Unforgettable Moments

First Women Nobel Prize Winner in Physics

2012-11-27T03:34:00.000-08:00

Marie Skłodowska-Curie was a Polish physicist and chemist, working mainly in France, who is famous for her pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the only woman to win in two fields, and the only person to win in multiple sciences. She was also the first female professor at the University of Paris, and in 1995 became the first woman to be entombed on her own merits in Paris' Panthéon. She was born in Maria Salomea Skłodowska in Warsaw, in what was then the Kingdom of Poland. She studied at Warsaw's clandestine Floating University and began her practical scientific training in Warsaw. In 1891, aged 24, she followed her older sister Bronisława to study in Paris, where she earned her higher degrees and conducted her subsequent scientific work. She shared her 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics with her husband Pierre Curie and with physicist Henri Becquerel. She was the sole winner of the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Her achievements included a theory of radioactivity, techniques for isolating radioactive isotopes, and the discovery of two elements, polonium and radium. Under her direction, the world's first studies were conducted into the treatment of neoplasms, using radioactive isotopes. She founded the Curie Institutes in Paris and in Warsaw, which remain major centres of medical research today. During World War I, she established the first military field radiological centres. While a French citizen, Marie never lost her sense of Polish identity. She taught her daughters the Polish language and took them on visits to Poland. She named the first chemical element that she discovered – polonium, which she first isolated in 1898 – after her native country.

During World War I, Marie saw a need for field radiological centres near the front lines to assist battlefield surgeons. After a quick study of radiology, anatomy and automotive mechanics she procured x-ray equipment, vehicles, auxiliary generators and developed mobile radiography units, which came to be popularly known as petites Curies. She became the Director of the Red Cross Radiology Service and set up France's first military radiology centre, operational by late 1914. Assisted at first by a military doctor and her 17-year old daughter Irene, she directed the installation of twenty mobile radiological vehicles and another 200 radiological units at field hospitals in the first year of the war. Later, she began training other women as aides. In 1891, she went to Paris to continue her studies at the Sorbonne where she obtained Licenciateships in Physics and the Mathematical Sciences. She met Pierre Curie, Professor in the School of Physics in 1894 and in the following year they were married. She succeeded her husband as Head of the Physics Laboratory at the Sorbonne, gained her Doctor of Science degree in 1903, and following the tragic death of Pierre Curie in 1906, she took his place as Professor of General Physics in the Faculty of Sciences, the first time a woman had held this position. She was also appointed Director of the Curie Laboratory in the Radium Institute of the University of Paris, founded in 1914. Her early researches, together with her husband, were often performed under difficult conditions, laboratory arrangements were poor and both had to undertake much teaching to earn a livelihood. The discovery of radioactivity by Henri Becquerel in 1896 inspired the Curies in their brilliant researches and analyses which led to the isolation of polonium, named after the country of Marie's birth, and radium. Mme. Curie developed methods for the separation of radium from radioactive residues in sufficient quantities to allow for its characterization and the careful study of its properties, therapeutic properties in particular. Curie died in Savoy, France, after a short illness, on July 4, 1934.

First Olympic 100m Winner for women

2012-11-22T21:37:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth "Betty" Robinson was born on August 23, 1911 in Riverdale, Illinois, Betty was an American athlete whose name you've probably never heard of, but her story is one you'll never forget. In a time where female sports weren't exactly well-supported, Robinson started running at a young age and competed in her first 100 meter race when she was 16. She finished second behind the then-current American record holder. Encouraged by her finish, Robinson kept racing. In fact, at her next race Betty managed to tie the world record. At 16. Tied the world record. Unfortunately, her time was not recognized, but that didn't stop Betty from showing the world what she could do. In fact, in her fourth 100 m event, she did just that. In front of the world. At the Olympics.

Betty crossing the finish with a big smile In 1928 Robinson represented the United States at the Amsterdam, Netherlands Summer Games as one of the first female Olympians in the history of the modern games, it was also the first Olympics where a torch was lit and Coca-Cola sponsored. The inclusion of women's sports was still heavily disputed among the officials, but Robinson ignored the negativity and reached the final where she won with another world record-equaling time. At age 17 she was the inaugural Olympic champion in the 100 m event. But her IX Olympiad experience wasn't over. Robinson raced on the American 4 x 100 meters relay team which placed second, adding a silver medal to her collection.

Life seemed to be going perfectly for this bright-eyed smiling athlete. But sometimes that's just when the rug get pulled from underneath our feet or the skies falls on our head. Or in Robinson's case, your plane falls from the sky.In 1931 Betty was involved in a bi-plane crash in Chicago where she sustained a severe concussion, a crushed arm and a broken leg. But it could have been worse. In fact, the guy who discovered her among the wreckage thought she was dead! He carefully carried her to his car and drove her to an undertaker. Imagine his shock when the undertaker said she was indeed not dead but rather in a coma. Robinson awoke from the coma seven months later and spent another six months in a wheelchair with pins in her leg. In an inspiring demonstration of courage, drive and hope Robinson worked for two years to walk normally again, thus missing the 1932 Olympics held in her home country.

But Betty never gave up. Although she was unable to kneel due to her injuries, Robinson headed back to the track and earned a sport on the 1936 Summer Olympics. During the final heat the US squad was running a fierce race just behind the heavily favored Germans, but the crowd gasped when the Germans dropped the baton. This mistake allowed Robinson, who successfully handed off the baton to her teammate Helen Stephens, to win her second Olympic gold. Retiring after the Berlin Olympics, Betty Robinson remained involved in athletics as an official. She later married and lived a long, happy life before passing away at age 87 from cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Live like a Betty Life's "Hard-Knocks 101" courses can be tough and come at less-than-desirable times. But we can all take a lesson from Elizabeth "Betty" Robinson. When the unexpected occurs, just keep running. Keep moving forward and don't give up. Take the time you need to heal and grow stronger from it. Don't quit. Don't become bitter. Dig deep and find the champion inside. Someday someone is either going to write a book or make a movie about this incredibly inspiring woman! Just remember, you read about her here first.

Mary Kom's World championship

2012-09-04T02:56:00.000-07:00

Women's boxing was a big hit in its first Olympics, and it produced four memorable champions, Claressa Shields, the 17-year-old middleweight with the vicious right hand who established herself as the future of the sport; lightweight Katie Taylor of Ireland, the Bray Brawler whose bouts had thousands cheering with Irish pride; Nicola Adams, the British flyweight who won the first gold medal; and India's MC Mary Kom, the mother of two who became an inspiration for many with her bronze medal. Five-time world champion MC Mary Kom added another feather to her already crowded cap by becoming the only Indian woman boxer to qualify for the London Olympics.

The 29-year-old Manipuri boxer luckily made the cut after her quarterfinal nemesis Nicola Adams of England defeated Russia's Elena Savelyeva in the semifinals. But she returned without a medal from the Women's World Boxing Championships for the first time since its inception in 2001. The mother-of-two boxer usually fights at light flyweight (48kg) level but changed to flyweight (51kg), so that she can participate in the Olympics and was therefore punching above her weight. She has qualified for the Olympics by finishing as one of the top two Asian boxers at the world championships.

