May 13 : Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.

On this day, 13 May...

1637 - The table knife was created by Cardinal Richelieu in France. Until this time, daggers were used to cut meat, as well as to pick one's teeth. Richelieu had the points rounded off all of the knives to be used at his table. 

1648 – Construction of the Red Fort at Delhi is completed.

1873 - Ludwig M. Wolf of Avon, CT, patented the sewing machine lamp holder. It was introduced by the Singer Sewing Machine Co. in 1876, to meet the need of those who wished to sew at night. 

1890 - Nikola Tesla has issued a patent for an electric generator.

1913 - The first four-engine airplane was first built and flown by Igor Sikorsky of Russia.

1952 – The Indian Rajya Sabha holds its first sitting.

1958 - The Velcro trademark was registered for a fabric hook and loop fastener.

1971 - General Insurance nationalised in India.

1998 – India carries out two nuclear tests at Pokhran, following the three conducted on May 11. The United States and Japan impose economic sanctions on India. The Prime Minister says India will face down sanctions.

2012 - Scientists believe a link exists between the disappearance of endangered languages and cultures and a loss of biodiversity.

2014 - A shipwreck off Haiti may be that of the Santa Maria, one of the three ships led by Christopher Columbus; the wreck was discovered about 10 years ago but has only now been tentatively identified in light of Columbus' writings and other evidence.

Born

1905 – Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Indian lawyer, and politician, 5th President of India. 

1907 – Daphne du Maurier, English author, and playwright. (Rebecca fame). 

1916 - Vasudev Mahadev Salgaonkar, great Industrialist.

1956 - Sri-Sri Ravi Shankar,  spiritual leader. He is frequently referred to simply as "Sri Sri" or as Guruji or Gurudev. He is the founder of the Art of Living Foundation created in 1981, which aims to relieve individual stress, societal problems, and violence.

1961 - Lillete Dubey, actor.

1969 – Asaduddin Owaisi, politician.

1981 - Sunny Leone, actor.

RIP

2001 – R. K. Narayan, author.

You may have known...

Multiplying 21,978 by 4 reverses the order of the numbers, 87,912.