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. 

21 August - World Senior Citizens Day

 

World Senior Citizens Day is observed on August 21st each year. This day is dedicated to honoring and appreciating the contributions of older adults to society and recognizing the challenges and issues they may face. It's a time to highlight the importance of providing support, care, and respect to senior citizens and to raise awareness about their rights, well-being, and quality of life.

World Senior Citizens Day serves as a reminder to show gratitude to older individuals for their wisdom, experience, and the positive impact they have on families, communities, and societies as a whole. It's an opportunity to celebrate their achievements and promote inclusivity and respect for people of all ages.

21 August - Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar death anniversary

 

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (19 October 1910 – 21 August 1995) was an Indian-American astrophysicist who spent his professional life in the United States. He was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize for Physics with William A. Fowler for "...theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars and black holes.The Chandrasekhar limit is named after him.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subrahmanyan_Chandrasekhar

 

21 August - The Pueblo Revolt

 

The Pueblo Revolt, also known as Popé's Rebellion, was a significant uprising of Pueblo Native Americans against Spanish colonial rule in what is now the southwestern United States. Here are more details about this historical event:

Date: The Pueblo Revolt began on August 10, 1680, and culminated on August 21, 1680.

Background: In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, Spanish explorers and settlers established colonies in present-day New Mexico. The Spanish imposed their culture, religion (Christianity), and governance on the Pueblo people, which led to tensions and resistance.

Leader: The rebellion was led by a Pueblo religious leader named Popé (also spelled as Po'pay or Po'Pay). He was from San Juan Pueblo and had experienced the negative effects of Spanish rule on Pueblo culture and traditions.

Causes: The Pueblo people faced oppression, forced labor, and the suppression of their traditional religious practices by the Spanish authorities. The imposition of Spanish culture and the suppression of Pueblo cultural elements fueled resentment and anger among the indigenous population.

Revolt: Popé organized a coordinated uprising among various Pueblo communities, uniting them against the Spanish. On August 10, 1680, Pueblo messengers delivered knotted cords, known as "knot records," to signal the time for the rebellion. The Puebloans launched a surprise attack on the Spanish settlements, killing priests, settlers, and soldiers.

Outcome: The Pueblo Revolt was successful in driving the Spanish out of the region. The Pueblo people expelled the Spanish settlers from Santa Fe and other settlements, effectively reclaiming their land and freedom. The revolt resulted in the destruction of churches and symbols of Spanish rule.

Aftermath: The Pueblo Revolt had a lasting impact. The Spanish eventually returned to the region in 1692 and regained control of New Mexico, but they adopted a more tolerant approach to Pueblo culture and traditions. The Spanish recognized the importance of allowing greater religious and cultural autonomy for the Pueblo people.

Legacy: The Pueblo Revolt remains a significant event in Native American and colonial history. It is often seen as a successful indigenous resistance movement against colonial oppression and cultural assimilation.

The Pueblo Revolt stands as a testament to the resilience and determination of the Pueblo people to defend their way of life and regain control over their ancestral lands.

21 August - Nag Panchami 2023

Naga Panchami is a day of traditional worship of Nagas or snakes observed by Hindus throughout India, Nepal, and other countries where Hindu adherents live.The worship is offered on the fifth day of bright half of lunar month of Shravana (July/August), according to the Hindu calendar. Some Indian states, such as Rajasthan and Gujarat, celebrate Naga Panchami on the dark half (Krishna Paksha) of the same month.As part of the festivities, a Naga or serpent deity made of silver, stone, wood, or a painting of snakes is given a reverential bath with milk and their blessings are sought for the welfare of the family.Live snakes, especially cobras, are also worshipped on this day, especially with offerings of milk and generally with the assistance of a snake charmer.

In the Mahabharata epic, the sage Astika's quest to stop the sacrifice of serpents (Sarpa Satra) of King Janamejaya, is well known, as it was during this sacrifice that the Mahabharata as a whole was first narrated by the sage, Vaisampayana.This yagna sacrifice was performed by Janamejaya to decimate the race of Nagas through killing every snake in existence to avenge the death of his father Parikshita due to the deadly bite of Takshaka, the king of the snakes. The day that the sacrifice was stopped, due to the intervention of the Astika, was on the Shukla Paksha Panchami day in the month of Shravana. That day has since been observed as Naga Panchami.

Worship:

On day of Naga Panchami, Nagas, cobras, and snakes are worshipped with milk, sweets, flowers, lamps, and even sacrifices. Naga or serpent deities made of silver, stone, wood, or paintings on the wall are first bathed with water and milk and then worshipped with the reciting of the following mantras

Devnagri :

नाग प्रीता भवन्ति शान्तिमाप्नोति बिअ विबोह्
सशन्ति लोक मा साध्य मोदते सस्थित समः

English:

Naga preeta bhavanti shantimapnoti via viboh
Sashanti lok ma sadhya modate shashttih samh

Translation:


Let all be blessed by the snake goddess, let everyone obtain peaceLet all live peacefully without any turbulence. 

20 August - National Radio Day USA

 

National Radio Day in the United States is celebrated on August 20th each year. This day is dedicated to recognizing the significance of radio as a communication medium and its contributions to entertainment, information, and culture. It's a day to appreciate the impact that radio has had on people's lives and to honor the individuals who work in the radio industry. Whether it's music, news, talk shows, or podcasts, radio continues to play a vital role in broadcasting content to a wide audience.