Abdul Kalam was born on October 15, 1931 in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India. He was the youngest of four brothers and one sister. Kalam grew up in humble surroundings and had to take up a job while he was in school. He distributed newspapers to earn some money.
When Kalam was in class V, their teacher taught the class about birds’ flight. The teacher took the class to the seashore to show and talk about flying birds. From that day, Kalam aimed to study various aspects of flight. He was a bright and hardworking young boy, blessed with a thirst for knowledge. He started working hard on his dream to become a fighter pilot.
Kalam stood ninth in the qualifying examination but only eight positions were available in the Indian Air Force. He could not succeed in becoming a fighter pilot. But he was not discouraged. He studied at Madras Institute of Technology and became an aerospace engineer.
After completing his studies, one of his first tasks was to design a small helicopter for the Indian Army. He spent about four decades as a scientist in various organizations. Later he became the project director of India’s first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV). Under his able guidance, several missiles including Agni and Prithvi were developed. So he was popularly known as the ‘Missile Man of India’.
His research and educational leadership brought him great prestige. His contributions and efforts in this field made him the best-known scientist in India. He was honored with the Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Bharat Ratan, and many other awards.
In 2002, Dr. APJ Adbul Kalam became the 11th President of India. He was a popular president who was well respected by all the people of the country. During his term as President, he was known as the ‘People’s President’.
Kalam was noted for his simple way of living. He never owned a television and his personal possessions were his books, his veena, some clothes, a CD player, and a laptop.
After his presidency, Dr. Kalam lectured at many academic and research institutions across India. A role model for students and young people, Dr. Kalam was always happy to be among them. He had set a target of meeting and interacting with as many students as possible. He said ‘I feel comfortable in the company of young people, particularly high school students. Henceforth, I intend to share with them my experiences, helping them to ignite their imagination and preparing them to work for a developed India.’
Besides being an aerospace engineer, rocket engineer, technologist, scientist, teacher, and President of India, Dr. Kalam was a great author and poet. He wrote many books and a number of poems. His words always inspired and motivated people of all age groups.
Dr. Kalam was very active until his last day and the last moment of his life. He was lecturing at IIM Shillong on July 27, 2015, when suddenly he collapsed and died at the age of 83. India and the world mourned the loss of this great and inspiring soul.
He once said, ‘Education and values imparted in childhood are more important than education in college and university’. Dr. Kalam has and will inspire everyone to work hard to achieve their dreams and make India a developed country.
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