06 March - Ayn Rand passed away in 1982

 

Alice O'Connor/Ayn Rand, passed away on 6 March , 1982, known by her pen name Ayn Rand, was a Russian-born American writer and philosopher. She is known for her fiction and for developing a philosophical system she named Objectivism. Born and educated in Russia, she moved to the United States in 1926. After two early novels that were initially unsuccessful and two Broadway plays, she achieved fame with her 1943 novel, The Fountainhead. In 1957, Rand published her best-selling work, the novel Atlas Shrugged. Afterward, until her death in 1982, she turned to non-fiction to promote her philosophy, publishing her own periodicals and releasing several collections of essays.

06 March - National Dress Day

 

On National Dress Day March 6, we celebrate the most versatile and fun article of clothing there is — the dress! Fashion designer Ashley Lauren founded the day to help pay homage to dresses and the magical moments that happen when we wear them.

06 March - Ho Chi Minh with France which recognizes Vietnam as an autonomous state in 1946

 

 Ho Chi Minh signs an agreement on 06 march 1946 with France which recognizes Vietnam as an autonomous state in the Indochinese Federation and the French Union

Hồ Chí Minh (19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969),commonly known as Bác Hồ was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman. He served as Prime Minister of Vietnam from 1945 to 1955, and as President of Vietnam from 1945 until his death in 1969. Ideologically a Marxist–Leninist, he was the Chairman and First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Vietnam.

Hồ Chí Minh was born in Nghệ An province in the French protectorate of Annam. He led the Việt Minh independence movement from 1941 onward. Initially, it was an umbrella group for all parties fighting for Vietnam's independence, but the Communist Party gained majority support after 1945. Hồ Chí Minh led the Communist-led Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945, defeating the French Union in 1954 at the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ, ending the First Indochina War, and resulting in the division of Vietnam, with the Communists in control of North Vietnam. He was a key figure in the People's Army of Vietnam and the Việt Cộng during the Vietnam War, which lasted from 1955 to 1975. Hồ officially stepped down from power in 1965 due to health problems and died in 1969. North Vietnam was ultimately victorious against South Vietnam and its allies, and Vietnam was officially unified in 1976. Saigon, the former capital of South Vietnam, was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in his honor.

The details of Hồ Chí Minh's life before he came to power in Vietnam are uncertain. He is known to have used between Information on his birth and early life is ambiguous and subject to academic debate. At least four existing official biographies vary on names, dates, places, and other hard facts while unofficial biographies vary even more widely.

Aside from being a politician, Hồ was also a writer, a poet, and a journalist. He wrote several books, articles and poems in Chinese, Vietnamese and French.

 

06 March - Constantine II becomes the last King of Greece in 1964

 

Constantine II (2 June 1940 – 10 January 2023)was the last king of Greece, reigning from 6 March 1964 until the abolition of the Greek monarchy on 1 June 1973.

Constantine was born in Athens as the only son of Crown Prince Paul and Crown Princess Frederica of Greece. Being of Danish descent, he was also born as a prince of Denmark. As his family was forced into exile during the Second World War, he spent the first years of his childhood in Egypt and South Africa. He returned to Greece with his family in 1946 during the civil war. After Constantine's uncle King George II died in 1947, Paul became the new king and Constantine the crown prince. As a young man, Constantine was a competitive sailor and Olympian, winning a gold medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics in the Dragon class along with Odysseus Eskitzoglou and George Zaimis in the yacht Nireus. From 1964 he served on the International Olympic Committee.

Constantine acceded as king following his father's death in 1964. Later that year he married Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, with whom he had five children. Although the accession of the young monarch was initially regarded auspiciously, his reign saw political instability that culminated in the Colonels' Coup of 21 April 1967. The coup left Constantine, as head of state, with little room to manoeuvre since he had no loyal military forces on which to rely. He thus reluctantly agreed to inaugurate the junta on the condition that it be made up largely of civilian ministers. On 13 December 1967, Constantine was forced to flee the country, following an unsuccessful countercoup against the junta.

Constantine formally remained Greece's head of state in exile, until the junta abolished the monarchy in June 1973 (a decision ratified via a referendum in July). After the restoration of democracy a year later, a second referendum was held in December 1974, which confirmed the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the Third Hellenic Republic. While Constantine had contested the results of the 1973 referendum, he accepted the verdict of the 1974 vote, even though he had not been allowed to return to Greece to campaign.After living for several decades in London, Constantine moved back to Athens in 2013. He died there in 2023 following a stroke.

06 March - The Philatelic Society of India was established

 

The Philatelic Society of India (PSI), was formed on 6 March 1897, by a group of, mainly, expatriate Englishmen resident in the country as the first all-India philatelic society. During its first fifty years the society included most of the important Anglo-Indian philatelists and had a particularly strong publications record with two award-winning books. The society meets every first and third Saturday at the Mumbai G.P.O., convened by Dhirubhai Mehta, President, and D.M. Pittie, Hon. Secretary.

The idea of an all-India philatelic society arose at the Philatelic Society of Bengal in 1896 and an open letter was published by Charles Stewart-Wilson in Calcutta calling for expressions of interest. The first meeting took place at 6 Middleton Row, Calcutta on 6 March 1897 where Charles Stewart-Wilson was appointed the first President and Lady Collen, Professor O.V. Muller and Major C.H.I. Hopkins were each appointed Vice-Presidents. The first Treasurer was Wilmot Corfield and the Secretary Mr. P. Aylwyn Selfe of the Bank of Bengal.

