List of days of the year

13 April - National Borinqueneers Day USA

 


National Borinqueneers Day is a special observance in the United States dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifices of the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers. The regiment was composed primarily of soldiers from Puerto Rico and was the only segregated Latino unit in the history of the U.S. Army.

The Borinqueneers served with distinction in various conflicts, including World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Despite facing discrimination and prejudice, they demonstrated exceptional bravery and valor on the battlefield, earning numerous awards and commendations for their service.

In 2016, the U.S. Congress authorized National Borinqueneers Day to be observed annually on April 13th, commemorating the day in 1951 when the 65th Infantry Regiment earned the Presidential Unit Citation for its heroic actions during the Korean War.

This day serves as a reminder of the contributions of Puerto Rican soldiers to the defense of the United States and highlights the importance of recognizing the diversity and inclusivity of the American military. It's an opportunity to honor the legacy of the Borinqueneers and to express gratitude for their courage, patriotism, and dedication to duty.

 

13 April - International Special Librarians Day

 

Special Librarians Day is a perfect occasion to celebrate the legacy of S. R. Ranganathan, often regarded as the father of library science in India. Ranganathan was a pioneering figure whose work and ideas revolutionized the field of library science worldwide.

Born on August 9, 1892, Ranganathan made significant contributions to library classification, cataloging, and information retrieval systems. He developed the Five Laws of Library Science, which are fundamental principles guiding the organization and management of libraries. These laws emphasize the importance of user access, resource organization, and library efficiency.

Ranganathan's influence extended far beyond India; his innovative approaches to library management and information organization have had a lasting impact on libraries worldwide. Special Librarians Day provides an opportunity to recognize and honor Ranganathan's contributions to the field and to reflect on how his ideas continue to shape modern library practices and principles.

13 April - Plant Appreciation Day

 


Plant Appreciation Day is a wonderful opportunity to express gratitude for the myriad ways in which plants enrich our lives. From providing us with oxygen and food to beautifying our surroundings and contributing to our physical and mental well-being, plants play an essential role in sustaining life on Earth.

On this day, people can celebrate by taking part in various activities such as gardening, planting trees, visiting botanical gardens, or simply spending time in nature appreciating the beauty and diversity of plant life. It's also a great opportunity to learn more about the importance of plants and their conservation, as well as to reflect on ways we can all contribute to protecting and preserving our natural environment.

So let's take a moment to pause and appreciate the wonders of the plant world and the countless ways in which plants enhance our lives and our planet!

 

13 April - Semper Opera House was inaugurated 1841

 


The Semper Opera House, located in Dresden, Germany, was  inaugurated on 13 April 1841. Designed by the architect Gottfried Semper, it is one of the most famous opera houses in the world. Despite being damaged during World War II, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1985, and it continues to be a cultural landmark and a venue for world-class opera performances.

13 April - Water-Sprinkling Festival Thailand

 



 The Water-Sprinkling Festival in Thailand, known locally as "Songkran," is one of the country's most important and popular celebrations. It marks the traditional Thai New Year and usually takes place from April 13 to 15. During Songkran, people engage in joyful water fights, where they splash water on each other as a way to cleanse and purify themselves, symbolizing the washing away of sins and bad luck from the previous year. It's a time for family gatherings, temple visits, merit-making, and paying respect to elders. Songkran is not only celebrated in Thailand but also in neighboring countries with significant Thai communities, such as Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

13 April - Brian Lara played a historic inning of 400 runs while playing against England in Antigua in 2004

 


On April 13, 2004, the legendary cricketer Brian Lara achieved a historic milestone by scoring 400 runs in a single Test innings. This remarkable feat occurred during a match between the West Indies and England at the Antigua Recreation Ground in St. John's, Antigua. Lara's innings of 400 not out remains the highest individual score in Test cricket history, showcasing his exceptional talent and skill as one of the greatest batsmen of all time.

13 April - Thomas Jefferson birth anniversary

 


Thomas Jefferson (13 April 1743 – 04 July 1826) was an American Founding Father, third President of the United States, principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and one of the most influential figures in early American history. Here are some key aspects of Thomas Jefferson's life and legacy:

  1. Declaration of Independence: Thomas Jefferson is best known for drafting the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted on July 4, 1776. The document declared the thirteen American colonies independent from British rule and asserted the inherent rights of individuals.

