On This Day

On This Day (Jan. 14): Narain Karthikeyan Birthday Special -- the Man Who Put India on the F1 Circuit

On February 1, 2005, Karthikeyan signed a preliminary contract with the Jordan F1 team, becoming the first Indian to be the main driver on the F1 grid Indian motorsports have come a long way, with Sanjay Takale racking podiums at the Dakar Rally, Aishwarya Pissay winning the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal 2025, Kush Maini winning the F2 sprint race, and so on. However, the country still needs to make significant progress before it can establish itself as a dominant force in the motorsports world. The credit for India’s slow but steady growth can be given to several Indian personalities, and one of them is Narain Karthikeyan, India’s first F1 driver, who turns 49 on the 14th of January, 2026. On Karthikeyan's birthday, let's reflect on how he introduced India to the F1 circuit during a time when the country had little interest in motorsports. Racing genes (Credit- The Statesman) Born ...

Rohit Chatterjee
  • 2 days ago
  • 3 minutes read
Remembering Nikola Tesla on His Death Anniversary: 5 'Crazy' Inventions He Predicted That We Use Every Day Now
Remembering Nikola Tesla on His Death Anniversary: 5 'Crazy' Inventions He Predicted That We Use Every Day Now
He died penniless in a New York hotel room, but his "mad" sketches now live in your pocket and buzz on your nightstand. Every January 7th, the scie...
In Memoriam: Nikola Tesla -- The 'Mad Scientist' Who Dreamt of Giving Free Energy to the World
In Memoriam: Nikola Tesla -- The 'Mad Scientist' Who Dreamt of Giving Free Energy to the World
Tesla invented alternating current and the polyphase alternating current system, because of which the mass production of power supply is possible toda...
From Royalty to Responsibility: Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi’s Leadership Lessons on His Birthday
From Royalty to Responsibility: Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi’s Leadership Lessons on His Birthday
Courage, conviction, and character: lessons from the Tiger. On his birth anniversary, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi is remembered not simply as cricket...
Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi Birth Anniversary: The Nawab Who Changed Indian Cricket’s Attitude Forever
Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi Birth Anniversary: The Nawab Who Changed Indian Cricket’s Attitude Forever
The prince who taught India to compete without fear. Every year, the cricketing world remembers Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi on his birth anniversary,...
January 1, 1995: How World Trade Organisation Brought Your Favorite Global Brands to India - From Zara to Netflix
January 1, 1995: How World Trade Organisation Brought Your Favorite Global Brands to India - From Zara to Netflix
Thirty-one years ago on this date, the World Trade Organisation unlocked India's gates, letting Zara's racks, and Netflix marathons in our lives....
Birthday Special: From Petrol Pump Attendant to India’s Business Icon Dhirubhai Ambani’s Incredible Rise
Birthday Special: From Petrol Pump Attendant to India’s Business Icon Dhirubhai Ambani’s Incredible Rise
Before unicorns, there was Dhirubhai. Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani, fondly remembered as Dhirubhai Ambani, was not born into wealth, privilege, or po...
Vijay Diwas Special: From Dr. Sitara Begum's 400-Bed Field Hospital to Teen Taramon Bibi's Bravery - The Women Who Made History in 1971
Vijay Diwas Special: From Dr. Sitara Begum's 400-Bed Field Hospital to Teen Taramon Bibi's Bravery - The Women Who Made History in 1971
Vijay Diwas isn’t all about anchors and admirals - sometimes, it’s about a doctor’s quick hands and a teenager’s resolve, both braver than the books e...
Celebrating Vijay Diwas: India's Pioneering First Missile Strike at Sea - A Naval Breakthrough in 1971
Celebrating Vijay Diwas: India's Pioneering First Missile Strike at Sea - A Naval Breakthrough in 1971
On Vijay Diwas, the spotlight quietly swung seaward - to a handful of missile boats that proved India could rewrite naval playbooks from the Arabian S...
On This Day: The First Nobel Ceremony & The Mystery of the Missing Math Prize
On This Day: The First Nobel Ceremony & The Mystery of the Missing Math Prize
A historic ceremony, a century-old mystery, and a question the world still loves to debate. On December 10, 1901, the world witnessed a moment that...
On This Day in 1911: Why the British Moved India's Capital from Kolkata to Delhi - The Real Reasons Behind the Historic Shift
On This Day in 1911: Why the British Moved India's Capital from Kolkata to Delhi - The Real Reasons Behind the Historic Shift
On December 12, 1911, King George V stunned India by declaring Delhi, not Calcutta, as the new imperial capital. Picture the chaos and grandeur in...
On This Day: The First Nobel Ceremony; How Much Is a Nobel Prize Worth Today vs. 1901?
On This Day: The First Nobel Ceremony; How Much Is a Nobel Prize Worth Today vs. 1901?