Most of the original members were Englishmen. Mr. C.K. Dutt, of Calcutta, the first Indian, was admitted in 1907.

In March 1957 an exhibition was held in Bombay to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of the society and in 1997 the Society celebrated its centenary with a display in Bombay titled Centipex '97 at which a red Scinde Dawk and other rarities of Indian philately were exhibited.

06 March - Dmitri Mendeleev presented the first periodic table of the elements to the Russian Chemical Society.

 

On 6 March 1869, Dmitri Mendeleev presented the first periodic table of the elements to the Russian Chemical Society.

The periodic table, is a tabular display of the chemical elements, which are arranged by atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring chemical properties. The structure of the table shows periodic trends. The seven rows of the table, called periods, generally have metals on the left and nonmetals on the right. The columns, called groups, contain elements with similar chemical behaviors. Six groups have accepted names as well as assigned numbers: for example, group 17 elements are the halogens; and group 18 are the noble gases. Also displayed are four simple rectangular areas or blocks associated with the filling of different atomic orbitals.

06 March - Pterospermum Acerifolium stamp issued in 2009

 

 

A commemorative postage stamp issued on (06.March.2009) the Pterospermum Acerifolium: Commonly known as Kanak Champa  ,Bayur Tree, Dinnerplate Tree , Muchakunda Tree. The beautiful tree is in the Northern part of India. Pterospermum Acerifolium is an evergreen tree with an irregular crown with, thick, steeply ascending branches.It can grow up to 30 metres tall. The bole is often crooked.The tree is gathered from the wild for a range of local uses - medicinal timber, plate substitutes etc. It is planted as a roadside tree or garden ornamental, being valued especially for its beautiful, fragrant blooms, large leaves and the shade it provides.

06 March - The Millenary Khajuraho Group of Monuments postage stamp

 

 

A commemorative postage stamp issued on (06.March.1999) the Millenary of the Khajuraho Group of Monuments, UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE : the Khajuraho is a city of Chhatarpur district Madhya Pradesh about 175 K.M. southeast of Jhansi , the temples are famous for their nagara - style architural symbolism and their erotic sculptures. The depicts one of the Khajuraho sculptures "Apsara removing a thorn from her foot"  A picture of the visvanatha temple dated 999 A.D. is shown on the first day cover.

 

 

05 March - International Year of the Child stamp issued in 1979

 

Complete Set of two nos of commemorartive postage stamps on 05.March.1979 for the International Year of the Child (IYC) , proclaimed in 1979 by United Nations : The Stamp in 25 paise denomination depicts Mahatma Gandhi with a child with a child and alongside is the Indian Symbol of the International Year of the child. The stamp in 100 paise denomination features the Indian Symbol of the International Year of child. Both the stamps carry the special adopted by India for the occasion :  "Happy Child Nation's Pride "

05 March - Gerardus Mercator birth anniversary

 

Gerardus Mercator was born on 05 March 1512, in Rupelmonde, County of Flanders (now part of Belgium), and he passed away on 02 December 1594, in Duisburg, Duchy of Cleves (now in Germany).

Gerardus Mercator (1512–1594) was a Flemish cartographer, geographer, and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of mapmaking. He is best known for the development of the Mercator projection, a cylindrical map projection that preserves angles and shapes, particularly useful for navigation.

Key aspects of Gerardus Mercator's life and work include:

1. Early Life and Education: Mercator was born on March 5, 1512, in Rupelmonde, County of Flanders (now part of Belgium). He studied humanities at the University of Leuven and later pursued advanced studies in mathematics, geography, and astronomy.

2. Mapmaking and Cartography: Mercator's interest in mapmaking led him to create globes and maps. His maps were renowned for their accuracy and attention to detail. One of his notable works is the 1538 map of the world, known as "Planisphere," which showcased his early talents as a cartographer.

3. Mercator Projection: Mercator's most significant contribution to cartography is the Mercator projection, developed around 1569. This cylindrical map projection became widely used for navigation since it preserves straight lines, making it easier for sailors to navigate with rhumb lines (lines of constant compass bearing).

4. Navigational Aids: Mercator's maps and globes were valuable tools for navigators during the Age of Exploration. The Mercator projection allowed sailors to plot a course as a straight line, simplifying navigation across long distances.

5. Atlas Production: Mercator's son, Rumold Mercator, continued his father's work after his death. Rumold, along with other family members, compiled and published Gerardus Mercator's maps and charts into an atlas called the "Atlas sive Cosmographicae Meditationes de Fabrica Mundi et Fabricati Figura" (Atlas or Cosmographical Meditations on the Fabric of the World and the Figure of the Fabricated).

6. Legacy: The Mercator projection, despite its distortion of area at higher latitudes, remains widely used in navigation, especially for maritime charts. While it's not suitable for all mapping purposes due to its distortions, it has been highly influential in the history of cartography.

Gerardus Mercator's contributions to mapmaking and navigation have left an enduring legacy, and his name is forever associated with the famous Mercator projection.