Today is Thursday; 4th of the Iranian month of Shahrivar 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 22nd of the Islamic month of Zi’l-Qa’dah 1437lunar hijri; and August 25, 2016, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1691 solar years ago, on this day in 325 AD, the controversial Council of Nicaea (modern day Iznik in Turkey), convened by Roman Emperor Constantine I to remove all traces of monotheism from the teachings of Prophet Jesus (AS) and to impose upon the empire the creed coined Christianity by Paul the Hellenized Jew, ended with formal adoption of the polytheist concept of Trinity which splits God into three entities – Godfather, Godson, and Holy Spirit. The Council ruled all other forms of Christianity, such as Arianism, Adoptionism, and Sabellianism, as heretical and liable to persecution. In violation of the natural human desire to have lawful and healthy relationship with the opposite gender, it also imposed celibacy upon priests. The few monotheist followers of Prophet Jesus took to remote areas of West Asia as hermits, to await the advent of the Last and Greatest Messenger of God, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and progeny), foretold by the Virgin-born Messiah and the previously revealed heavenly scriptures, as the descendant of Prophet Abraham’s firstborn son, Prophet Ishmael.

1029 lunar years ago, on this day in 408 AH, the renowned vizier of the Seljuqid Dynasty, Abu Ali Hassan Ibn Ali Ibn Ishaq Tusi, known by his title Khwaja Nizam ul-Mulk, was born in the northeastern Iranian city of Tous, in Khorasan. He initially served the Ghaznavid sultans as chief administrator of Khorasan Province. Four years later with the rise of the Seljuqs, he served as vizier during the reigns of Alp Arslan and Malik Shah I. In addition to his administrative duties, he established a number of academies of higher education in several cities, which were named after him as Nizamiyyah Schools and turned out to be models of universities that were later established in Europe. Nizam ul-Mulk is also widely known for his voluminous treatise on kingship titled "Siyasat-Namah" or "Siyar al-Molouk" (The Book of Government). Although it is claimed that he was stabbed near Nahavand en route from Isfahan to Baghdad at the age of 75 by a member of the Assassins (corruption of the Arabic-Persian word Hashshashin) sent by his former friend, Hassan-e Sabbah of Alamut, his son-in-law Muqatel bin Atiyyah, who was eyewitness to a polemical debate, says he was assassinated in the same year as Malik Shah I, after a debate between Sunni and Shi'ite scholars, which resulted in converting him and the Seljuq sultan to the school of the Prophet's Ahl al-Bayt.

921 solar years ago, on this day in 1095 AD, the first batch of European invaders landed in Syria to start the brutal Crusader wars against Muslims. They occupied Antioch (handed over to Turkey in 1937 by the French occupiers despite the Syrian people's protests). Using Antioch as a base, they took advantage of the disunity and weakness of Muslim rulers, to advance towards Tripoli in what is now Lebanon. It seems that neither the Seljuq Sunni Turks who were dominant in Syria, nor the Fatemid Ismaili Shi’a dynasty of Egypt-North Africa that controlled Bayt al-Moqaddas, were able to properly assess the intricate plots of the crusaders. They dismissed them as ragtag Byzantine mercenaries. This underestimation of the evil plots of the enemy, coupled with the lethargy of Muslim rulers, enabled the European invaders to attack and occupy the coastal belt of Syria, before advancing upon the Islamic city of Bayt al-Moqaddas, which fell in 1099 AD, and where Sunni and Shi’a Muslims, as well as Arab Christians were massacred. Some 70,000 men, women and children made up of Arabs, Turks, and Iranians, were slaughtered by the Crusaders. After 88 years of occupation, Bayt al-Moqaddas was liberated in 1188 by the Kurdish ruler, Salah od-Din Ayyoubi who led an army of Kurds, Turks, Arabs and Iranians to end the illegal existence of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Crusaders were finally expelled from Palestine by 1270 AD.

903 lunar years ago, on this day in 534 AH, the prominent Iranian scholar, Amin od-Din Abu Ali Fazl bin Hassan Tabarsi, completed his monumental exegesis of the holy Qur’an, titled "Majma' al-Bayan" at an advanced age in the city of Sabzevar. In the preface to this work, he gives the reasons for his writing it and for his choice of title. He also describes the methodology used in the commentaries on every ayah of the holy Qur’an. At the time of the work's preparation, there were already several exegesis of the Holy Book in circulation, written by both Sunni and Shi'ite scholars. He divides his commentary on every passage into five sections: introductory discourse, reading guide, language discourse, revelation and circumstances surrounding it, and meaning. He employs ta'wil in many cases to deduce the inner or implied meaning of an ayah. On passages related to theological, jurisprudential or philosophical issues, he gives the views of all sides and then gives his own judgement. The originality of Tabarsi's exegesis is that he gives his readers an opportunity to see the varying opinions on different issues mentioned in the Qur'an. He then discusses these views and declares his own stand. “Majma’ al-Bayan” is unanimously accepted by both Sunni and Shi'ite scholars because of the author’s independent stance that takes into consideration the views of the various schools of thought, and covers historical facts, as well as the opinions of philologists, traditionists, commentators and poets. Tabarsi’s exegesis covers many theological issues, including the divinely-decreed Imamate of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), the practice of “taqiyyah” (dissimulation of one's faith in times of danger), the infallibility of the Imams, God's Justice, etc. He also discusses the concept of the Saviour of mankind, Imam Mahdi (AS), his advent in the end times, the purpose of his coming and his global government of peace and justice.