Mary Kom ensured India's best medal haul at the Olympics by reaching the women's boxing semifinal at the London Games. Today, the girl from Manipur will face the toughest bout of her life when she takes on British pugilist Nicola Adams in the 51 kg semi-final at the Excel Arena. Kom has already created history by becoming the first Indian woman to guarantee an Olympic boxing medal. A victory here would engrave her place among sporting legends in a country where heroes are hard to come by. But to achieve the target, Kom will have to overcome a series of obstacles on and off the ring. A five-time world champion in the 48 kg category, today's bout would perhaps be Mary Kom's biggest test in life. Things would not be smooth against Nicola. One of the biggest British hopes for a gold medal, the local supporters went wild over the 29-year-old Leeds girl's easy victory over her Bulgarian opponent in the quarter final. There is every possibility the number of Nicola fans would outnumber the Mary Kom backers at the Excel.

All said and done, on current form, the British girl holds a slight edge in Wednesday's bout. What could really go against Mary Kom is her body weight. She has moved up from 48 to 51 kg to realise her dream of participating in the Olympics. But she could never gain enough weight to match her rivals. It was evident when she lost in the Asian Games and the World Championships. It's not that Mary Kom is unduly worried. Nicola is a good boxer; she even beat me in the World Championships. But Kom is working hard, and her fans are praying for her and she fight for the nation. She will not leave an inch. "Mary Kom is a five-time world champion and you've got to be special". "It was the tough match but she has the height and reaches advantage and she tried to use all her attributes." The Indian camp is worried that Mary Kom, like her men counterparts, could be a victim of poor supervision.

Silver Winning by Vijay Kumar

2012-08-30T03:30:00.000-07:00

Vijay Kumar celebrates after winning silver medal in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol shooting event at the 2012 Olympic Games in London on Friday. The 26-year-old army subedar from Himachal Pradesh fought stiff opposition from five other top marksmen to finish second in an exciting finale after he found the target 30 times out of 40 attempts in the sequence comprising eight rounds of five shots each. According to Vijay Kumar's father his son had promised him a medal before he went into the finals of the 25-metre rapid fire pistol event at the London Games. He threw both hands in the air and pumped his fists as he was welcomed on to the platform to collect India's next shooting medal of the Games. In the qualifying round, Vijay clocked 585, finishing fourth, with stage scores of 293 and 292 at an average of 9.750 at the Royal weaponry quarters.

He lifted the sagging spirit of the Indian camp with a silver medal in 25m rapid fire pistol at the Royal Artillery Barracks here on Friday. In the lottery of a new format in which the qualification scores do not count for the final tabulation, the 26-year-old Vijay was like a rock in the final in which the reigning world champion Alexei Klimov of Russia went without a medal despite shooting a world record 592 in qualification. Competing in his maiden Olympics, the 26-year-old Vijay started brilliantly with a perfect five, as he shot the targets in four seconds with a touch of assurance, and kept up the tempo going till Leuris Pupo of Cuba had confirmed the gold with an unbeatable total of 34. It was an anticlimax that Vijay shot only two when fighting for the gold, but even a five would not have helped his cause at that stage, as Pupo, in his fourth Olympics, had ensured the best medal by shooting four. Vijay had qualified with a score of 585 that had placed him fourth among the six finalists. He had shot 293 on the first day of the competition, and followed that with a 292 in the morning, with scores of 98, 97 and 97 in the 8, 6 and 4-second series respectively.

In the normal course, it might have been difficult to catch up after conceding a 7-point lead, but in the new format it was just important to shoot a good score to make the top-six. In the final, Christian Reitz of Germany and Zhang Jian of China were the first two to go out after 20 and 25 shots respectively. With the medal assured on a good performance, Vijay shot four, and pipped Klimov who had to go out despite shooting a perfect 5, in what proved to be his last series, as he was one point less than the Indian and the Chinese Ding Feng, while the Cuban was two points ahead of the other two. The Russian had shot two in the fourth series and was paying the accumulated penalty.

Vijay shot four to the three by the Chinese to ensure the silver, much to the delight of the huge contingent of Indian supporters. The effort of the army subedar, who hails from Himachal Pradesh, can be better appreciated if we note that three-time gold and two-time silver medallist Ralf Schumann of Germany went without a medal in his seventh Olympics, as he shot 577.Vijay had figured in the 12th spot in the ‘super 25’ compiled for the event by the international federation, based on the performances in the last Olympic cycle. Only 18 shooters made it to the Olympic in rapid fire pistol.

He had won two silver medals in the World Cups in rapid fire pistol and finished fourth in the World Cup finals, but had not won a medal in the event in the last Asian Games. Quite interestingly, Vijay had been awarded the bronze medal in the Doha Asian Games, despite finishing fourth, as the rules did not allow the award of three medals to one country (China) then.Vijay had also asserted his versatility in the last Asian Games when he won the individual bronze medals in air pistol and centre-fire pistol. He had won three gold medals in the Commonwealth Games at New Delhi.Scaling Olympian heights, without making substantial claims in the world championship or the Asian Games, has revealed his strong nerves.

First Satellite Launch of India

2012-08-22T05:22:00.000-07:00

Aryabhatta was the first satellite launched by India. It was named after the great Indian astronomer of the same name. Aryabhatta weighed 360kg and was launched by the Soviet Union on April 19, 1975 from Kapustin Yar using a Cosmos-3M launch vehicle. It was the India's first satellite, named after the great Indian astronomer of the same name. It was built by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to gain experience in building and operating a satellite in space.

The 96.3 minute orbit had an apogee of 619 km and a perigee of 563 km, at an inclination of 50.7 degrees. It was built to conduct experiments in X-ray astronomy, aeronomics, and solar physics. The spacecraft was a 26-sided polygon 1.4 m in diameter. All faces were covered with solar cells. A power failure halted experiments after 4 days in orbit. All signals from the spacecraft were lost after 5 days of operation. The satellite reentered the Earth's atmosphere on 11 February 1992. The satellite's image appeared on the reverse of Indian 2 rupee banknotes between 1976 and 1997. The objectives of this project were to indigenously design and fabricate a space-worthy satellite system and evaluate its performance in orbitr and to evolve the methodology of conducting a series of complex operations on the satellite in its orbital phases.

To set up ground-based receiving, transmitting and tracking systems and to establish infrastructure for the fabrication of spacecraft systems. The exercise also provided an opportunity to conduct investigations in the area of space sciences. The satellite carried three experiments, one each in X-Ray Astronomy, Solar Physics and Aeronomy.

