Today is Tuesday; 21st of the Iranian month of Khordad 1398 solar hijri; corresponding to 7th of the Islamic month of Shawwal 1440 lunar hijri; and June 11, 2019, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

3203 solar years ago, on this day in 1184 BC, the long Trojan War came to its end with the sack and burning of Troy in Asia Minor or present day Turkey by the Greeks, according to the calculations of the geographer and mathematician Eratosthenes, the librarian of the Great Library of Alexandria, then the capital of Ptolemaic Egypt.

2342 solar years ago, on this day in 323 BC Alexander of Macedonia, conqueror of the Achaemenid Empire, died at the age of 33 in Babylon in what is now Iraq. Because of the laxity of Emperor Darius III and the Persian generals, this upstart adventurer succeeded in seizing from the Iranians what is now Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq, and finally Iran itself along with what are now Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan, all of which were Persian satrapies. Alexander brutally suppressed the people and wantonly destroyed Persepolis (near modern Shiraz), which was the capital of the vast Achaemenid Empire. After him, his generals set up independent dynasties in different regions. In Iran, the Greek Seleucids were finally driven out by the Parthians, who set up the next great Iranian Empire covering what is now Iraq, Afghanistan and parts of central Asia.

1233 solar years ago, on this day in 786 AD, the Fakh Uprising against the tyrannical rule of the usurper Abbasid regime took place near Mecca resulting in the martyrdom of Hussain ibn Ali ibn Hassan, a descendant of Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS), the elder grandson and 2nd Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). It was the most brutal incident after the heartrending Tragedy of Karbala, and was perpetrated by the 4th self-styled Abbasid caliph, Musa al-Hadi during his short reign of two years. Most of the supporters of the Ahl al-Bayt were martyred in this unequal battle, and the heads of the martyrs mounted on lances were taken to the caliph's court in Baghdad. Among the few survivors, was Idris Ibn Abdullah al-Hasani, who managed to escape to Egypt, where aided by Wadhih, a postal manager, he reached Morocco, and founded the Idrisi Shi'ite Muslim state that flourished for almost 200 years, independent of the Abbasid caliphate.

1129 lunar years ago, on this day in 311 AH, the renowned Iranian statesman, scientist, and geographer, Abu Abdullah Mohammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Jeyhani, passed away in Bukhara, where he served as vizier to the Iranian Samanid Dynasty. It was his political acumen that consolidated the Samanid realm in Central Asia and Khorasan (including present-day Afghanistan), following the murder of Ahmad Ibn Ismail, the second ruler and the ascension of the latter's 8-year old son, Nasr. Poets and historians have eulogized him for his policies that included clemency towards fallen foes. His son and grandson also served as viziers. His lasting fame is indebted to the valuable works he wrote, the most important of which is in the geographical book “al-Masaalek wa’l-Mamalek”.

727 solar years ago, on this day in 1292 AD, English philosopher and Franciscan friar, Roger Bacon, died. His access to the Latin translations of the Arabic works of Islamic scholars enlightened his mind, and he was greatly influenced in the field of optics by the monumental "Kitab al-Manazer" of Abul-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen). The impact of al-Kindi (Alkindus) is also evident in his writings. Moreover, Bacon's investigations of the properties of the magnifying glass show the clear influence of the Iranian Islamic scientist Ibn Sahl's research in dioptrics. His works also indicate his familiarity with the books "Kitab ad‐Dalalaat ala'l‐Ittesalaat wa‐Qiranaat al‐Kawakeb"(Book of Indications of the Planetary Conjunctions), written by the Iranian Islamic astronomer, Abu-Ma'shar Ja'far ibn Mohammad al-Balkhi.

447 solar years ago, on this day in 1572 AD, English playwright and poet, Ben Jonson was born. Regarded as the second most important English dramatist after William Shakespeare, during the reign of James I, he is best known for the satirical plays “Every Man in His Humour” (1598), “The Foxe” (1605), and “The Alchemist”. There was intense literal rivalry with Shakespeare, and he in fact scoffed at two apparent absurdities in Shakespeare's plays: a nonsensical line in “Julius Caesar”, and the setting of “The Winter's Tale” on the non-existent seacoast of Bohemia. Johnson died in 1637.

360 lunar years ago, on this day in 1080 AH, prominent Iranian Islamic scholar, Seyyed Rafi od-Din Mohammad ibn Seyyed Haidar, popular as Mirza-e Rafi'a Na’ini, passed away in Isfahan and was laid to rest in the Takht-e Foulad Cemetery. He was the teacher of the famous scholar, Allamah Baqer Majlisi. His works include the book titled “Hamla-e Haidari”. He wrote important works on beliefs and philosophy.

164 solar years ago, on this day in 1855 AD, the Sun’s light rays were classified based on scientific approaches and the colors of its spectrum were identified by two German scientists, Gustav Kirchhoff and Robert Bunsen. The radiation of light beams during rainfall, and formation of rainbows, is one of the beautiful phenomena that have attracted the attention of mankind. The Theory of Aristotle is the oldest one in this regard. Later the Islamic scientists, such as Abu Ali Sina (Avicenna), Abu’l-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen), and Qotb od-Din Shirazi developed this field. Finally, Kirchhoff and Bunsen proved it via an experimental method.

