1 February in Indian and World History

OV Digital Desk

1 February in Indian and World Historyย is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 1 February is the birth anniversary of Brahmabandhav Upadhyay, Avtar Kishan Hangal, Satpal Singh, Jackie Shroff, and Ajaysinhji Jadeja.

1 February is also observed as the death anniversary ofย Nain Singh Rawat, Magan Bhai Desai, and Kalpana Chawla.

Birth Anniversary on 1 February

1 February in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:

Brahmabandhav Upadhyay (1 February 1861 โ€“ 27 October 1907), was an Indian freedom fighter, journalist, theologian, and mystic. He helped Gurudev Shri Rabindranath Tagore in the establishment of Shantiniketan. He was born on 1 February 1861 in Calcutta, West Bengal.

Avtar Kishan Hangal (1 February 1917 – 26 August 2012), is a famous actor and television artist of Hindi films. He has been a part of the Hindi film industry since 1967 and acted in about 225 films. He is known for his memorable roles in the films ‘Parichay’ and ‘Sholay’. He was born on 1 February 1917 in Sialkot.

Satpal Singh, a famous Indian wrestling wrestler. He was the gold winner of the 1982 Asian Games. He has been awarded the Padma Shri. Satpal is currently working as the Deputy Director of Education in the Education Department of Delhi. He was born on 1 February 1955.

Jackie Shroff, is an Indian actor. He has been in the Hindi cinema for four decades and appeared in over 220 films in 13 languages (Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Konkani, Odia, Gujarati, and English). He has won four Filmfare Awards among other accolades. He was born on 1 February 1957 in Udgir, Maharashtra State, India.

Ajaysinhji Jadeja, an Indian former professional cricketer, he was a regular member of the Indian cricket team between 1992 and 2000. He played 15 Test matches and 196 One Day Internationals for India. He was born on 1 February 1971 in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.

Read More: 31 January in Indian and World History

Death Anniversary on 1 February

1 February in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:

Nain Singh Rawat (21 October 1830 โ€“ 1 February 1882), the first Indian to explore the Himalayan regions. He was one of the scholars of the 19th century who explored the Himalayan regions for the British. Nain Singh Rawat was a resident of Kumaon Valley. He mapped the trade route from Nepal to Tibet. He was the first to know the location and height of Lhasa and mapped a large part of the Tsangpo, the main river flowing through Tibet. He died on 1 February 1882 in Moradabad.

Magan Bhai Desai (11 October 1889 โ€“ 1 February 1969), was a famous Gandhian thinker and educationist. He was also a writer of the Gujarati language. After independence, he also criticized the policies of the Congress government whenever needed. Magan Bhai Desai died on 1 February 1969.

Kalpana Chawla (17 March 1962 โ€“ 1 February 2003), was an Indian American astronaut and Space Shuttle mission specialist. She was one of seven crew members killed in the Columbia space shuttle disaster. She died on 1 February 2003.

Read More: 30 January in Indian and World History

Notable events on 1 February in Indian and World History

1 February 1786 – Lord Cornwallis became the Governor-General of India.

1 February 1790 – The Supreme Court of the United States was held for the first time in New York City.

1 February 1793 – France declared war on the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

1 February 1797 – Lord Cornwallis was sworn in as the Governor-General of Bengal.

1 February 1814 – In the Philippines, a volcanic eruption killed about 1,200 people.

1 February 1827 – The Calcutta Bengal Club was established on this day.

1 February 1855 – The East India Railway was formally inaugurated.

1 February 1881 – St. Stephen’s College, Delhi’s oldest college, was established.

1 February 1884 – The Postal Insurance Scheme came into force.

1 February 1905 – Emilio Gino Segre an Italian-American physicist, and Nobel Laureate was born.

1 February 1908 – King Carlos I of Portugal was assassinated in Lisbon along with his son.

1 February 1922 – Mahatma Gandhi informed the Viceroy of India about intensifying the non-cooperation movement.

1 February 1924 – The U.S.S.R. Recognized the United Kingdom.

1 February 1946 – Norwegian leader Tregve Lai was elected the first Secretary-General of the United Nations.

1 February 1949 – The ‘Press Trust of India’ took over the ‘Associated Press of India’.

1 February 1953 – there were severe floods in Scotland, England, Belgium, and the Netherlands, in which more than two and a half thousand people died, while about 1836 people died in this flood in the Netherlands itself.

1 February 1958 – Syria and Egypt were merged into the United Arab Republic, which lasted until 1961.

1 February 1972 – The International Aviation Authority of India was formed.

1 February 1976 – The National Dialogue Committee Samachar was formed.

1 February 1977 – The Indian Coast Guard was formed.

1 February 1977 – India’s first National Rail Museum, Delhi was established.

1 February 1979 – Ayatollah Khomeini’s arrival in Iran after spending 15 years in exile.

1 February 1998 โ€“ ย Marga Faulstich โ€“, a German glass chemist โ€“ died.

1 February 1992 – The Union Territory of Delhi was given the new name ‘National Capital Territory of Delhi’.

1 February 1998 – Peter Korda defeated Marcelo Rรญos to win the Australian Open Tennis Championship title.

1 February 1999 – International Islamic Synod organized in Tangi (Bangladesh).

1 February 1999 – BarฤฑลŸ Manรงo, was a Turkish rock musician, singer, and composer, who died of a heart attack.

1 February 2000 – Scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico announced the discovery of the origin of the bacteria AIDS.

1 February 2002 – American journalist Daniel Pearl was beheaded by terrorists.

1 February 2003 – Seven astronauts including India’s Kalpana Chawla were killed in ‘Colombia Orbiter Crash’ while returning from space.

1 February 2004 – About 300 people were killed and 250 injured in a stampede during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

1 February 2005 – Nepal King Gyanendra took all executive powers for three years by removing Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

1 February 2006 – The United States announced a ten-year ‘American Competitive Plan’.

1 February 2007 – IFFCO decided to set up a joint venture with Jordanian company JPM.

1 February 2009 – India defeated New Zealand 2โ€“0 in the four-nation Punjab Gold Cup hockey tournament.

1 February 2009 – India’s Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza won the mixed doubles title for the first time in Melbourne, Australia.

1 February 2012 – A riot broke out during a football match in Port Said, Egypt, in which 74 people died.

1 February Historical Significance

February 1 holds historical significance for several reasons. On this day in 1790, the Supreme Court of the United States convened for the first time in New York City. This marked a pivotal moment in American legal history, laying the foundation for the nation’s highest judicial authority. Additionally, in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, officially abolishing slavery in the country. This momentous act was a critical step forward in the ongoing struggle for civil rights and equality. Moreover, on February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, tragically resulting in the loss of all seven crew members aboard. This disaster served as a sobering reminder of the risks inherent in space exploration and prompted extensive safety evaluations within NASA. These events underscore the diverse range of historical significance associated with February 1.

Important Days of 1 Februaryย in History

Indian Coast Guard Day: 1 February is Observed as Indian Coast Guard Day. The Indian Coast Guard celebrates its foundation day on 1 February. It was founded on 1 February 1977. This year Indian Coast Guard celebrated its 45th Raising Day.

World Hijab Day: This day is observed to foster religious tolerance and understanding by inviting women of all faiths to experience wearing the hijab.

National Freedom Day (United States): It commemorates the signing of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolished slavery, on February 1, 1865.


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