India's First Eco-Friendly Stadium Inauguration

2012-07-25T00:55:00.000-07:00

This green stadium was inaugurated jointly by Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister M. S. Gill and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on 2nd April, 2010. Thyagaraj Stadium, constructed for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi has been tagged as India’s first ever energy-efficient stadium. This majestic structure stands in the heart of the very quiet residential colony behind the famous INA market of Delhi. The stadium is going to be the venue for the netball event of the upcoming Commonwealth Games from October 3rd-14th and will continue to be used for sporting events and activities even after the Commonwealth Games. The stadium has three sets of escalators, separate entrances for players and VIPs, spectators and media people. It is also equipped with three ramps for the physically challenged besides audio-visual signage for those with visual or hearing impairment.

Other features include 10 vertical folding doors with fire sensors, which will enable automatic opening of doors to facilitate mass evacuation in case of fire. Also parts of the system are retractable chairs, imported from China, which withdraw within seconds, enabling quick evacuation at the end of the Games. Built over an area of 16,000 square meters, the Thyagaraj Stadium has been built with the latest green building technologies and eco-friendly material. "This is our first green stadium and it is the only one which has been constructed right from the scratch with Commonwealth Games in mind.

The stadium would be equipped with a gas panel for energy supply. Currently solar energy is being used for lighting purposes. The stadium features effective water management systems such as rainwater harvesting and sewage treatment with two lakh liters a day capacity. "There is no doubt that it is one of the finest multipurpose stadiums in the world". Even after the CWG is over, this stadium can be used to host badminton, Table Tennis, basketball tournaments. We have spent enough money and also the projects due for the Games would be completed on time. This is the only stadium for the games which has been constructed right from the scratch to host netball. It has been constructed as per green building concept.

First Woman to Supreme Court

2012-07-24T00:53:00.000-07:00

On September 25th, Sandra Day O'Connor was sworn in as the first female judge on the Supreme Court. Mrs. O'Connor had been nominated by President Reagan. Sandra Day O'Connor born March 26, 1930 and she is a retired United States Supreme Court justice. She served as an Associate Justice from her appointment in 1981 by Ronald Reagan until her retirement from the Court in 2006. She was the first woman to be appointed to the court.

Prior to O'Connor's appointment to the Court, she was an elected official and judge in Arizona. On July 1, 2005, she announced her intention to retire effective upon the confirmation of a successor. Samuel Alito was nominated to take her seat in October 2005, and joined the Court on January 31, 2006.

O'Connor tended to approach each case narrowly without arguing for sweeping precedents. She most frequently sided with the court's conservative bloc.

In the latter years of her tenure, she was regarded as having the swing vote in many cases as the court grew more conservative. O'Connor was Chancellor of The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and currently serves on the board of trustees of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Several publications have named O'Connor among the most powerful women in the world. On August 12, 2009, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor of the United States, by President Barack Obama.

On July 7, 1981, Reagan who had pledged during his 1980 presidential campaign to appoint the first woman to the Court nominated O'Connor as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to replace the retiring Potter Stewart. For the first time in history a woman is appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where she becomes a friendly rival to a liberal associate. O'Connor was successfully treated for breast cancer in 1988, she also had her appendix removed that year. One side effect of this experience was that there was perennial speculation over the next seventeen years that she might retire from the Court.

World Chess Championship 2010

2012-07-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

Viswanathan Anand, a chess grandmaster from India, has retained the world championship title after a match with Bulgarian challenger Veselin Topalov. Viswanathan Anand successfully defended his crown by defeating Bulgarian challenger Veselin Topalov in the World Chess Championship 2010. Anand played with the black pieces and won in the 56th move, with an aggregate score of 6.5-5.5 points. The match took place in Sofia, Bulgaria from 24 April to 13 May 2010, with a prize fund of 2 million Euros. In a dramatic finish, Anand won the match 6½–5½ to retain the title. The match was to be twelve games, with tie-breaks if necessary, the same format and length as the 2006 and 2008 matches.

After Kamsky won the World Cup, there was ongoing uncertainty about the location for the Challenger match. Topalov preferred his home country of Bulgaria, while Kamsky wanted to play in a neutral country, and his manager organized a bid from Lviv, Ukraine. FIDE awarded the match to Bulgaria in February 2008, to Ukraine in June 2008, then back to Bulgaria in November 2008 because of problems with finances from Ukraine. Kamsky got a new manager, and met with FIDE and Topalov representatives during the Chess Olympiad,[11] and on 19 November 2008, FIDE announced that the players had agreed to play in Bulgaria, despite Kamsky's preference to play elsewhere. The match was originally scheduled for November 2008, but the late change to Bulgaria forced the match to be rescheduled for 16–28 February 2009.

The match was one of the least controversial in memory. Once Anand had actually arrived in Sofia after travel problems and started the match everything was about the moves on the board. Anand went out of his way to praise the organization and the toughness of Topalov in the final press conference. Topalov's "Sofia rules" policy meant that all the games were played out, he relaxed a bit towards the end taking a draw in a dead drawn position without repetition, and in general I have to admit it worked out well for the watching public. I don't believe however it should be added to the rules for next time. It was Topalov's wish to play to the end that was all that mattered. Topalov prospered in simplified endings that his policy produced. The opening battle was interesting. Anand managed to keep changing the opening discussions enough to avoid deep computer preparation but Topalov's preparation was also good enough to meet these changes. Topalov's over-the-board aggression befitted his role as challenger. The contrast in styles produced fascinating chess, well worth studying.

The match, consisting of a dozen games, was played in the Bulgarian capital Sofia over the last twenty days. Anand received the first-place prize. The awards ceremony was attended by the Bulgarian prime minister, Boyko Borisov, and the international chess federation FIDE's President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. Going into the last game, both sides had two wins apiece, and seven draws. However, the Bulgarian's manager, Silvio Danailov, told the Dnevnik that Topalov played the last game "rather nervously", saying: "A draw would have been a good result for him but he made a few mistakes and the Indian exploited them.”Anand deserved to win the match. Vesko played this last game rather nervously. A draw would have been a good result for him but he made a few mistakes and the Indian exploited them," Topalov's manager Silvio Danailov told Dnevnik daily. "This was a historic match for Bulgaria. The country was in the spotlight for millions of people worldwide who love the game. We should be happy and proud that we organized this event."

US Embassies Bombing in 1998

2012-07-20T06:18:00.000-07:00

The 1998 United States embassy bombings were a series of attacks that occurred on August 7, 1998, in which hundreds of people were killed in simultaneous truck bomb explosions at the United States embassies in the East African capitals of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya. The date of the bombings marked the eighth anniversary of the arrival of American forces in Saudi Arabia. The attacks were linked to local members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, brought Osama binLaden and Ayman al-Zawahiri to the attention of the American public for the first time, and resulted in the U.S.

Federal Bureau of Investigation placing bin Laden on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Fazul Abdullah Mohammed would be credited for being the mastermind behind the bombings. The two embassies were both bombed at the same time by truck bombs. The bombings were the work of a local cell of Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda was led by Osama Bin Laden 213 people were killed in Nairobi including 12 Americans. In Dar es Salam 12 people were killed. In response President Clinton ordered cruise missile attacks on suspected Al Qaeda targets in Sudan and Afghanistan.

