This Day in History: April 26

World Intellectual Property Day

Today marks the celebration of World Intellectual Property Day. This day is commemorated by the World Intellectual Property Organization to raise awareness about the impact of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and designs in everyday life. It was first observed in 1970.

Birthday of Ganapati Sthapati

Famous architect and sculptor Ganapati Sthapati was born in 1931 in Eluvankottai, Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu. He gained recognition for his work on the restoration of the Srisailam temple and the construction of the Mahamandapa Gopurams at Bhadrachalam Rama Temple. He also established a 58-foot tall, 350-ton statue of Buddha on Gibraltar Rock at Hussain Sagar.

Birthday of Samuthirakani

Renowned Indian actor, director, dubbing artist, and singer Samuthirakani was born in 1973 in Dhalavaipuram, Tamil Nadu. He has acted in various films across Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu cinema and has directed multiple films. He entered the film industry as an actor with the 2001 film “Parthale Paravasam” and as a director with the 2003 film “Unnaicharanadai Inden.”

Also Read: This Day in History: April 25

Birthday of Sarv Mittra Sikri

Sarv Mittra Sikri, the 13th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, was born in 1908 in Kabirwala, Punjab. He served as the Chief Justice from 1971 to 1973 and began his legal career in the Lahore High Court in the 1930s.

Birthday of Kakani Chakrapani

Prominent Telugu writer Kakani Chakrapani was born in 1942 in Chinakakani village, Mangalagiri Mandal, Guntur district. He portrayed human life struggles, emotions, intimacy, and relationships in his unique style in Telugu literature. He wrote numerous novels, stories, translations, and essays.

Birthday of Komaravolu Sivaprasad

Famous for his “Eelapata” performances, Komaravolu Sivaprasad was born in 1955 in Bapatla, Guntur district. He has conducted over 11,000 musical concerts through Eelapata not only in India but also in countries like America, Japan, Australia, Britain, Mauritius, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangkok, and Dubai.

Also Read: This Day in History: April 24

Death of Srinivasa Ramanujan

Prominent Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan Aiyangar, who gained international fame in the 20th century, was born on December 22, 1887, in Erode, Madras Presidency. He made significant contributions in fields like mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions. In 2012, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared his birthday National Mathematics Day.

Other Glimpses from World History on April 26

• Hyderabad Metro Rail works officially began in 2012.
• Syama Sastri, one of the three trinity of Carnatic music composers, was born in 1762 in Tiruvarur, Thanjavur district.
• Kannada and Telugu cinema music director M. Rangarao was born in 1932 in Andhra Pradesh.
• Multi-talented Indian music figure Suresh Peters was born in 1968 in Chennai. He worked as a music director in five Indian languages and succeeded as a singer.
• The 12th emperor of the Mughal dynasty, Muhammad Shah, died in 1748 in Delhi.