A legacy born in 1901, a value that keeps evolving, and a prize the world still chases. Every December, the world pauses for a moment of academic c...
Birthday Special: Esha Gupta’s Journey From Miss India International to Bollywood Recognition
Birthday Special: Esha Gupta’s Journey From Miss India International to Bollywood Recognition
Beauty, Grit & Breakthrough Moments: The Esha Gupta Story! Few journeys in Bollywood blend glamour, grit, reinvention, and raw determination th...
Happy Birthday Arjun Rampal: When Fashion Legend Rohit Bal Spotted Him at a Nightclub and Changed His Destiny Forever
Happy Birthday Arjun Rampal: When Fashion Legend Rohit Bal Spotted Him at a Nightclub and Changed His Destiny Forever
One serendipitous night at a Delhi nightclub, and the runway wasn’t just a stage anymore - it became Arjun Rampal’s launchpad into the world of Bollyw...
Roopa Ganguly's Birthday: The OG Draupadi - Here's How She Bagged Her Role Through Sheer Coincidence
Roopa Ganguly's Birthday: The OG Draupadi - Here's How She Bagged Her Role Through Sheer Coincidence
History spun the dice - but Roopa Ganguly’s take on Draupadi was destiny’s best wild card. On a muggy Calcutta afternoon in the late ’80s, Roopa, n...
Happy Birthday Rakhi Sawant: Bollywood’s Unapologetic Drama Queen Who Redefined Boldness
Happy Birthday Rakhi Sawant: Bollywood’s Unapologetic Drama Queen Who Redefined Boldness
November 25 marks another trip around the sun for Rakhi Sawant - love her or roll your eyes, you can't ignore the woman who turned controversies into...
Arjun Rampal Birthday Special: From Supermodel To National Award Winner, A Surprising Career Arc
Arjun Rampal Birthday Special: From Supermodel To National Award Winner, A Surprising Career Arc
From ruling fashion runways in the 90s to clinching a National Award for Rock On!!, Arjun Rampal's journey practically demands a biography! Superm...
Salim Khan's Birthday: How His Collab with Javed Akhtar Changed Bollywood's Screenwriting Scene
Salim Khan's Birthday: How His Collab with Javed Akhtar Changed Bollywood's Screenwriting Scene
As Salim Khan turns 90 today, we can't help but wonder what if two struggling writers hadn't bumped into each other on a film set in '66? Salim Kha...
Happy Birthday Rajkumar Hirani: Why His Brand Of Cinema Is Bollywood’s Comfort Food
Happy Birthday Rajkumar Hirani: Why His Brand Of Cinema Is Bollywood’s Comfort Food
Warm laughs, soft pangs, and a pinch of masala: that’s Rajkumar Hirani - serving up Bollywood’s most edible comfort since 2003. Ever bitten into a...
Sushmita Sen’s Birthday: 5 Inspiring Life Lessons from the Former Miss Universe
Sushmita Sen’s Birthday: 5 Inspiring Life Lessons from the Former Miss Universe
From pageant crowns to life's curveballs, Sushmita Sen's journey whispers truths that hit home harder than any spotlight. You know that feeling whe...
Happy Birthday Zeenat Aman: How Zeenat Aman’s Bold Screen Persona Changed the Portrayal of Women in Indian Cinema!
Happy Birthday Zeenat Aman: How Zeenat Aman’s Bold Screen Persona Changed the Portrayal of Women in Indian Cinema!
How a pageant queen from Mumbai torched Bollywood’s rulebook and made “outspoken” a badge of honor - on screen and off. Nostalgia has a sly way of...
Birthday Special: Zeenat Aman, The Fashion Icon Who Introduced Retro Chic to Bollywood
Birthday Special: Zeenat Aman, The Fashion Icon Who Introduced Retro Chic to Bollywood
The icon whose fearless choices and bold style changed the face of Hindi cinema. Honestly, I can’t recall a party where a Zeenat Aman anecdote did...
On Indira Gandhi's Birth Anniversary: The Saree and the State - How Aesthetics Served Authority
On Indira Gandhi's Birth Anniversary: The Saree and the State - How Aesthetics Served Authority
A simple six yards of cloth - worn with grit, grace, and guile - shaped one of India’s most formidable leaders and quietly declared power beyond words...
Zubeen Garg's Birthday: The Late Assamese Singer Sang in 40 Languages - Did You Know?
Zubeen Garg's Birthday: The Late Assamese Singer Sang in 40 Languages - Did You Know?
More than a melody maker - Zubeen Garg was the heartbeat of Assam whose songs reached far beyond language barriers. Funny how people can echo throu...
Zubeen Garg Birthday Feature: Remembering Bollywood’s Hit Machine Who Left Us Wanting More
Zubeen Garg Birthday Feature: Remembering Bollywood’s Hit Machine Who Left Us Wanting More
Not every melody fades; some linger on, keeping us suspended between nostalgia and longing. September 2025 in Guwahati turned into a sea of candles...
Happy Birthday, Helen: The OG Dance Queen - Revisiting Her Finest Bollywood Numbers
Happy Birthday, Helen: The OG Dance Queen - Revisiting Her Finest Bollywood Numbers
Let's celebrate Helen, the OG who made hips lie decades before Shakira. Ever watch old Bollywood and think, "Damn, who's that setting the screen on...
On Indira Gandhi’s Birthday: Lessons from the Woman Who Proved Leadership Knows No Gender
On Indira Gandhi’s Birthday: Lessons from the Woman Who Proved Leadership Knows No Gender
She walked into Parliament in a saree and made the room sit up - Indira Gandhi, turning the tables and setting them too. Today marks the Iron Lady'...