  2. Founding Father: Jefferson was a prominent Founding Father and played a crucial role in the early development of the United States. He was involved in the Continental Congress and contributed to the drafting of the Articles of Confederation.

  3. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom: Jefferson authored the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1777, which became a model for the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. It emphasized the separation of church and state and the freedom of religion.

  4. Governor of Virginia: Jefferson served as the second Governor of Virginia from 1779 to 1781 during the American Revolutionary War. His term faced challenges, including the British invasion of Virginia.

  5. Minister to France: Jefferson served as the United States Minister to France from 1785 to 1789, playing a role in diplomatic efforts and witnessing the early stages of the French Revolution.

  6. Secretary of State: He served as the first Secretary of State under President George Washington from 1790 to 1793. His differences with Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton over issues like the national debt and the role of the federal government led to the formation of the first political parties in the United States.

  7. Third President of the United States: Jefferson served as the third President of the United States from 1801 to 1809. His presidency is often associated with the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States, and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which explored the newly acquired territory.

  8. Monticello: Jefferson's estate, Monticello, located near Charlottesville, Virginia, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It reflects his architectural interests, intellectual pursuits, and agricultural innovations.

  9. University of Virginia: Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819, and he is considered the university's principal architect. He believed in the importance of education and promoted the idea of a secular university.

  10. Legacy and Contradictions: Thomas Jefferson is celebrated for his contributions to American democracy, but his legacy is also complicated by contradictions, including his ownership of slaves while advocating for human rights.

Thomas Jefferson passed away on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. His contributions to American political philosophy, governance, and culture have left an indelible mark on the nation's history.

 

13 April - Balraj Sahni death anniversary

 


On 13 April 1973, Balraj Sahni, Indian film and theater actor, died.

Balraj Sahni, one of the finest actors to have graced the Hindi film screen, was born Yudhisthir Sahni on 1 May 1913 in Rawalpindi (now part of Pakistan) to a Punjabi family. He died on 13 April 1973.

As a youngster he studied Hindi and English literature in university, and worked as a teacher at Shantiniketan (Bengal) and for the BBC radio’s Hindi service in Britain. One of the pioneering members of the Indian People’s Theater Association, he acted in plays like Zubeida and The Inspector General. Though Sahni is best remembered as a film actor, his colleagues in theater had fond memories of the time he spent with them.

In his memoirs, Habib Tanvir, one of the leading names in Indian theatre after Independence, wrote: “For all his work in films, cinema wasted his (Sahni’s) talent. He was such a brilliant comedian, he was so effective in Jadu ki Kursi that his performance was unforgettable. I have seen many of his films too; he always acted with great control and subtlety but he was never given a comic role.”

Sahni’s debut Hindi film was Insaaf. This was followed by films like Dharti Ke Lal (based on the 1943 Bengal famine) and Door Chalein. In 1951, he worked with actors Dilip Kumar and Nargis in Hulchul. In between the film’s shooting, Sahni was arrested for being a communist sympathiser, and the film director K. Asif took special court permission to allow Sahni to shoot.

It was, however, in 1953 that Sahni’s acting prowess was widely recognised after the release of Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zameen, which won a prize at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. In it he played the role of Shambhu, a farmer trying to save his small plot of land from an unscrupulous landlord. Unable to pay a loan, he goes to Calcutta where he pulls a rickshaw to earn a meagre income.

Another famous film of Sahni was Kabuliwala (1961), based on a story by Rabindranath Tagore. Sahni effectively portrayed the character of a dry-fruit seller who comes from Afghanistan to sell his goods in Calcutta.

His other films include Lajwanti, Kathputli, Seema, Pavitra Paapi and—more famously—Garm Hava, Haqeeqat and Waqt. In Haqeeqat, one of India’s best war films (based on the disastrous 1962 war with China), Sahni played the role of an Indian army officer.

Garam Hawa, directed by M.S. Sathyu, was a story about Partition and its effects on individuals. Sahni depicts the inner turmoil of a Muslim businessman from Agra who refuses to leave everything behind and go to the newly created Pakistan.

13 April - The Creation of Khalsa




The Khalsa tradition was initiated in 1699 by the last living Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Its formation on 13 April 1699, was a key event in the history of Sikhism. The founding of Khalsa is celebrated by Sikhs during the festival of Vaisakhi.

