This Day in History: March 6

Birth of Tallapragada Vishwasundaramma

Tallapragada Vishwasundaramma was a famous freedom fighter and Telugu writer. Born on March 6, 1899 in Undi village of Bhimavaram taluka of West Godavari district. She was married to Tallapragada Narasimha Sharma. In 1921, the couple got attracted towards politics and attended Congress meetings held in Vijayawada. After that, she participated in activities like Civil Disobedience, burning of foreign clothes and boycott of goods. Rajahmundry established ‘Ananda Niketan Ashram’ on the banks of Godavari in 1923. Activities like the prevention of untouchability, women empowerment, yarn spinning, khadi weaving, and orphan welfare were achieved through this ashram. Vishwasundaramma actively participated in Salt Satyagraha in 1930, observed Civil Disobedience, openly picketed foreign stores, went to jail in 1930 and served 6 months in prison.

Birth of Michelangelo

Famous Italian painter, sculptor, poet and engineer Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born on March 6, 1475. He exhibited exceptional talent across various disciplines throughout his life. Among his notable works are sculptures such as the renowned “Pieta” and the iconic “David,” both of which solidified his status as a master sculptor. Michelangelo’s artistic endeavours extended to painting, with two of his most celebrated frescoes being “The Last Judgment” and “The Creation of Adam,” which adorn the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. Additionally, Michelangelo played a pivotal role in the architectural landscape, notably contributing to the design of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, where his innovative approaches to construction left a lasting impact.

Gadiyaram Ramakrishna Sharma is born

Gadiyaram Ramakrishna Sharma is prominent among the literati of Mahbubnagar district. Born on March 6, 1919 in Anantapur. He settled in Alampur of Mahabubnagar district and earned a good reputation as a writer. He actively participated in the freedom struggle. He published many books on the history of Alampur. The book Madhava Vidyaranya Charita is the best among all the books written by him. He was posthumously awarded the 2007 Central Sahitya Akademi Award (in Telugu) in recognition of his services to literature.

Birth of Star Actress Krishna Kumari

Krishna Kumari was an early-generation movie heroine. She was born on March 6, 1933, in Naihati, West Bengal. She acted in more than 150 films in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada languages for over 25 years. Born in Kolkata, she lives in many places due to her father’s job. She entered the film industry while in Chennai. In recognition of her performance, she received three National Awards and Nandi Awards from the central and state governments respectively.

Death of Moturi Satyanarayana

Moturi Satyanarayana was a scholar and freedom fighter who spread Hindi in South India. Born on February 2, 1902, in Dondapadu village of Krishna district, Satyanarayana studied Hindi language in Andhra National College. Later he also learned languages like English, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali etc. Moturi had a strong grasp of political, literary, cultural, historical, scientific and technical subjects. He was awarded the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in recognition of his services. He breathed his last on March 6, 1995.

What else happened on March 5?

• 1992: The start of the Michelangelo virus attack on computers.
• 1964: Cassius Clay, the American boxer, adopted the name ‘Muhammad Ali’, bestowed upon him by his spiritual guide Elijah Muhammad, who served as the leader of the Nation of Islam.
• 1957: Ghana achieved independence with Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah at its helm.
• 1869: During a gathering of the Russian Chemical Society, Dmitri Mendeleev, a Russian chemist, introduced the inaugural Periodic Table.
• 1834: Toronto, now established as the financial and commercial hub of Canada, was officially incorporated.