This Day in History: February 21

International Mother Language Day

Language is the only tool to express our feelings and opinions. When a child is born the first thing they learn is their mother tongue. There is a dire need in today’s world to protect one’s mother tongue as a way of preserving one’s cultural inheritance. On November 17, 1999, UNESCO, a subsidiary of the United Nations, announced that International Mother Language Day will be celebrated on February 21 every year. Since the year 2000, it has been organized annually. It is being organized with the aim of protecting all the small and big languages in the world and preserving linguistic and cultural diversity.

Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar’s Birth Anniversary

There is no one in the field of Indian science who does not know the name of Shantiswaroop Bhatnagar. He is described as the father of Indian research institutes. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) annual ‘Shantiswaroop Bhatnagar’ prize was instituted in his honour. He was born on 21 February 1894 in Shahpur (now in Pakistan). He developed a keen interest in science from his childhood. He did a lot of work on oil research and development. He explained how to make wax without smell. Bhatnagar provided valuable information on refining and saving kerosene. He investigated how waste products from petroleum can be used in the oil industry.

Death Anniversary of Sir Frederick Grant Banting

Frederick Banting is a sensation in medicine. He is one of the discoverers of insulin and a medical scientist from Canada. He ligated the pancreatic duct in dogs and after some time separated the pancreas from them and injected juice into diabetic dogs. Based on extensive research, Banting under Prof John McLeod’s supervision isolated insulin in 1921-22. This was a very important development in medicine at that time. Insulin was not only isolated but produced in large quantities within a few months and became a boon to millions of diabetics worldwide. In the year 1923, Banting and McLeod were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Banting breathed his last on February 21, 1941.

2013 Hyderabad blasts

The incident of twin bomb blasts in Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad which filled the Telugu states with great sadness will never be forgotten. On February 21, 2013, 17 people lost their lives due to explosions. Hundreds were injured. This incident still haunts the residents of Hyderabad. The Indian Mujahideen terrorist organization carried out these blasts. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has investigated the incident. They arrested five Indian Mujahideen terrorists including top commander Yasin Bhatkal. It is known that the NIA special court, which found all these five guilty, sentenced them to death on December 19, 2016.

A few more important events on February 21

• Sudhir Naik is a former Indian cricketer. Born on February 21, 1945 in Mumbai. He represented the Indian cricket team in 3 Tests and 2 ODIs in 1974. He is not only a cricketer but also a coach and ground curator in domestic cricket.

• Vasanthrao Venkatarao scientist and physics propagator from Andhra Pradesh. He was born on February 21, 1909. He spread the knowledge of physics on a wide scale through lectures and writings. He published textbooks on Physics and Chemistry in Telugu on behalf of the Telugu Bhasha Samithi. Some of his science books have been selected as textbooks for intermediate and degree students.