The bombings are widely believed to have been revenge for American involvement in the extradition, and alleged torture, of four members of Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) who had been arrested in Albania in the two months prior to the explosions.[4] Between June and July,Ahmad Isma'il 'Uthman Saleh, Ahmad Ibrahim al-Sayyid al-Naggar, Shawqi Salama Mustafa Atiya and Mohamed Hassan Tita were allrenditioned from Albania to Egypt, with the cooperation of the United States; the four men were accused of participating in the assassination of Rifaat el-Mahgoub, as well as a later plot against the Khan el-Khalili market in Cairo.[5] The following month, a communique was issued warning the United States that a "response" was being prepared to repay them for their interference.

On August 7, between 10:30 am and 10:40 am suicide bombers in trucks laden with explosives parked outside the embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, and almost simultaneously detonated. In Nairobi, approximately 212 people were killed, and an estimated 4,000 wounded; in Dar es Salaam, the attack killed at least 11 and wounded 85. Seismological readings analyzed after the bombs indicated energy of between 3–17 tons of high explosive material.[15] Although the attacks were directed at American facilities, the vast majority of casualties were local citizens; 12 Americans were killed,[16] including two Central Intelligence Agency employees in the Nairobi embassy, Tom Shah and Molly Huckaby Hardy, and one Marine, Sergeant Jesse Aliganga, a Marine Security Guard at the Nairobi embassy. In response to the bombings, President Bill Clinton ordered Operation Infinite Reach, a series of cruise missile strikes on targets in Sudan and Afghanistan on August 20, 1998, announcing the planned strike in a prime time address on American television.

The attack on the U.S. embassy in Nairobi destroyed the embassy and killed 12 Americans and 201 others, almost all Kenyans. About 5,000 people were injured. The attack on the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam killed 11 more people, none of them Americans. The US in cooperation with the government of Tanzania has since broke ground on a new embassy. The US has also indicted Osama Bin Laden as the mastermind behind the embassy attacks and offered a five million dollar reward for his arrest and conviction. The US attacked Sudan and Afghanistan with cruise missiles as a response to the attacks on the embassies. The US attacked an alleged chemical weapons producing plant in Sudan with 13 cruise missile which resulted in the death of the night watchmen. This attack has come under a great deal of criticism because there has been no corroborating evidence to support the attack. The Afghanistan attack came in the form of over 70 cruise missile at three separate terrorist camps. This attack killed an estimated 24 people but failed to get Osama Bin Laden.

Super moon of the May 2012

2012-07-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

Supermoon 2012 on May 5. The 'supermoon' is when a full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth. The supermoon will be 16 percent brighter than a normal full moon. The last supermoon occurred in March 2011 and the same has been experienced on 5th May 2012. A new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near within 90% of its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit called perigee. In short, Earth, moon and sun are all in a line, with moon in its nearest approach to Earth.

The moon will officially become full Saturday (May 5) at 11:35 p.m. EDT. And because this month's full moon coincides with the moon's perigee its closest approach to Earth it will also be the year's biggest. The moon will swing in 221,802 miles (356,955 kilometers) from our planet, offering sky watchers a spectacular view of an extra-big, extra-bright moon, nicknamed a supermoon. And not only does the moon's perigee coincide with full moon this month, but this perigee will be the nearest to Earth of any this year, as the distance of the moon's close approach varies by about 3 percent, according to meteorologist Joe Rao, SPACE.com's sky watching columnist. This happens because the moon's orbit is not perfectly circular.

This month's full moon is due to be about 16 percent brighter than average. In contrast, later this year on Nov. 28, the full moon will coincide with apogee, the moon's farthest approach, offering a particularly small and dim full moon. Though the unusual appearance of this month's full moon may be surprising to some, there's no reason for alarm, scientists warn. The slight distance difference isn't enough to cause any earthquakes or extreme tidal effects, experts say. However, the normal tides around the world will be particularly high and low. At perigee, the moon will exert about 42 percent more tidal force than it will during its next apogee two weeks later. To view this weekend's supermoon to best effect, look for it just after it rises or before it sets, when it is close to the horizon. There, you can catch a view of the moon behind buildings or trees, an effect which produces an optical illusion, making the moon seem even larger than it really is.

The extra big full moon of May can mean higher tides on Earth, an effect called “perigean tides,” but there is no chance of the supermoon posing a threat to Earth. “In most places, lunar gravity at perigee pulls tide waters only a few centimeters higher than usual,” astronomer Tony Phillips wrote in a NASA supermoon alert. “Local geography can amplify the effect to about 15 centimeters not exactly a great flood.” The word supermoon didn’t come from astronomy. Instead, it came from astrology. Astrologer Richard Nolle of the websiteastropro.com takes credit for coining the term supermoon. May 2012 presents the moon’s closest encounter with Earth since March 19, 2011, at which time the moon was a scant 380 kilometers closer to Earth. The moon won’t come as close as tonight’s extra-close moon until August 10, 2014 although in 2013 the moon at its closest June 23, 2013 will lie only 36 kilometers farther away than the closest moon in 2012. Maybe this helps you see that supermoon while interesting are fairly routine astronomical events.

World War I

2012-07-16T03:57:00.000-07:00

It was a global war centered in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until the start of World War II in 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter. It involved all the world's great powers, the Allies and the Central Powers. These alliances both reorganized and expanded as more nations entered the war. Ultimately more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilized in one of the largest wars in history. More than 9 million combatants were killed, largely because of enormous increases in lethality of weapons, thanks to new technology, without corresponding improvements in protection or mobility. It was the sixth-deadliest conflict in world history, subsequently paving the way for various political changes such as revolutions in the nations involved.

Long-term causes of the war included the imperialistic foreign policies of the great powers of Europe, including the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire, the British Empire, the French Republic, and Italy. The assassination on 28 June 1914 of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by a Yugoslav nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina was the proximate trigger of the war. It resulted in a Habsburg ultimatum against the Kingdom of Serbia. Several alliances formed over the previous decades were invoked, so within weeks the major powers were at war; via their colonies, the conflict soon spread around the world. On 28 July, the conflict opened with the Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia, followed by the German invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg and France; and a Russian attack against Germany. After the German march on Paris was brought to a halt, the Western Front settled into a static battle of attrition with a trench line that changed little until 1917.

In the East, the Russian army successfully fought against the Austro-Hungarian forces but was forced back from East Prussia and Poland by the German army. Additional fronts opened after the Ottoman Empire joined the war in 1914, Italy and Bulgaria in 1915 and Romania in 1916. The Russian Empire collapsed in March 1917, and Russia left the war after the October Revolution later that year. After a 1918 German offensive along the western front, the Allies drove back the German armies in a series of successful offensives and United States forces began entering the trenches. Germany, which had its own trouble with revolutionaries at this point, agreed to a cease-fire on 11 November 1918, later known as Armistice Day. The war had ended in victory for the Allies.

