6 lesser-known firsts that made India proud as a nation
When did India launch its first satellite? What was the first film made in India? Well, there are many firsts that India can boast of and we know only a few of them. Here is a list of India’s first achievements that every student should know about.
Bengal Gazette: First Newspaper
Published on 29th January 1780, by James Augustus Hicky, an Irish man, Bengal Gazette marked the beginning of Indian journalism. This weekly English newspaper was also known as 'Calcutta General Advertiser'. It was published from Calcutta, now known as Kolkata.
Radio Technology: First explained by Sir JC Bose
We all know that Italian inventor Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi received Nobel prize in Physics in 1909 for his work on radio technology. But Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose, a biologist, botanist and physicist, was the first to make a public demonstration of radio waves for communication in 1895. Bose was credited posthumously for this technology which shaped modern wireless communication. Now, he is referred to as the ‘Father of Radio Science’.
Raja Harishchandra: First silent film
Released on 3rd May, 1913, this was the first full-length feature film made in India. This silent movie, which marked the beginning of Indian cinema, was directed and produced by Dadasaheb Phalke, known as the Father of Indian Cinema. The film has been retained partially with only the first and last reels preserved at the National Film Archive of India.
Aryabhata: First satellite
India’s first indigenous satellite was launched on 19th April, 1975. Named after Aryabhata, the earliest Indian mathematician and astronomer, this spacecraft was built by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).This 26-sided polygon with a diametre of 1.4 metre was created to conduct experiments in the fields of X-ray astronomy, aeronomics, and solar physics.
Mangalayan: First Mars mission
On November 5, 2013, ISRO launched Mangalayan, also known as the Mars Orbiter Mission. The mission was designed in order to study the surface of Mars, its morphology, topography and minerology.
Female Firsts of India
Here is a list of Indian women who were firsts in their fields:
Arati Saha: The first Indian and Asian woman to swim across English Channel (1959) and the first female sportsperson to receive Padma Shri (1960).
Justice M. Fathima Beevi: The first female judge of Supreme Court (1989).
Priya Jhingan: The first lady cadet to join the Indian Army (1993).
Kalpana Chawla: The first Indian woman to reach space (1997).
Mithali Raj: The first woman to score a double century in Test Cricket (2004, against New Zealand).