486 solar years ago, on this day in 1530 AD, Ivan the Terrible, the first Tsar of Russia, was born in Moscow. At the age of 3, following his father’s death, he was proclaimed Prince Ivan IV of Moscow, with his mother as regent. In 1547, he crowned himself Tsar of Russia – the first Russian ruler to assume the title. He next launched brutal attacks to conquer the Muslim Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and later Siberia, thereby transforming the expanding Christian Russian Empire into a multiethnic and multi-confessional state. In 1552 AD, Kazan, the capital of Tataristan, was occupied after a long siege by Ivan the Terrible, who massacred as many as 110,000 Tartar Muslims and forcibly converted to Christianity many others, after destroying mosques or turning them into churches. His anti-Muslim policies brought retaliation from a joint army of Crimean Tatars and Ottoman Turks that attacked Moscow in 1571 and set it on fire, resulting in 80,000 casualties. The next year, Ivan managed to defeat another Tatar-Ottoman invasion around Moscow in the Battle of Molodi. He then turned attention to the region beyond the Ural Mountains in the east, and through military expeditions, treachery and deceit, took control of vast tracts of Siberia from its Muslim Khans, and styled himself Tsar of Siberia in 1580. In a fit of rage in 1581 he killed his own son Prince Ivan. In 1584, Ivan died at the age of 54.

386 solar years ago, on this day in 1630 AD, Portuguese forces were defeated by the Kingdom of Kandy in the Battle of Randeniwela in Sri Lanka, during the Sinhalese-Portuguese War. It was fought by Prince Mahastana (later King Rajasimha II), against the Portuguese forces commanded by Constantino de Sa de Noronha. It was fought near Wellawaya, a place close to the town of Badulla.

240 solar years ago, on this day in 1776 AD, David Hume, Scottish economist, historian, and philosopher, died at the age of 65 in his hometown, Edinburgh. He is known for his highly controversial system of radical philosophical empiricism, skepticism, and naturalism.

197 solar years ago, on this day in 1819 AD, James Watt, Scottish-English engineer, died at the age of 83. He discovered steam power, which led to a revolution in industry, especially in the land and sea transportation network. Steam ships and locomotives were the result of his discoveries.

191 solar years ago, on this day in 1825 AD, Uruguay declared independence from Brazil. Uruguay was under the domination of the Portuguese and Spanish colonialists since its occupation by Europeans in 1516. As a result of uprisings that started in 1810 and lasted till 1814, it gained relative independence. In 1820 Brazil occupied it. Five years later, at the peak of the independence-seeking movements in Latin America, Uruguay gained complete independence.

149 solar years ago, on this day in 1867 AD, British physicist, Michael Faraday, died at the age of 76. He initially worked in a bookshop, where he studied scientific works. A few years later, he became a laboratory assistant to the physicist, Humphrey Davy at the Royal Institution. His most important work was in electromagnetism, in which field he demonstrated electromagnetic rotation and discovered electromagnetic induction (the key to the development of the electric dynamo and motor). With this discovery in 1831, a huge step was taken in the scientific field. His inventions of electromagnetic rotary devices formed the foundation of electric motor technology, and it was largely due to his efforts that electricity became practical for use in technology. He made valuable experiments in the fields of chemistry, metallurgy, and development of electrical lamps. One of the important rules of physics, the SI unit of capacitance is named in his honour: the farad. He was one of the first scientists who managed to liquefy many gases, including chlorine.

131 lunar years ago, on this day in 1316 AH, Mirza Malkom Khan, a Paris educated Iranian Armenian who claimed to have converted to Islam, induced the Qajarid king, Nasser od-Din Shah Qajar, to initiate lottery in Iran and to allot him all exclusive rights for it, but craftily propped up a French citizen as a front man. Since lottery and raffle are a form of gambling and thus prohibited in Islam, widespread protests by the ulema and people forced the Shah to cancel it. Malkom Khan, who set up societies similar to the Freemasons in Iran, was a controversial person, who was exiled several times, until he was reinstated as ambassador to Italy by Mozaffar ad-Din Shah in 1898 with the title of Nezam od-Dowlah.