160 solar years ago, on this day in 1859 AD, Klemens von Metternich, German-Austrian politician, and 1^st State Chancellor of the Austrian Empire, died at the age of 86. His repressive policies led to unrest across the majority of non-German territories of the Austrian Empire, including Hungary.

59 lunar years ago, on this day in 1381 AH, the religious leader and famous political figure of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Abu’l-Qasem Kashani, passed away. He attained the status of Ijtehad at the Najaf Seminary at a young age, simultaneous with his struggles against British colonial rule over Iraq, in the company of other ulema. He was expelled by the British, and on arriving in Iran, he launched his struggle against British colonial infiltration, which led to his imprisonment for several years. Following release, he was elected to the parliament. With Ayatollah Kashani’s support for Dr. Mohammad Mosaddeq and the continued struggles of the masses, Iran’s oil industry was nationalized and Mosaddeq was chosen as Prime Minister. But, when the Shah appointed the British stooge, Qawwam os-Saltanah, as the Premier; Ayatollah Kashani issued a statement calling on the people to enter the scene. As a result, the July 21, 1952 uprising took place. The terrified Shah removed Qawwam and Mosaddeq was reinstated as Premier. Following the US-staged coup in 1953 and the fugitive Shah’s return to Iran, his agents put Ayatollah Kashani under surveillance until his death on this day, after his lifelong struggles against domestic despotism and foreign hegemony.

47 lunar years ago, on this day in 1393 AH, the exegete of the Holy Qur’an, Ayatollah Mirza Abu’l-Hussain Sha’rani, passed away at the age of 73. As an authority on Islamic sciences, he was fluent in French, Arabic, and English languages. His works include a 10-volume exegesis of the Holy Qur’an.

45 solar years ago, on this day in 1974 AD, the founder of the association of guidance and support for blind Iranians, Dr. Mohammad Khaz'ali, passed away. He lost his eyesight in childhood due to contraction of small pox and studied at the school of the blind. Given his strong memory, he excelled in his scientific studies and obtained a PhD in Law at Tehran University. He was fluent in Arabic, French and English. He wrote several books, including the translation titled “The Philosophy of Islam”. He was active in welfare projects for blind people across the globe, serving as member of the Middle East Executive Committee at The National Council for Welfare of the Blind and The International Union of the Blind.

41 lunar years ago, on this day in 1399 AH, the prominent Iranian religious scholar and exegete of the Holy Qur’an, Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Taleqani, passed away due to a heart attack at the age of 70. He was involved in the political developments from an early age, and in 1963 was jailed by the Pahlavi regime for participating in the Khordad 15 Uprising (June 5, 1963), following the arrest of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA). In the subsequent years till the triumph of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, he was incarcerated or banished to the country’s remote places. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he was named by the Late Imam as Head of the Revolutionary Council as well as the Friday Prayer Leader of Tehran. In the first round of elections for the Assembly of Experts, he was elected as the Tehran representative for an 8-year term. He was a prolific writer and among his works is an exegesis of several surahs of the Holy Qur’an as well as a book titled "System of Ownership in Islam".

29 solar years ago, on this day in 1990 AD Hojjat al-Islam Sheikh Ali Mazari was martyred by the enemies of Islam in Sistan-Baluchestan Province in southeastern Iran. He started his activities against the Shah’s despotic regime during the Khordad 15 Uprising of June 5, 1963, following the detention of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA). After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he set up cultural associations in mosques to guide youths, and founded numerous schools and libraries in the deprived regions.

26 solar years ago, on this day in 1993 AD, Iranian diplomat in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, Rasoul Montazeri, while providing much needed relief aid to the besieged Muslims of Bosnia-Herzegovina, was martyred by Croat militias, allied with the Serb chauvinists.

23 solar years ago, on this day in 1996 AD, scientists reported the discovery of a new planet near the star Lalande 21185, the 4th closest star to Earth, 8.1 light-years away. The nearest is Proxima Centauri at 4.2 light-years. Analysis of the data indicates that the planet is about the size of Jupiter and revolves around its star every 30-35 years.

12 solar years ago, on this day in 2007 AD, Iran announced it will help build five new refineries across Asia with a total capacity of 1.1 million barrels per day in a bid to strengthen ties in the region. The countries selected by Iran are China, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Syria.

8 solar years ago, on this day in 2011 AD, in the Persian Gulf island state of Bahrain, tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators joined the first public rally in months against the repressive Aal-e Khalifa minority regime, as the main opposition party of the long-suppressed Shi’a Muslim majority called on the masses to press ahead for their denied political and birthrights. Bahrain is in the grip of mass popular uprisings that have unnerved the regime which has resorted to torture and killing of innocent people, and the desecration and destruction of mosques and hussainiyyahs.

AS/SS