Today is Friday; 17th of the Iranian month of Ordibehesht 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 28th of the Islamic month of Rajab 1437 lunar hijri; and May 6, 2016, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1377 lunar years ago, on the eve of this day in 60 AH, Imam Husain (AS), the grandson and 3rd Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), was informed by the Omayyad governor of Medina, Waleed ibn Otbah, of the death of the usurper Mu'awiyyah in Damascus and asked to give oath of allegiance to the illegal rule of his libertine son, Yazid – named caliph in violation of the terms of the treaty Mu'awiyyah had signed with the Prophet's elder grandson, Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS), nineteen years earlier. Imam Husain (AS) turning down the illogical demand left for Mecca, along with his family so as to avoid tension and bloodshed. Yazid, however, tried to press his illegal demand of allegiance, and the Imam anxious against the spilling of innocent blood on this sacred land, left five months later for Iraq on the persistent invitation of the people of Kufa. He was tragically martyred at Karbala due to the treason of the Kufans

892 solar years ago, on this day in 1124 AD, the Turkic Emir of Aleppo, Balak Noor od-Dowla, who was a thorn in the side of the Crusader invaders, was killed in battle. Son of Bahram bin Artuq, his name “Balak” means “fish implicating elusion”. He was one of the chiefs of the Doger tribe of the Oghuzz, who arrived in Syria from the steppes of Central Asia, along with the Seljuq Turks. Nephew, close-confidant and son-in-law of Ilghazi, the ruler of Mardin and parts of al-Jazira area of Iraq, in addition to Aleppo, he served in many campaigns against the Crusaders, and gained fame due to his humiliating capture of Jocelin of Edessa in 1122, and Baldwin II, the self-styled King of the usurper Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. The following year, he penetrated Eastern Anatolia and in 1124 after a successful attack on Edessa, was killed when a stray arrow struck his throat. Despite his success against the Crusaders, Balak was a person of dubious character, and had expelled the Shi’ite Muslim of Aleppo from their homes and hearths during his brief rule.

489 solar years ago, on this day in 1527 AD, German and Spanish troops under Charles V began sacking Rome, bringing about the end of the Renaissance. Libraries were destroyed, Pope Clement VII was captured and thousands were killed.

343 lunar years ago, on this day in 1094AH, the Ottoman army led by Sultan Mohammad IV began the second siege of the Austrian capital Vienna which lasted for two months and ended in the defeat of the Turkish army by the combined forces of the holy Roman Empire in league with the Polish-Lithuanian alliance. The defeat marked the decline of Ottoman power in Europe

160 solar years ago, on this day in 1856 AD, Sigmund Freud, Austrian neurologist & psychiatrist was born. He conducted research on mental disorders, and presented new theories on the root cause of psychological ailments. He believed that the source of human thoughts and acts is the unconscious mind and many of mental disorders are caused by suppressed inclinations and tendencies, especially in childhood. Freud is thus called Father of Psychoanalysis. Among his books are "The Interpretation of Dreams", and "The Future of an Illusion".

159 solar years ago, on this day in 1857 AD, the British East India Company disbanded the 34th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry whose soldier Mangal Pandey had earlier revolted against the British and is considered to be the first casualty of the north Indian uprising against colonial rule. Pandey had attacked with sword and then shot the British officer, following dissatisfaction among the Indian soldiers against the colonialists. The British brutally suppressed the uprising of the Indian people with heavy loss of life, and massacres of both Hindus and Muslims.

157 solar years ago, on this day in 1859 AD, the German biologist and scientist, Alexander Humboldt, died at the age of 90. He was born in Berlin and travelled to Asia and the Americas to conduct extensive research. His studies mainly revolve round discovery of terms of Earth’s evolution. The Humboldt Current is named after him.

136 solar years ago, on this day in 1882 AD, German bacteriologist, Robert Koch, discovered the cause of tuberculosis. Born in Clausthal, near Hanover, he conducted research on the reasons behind cholera and anthrax as well. He visited South Africa, Egypt, and India for researches on ailments such as malaria. In 1905, he was awarded the Nobel Prize and died in 1910

108 lunar years ago, on this day in 1329 AH, one of the renowned poets of the Caucasus region, Mirza Ali Akbar Saber, died at the age of 51. He was born in the city of Shervan in what is now the Republic of Azerbaijan, which before the Russian occupation in the first half of 19th century was an integral part of Iran. Most of his poems were in admiration of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and the Infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt, as well as on social problems of the era.

100 lunar years ago, on this day in 1337 AH, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Kazem Tabatabaei Yazdi, passed away in holy Najaf, Iraq, As head of the Islamic seminary, he set up charities, mosques, and schools. Among his books mention could be made of “al-Orwat al-Wosqa.”

79 solar years ago, on this day in 1937 AD, at 7:25 p.m. the giant German airship (zeppelin) Hindenburg burst into flames and crashed to the ground as it attempted to dock with a mooring mast at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey. Carrying 36 passengers and 61 crew, Hindenburg had left Frankfurt on May 4 for its first transatlantic voyage of the 1937 season. A total of 36 died when the fire ignited the 16 hydrogen-filled cells and destroyed the zeppelin in only 34 seconds. This included 13 passengers, 22 crew members and one of the ground crew. The airship was 803 feet long and had private rooms for 50 passengers. It had an 11,000 mile range. A newsreel film of the Hindenburg Disaster was made. The true cause of the disaster remains a mystery, although crash investigators considered claims that Hindenburg was lost due to sabotage or an accidental charge of static electricity.

66 solar years ago, on this day in 1950 AD, the Belgian biologist and author, Maurice Maeterlinck, died at the age of 87. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in the year 1911. He has left behind a large number of books, including "The Blue Bird", which is translated to a number of languages. Among his works, mention can also be made of “The Life of the Bee”, “The Life of the Ant”, and “Wisdom and Destiny”.

25 solar years ago, on this day in 1991 AD, the Iranian poet, author, and researcher, Mehrdad Avesta, passed away at the age of 62. He was an authority on the classical Persian poet Shaikh Sadi’s famous works “Bustan” and “Golestan”, in addition to Arabic grammar. He lectured on Iranian and global arts and literature at several colleges in Tehran. He started political activities against the repressive rule of the Pahlavi regime through his poems. He has written beautiful poems on the Islamic Revolution and in admiration of the Founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini (RA). He researched and published the works of prominent classical Persian poets, such as Hafez, Sa’di, Mowlavi, Khaqani, Sanaei, and Salman Saavoji.

11 solar years ago, on this day in 2005 AD, in the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain some 10,000 citizens jammed a main road in the capital, Manama waving red and white Bahraini flags in the 2nd rally for constitutional reforms in a month. The repressive Aal-e Khalifa minority regime has over the past few years, brutally crushed the Bahraini majority.

AS/ME