The causes of World War I was the conflicts and hostility of the four decades leading up to the war. Militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism played major roles in the conflict as well. However, the immediate origins of the war lay in the decisions taken by statesmen and generals during the Crisis of 1914, casus belli for which was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife by Gavrilo Princip, an irredentist Serb. The crisis came after a long and difficult series of diplomatic clashes between the Great Powers over European and colonial issues in the decade before 1914 that had left tensions high. In turn these diplomatic clashes can be traced to changes in the balance of power in Europe since 1867. The more immediate cause for the war was tensions over territory in the Balkans. Austria-Hungary competed with Serbia and Russia for territory and influence in the region and they pulled the rest of the Great Powers into the conflict through their various alliances and treaties.

Inauguration of President Barak Obama

2012-07-14T03:50:00.000-07:00

On January 20th 2009 President Obama was inaugurated the 44th President of the Untied States. Close to 2 million packed the mall in Washington to watch the inauguration of the first African American President in American history. President Obama defeated Republican Senator John MCain to win the presidency. The inauguration took place one day after Martin Luther King Day. Like all inaugural days this one was full of pomp and ceremony, and the President went on to watch the complete inaugural parade. In the evening he and the First Lady Michelle Obama attended and danced at all eleven inaugural balls. Washington, D.C. on January 17, 2009. The inaugural events held in Washington, D.C. from January 18 to January 21, 2009 included concerts, a national day of community service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the swearing-in ceremony, luncheon and parade, inaugural balls, and the interfaith inaugural prayer service. The presidential oath as administered to Obama during his swearing-in ceremony on January 20 strayed slightly from the oath of office prescribed in the United States Constitution, which led to its re administration the next evening.

"A New Birth of Freedom", a phrase from the Gettysburg Address, served as the inaugural theme to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth year of Abraham Lincoln. In his speeches to the crowds, Obama referred to ideals expressed by Lincoln about renewal, continuity and national unity. Obama mentioned these ideals in his speech to stress the need for shared sacrifice and a new sense of responsibility to answer America's challenges at home and abroad. Obama and others paid homage to Lincoln in the form of tributes and references during several of the events, starting with a commemorative train tour from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to In addition to a larger than usual celebrity attendance, the Presidential Inaugural Committee increased its outreach to ordinary citizens to encourage greater participation in inaugural events compared with participation in recent past inaugurations.

For the first time, the committee opened the entire length of the National Mall as the public viewing area for the swearing-in ceremony, breaking with the tradition of past inaugurations. Selected American citizens participated in the train tour and other inaugural events, and a philanthropist organized a People's Inaugural Ball for disadvantaged people who otherwise would be unable to afford to attend the inaugural festivities. Among the celebrations for the inauguration, the committee hosted a first-ever Neighborhood Inaugural Ball with free or affordable tickets for ordinary citizens. On January 17, 2009, Obama hosted a whistle stop train tour in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth year of Abraham Lincoln. Obama reenacted the final part of Lincoln's 1861 train tour from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C. to capture the mood of the 1861 Springfield to Washington train tour traveled by Lincoln to his own inauguration. For his train ride to the nation's capital, Obama rode in the Georgia 300, a vintage railroad car used by past presidents and the same one he used for touring Pennsylvania during his presidential primary campaign. On the tour, Obama was accompanied by his wife Michelle, their daughters Malia and Sasha, and a host of friends and guests.

Charles Dickens 200th Birthday

2012-07-12T06:06:00.001-07:00

Charles John Huffam Dickens born on February 7 1812 in Landport, England, and he grew up in tough, working-class conditions. At age 12, after his father was thrown into a debtors’ prison, he was forced to work at a blacking factory. This experience later influenced many of his famous novels, including Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and Great Expectations. He Started his career as a journalist, Dickens eventually started writing literary prose, which was published in monthly installments before being released as books. His realistic portray of England’s lower-class life made him one of the greatest Victorian novelists and one of the most recognizable names in literature. Dickens was also a philanthropist; together with Angela Burdett Coutts he founded the Urania Cottage, a home for “fallen” women, helping them learn to read and write.

He was an English novelist, considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a greater popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he is still popular, being responsible for some of English literature's most important novels and characters. Dickens often created the episodes as they were being serialized. This practice gave his stories a particular rhythm, punctuated by cliffhangers to keep the public looking forward to the next installment. The continuing popularity of his novels and short stories is such that they have never gone out of print. The greatest English novelist of the Victorian era, Dickens was also a vigorous social campaigner. With his rich storytelling and his ability to create powerful and memorable characters, he is one of the English language's greatest writers. Happily, Dickens achieved massive worldwide popularity in his lifetime and not one of his short stories or novels has ever been out of print. Dickens died from the consequences of a stroke in his home on June 8, 1870.

The bicentenary of Charles Dickens's birth on 7 February 2012, celebrated under the Dickens 2012 banner will be taking take place all over the world from Australia to Zurich. The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited the Charles Dickens Museum on the morning of the bicentenary. Their Royal Highnesses will see some of the world’s finest Dickens-related collections in the only surviving London home of Dickens. A special programme has been put together for the Royal visitors, including a private reading by Emmy-award winning actress Gillian Anderson who played Miss Havisham in the BBC’s recent adaptation of 'Great Expectations'. This is the first Royal visit to the Museum since 1957 and marks the commencement of the Museum's bicentenary redevelopment programme for 2012. The Museum will open to the public at 12noon and will celebrate Dickens’s bicentenary with a birthday cake and free cupcakes for the first 200 visitors.

Shakespeare Festival 2012

2012-07-12T06:01:00.000-07:00

The World Shakespeare Festival is the greatest celebration of Shakespeare, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company from London 2012 Festival. It is an extraordinary celebration of Shakespeare across the UK and around the world. This will be celebrated between April to September 2012. The World Shakespeare Festival is a celebration of Shakespeare as the world’s playwright, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, in an unprecedented collaboration with leading UK and international arts organizations, and with Globe to Globe, a major international program produced by Shakespeare’s Globe. Thousands of artists from around the world will take part in almost 70 productions, plus supporting events and exhibitions, right across the UK including London, Stratford-upon-Avon, Newcastle-Gates head, Birmingham, Wales and Scotland as well as online. The festival forms part of London 2012 Festival, which is the culmination of the Cultural Olympiad, bringing leading artists from all over the world together in a UK-wide festival in the summer of 2012.

It the best of UK and international creative talent, the World Shakespeare Festival encourages the creativity of young people, emerging artists and amateur companies. Through research with the British Council we know that 50% of the world’s children study Shakespeare in the classroom, that’s over 64 million children worldwide. The Festival is creating a community of teachers across the worlds that are passionate about teaching Shakespeare, creating a legacy for young people everywhere. Almost 60 partners are coming together to bring the Festival alive. Over one million tickets are on sale. It is the culmination of the Cultural Olympiad, bringing leading artists from all over the world together in a UK-wide festival.

The World Shakespeare Festival is supported by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, by Arts Council England and by BP, as Founding Presenting Partner. This Festival is the crowning glory of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Led by our very own Royal Shakespeare Company, the months-long, country-wide celebration will bring theatre companies from all over the world to the UK to present their own unique interpretations of the works of William Shakespeare.

