November 3: Amartya Sen's birth anniversary and key events in history on this date

Today is November 3, the birth anniversary of Amartya Sen, the well-known Indian economist and philosopher. He is recognised around the world as a major economist. He was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economics for his pioneering research on welfare economics and on the causes of famine and poverty.

He has made significant contributions to methods of measuring poverty, deprivation and the human development index. His ideas on social choice theory and on the development of neglected sections of society are considered highly important across the world. He has received many major international awards, including the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour. His ideas and books continue to guide economic and social policy worldwide.

Here is what happened on November 3 in the history of India and the world. In 1817, the Bank of Montreal, Canada's oldest chartered bank, was founded. In 1838, the Times of India was first published in Mumbai, under the name The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce. In 1903, Panama became independent of Colombia. In 1911, Chevrolet formally entered the automobile market to take on the Ford Model T. In 1913, income tax was introduced in the United States. In 1918, Poland became independent of Russia.

In 1936, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected the 32nd President of the United States. In 1944, the Bharatiya Sangeet Sanvardhan Mandal organised the All India Music Conference in Pune. In 1946, Japan's constitution was adopted with the emperor's assent. In 1957, Laika, a dog aboard the Soviet Sputnik 2 spacecraft, became the first living creature to travel in space, but died only a few hours after launch. In 1988, mercenary Tamil soldiers from Sri Lanka attacked the Maldives. At the request of the Maldivian government, the Indian Army crushed the attack and saved the government. In 2014, One World Trade Center was formally opened.

Among those born on this date, Sawai Jai Singh II, ruler of Amber, was born in 1688 and died on September 21, 1743. Adolf Dassler, founder of Adidas, was born in 1900 and died on September 6, 1978. In 1901 was born Prithviraj Kapoor, a Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner, stage and film actor and Rajya Sabha member, who died on May 29, 1972. Freedom fighter Annapurna Maharana was born in 1917 and died on December 31, 2012. American actor Charles Bronson was born in 1921 and died on August 30, 2003.

In 1925, essayist and editor Dr H. V. Inamdar was born. Nobel laureate Amartya Sen was born in 1933. In 1937 was born Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar of the Laxmikant-Pyarelal duo, which gave popular music to Hindi films. He died on May 25, 1998.

Among those who died on this date, the poet-balladeer (shahir) Anant Phandi died in 1819. Ulrich Ochsenbein, the first president of the Swiss National Council, died in 1890; he was born on November 24, 1811. Tajuddin Ahmad, the first Prime Minister of Bangladesh, died in 1975; he was born on July 23, 1925. Popular character actor Manmohan Krishna died in 1990; he was born on February 26, 1922. Hindi actor Prem Nath died in 1992; he was born on November 21, 1926.

In 1998, Kannada writer and Karnataka University vice-chancellor Dr R. C. Hiremath died; he was born on January 15, 1920. Bob Kane, creator of Batman, also died that year; he was born on October 24, 1915. In 2000, Prof. Giri Deshingkar, an expert on China and a scholar of East Asian affairs, died. In 2012, Gujarat Governor Kailashpati Mishra died; he was born on October 5, 1923.