In 1699, the tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh Ji asked Sikhs to gather at Anandpur Sahib on the day of Vaisakhi. Guru Gobind Singh Ji addressed the congregation from the entryway of a tent pitched on a hill (now called Kesgarh Sahib). He drew his sword, according to the Sikh tradition, and then asked for a volunteer from those who gathered, someone willing to sacrifice his head. One came forward, whom he took inside a tent. The Guru returned to the crowd without the volunteer, but with a bloody sword. He asked for another volunteer and repeated the same process of returning from the tent without anyone and with a bloodied sword four more times. After the fifth volunteer went with him into the tent, the Guru returned with all five volunteers, all safe. He called them the Panj Pyare and the first Khalsa in the Sikh tradition. These five volunteers were : Daya Ram (Bhai Daya Singh), Dharam Das (Bhai Dharam Singh), Himmat Rai (Bhai Himmat Singh), Mohkam Chand (Bhai Mohkam Singh), and Sahib Chand (Bhai Sahib Singh).

Guru Gobind Singh Ji then mixed water and sugar into an iron bowl, stirring it with a double-edged sword to prepare what he called Amrit ("nectar"). He then administered this to the Panj Pyare, accompanied with recitations from the Adi Granth, thus founding the khanda ka paul (baptization ceremony) of a Khalsa – a warrior community. The Guru also gave them a new surname "Singh" (lion). After the first five Khalsa had been baptized, the Guru asked the five to baptize him as a Khalsa. This made the Guru the sixth Khalsa, and his name changed from Guru Gobind Rai to Guru Gobind Singh

13 April - Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in year 1919

 



Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, also called Massacre of Amritsar, incident on 13 April 1919, in which British troops fired on a large crowd of unarmed Indians in an open space known as the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in the Punjab region, killing several hundred people and wounding many hundreds more. It marked a turning point in India’s modern history, in that it left a permanent scar on Indo-British relations and was the prelude to Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi’s full commitment to the cause of Indian nationalism and independence from Britain.

During World War I (1914–18) the British government of India enacted a series of repressive emergency powers that were intended to combat subversive activities. By the war’s end, expectations were high among the Indian populace that those measures would be eased and that India would be given more political autonomy. The Montagu-Chelmsford Report, presented to the British Parliament in 1918, did in fact recommend limited local self-government. Instead, however, the government of India passed what became known as the Rowlatt Acts in early 1919, which essentially extended the repressive wartime measures.

The acts were met by widespread anger and discontent among Indians, notably in the Punjab region. Gandhi in early April called for a one-day general strike throughout the country. In Amritsar the news that prominent Indian leaders had been arrested and banished from that city sparked violent protests on April 10, in which soldiers fired upon civilians, buildings were looted and burned, and angry mobs killed several foreign nationals and severely beat a Christian missionary. A force of several dozen troops commanded by Brig. Gen. Reginald Edward Harry Dyer was given the task of restoring order. Among the measures taken was a ban on public gatherings.

On the afternoon of April 13, a crowd of at least 10,000 men, women, and children gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh, which was nearly completely enclosed by walls and had only one exit. It is not clear how many people there were protesters who were defying the ban on public meetings and how many had come to the city from the surrounding region to celebrate Baisakhi, a spring festival. Dyer and his soldiers arrived and sealed off the exit. Without warning, the troops opened fire on the crowd, reportedly shooting hundreds of rounds until they ran out of ammunition. It is not certain how many died in the bloodbath, but, according to one official report, an estimated 379 people were killed, and about 1,200 more were wounded. After they ceased firing, the troops immediately withdrew from the place, leaving behind the dead and wounded.

The shooting was followed by the proclamation of martial law in the Punjab that included public floggings and other humiliations. Indian outrage grew as news of the shooting and subsequent British actions spread throughout the subcontinent. The Bengali poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore renounced the knighthood that he had received in 1915. Gandhi was initially hesitant to act, but he soon began organizing his first large-scale and sustained nonviolent protest (satyagraha) campaign, the noncooperation movement (1920–22), which thrust him to prominence in the Indian nationalist struggle.

The government of India ordered an investigation of the incident (the Hunter Commission), which in 1920 censured Dyer for his actions and ordered him to resign from the military. Reaction in Britain to the massacre was mixed, however. Many condemned Dyer’s actions—including Sir Winston Churchill, then secretary of war, in a speech to the House of Commons in 1920—but the House of Lords praised Dyer and gave him a sword inscribed with the motto “Saviour of the Punjab.” In addition, a large fund was raised by Dyer’s sympathizers and presented to him. The Jallianwala Bagh site in Amritsar is now a national monument.