Roger Federer Seventh Victory

2012-07-09T05:34:00.001-07:00

Roger Federer of Switzerland won the men's singles final against Andy Murray of Britain at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon. It’s his seventh Wimbledon title as he outclassed Britain's Andy Murray 6-4, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 in thrilling men’s singles final. It was held on 8th July 2012 and started at 6:32 pm and it’s an even better moment for Roger Federer who has won his seventh Wimbledon title, something which his boyhood hero Pete Sampras did in the past. The critics began to write him off, but he has overcome all the hurdles and has also reclaimed the World No. 1 Ranking!

Andy Murray's bid to win Wimbledon was ended by Roger Federer as the Swiss claimed a record-equaling seventh SW19 triumph and 17th Grand Slam title. Murray, 25, was aiming to become the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to lift a major singles trophy. Federer fully deserved his victory, which not only sees him level Sampras on seven Wimbledon titles, but also secures him a record 286th week as world number one.

He is the second-oldest man to occupy top spot, goes away with a cheque for £1.15m and will head to the Olympics - also being staged at the All England Club - as clear favorite. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and her sister Pippa Middleton watched the Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Andy Murray from the Royal Box. Like the French Open final, this one also is an epic one as both the players are seeking history. While Britain’s Andy Murray is looking forward to his maiden IPL title, the King of Grass, Roger Federer is looking forwards to his seventh Wimbledon title.

Serena Williams fifth Wimbledon Winning ( 2012)

2012-07-09T01:41:00.000-07:00

After a two-year drought in Grand Slam tournaments, Williams claimed her fifth Wimbledon title on Saturday by defeating Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 5-7, 6-2. It was her 14th career Grand Slam singles title, and it may have been the most satisfying of them all. The scores might not suggest, but it was an excellent fight back from Agnieszka Radwanska who was a no-show in the first set. As the rain interrupted the proceedings, the Polish player got her act together and then bounced back in the second set. But it was very difficult for Radwanska, who has been suffering from health problems over the last few days, to stop Serena Williams, who definitely was the better player. In the third set, Williams was unstoppable with her flawless serves and it was something the Polish couldn’t do much about. But in spite of Serena’s dominance, we have experienced a great match. After two years of health issues and uncharacteristic performances, the 30-year-old Williams look as good as ever.

She started and finished strong against Radwanska, winning the first five games and the last five games. In between she was a bit shaky, but she was able to recover before it was too late. Once again, it was Serena's powerful serve that carried her to victory. She smashed 17 aces in the match, including four in the pivotal fourth game of the third set. After blasting aces of 114 MPH, 107 MPH, 115 MPH and 111 MPH, Serena won the game, tying the third set at two. She went on to win the next four, effectively closing out the match. That one game was symbolic of Serena's entire tournament, as her serve was the most dangerous weapon possessed by any player, male or female. Her 102 aces were a Wimbledon record, surpassing the previous record of 89, which she also set. In comparison, Radwanska had just 16 aces in the entire tournament, and as the folks at Sports Illustrated pointed out, Serena's number dwarfs those of the top men's players. But to her credit Radwanska kept fighting and, finally unfurling the subtle shots which have proved so effective over the last fortnight, she converted her first break point to level in the eighth game.

Serena Williams was crowned Wimbledon champion for the fifth time on Saturday (7th July 2012) as the American subdued a brave fight back from Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska to win 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 in a dramatic final. Serena, who pockets a cheque for £1.15 million ($1.78 million), is the first woman over 30 to win Wimbledon since Martina Navratilova in 1990 and she needed all the experience gathered over her illustrious career to survive a remarkable revival from Radwanska. After being completely out-classed for the first set and a half of her maiden Grand Slam final, Radwanska had Serena on the ropes before the sixth seed finally recovered her composure to reclaim the Venus Rosewater Dish in just over two hours on Centre Court. Williams has now equaled her sister Venus's tally of five titles at the All England Club, but more significantly the 30-year-old's 14th Grand Slam crown is her first at the majors since her last Wimbledon triumph in 2010. Inspired by the painful memory of her shock French Open first round exit against Virginie Razzano last month, Serena has spent the last month in a determined bid to reestablish her primacy. Serena's success has its foundations in a serve so powerful and accurate that John McEnroe describes it as the greatest the women's game has ever seen.

EURO 2012

2012-07-05T05:17:00.000-07:00

The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for national football teams organized by UEFA. The final tournament was hosted for the first time by Poland and Ukraine, between 8 June and 1 July 2012, after their bid was chosen by UEFA's Executive Committee in 2007. Euro 2012 set the record for both the highest aggregate attendance (1,440,896) and the highest average attendance per game (46,481) under the 16-team format (since 1996).The final tournament featured 16 nations, the last European Championship to do so; from Euro 2016 onward, there will be 24 finalists. Qualification was contested by 51 nations between August 2010 and November 2011 to determine the remaining 14 finalists. The tournament was played across eight venues, four in each host country, five of which were newly built for the tournament. Aside from venues, the host nations have also invested heavily in improving infrastructure, such as railways and roads, at UEFA's request.

In the final match at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine, Spain defended their title with a 4–0 win over Italy. Spain became the first team to win two consecutive European Championships, and the first European international team to win three straight major tournament titles Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup. Since Spain had already gained entry to the 2013 Confederations Cup by winning the 2010 World Cup, the runners-up Italy qualified. Euro 2012 was the second consecutive European Championship (after Euro 2008 held in Austria and Switzerland) in which neither of the hosts emerged from the group stage, as both Poland and Ukraine were eliminated. Poland–Ukraine became the third successful joint bid for the European Championship, after those of Belgium–Netherlands (2000) and Austria–Switzerland (2008).

Their bid received an absolute majority of votes, and was therefore announced the winner, without requiring a second round. Italy, which received the remaining votes, had been considered favorites to win the hosting, but incidents of fan violence and a match fixing scandal were widely cited as factors behind their failure. The draw for the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying competition took place in Warsaw on 7 February 2010. Fifty-one teams entered to compete for the fourteen remaining places in the finals, alongside co-hosts Poland and Ukraine. The teams were divided into nine groups, with the draw using the new UEFA national team coefficient for the first time in order to determine the seedings. As defending champions, Spain was automatically top seeded. The qualifying process began in August 2010 and concluded in November 2011. At the conclusion of the qualifying group stage in October 2011, the nine group winners qualified automatically, along with the highest ranked second placed team. The remaining eight second placed teams contested two-legged play-offs, and the four winners qualified for the finals. Alongside Euro 2012 champions Spain, co-hosts Poland and Ukraine have also emerged winners in UEFA's quadrennial championship showpiece event, held for the first time in states.

The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II

2012-07-05T01:13:00.000-07:00

The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II is a multinational celebration throughout 2012 marking the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries upon the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952. She is today queen regnant of 16 sovereign states, 12 of which were British Dominions at the start of her reign. Queen Victoria is the only other monarch in the histories of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and a few other Commonwealth realms to have celebrated a Diamond Jubilee, which she did in 1897. Following the tradition of jubilees past, a Diamond Jubilee medal is being awarded in various countries and holidays and events will be held throughout the Commonwealth. Plans were discussed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2011.

