28 April - Vinayak Krishna Gokak death anniversary

 

Vinayak Krishna Gokak was an eminent Indian writer, scholar, and academic who made significant contributions to Kannada literature and Indian literature in general. Born on 09 August 1909, Gokak's literary career spanned several decades, during which he produced an extensive body of work encompassing poetry, novels, essays, and literary criticism.

Gokak is particularly renowned for his contributions to modern Kannada poetry. He was instrumental in bringing about a modernist movement in Kannada literature, introducing new themes, styles, and forms. His poetry often explored existential themes, human emotions, and the complexities of the modern world.

Apart from his literary pursuits, Gokak also had a distinguished academic career. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of Mysore University and later as the Chairman of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. Gokak's scholarly endeavors extended to areas such as linguistics, philosophy, and education, reflecting his multidisciplinary interests.

One of Gokak's most notable achievements was his recognition as the recipient of the Jnanpith Award, one of the highest literary honors in India, for his contributions to literature. His notable works include "Bhoomi Geeta," "Mandara Kavya," and "Kanaka Purandara," among others.

Vinayak Krishna Gokak passed away on 28 April 1992, leaving behind a rich literary legacy that continues to inspire readers and scholars alike.

28 April - Mutiny on the Bounty in 1789

 

The mutiny on the Royal Navy vessel HMS Bounty occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship from their captain, Lieutenant William Bligh, and set him and eighteen loyalists adrift in the ship's open launch. The mutineers variously settled on Tahiti or on Pitcairn Island. Bligh navigated more than 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) in the launch to reach safety and began the process of bringing the mutineers to justice.

Bounty had left England in 1787 on a mission to collect and transport breadfruit plants from Tahiti to the West Indies. A five-month layover in Tahiti, during which many of the men lived ashore and formed relationships with native Polynesians, led those men to be less amenable to military discipline. Relations between Bligh and his crew deteriorated after he allegedly began handing out increasingly harsh punishments, criticism, and abuse, Christian being a particular target. After three weeks back at sea, Christian and others forced Bligh from the ship. Twenty-five men remained on board afterwards, including loyalists held against their will and others for whom there was no room in the launch.

After Bligh reached England in April 1790, the Admiralty dispatched HMS Pandora to apprehend the mutineers. Fourteen were captured in Tahiti and imprisoned on board Pandora, which then searched without success for Christian's party that had hidden on Pitcairn Island. After turning back towards England, Pandora ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef, with the loss of 31 crew and four prisoners from Bounty. The ten surviving detainees reached England in June 1792 and were court-martialled; four were acquitted, three were pardoned, and three were hanged.

Christian's group remained undiscovered on Pitcairn until 1808, by which time only one mutineer, John Adams, remained alive. Almost all of his fellow mutineers, including Christian, had been killed, either by one another or by their Polynesian companions. No action was taken against Adams; descendants of the mutineers and their accompanying Tahitians live on Pitcairn into the 21st century.

28 April - Tobias Michael Carel Asser birth anniversary

 

Tobias Michael Carel Asser (28 April 1838 – 29 July 1913) was a Dutch lawyer and legal scholar who is best known for his contributions to international law.

His work focused on the development of international law and the promotion of peaceful dispute resolution.

He played a key role in the establishment of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague. He was one of the driving forces behind the first Hague Peace Conference in 1899, where the idea of creating the PCA was discussed and eventually agreed upon. Asser’s work on the establishment of the PCA paved the way for the development of modern international arbitration and helped to promote the peaceful settlement of international disputes.

He was also involved in the development of the Hague Convention on International Law, which was adopted in 1899 and served as the basis for the development of modern international law. He wrote several influential books on international law, including “International Law: A Treatise” and “An International Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes”.

28 April - Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa birth anniversary

 

Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa (28 April 1791 – 30 April 1837), was the army chief of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The one person who was most feared in the minds of Pathans and Afghans, from Peshawar to Kabul. The name of that personality was General Hari Singh Nalwa. Hari Singh Nalwa, the biggest general of the Sikh army, conquered Kashmir and got his iron convinced. Not only this, he also won Kabul by offering an army. Freed the country from Islamic invasions from Khyber Pass. He was born on 28 April 1791 in Gujranwala, Punjab.

