Missile Man of India: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s Death Anniversary

APJ Abdul Kalam

Personal Details:

Full name	Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
Birth date	15 October, 1931
Birth Place	Rameswaram, Madras Presidency, British India
Death	27th July 2015
Parents	Jainulabdeen Marakayar and Ashiamma
Political Affiliations	National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
Profession	Aerospace Scientist, Author
Field	Aerospace Engineering
Institutions	Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
Alma Master	St. Joseph College, Tiruchirappalli (BEng), Madras Institute of Technology (MEng)
Office	11th President of India

 

Early Life

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was born on October 15, 1931, to a Tamil Muslim family in the pilgrimage center of Rmaeswara on Pamban Island. His father Jainulabdeen Marakayar was a boat owner and imam of a local mosque while his mother was a housewife.

Dr. Kalam was the youngest of four brothers and one sister in the family.  As a young boy in the family, Kalam has to sell newspapers in order to support his family which was poverty-stricken and was surviving on a meagre income.

Education

Abdul Kalam was an average student in his school years with a strong desire to learn. He has completed his education at Schwartz Higher Secondary School and then went to attend St. Joseph’s College and graduated in physics in 1954. He then moved to Madras to study aerospace engineering in Madras Institute of Technology.

APJ Abdul Kalam as a Scientist

After graduation, Abdul Kalam joined the Aeronautical Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) as a scientist after becoming a member of the Defence Research and Development Service. He started his career by designing a small hovercraft, however, remained unconvinced by his job at DRDO.

In 1969, he was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) as a project director of India’s first Satellite Launch Vehicle.

APJ Abdul Kalam also invited by Raja Ramanna to witness the country’s first nuclear test, Smiling Buddha, as the representative of the TBRL, even though he has not participated in the development.

Presidency

Kalam served as the 11^th President of India by winning the 2002 presidential election with an electoral vote of 922,884. His term lasted from 25^th July 2002 to 25^th July 2007.

Post-Presidency

After leaving office of president, Kalam served the following positions:

• A visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong, the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and the Indian Institute of Management Indore.
• He served as an honorary fellow of Indian Institute of Science Banglore.
• Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram.
• Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Anna University.

Death

On 27^th July 2015, Kalam travelled to Shillong to deliver a lecture on “Creating a Liveable Planet Earth” at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong. While climbing a flight of stairs, he expereiced some discomfort and at around 6:35 p.m., only five minutes inot his lecture, he collapsed. He was rushed to the nearby Benathy Hospital in a critical condition and was confirmed dead of a sudden cardiac arrest at 7:45 PM.

Awards won by APJ Abdul Kalam

Honorary Degree

Year	Degree	Institution
1994	Distinguished Fellow	Institute of Directors, India
1995	Honorary Fellow	National Academy of Medical Sciences
2007	Honorary Doctorate of Science	University of Wolverhampton, UK
2007	King Charles II Medal	UK
2008	Honorary Doctorate of Engineering	Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
2009	International Von Karman Wings Award	California Institute of Technology, USA
2009	Hoover Medal	American Society of Mechanical Engineers, USA
2010	Doctor of Engineering	University of Waterloo, Canada
2011	IEEE Honorary Membership	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, USA
2012	Honorary Doctors of Law	Simon Fraser University, Canada
2014	Honorary Doctors of Science	University of Edinburgh, Scotland

 

Awards of APJ Abdul KalamDr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, popularly known as “Missile Man of India,” was a remarkable scientist, visionary leader and former President of India

Year	Award	Organization
1981	Padma Bhushan	Government of India
1990	Padma Vibhushan	Government of India
1997	Bharat Ratna	Government of India
1997	Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration	Government of India
1998	Veer Savarkar Award	Government of India
2000	SASTRA Ramanjun Prize	Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy
2013	Von Braun Award	National Space Society

                                       

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