In February 2012, the Queen set two guidelines for the planning of her jubilee is the use of public funds should be minimized, and the second is the people should not "be forced to celebrate". At the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced the creation of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, which was officially launched in the UK on 6 February 2012. Chaired by former British prime minister Sir John Major, the trust is intended to support charitable organizations and projects across the Commonwealth of Nations, focusing on areas such as cures for diseases and the promotion of all types of culture and education. In early 2012, Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard announced the Australian Crown-in-Council would make an A$5.4 million contribution to the Diamond Jubilee Trust. The New Zealand Crown-in-Council later made a $1 million donation to the fund. The Canadian government announced in April that former prime minister Jean Chrétien would be Canada's representative to the trust.

The lighting of thousands of beacons across the Commonwealth took place on 4 June. The number of beacons was originally set at 2,012; by the closing date for registrations, approximately 4,000 had been submitted in the United Kingdom alone. The Queen lit the beacon outside Buckingham Palace at 10:30 pm, by inserting a large, specially made, diamond-cut crystal into a receptacle. The lighting proceeded until the final beacon was lit in Canada eight hours later. The Diamond Jubilee was a humbling experience and also it expressed her thanks to those who had organized the celebrations over the extended weekend, it will continue to treasure and draw inspiration from the countless kindnesses shown to this country and throughout the Commonwealth.

Plane Crash in Nigeria

2012-07-04T04:18:00.000-07:00

The Dana Air's MC Donnell Douglas MD 83 that crashed around Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos on June 3 2012, killed 153 passengers on board and several others on the ground has turned the airline passengers on board the plane that crashed in Nigeria's largest city have been killed, 153 people were on the flight going from Abuja to Lagos. The plane crashed in a densely-populated neighborhood near the airport. Several thousand gathered at the site as firefighters tried to put out flames and carry out survivors.

The plane did not to appear to have nose-dived into a building, but seemed to have landed on its belly. It first crashed through a furniture shop and then into residential buildings next to the workshop in this densely packed neighborhood. The nose of the plane was embedded into the three-story apartment building, damaging only one part of the structure. Fire still smoldered everywhere as several thousand people looked on. It was heard a loud explosion that sounded like a bomb and also it created a massive smoke and flames rising from the crash site around 3:45 p.m. At the crash site, an Associated Press reporter saw parts of the plane's seat signs scattered around. Firefighters tried to put out the smoldering flames of a jet engine and carried at least one corpse from the building that continued to crumble.

Two fire trucks and about 50 rescue personnel were at the site after the plane went down. Some of those gathered around the site helped firefighters bring in the water hoses from their trucks.The Nigerian Red Cross arrived, as well as Nigeria's air crash safety investigators.A military helicopter flew overhead. The sound of the crowd was also occasionally punctuated by the noise of aircraft still landing at the airport.The crash "has sadly plunged the nation into further sorrow on a day when Nigerians were already in grief over the loss of many other innocent lives in the church bombing in Bauchi state."

The American Revolution (American War of Independence, 1775-83)

2012-06-28T03:38:00.000-07:00

The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America. They first rejected the authority of the Parliament of Great Britain to govern them from overseas without representation, and then expelled all royal officials. By 1774, each colony had established a Provincial Congress, or an equivalent governmental institution, to govern itself, but still within the empire. The British responded by sending combat troops to re-impose direct rule. Through representatives sent in 1775 to the Second Continental Congress, the states joined together at first to defend their respective self-governance and manage the armed conflict against the British known as the American Revolutionary War. Ultimately, the states collectively determined that the British monarchy, by acts of tyranny, could no longer legitimately claim their allegiance.

They then severed ties with the British Empire in July 1776, when the Congress issued the United States Declaration of Independence, rejecting the monarchy on behalf of the new sovereign nation separate and external to the British Empire. The war ended with effective American victory in October 1781, followed by formal British abandonment of any claims to the United States with the Treaty of Parisin 1783.The American Revolution was predicated by a number of ideas and events that, combined, led to a political and social separation of colonial possessions from the home nation and a coalescing of those former individual colonies into an independent nation.

The establishment of America as a nation all its own occurred from 19 April 1775 to October 1781. Hostilities were required because the British considered the Thirteen Colonies nothing more than another exclave of the global British Empire, and King George wanted the lion’s share of the entire Colonies’ wealth. America’s Founding Fathers had had enough, and when 8 Minutemen were killed on Lexington Green, the fight was on. The next year, in one of the Continental Congress’s many meetings, Benjamin Franklin, on signing the Declaration of Independence, said, “Now, gentlemen, if we don’t all hang together in this, we’ll all hang separately.” They were traitors to the Crown. The only reason they are not thought of as such today is because George Washington, with a lot of help from the French, won the War. He lost about 6 major battles, and won only about 3, but the three he won were the three that mattered in the end. His primary enemy was Charles Lord Cornwallis, who was more than a match for him many times. But when Washington combined all his American forces with those of the French of Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, Cornwallis could not overcome them. When he surrendered, The United States of America became a nation all its own. The siege of Yorktown ended with the surrender of a second British army, marking effective British defeat.

Earthquake in Gujarat

2012-05-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

Gujarat is an advanced state on the west coast of India. On 26 January 2001, an earthquake struck the Kutch district of Gujarat at 8.46 am. The earthquake registering 7.9 on the Richter scale devastated the Indian state of Gujarat. It was the second largest recorded earthquake in India, the largest being in 1737, and was the worst natural disaster in India in more than 50 years. The earthquake reached a magnitude of between 7.6 and 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum felt intensity of X on the Mercalli intensity scale. The quake killed around 20,000 people (including 18 in South eastern Pakistan), injured another 167,000 and destroyed nearly 400,000 homes. This was an intraplate earthquake, one that occurred at a distance from an active plate boundary, so the area was not well prepared. The shock waves spread 700 km. 21 districts were affected. Around 300,000 families and at least 3 million children aged 14 and under were affected. Around 600,000 people were left homeless.

In the city of Bhuj, more than 3,000 inhabitants of the city lost their lives, the main hospital was crushed and close to 90% of the buildings was destroyed. Nothing was left of the town of Bhachau. The town resembled a quarry. Few structures remained standing. There was significant damage to infrastructure with facilities such as hospitals, schools, electric power and water systems, bridges and roads damaged or destroyed. The earthquake caused significant damage to utilities and transport systems. The epicentre of an earthquake is the place directly above the focus. The shock waves or tremors from the Gujarat earthquake lasted about two minutes, followed by aftershocks for more than a month.

The intense shaking brought out changes in the ocean and land surface and subsurface. At numerous places, emergence of water on the earth's surface brought hope among people about the future availability of drinking water in Gujarat. The preliminary laboratory analysis of water samples collected in the epicentral area show high Chloride concentration and salt content which ruled out any hope of the potable water. The response within India was immediate. The national and state governments quickly provided assistance in many forms including cash, medical supplies, communications teams, shelters, food, clothing, transport and relief workers . There are more than 185 non-government organisations (NGOs), mostly Indian charities, which undertake earthquake-related activities.

