Today is Tuesday; 21st of the Iranian month of Ordibehesht 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 3rd of the Islamic month of Sha'ban 1437 lunar hijri; and May 10, 2016, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

2044 solar years ago, on this day in 28 BC, a sunspot is observed by Han Dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China.

1433 lunar years ago, on this day in 4^th AH, Imam Husain (AS), the younger grandson and 3^rd Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), was born in Medina. Hailed by the Prophet as the Twin Leader of the Youths of Paradise, along with his elder brother, Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS), the Martyr of Karbala needs no introduction. Later in our programme you will listen to a special feature on the life and times of Imam Husain (AS), whose birthday is marked in the Islamic Republic of Iran as Roz-e Pasdar or Day of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), in view of their self-sacrificing role in defence of the values of the Islamic Revolution and national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We extend hearty felicitation to conscientious people all over the world.

1377 lunar years ago, on this day in 60 AH, Imam Husain (AS) arrived in Mecca after leaving his hometown Medina on the night of Rajab 29, following the demand of the Godless Yazid conveyed through governor Waleed ibn Otbah of Medina, to give oath of allegiance to his illegitimate rule. The Meccans received the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) with great rejoicing and reverence as they had seen the Prophet openly showering his love and affection for him. They also remembered the Prophet’s oft-repeated words of praise for his two grandsons, including the famous hadith, “Hasan and Husain are the Two Leaders of the Youth of Paradise.” They gathered around him, and in view of the approaching Hajj pilgrimage that brought more and more people from far-off places, such gatherings swelled as Muslims swarmed around him to clarify their doubts in matters of religion, science, commerce, rights, obligations, morals, ethics, etc. This alarmed the tyrant Yazid in Damascus, and he sent assassins in the garb of pilgrims, but to avoid any bloodshed in this most inviolable place, the Imam left for Iraq four months later on the 8^th of Zilhijja, especially in view of the fact that he had received thousands of letters from the people of Kufa.

1014 solar years ago, on this day in 1002 AD, the historian, hadith compiler and orator, Ahmad bin Ali bin Sabet, known as Khateeb al-Baghdadi, was born near Baghdad. The son of a preacher of Darzidjan, he studied under his father and other ulema, mastering the various sciences, with special interest in hadith. At the age of 20 he went to Basra to collect hadith. He then travelled east to Iran and made two trips to Naishapur in Khorasan, collecting in his journey more hadith in Rayy and Isfahan. Back in Baghdad, he acquired fame as a preacher and orator, and it is said that teachers and preachers of hadith would usually submit to him what they had collected, before they used them in their lectures or sermons. Initially a follower of the Hanbali School of jurisprudence, he switched to the Shafe'i School – a change that made Hanbalis his bitter enemies and heap accusations against him. This sectarian hostility made him leave for Damascus, where he preached for 8 years, and before returning to Baghdad, spent another year in Tyre, in what is now Lebanon. Khateeb al-Baghdadi was a prolific writer and has authored several books, the most famous of which is the voluminous history "Tarikh al-Baghdad". He has quoted many of the hadith on the merits of Prophet Mohammad's (SAWA) Ahl al-Bayt or Blessed Household, whose principal members are: Hazrat Fatema Zahra (SA), Imam Ali (AS), Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Husain (AS).

215 solar years ago, on this day in 1801 AD, the First Barbary War, occurred off the coast of Tripolitania in present day Libya between the North African Berber Muslim states and the intruding US fleet. The principalities of Tripoli, Algiers, and Tunis, which were quasi-independent entities nominally under the Ottoman Empire, along with the semi-independent Sultanate of Morocco, defeated the US navy. The war lasted four years, and the US, as per the advice of France and Spain had to pay war indemnities in order to procure the release of its prisoners. In 1815, the US, now no longer engaged in hostilities with the British, again attacked the North African states in the Second Barbary War (also known as the Algerian War). With Ottoman naval power on the wane and the Mediterranean Sea no long the Turkish Lake of the past three centuries; the Barbary States were forced to seek peace by paying heavy damages to the US. Within decades, European powers built more sophisticated ships which the Turks and the Barbary States could not match in numbers or technology. These iron-clad warships of the late 19^th century and the early 20th century ensured European dominance of the Mediterranean. As a result Algeria and Tunis were occupied by France, although the Turks continued to hold Tripolitania (Libya) till 1911, when it fell to Fascist Italy.

