This Day in History: January 31
Declaration of India’s National Bird
The peacock was officially declared as the national bird of India in 1968. The scientific name of the peacock is ‘Pavo cristatus.’ The vibrant and beautiful feathers, particularly those of the male peacock, are iconic. In the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna is often depicted wearing a peacock feather as a decoration on his head.
International Street Children’s Day
International Street Children’s Day is observed on January 31st each year. The day was initiated by Austrian charity founder Jugend Ein Welt. It commemorates the 75th anniversary of John Bosco’s canonization and aims to provide emergency assistance, food, clothing, shelter, and education to street children.
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Birthday of Vanamali
Vanamali, a renowned film lyricist, was born on January 31, 1974. He received his first Filmfare award for Best Lyricist for the film ‘Happy Days’ and has contributed lyrics to numerous movies.
Preity Zinta’s Birthday
Bollywood actress Preity Zinta was born on January 31, 1975. Starting her career as a model, she later became a leading actress in Bollywood and acted in Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam films.
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Joe Louis Wins NYSAC Title
On this day, American boxer Joe Louis won the NYSAC heavyweight boxing title in 1941, defeating Red Burman in a fight at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Other Notable Birthdays and Events
- Ragnar Frisch, a prominent economist, was born on January 31, 1895. He pioneered econometrics in 1930, using statistical formulas to solve economic problems.
- On January 31, 2010, ‘Avatar’ became the highest-grossing film ever, until that point, earning two billion dollars.
- Renowned Telugu writer and poet Kandukuri Ramabhadra Rao was born on January 31, 1905.
- Actress Raksha’s birthday; she appeared in over 50 films in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi.