Royal Wedding

2012-05-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

The wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. The groom, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, is the eldest son of Charles, Prince of Wales. The bride, Catherine "Kate" Middleton is the eldest of three children of Michael and Carole Middleton of Bucklebury, Berkshire. The wedding ceremony began at 11:00 am BST (UTC+1), with John Robert Hall, the Dean of Westminster, presiding, Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, conducting the marriage and Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, preaching the sermon. A reading was given by the bride's brother, James. The ceremony was attended by most of the Royal Family, as well as many foreign royals, diplomats, and the couple's chosen personal guests. Middleton wore a wedding dress by British designer Sarah Burton, and a tiara lent to her by the Queen. Prince William wore the uniform of his honorary rank of Colonel of the Irish Guards. William's best man was his brother, Prince Harry, while the bride's sister, Papa, was maid of honour. After the ceremony, the newly married couple travelled in procession to Buckingham Palace for the traditional appearance on the balcony and a flypast before crowds assembled in The Mall.

Prince William and Kate Middleton met in 2001, when both were studying at the University of St Andrews. Their engagement on 20 October 2010 was announced on 16 November 2010. The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, with the service being broadcast live around the world, and being compared and contrasted in many ways with the 1981 marriage of William's parents. Much of the attention focused on Kate Middleton's status as a commoner marrying into royalty.

As Prince William was not the heir apparent to the throne, the wedding was not a full state occasion and many details were left to the couple to decide, such as much of the guest list of about 1,900. The occasion was a public holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry. Events were held around the Commonwealth to mark the wedding. Over 5,000 street parties were held throughout the United Kingdom, and one million people lined the route between Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. The ceremony was viewed live by tens of millions more around the world, including 72 million on the Royal Channel. In the United Kingdom, television audiences peaked at 26.3 million viewers, with a total of 36.7 million watching part of the coverage.This was very interesting and happiest happening for viewers and for the couples.

Bin Laden’s Death

2012-04-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden born on March 10, 1957 and killed on May 2, 2011, was the founder of Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. He was a member of the wealthy Saudi bin Laden family, and an ethnic Yemeni Kindite. Bin Laden's ideology included the idea that innocent civilians, including women and children, are legitimate targets of jihad. He was on the American Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) lists of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives and Most Wanted Terrorists for his involvement in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings. From 2001 to 2011, bin Laden was a major target of the War on Terror, with a US$25 million bounty by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. After being placed on the FBI's Most Wanted list, bin Laden remained in hiding during three U.S. presidential administrations.

After a fire fight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body On May 2, 2011, bin Laden was shot and killed inside a private residential compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, by U.S. Navy Seals and CIA operatives in a covert operation ordered by United States President Barack Obama. Shortly after his death, bin Laden's body was buried at sea. Al-Qaeda acknowledged his death on May 6, 2011, vowing to retaliate. the first move in S&P Futures caused by bin Laden's death occurred at around 10:39 p.m., the US dollar index moved at 10:41, and the New York Times and Bloomberg started reporting the death at 10:43. “The death of Bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat Al Qaeda.

For years, as they failed to find him, American leaders have said that he was more symbolically important than operationally significant because he was on the run and hindered in any meaningful leadership role. Bin Laden’s death came nearly 10 years after Qaeda terrorists hijacked four American passenger jets, crashing three of them into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon outside Washington. Yet he remained the most potent face of terrorism around the world, and some of those who played down his role in recent years nonetheless celebrated his death.

India’s Historic Launch

2012-04-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

Agni V is a successful new long-range missile, launched on April 19, 2012 - India on Thursday successfully tested a new long-range missile, Agni V, capable of delivering a one-tonne nuclear warhead anywhere in China and countries outside Asia, marking a major advance in its defence capabilities. Agni-V is an intercontinental ballistic missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) of India. It is part of the Agni series of missiles, one of the missile systems under the original Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. This was watched by hundreds of scientists, the Agni V was launched from a test site off the eastern state of Orissa. India views the rocket, which has a range of 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles) was launched at 8:05 (0235 GMT) from a test site off the eastern state of Orissa, as a key boost to its regional power aspirations and one that narrows albeit slightly the huge gap with China's technologically advanced missile systems.

It was an "immaculate success" and "a major milestone in India's missile programme". The successful test leaves India knocking at the door of a select club of nations with inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with ranges of up to 8,000 kilometres. Currently only the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States possess a declared ICBM capability.

It was the successful launch and making history of our country proud in the area of missile technology, "The credit for this historic achievement undoubtedly goes to our scientific community particularly those working with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).The Agni V was a "non country-specific" deterrent, but analysts noted it extends India's missile reach over the entire Chinese mainland, including military installations in the far northeast. Agni V, which means "fire" in Sanskrit, is the name given to a series of rockets India developed as part of its ambitious integrated guided missile development project launched in 1983.

Earthquake in Indonesia 11 April 2012

2012-04-19T21:04:00.001-07:00

A massive earthquake has struck off of the Indonesian coast on 11 Apr 2012, Tsunami warnings have been issued, people are stuck in a traffic jam as they evacuate to higher ground after a strong earthquake was felt in Banda Aceh, Aceh province, Sumatra island, Indonesia. Residents living in tsunami-scarred Aceh province should prepare themselves for a possible repeat of the 2004 disaster, noting historical data indicates tremendous stresses building up along the explosive fault could unleash again anytime within the next half century. Only seven buildings, all built with the help of international aid that poured in after the 2004 disaster, have been set up as emergency shelters, some buildings such as shopping malls, mosques and schools should be added to the list of possible safe heavens.

A warning for Tsunami has been issued in India after the earthquake measuring 8.6 hit the Aceh Darussalam region located in the West Coast of Sumatra in Indonesia at 08:3 GMT.A watch for Tsunami has been issued in 28 countries that include Indonesia, India, Australia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Thailand, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Mauritious, Somalia, Oman, Madagascar, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, Crozet Islands and several other countries.The states located on the Eastern Coast of India felt the tremors of the earthquake. These include Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Patna, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati and several others. The states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been issued the Tsunami warning as well. Though, no casualties have been reported so far, people have been asked to evacuate the prone areas and move to safer zones.

Metro services in the cities of Kolkata and Bangalore have been put to halt as one of the precautionary measures. A similar earthquake resulted in a destructive tsunami in the year 2004 killing around 2, 50,000 people across the countries located around the Indian Ocean. Another Earthquake of the magnitude 8.2 has hit the Northern Sumatra at 10:43:09 UTC. The epicenter of the earthquake has been recorded at 382 miles SSW of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia.This earthquake was a "strike slip" quake, which means it thrust from side to side, not vertically, and therefore did not generate a large tsunami. But the quake shows that Aceh has a long way to go, even though there was almost no damage and the only deaths were from heart attacks.