28 April - Madhusudan Das birth anniversary

 

Madhusudan Das (28 April 1848 – 04 February 1934) was an Indian lawyer and social reformer, who founded Utkal Sammilani in 1903 to campaign for the unification of Odisha along with its social and industrial development. He was one of the main persons, helping in the creation of Orissa Province (present-day Odisha, India), which was established on 1 April 1936. He was also the first graduate and advocate of Orissa. He is also known as Kulabruddha (Grand Old Man), Madhu Babu, and Utkal Gouraba (Pride of Utkal). In Odisha, his birthday is celebrated as the Lawyers' Day on 28 April.

27 April - USA celebrates BABE RUTH day

 

On April 27, baseball fans worldwide honor one of baseball’s all-time greatest players on National Babe Ruth Day.  

George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Jr., born on February 6, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland, was nicknamed “the Bambino” and “the Sultan of Swat.” Spending 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), he played for three teams from 1914 to 1935.

27 April - Mumtaz Mahal was born in 1593

 

 Mumtaz Mahal (27 April 1593 – 17 June 1631), the Queen of the Mughal Empire from 19 January 1628 to 17 June 1631 as the wife of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. She was designated Mumtaz as his chief empress with the title of ‘Malika-i-Jahan’ (“Queen of the World”) and ‘Malika-uz-Zamani’ (“Queen of the Age”). The Taj Mahal in Agra is often cited as one of the World’s Wonders, and it was commissioned by Shah Jahan to be built as a mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal. She was born as on 27 April 1593 in Agra.

27 April - Airbus A380 aircraft had its maiden test flight in 2005

 

On 27 April 2005, Airbus A380 aircraft had its maiden test flight.

The Airbus A380 is the world's largest passenger airliner, a wide-body aircraft manufactured by Airbus. Airbus studies started in 1988 and the project was announced in 1990 to challenge the dominance of the Boeing 747 in the long haul market. The A3XX project was presented in 1994; Airbus launched the €9.5 billion ($10.7 billion) A380 programme on 19 December 2000. The first prototype was unveiled in Toulouse on 18 January 2005, with its first flight on 27 April 2005. Difficulties in electrical wiring caused a two-year delay and the development cost ballooned to €18 billion. It obtained its EASA and FAA type certificates on 12 December 2006.

27 April - USA celebrates National Tell a Story Day

 National Tell a Story Day on April 27th each year in the United States encourages people of all ages to share stories. The stories can take many forms, too. You can read from a book or create one from your imagination. Stories recreated from childhood memory leave an indelible imprint on both the storyteller and the listener. No matter what story you tell, the day supports gathering with friends and family to share those stories.

Libraries around the country participate in the day. They offer special storytelling times for children. Do you have a story to tell? It does not matter if the story is a short story or a long story, fiction or nonfiction, a tall tale or folklore. Seek the storytellers in your life and encourage them to regale you with stories. As you listen, record them in some way. This is a day for them all.

26 April - Srinivasa Ramanujan death anniversary

 

Srinivasa Ramanujan, passed away on 26 April 1920, was an Indian mathematician who lived during the British Rule in India. Though he had almost no formal training in pure mathematics, he made substantial contributions to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions, including solutions to mathematical problems considered to be unsolvable. Ramanujan initially developed his own mathematical research in isolation: "He tried to interest the leading professional mathematicians in his work, but failed for the most part. What he had to show them was too novel, too unfamiliar, and additionally presented in unusual ways; they could not be bothered". Seeking mathematicians who could better understand his work, in 1913 he began a postal partnership with the English mathematician G. H. Hardy at the University of Cambridge, England. Recognizing the extraordinary work sent to him as samples, Hardy arranged travel for Ramanujan to Cambridge. In his notes, Ramanujan had produced groundbreaking new theorems, including some that Hardy stated had "defeated completely", in addition to rediscovering recently proven but highly advanced results