Bhagat Singh Jayanti: recalling the revolutionary and September 28 in history
Bhagat Singh was born on September 28, 1907, and September 28 also marks several other notable events and birth anniversaries.
Shaheed Bhagat Singh, a bold and inspiring name from India's freedom struggle, was born on September 28, 1907, in the village of Banga in Punjab, now in Pakistan. Bhagat Singh was born into a patriotic Sikh family that had made a major contribution to the freedom struggle, and this instilled a spirit of patriotism in him from childhood.
Bhagat Singh fought against the oppressive rule of the British government and spread socialist ideas, making him an inspiration for the youth. He was involved in two historic events, the killing of Saunders and the bombing of the Central Legislative Assembly. Following these events, Bhagat Singh was hanged in Lahore on March 23, 1931. Bhagat Singh, who went to the gallows smiling, is still remembered today as an immortal martyr of the nation.
September 28 has also seen several other important events in the history of the country and the world. In 1924, the first round-the-world flight was completed. In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming found unusual bacterial growth in his laboratory, a discovery that later led to the antibiotic penicillin. During the Second World War, in 1939, the city of Warsaw surrendered to Nazi Germany. In 1950, Indonesia was admitted to the United Nations, while in 1958 France adopted a new constitution. In 1960, Mali and Senegal joined the United Nations. In 1971, the United Kingdom's Misuse of Drugs Act made the medical use of cannabis illegal.
Several honours were also announced in India on this day. In 1999, Asha Bhosle was awarded the Gaan Samragni Lata Mangeshkar Award, while in 2000 playwright Vijay Tendulkar received the Vishnudas Bhave Gaurav Puraskar. In 2008, SpaceX launched Falcon 1, the first privately funded spacecraft.
Notable people born on this day include playback singer Lata Mangeshkar (1929), actor Ranbir Kapoor (1982), Abhinav Bindra (1982), the first Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal, Bangladesh's tenth prime minister Sheikh Hasina (1947), and actor P. Jairaj (1909). Those who died on this day include scientist Louis Pasteur (1895), astronomer Edwin Hubble (1953), former president of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos (1989), and former national security adviser Brajesh Mishra (2012).