116 solar years ago, on this day in 1900 AD, controversial German philosopher, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, died in Weimar, Germany at the age of 55 after having lost his mental balance in the last years of his life. He was an agnostic and did not believe in ethical principles. He was unable to grasp facts and realities. His idea of a perfect person is the one that is devoid of the concept of good and evil.

102 solar years ago, on this day in 1914 AD, during World War I, the library of the Catholic University of Leuven was deliberately destroyed by the German Army, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of irreplaceable volumes and Gothic and Renaissance manuscripts.

37 solar years ago, on this day in 1979 AD, Mahdi Eraqi and his son Hesam were martyred by MKO terrorists. Mahdi Eraqi was one of the prominent figures of the Islamic Revolution and for years had struggled against the Shah’s despotic regime. He was a close ally of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA). He languished in the Shah’s dungeons for several years under torture. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, he attained martyrdom.

26 solar years ago, on this day in 1990 AD, Iranian poet, Mahdi Akhavan Salles, passed away at the age of 61. Born in Mashhad, he took the penname. “Omid” (Hope), and was one of the pioneers of Free Verse in Persian language. He gave up an interest in music to appease his father. When the government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq was toppled by the US-British coup in 1953, he was imprisoned along with other political activists against the detested Pahlavi regime. After his release from prison in 1957, he started work at the radio, and soon after was transferred to Khuzestan to work in TV. Later on, he taught literature on radio and TV and at the university. After victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 he was granted membership to the Iranian Academy of Artists and Writers. He died in Tehran and is buried on the grounds of the mausoleum of the famous poet Abu’l-Qasim Ferdowsi in Tous, near his hometown Mashhad. His poetical compilations include: “Arghanoon” (Organ), “Zemestan” (Winter), and “Akhar-e Shahnameh” (End of Shahnameh).

25 solar years ago, on this day in 1991 AD, Belarus became independent on the collapse of the USSR. After World War I; Belarus was divided between Poland and the Soviet Union. At the end of World War 2 it had come under total Soviet control.

16 solar years ago, on this day in 2000, Akbar Adibi, the Father of electronics in Iran, passed away at the age of 61. Born in Songhor in Kermanshah Province, after obtaining masters in Electrical Engineering from Tehran University in 1965, he worked for the Alestom Power Plant and taught at the university. In 1973 he left for the US, where at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) where he obtained two Master of Science degrees – first in Microprocessor-based Computer Systems and the second in Solid State and Semiconductor Device. He completed his PhD in 1977 on Barrier Solar Cells. On return to Iran he resumed his job of lecturer at Tehran Polytechnic – renamed Amir Kabir University after victory of the Islamic Revolution. His notable achievements are: The creation of Iran’s first Solar Cell in 1978, more than 100 articles in internal and international publications, becoming Full Professor in 1995, earning the prestigious Khwarezmi National Prize for his contribution as one of the best projects in 1995, earning the respected title of "The Most Recognized and Elite University Professor of Iran" in 1996, and being named the "Father of Electronics and VLSI in Iran". Adibi is the author of several technical books such as “Pulse Techniques”, “Theory and Technology of Semiconductor Devices”, and “Digital Electronics”. He believed that electronics and VLSI technology could help Iran lower its dependency on oil. He was a member of numerous academic societies, including; New York Academy of Sciences, New York Planetary Society, Optical Society of America, and Iran's IEEE Student Branch Counselor. He was involved in many industry-based projects, namely; the design and implementation of a 32 channel PCM system, the design and construction of a DSP-based high voltage network protection system, and the design of a DCS-based control, until his death due to heart failure.

11 solar years ago, on this day in 2005 AD, acclaimed Iranian stuntman, 44-year old Javad Palizbanian, died while attempting to break the world record for jumping over buses on a motorcycle, at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium. He was trying to leap over 22 buses parked side-by-side when his motorbike came crashing down on the 13th bus.

10 solar years ago, on this day in 2006 AD, Noor Mohammad Hassan-Ali, the former president of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean Sea died, nine years after serving two 5-year terms. A retired High Court judge, he was the first Indo-Trinidadian to hold the office of President and was the first Muslim head of state in the Americas. He never allowed alcoholic beverages at the President's House.

4 solar years ago, on this day in 2012 AD, Neil Armstrong, American pilot, engineer, and astronaut, who was the first to land on the Moon, along with Edwin Aldrin, died at the age of 72. In 1969 AD, Apollo XI landed on the Moon’s surface and the two men made history by walking on the Moon. On stepping on the lunar surface, he had proclaimed, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." Years later, while on a trip to Egypt, when Armstrong heard the “Adhaan” (Call to Prayer), he was astounded and admitted that this was exactly the tone he had heard on the moon, although he could not understand it then.

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