mata. Right-wing organizations called for his arrest, and several lawsuits were filed against him for hurting religious sentiments. He remained in a self imposed exile from 2006 until his death in 2011, accepting Qatari citizenship in 2008.

In 1967, he received the National Film Award for Best Experimental Film for Through the Eyes of a Painter.In 2004, he directed Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities, a film he worked on with his artist son Owais Husain, which was screened in the Marché du film section of the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

 

17 September - Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam founded in 1949

 

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK); is a political party in India, particularly in the state of Tamil Nadu and Union Territory of Puducherry. It is currently the Opposition party in Tamil Nadu and is part of the Indian political front the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

DMK is a Dravidian party, adhering to the social democratic and social justice principles of C. N. Annadurai and Periyar E. V. Ramasamy.It was founded in 17 September 1949 by Annadurai as a breakaway faction from the Dravidar Kazhagam (known as Justice Party until 1944) headed by Ramasamy.

DMK was headed by Annadurai (as Secretary general) from 1949 until his death on 3 February 1969

17 September - International Country Music Day

 

Country music is one of the most popular types of music in the world and this special type of music originated in the USA. International Country Music Day was established in the 1950s and is held each year on September 17th. On this special day, country music festivals are held at various venues around the world. Lovers of country music gather to listen to live music acts while drinking and dancing. Line dancing is popular during International Country Music Day and competitions are often held to determine the best dancers.

16 September - International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

 

September 16 was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. This designation had been made on December 19, 2000, in commemoration of the date, in 1987, on which nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

In 1994, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 16 September the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, commemorating the date of the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

The closure of the hole in the ozone layer was observed 30 years after the protocol was signed.Due to the nature of the gases responsible for ozone depletion their chemical effects are expected to continue for between 50 and 100 years.