Local
1971: Painter and writer Abanindranath Tagore is born on August 7. A nephew of Rabindranath Tagore, “Aban Thakur” goes on to lead the Bengal School of Art movement which lead to the development of modern Indian painting. His books for children such as Khirer Putul and Rajkahini remain popular even in the 21st century. Aban Thakur’s grandson Amitendranath Tagore lives in Salt Lake’s DL Block.
2007: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe comes to Salt Lake to inaugurate Rabindra Okakura Bhavan in DD Block on August 23. Named after Japanese scholar Okakura Kakuzo and Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, the centre has a research wing and an auditorium, which becomes an instant hit, hosting programmes by cultural groups around the township.
National
1908: Freedom fighter Khudiram Bose is hanged on August 11. The 18-year-old was sentenced to death for attempted murder of the magistrate of Muzaffarpur. Said to have gone to the gallows smiling, Khudiram inspires a generation of revolutionaries.
1604: Construction of Amritsar’s Golden Temple is completed in August. The temple is officially known as Sri Harmandir Sahib, meaning the abode of God, and was conceived by Guru Arjan to be a place for people of all religions to visit. In the 19th century under the patronage of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the temple is embellished with marble and gold, which gives it its English name.
1872: Aurobindo Ghose is born in Calcutta on August 15. He grows up to be a freedom fighter and later a spiritual reformer. Along with Mirra Alfassa (referred to as The Mother), he establishes the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Pondicherry. He is nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1943 and for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950.
Global
1227: Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol empire, dies. Khan had come to power by uniting nomadic tribes of northeast Asia and then spread his empire by invading Eurasia. After his death, his empire became the largest contiguous one in history. Khan’s men are said to have brutally slaughtered people wherever they went but he is also credited with establishing trade and communication across the continents.
1968: Construction of New York’s World Trade Center starts. The complex consists of seven buildings, including the “twin towers” that at a height of 417m and 415m and become the tallest buildings in the world at the time of opening. In September 11 attacks in 2011 terrorists would fly two aeroplanes into the buildings, causing them to collapse and kill over 2,000 people.
1997: Diana, Princess of Wales, dies in a car crash in Paris on August 31. Married to Prince Charles, Diana was immensely popular through her support to charities and royal engagements and was considered the world’s most photographed woman.
Sports and entertainment
1889: Mohun Bagan Sporting Club is founded by three aristocratic families of north Calcutta on August 15 and the field at “Mohun Bagan Villa”, a marble palace in Fariapukur Street near Shyambazar, serves as its first ground. After its first anniversary, the club’s name is changed to Mohun Bagan Athletic Club as it does not support other sports activates.
1945: Author George Orwell’s book Animal Farm: A Fairy Story releases on August 17. The book is a satire that uses animals to describe what Orwell felt was the appalling condition in communist USSR after Joseph Stalin took over and goes on to be become a classic.
