18 May - India on this day22 events
A powerful underground explosion rocked India's desert of Rajasthan today, making India the sixth nation in history to set off a nuclear device. The blast, which took place at a depth of 330 feet, was in the range of 10-15 kilotons, smaller than the bomb exploded by the US at Nagasaki in World War II. India is signatory to the 1963 test ban treaty, and thus was prohibited from exploding the device on land or in the air. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi claimed the purpose of the test was peaceful and said 'such explosions may have their use in mining operations'.
Bertrand Russell, great philosopher, mathematician, author and Chairmain of the Indian League, was born.
Nibaran Chandra Chakrabarti, great poet and Hindi writer, was born in Brahmangaon, (Dacca).
Naranjan Bhagat, famous Gujrathi poet, was born.
Gandhiji commences at noon 21 days' fast for self-purification; released unconditionally at 9 p.m.
Hindu-Muslim riots take place in Bombay. 150 are killed or injured. Jinnah - the permanent president of the Muslim league, began to spread the rumors that Muslim minority was in danger under Hindu majority and actively propagated the theory of two separate nations.
India talks with the US on the nuclear tests.
First underground Atomic device explosion for India was carried out successfully near Pokhran in Rajasthan (Thar Desert) at 8:05 a.m. This event made India as the 6th nation to explode an atomic bomb.
The ten-day Golden Temple siege at Amritsar ends with the surrender of 46 militant Sikhs.
Bhagwat Subramaniam Chandrasekhar, cricketer (brilliant Indian leggie 1964-79), was born in Banglore. He received Arjun Award and Padmashree awards in 1972.
Criminal Law (Amendment Bill, 1995) introduced in Parliament to replace the 10-year-old controversial TADA Act.
R. B. Sapre, India's first national chess champion, died in Mumbai.
Narayan Govind Chitre, with the help of R. P. Tipnis and Cameraman Johnson, produced a 8000 ft. long theatrical film 'Pundalik', which was directed by Ramchandra Torney alias Dada Saheb Torne. The entire film was shot in a theatre at Mangaldas Wadi in Bombay, where the Sangit Mandali, a professional theatre group, was performing a play 'Pundalik'. The film was released on May, 18 in the Coronation Cinematograph at Girgaum, Bombay.
Panchanan Maheshwari, great Indian scientist of botany, passed away. He studied the morphology, anatomy and embryology of some angiosperms, the class of plants which produce flowers. He discovered species of plants like "Panchanania Jaipuriensis and Isoeted Panchananil." He wrote two authoritative books, 'An Introduction to the Embryology of Angiosperms' & 'Recent Advances in Embryology on Angiosperms'. In 1951, he founded the International Society of plant Morphologists.
India may take the US to WTO.