186 lunar years ago, on this day in 1251 AH, the Iranian Gnostic and poet, Mirza Mohammad Hussain Isfahani, popular as Safi Ali Shah was born in Isfahan. He followed the Ne’matollahi Sufi Order. He visited India at the age of 27 on the invitation of the self-styled Imam of the Ismaili sect, Aqa Ali Shah Mahallati, and after performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, settled in Tehran, where he established a hospice and a printing press. Safi Ali Shah composed a versified interpretation of the holy Qur’an. He has to his credit four versified works and three books on prose. He passed away at the age of 65 and was buried in his hospice.

145 solar years ago, on this day in 1871 AD, the Treaty of Frankfurt was signed following the Franco-Prussian War that saw the German-speaking people emerge as a united entity called Germany, due to the efforts of “Iron Chancellor” Otto von Bismarck. Germany became a major power and was no longer known as Prussia.

139 solar years ago, on this day in 1877 AD, the Ottoman provinces of Wallachia and Moldavia, along with Transylvania, which was under Austrian rule, declared themselves independent as a new country called Romania, taking advantage of the declining state of Turkish Empire, which for almost five centuries had established Muslim rule in southwestern Europe. A war followed and four years later Romania became formally independent on March 26, 1881.

118 lunar years ago, on this day in 1319 AH, the Iranian Islamic scholar, Ayatollah Seyyed Hussein Khademi, was born. He was a product of the Najaf Seminary and attained Ijtehad. He was also politically active and stood up against the repressive policies of the British-installed Reza Khan Pahlavi, who brutally suppressed Islamic culture and values. Ayatollah Khademi participated in the campaign for nationalization of Iran’s oil industry. With the start of the struggles of The Father of Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), for establishment of the sacred Islamic system in Iran, he stepped up his political activities that culminated in the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

43 solar years ago, on this day in 1973 AD, the Western Saharan Liberation Front (POLISARIO) was formed for independence of the northwestern African Muslim region from the Spanish colonial rule. Two years later, Spain was forced to leave West Sahara, but mischievously handed over the region to Morocco and Mauritania. Pressed by POLISARIO, Mauritania gave up its claims, but the Moroccans have continued to occupy Western Sahara. With UN mediation, it was decided in 1991 to hold referendum for determining the fate of this land, but Morocco has continued to stall any plebiscite ever since. Nonetheless, many countries have recognized Western Sahara as an independent country, and the POLISARIO as representative of the Western Saharan people.

33 solar years ago, on this day in 1983 AD, the repressive Ba’th minority regime of Saddam, detained 90 members of the family of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohsin al-Hakeem, and martyred six of them. Two year later, 10 other family members of the Grand Ayatollah were martyred. Saddam's policy was to demoralize and terrorize Iraq's Shi'ite Arab majority, especially since the Late Grand Ayatollah's son, Seyyed Mohammad Baqer al-Hakeem had set up in exile in Tehran, the Supreme Assembly of the Islamic Revolution of Iraq.  Incidentally, on this day in 2003, Baqer al-Hakeem returned triumphantly to his US-occupied homeland after two decades of exile in Iran, and a few months later was martyred by terrorists.

22 solar years ago, on this day in 1994 AD, Nelson Mandela was officially inaugurated as South Africa's first black president, after decades of struggle against the apartheid rule of the White European minority.

19 solar years ago, on this day in 1997 AD, a 7.3 degree earthquake struck Khorasan Province, northeastern Iran, killing 1,567 people, injuring over 2,300, leaving 50,000 homeless, and damaging or destroying over 15,000 homes.

13 solar years ago, on this day in 2003 AD, the leader of Iraq's Supreme Islamic Assembly, Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Baqer al-Hakeem, returned triumphantly to his US-occupied homeland after two decades of exile in Iran, following the overthrow of Saddam’s repressive Ba’th minority regime. The Ayatollah was martyred a few months later after the Friday Prayer in holy Najaf while leaving the shrine of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), by American affiliate Ba’thist-Takfir terrorists.

11 solar years ago, on this day in 2005 AD, the Islamic Republic of Iran, as part of efforts to achieve defence self-sufficiency, launched production of its first locally built submarine, dubbed “Ghadeer”, a craft that can fire missiles and torpedoes at the same time.

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