Today is Sunday; 1st of the Iranian month of Farvardin 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 10th of the Islamic month of Jamadi as-Sani 14367 lunar hijri; and March 20, 2016, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

Today, the 1st of Farvardin, on completion of Planet Earth's another annual orbit around the sun at 08:00:12 hours Tehran Time (04:32:22 GMT), Iranians throughout the country ushered in the year 1395 solar hijri, which like its lunar counterpart (1437 AH), is dated and calculated as per the auspicious migration of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) from Mecca to Medina on the 1st of Rabi al-Awwal. We congratulate all Muslims worldwide on the day that is called Nowrouz (New Day) in Persian, and every year marks the start of the New Calendar Year in Iran, as per age-old traditions. Nowrouz is celebrated in the Islamic east in countries that were once part of the Persianate World, such as Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Kyrghistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, India, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Iraq. In the Arab world the Spring Equinox is marked as Eid al-Omm or Mother Nature’s Day.

According to a hadith, the Vernal or Spring Equinox is associated with the creation of Adam and believed to be the day when the Ark of Noah came to rest on Mount Joudi after the great deluge; the day the waters parted for Prophet Moses to cross into Sinai from Pharaonic Egypt; the day Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) following the peaceful surrender of Mecca, lifted Imam Ali (AS) on his shoulders to pull down the idol installed atop the holy Ka'ba by pagan Arabs; and the day when Imam Ali (AS) assumed the caliphate or political rule, to start the government of social justice, after being deprived of his political rights for 25 years.

879 lunar years ago, on this day in 558 AH, Abdul-Mo'men ibn Ali al-Koami, the founder of the Muwahhedeen (Almohad) State in Morocco and Andalusia, died. His capital was Marrakesh and he made relentless efforts to expand his territories in Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar, and in the east till the borders of Egypt.

819 lunar years ago, on this day in 618 AH, the acclaimed Persian poet and mystic, Farid od-Din Attar Naishapouri, was killed during the Mongol invasion of Khorasan at the age of 78. The son of a pharmacist, he followed his father's profession and led a prosperous life before experiencing an inner revolution that made him turn to mysticism and frequent travels that took him to Iraq and Arabia including holy Mecca, as well as to the different cities of Iran and Transoxiana. One of his valuable prose works is “Tazkerat al-Awlia” on the status of mystics. His poetical masterpieces manifest the power of imagination as is evident by the versified book “Manteq ot-Tair” (Discourse of the Birds). Attar, who in some of his poems also pays tribute to the peerless personality of Imam Ali (AS), had a profound influence on the great Persian poet, Mowlana Jalal od-Din Balkhi Roumi.

797 lunar years ago, on this day in 640 AH, al-Mustansir-Billah, the 36th and penultimate self-styled caliph of the usurper Abbasid dynasty died in Baghdad after a reign of 16 years. His lasting contribution was the founding of the Mustansiriyya Madrasah on the banks of the Tigris. A monumental water-powered alarm clock that announced the appointed hours of prayer and the time both by day and by night was installed in its entrance hall. The original building which survived the Mongol invasion in 1258 AD that threw the Abbasid caliphate into the dustbin of history is now part of the modern al-Mustansiriyya University.

665 solar years ago, on this day in 1351 AD, Sultan Mohammad Tughluq of India, died in Sindh (in present day Pakistan) on his way to Thatta, after a reign of 26 years, during which he earned the reputation of an eccentric or wise fool for his policies that saw the shifting of the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (1,400 km away) and back, as well as the failed attempt to reform the coinage. Born in Multan to Ghiyas od-Din Tughlaq the founder of the Turkic dynasty, and his Rajput wife, he was named Jauna Khan, and was a scholar well versed in logic, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy and physical sciences. He had knowledge of medicine and was skillful in dialectics. He was also a calligrapher. He was well versed with several languages like Persian, Arabic, Turkish and even Sanskrit. Ibn Battuta, the famous Moroccan traveler, visited India during his reign and was appointed Qazi of Delhi. At times he could be very cruel and flay people for the slightest faults. He dreamt of conquering Iran, Iraq, Central Asia and China, but could not even hold on to the empire he had inherited from his father. During the last years of his reign, he saw various provinces secede from the Delhi Sultanate, especially the Deccan, where his general of Iranian stock, Hassan Gangu Zafar Khan, took the title of Ala od-Din Bahman Shah and founded in 1347 the Bahmani Sultanate which lasted for 180 years, resulting in the birth of a unique Indo-Persian culture, art, architecture, and literature. It is said Mohammad Tughlaq had threatened that on his return to the capital he would punish the famous Mystic, Seyyed Nizam od-Din Auliya for criticizing his eccentric policies. The Mystic on being informed of the threat had smiled and said in Persian "Hanouz Dilli dour ast" (Delhi is still very far), and the Sultan died on his way.

470 solar years ago, on this day in 1546 AD, the renowned Islamic scholar, architect, engineer, mathematician, astronomer and poet, Baha od‐Din Mohammad ibn Hussain al‐Ameli, known popularly as Sheikh Baha’i, was born in Ba’lbek, Lebanon. His father was a prominent alem of the Jabal Amel region of Lebanon, who brought him to Iran in his childhood. Given his sublime talents, Sheikh Baha’i mastered a number of sciences of his day in a short period. He has left behind more than 100 books and treatises in Arabic and Persian. He passed away at the age of 77 in the Safavid capital, Isfahan, and according to his will, his body was taken to Mashhad and buried in the premises of the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the 8th Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Shaikh Baha’i is regarded as a leading scholar of his age and a "Mujaddid" (Revivalist). His erudition won him the admiration of Shah Abbas I, and he was appointed the Shaikh ol-Islam or the Chief Theologian of Isfahan. He wrote works on a wide variety of topics such as exegesis of the holy Qur’an, hadith, grammar, jurisprudence, mathematics, astronomy, and poetry. Among his famous works are: "Jama’e Abbasi" on jurisprudence, "Kashkoul" on philosophy and poetry, "Khulasat al-Hisaab" on mathematics, and "Tashrih al‐Aflaak" or Anatomy of the Celestial Spheres, a summary of theoretical astronomy where he affirms the view that supports the positional rotation of the Earth as it orbits around the sun – long before Copernicus and the Europeans copied it from Islamic World. A number or architectural and engineering designs in Isfahan stand proof to the genius of Shaikh Baha’i, including the Naqsh-e Jahan Square and the Grand Shah Abbas Mosque known as the Imam Mosque today. He also designed and constructed a furnace for a public bath, which still exists in Isfahan. The furnace was warmed by a single candle, which was placed in an enclosure. The candle burned for a long time, warming the bath's water. According to his instructions, the candle's fire would be put out if the enclosure was ever opened. This happened during the restoration and repair of the building and no one has been able to make the system work again. He also designed the Menar Jonban (Shaking Minaret), which still exists in Isfahan. His treatise on mathematics was in use as a textbook until the end of the 19th century. He is considered one of the main co-founders of Isfahan School of Islamic Philosophy. In later years he became one of the teachers of the famous philosopher, Mullah Sadra.

401 solar years ago, on this day in 1615 AD, Dara Shukoh, the eldest son and unfortunate heir apparent of Shah Jahan the 5th Grand Mughal Emperor of the northern parts of the Subcontinent, was born in Ajmer to his beloved wife of Iranian origin Arjmand Bano Begum Mumtaz Mahal– whose tomb is the Taj Mahal, one of the 7 Wonders of the World. His name in Persian means "Possessing the Magnificence of Darius". He was 12, when his grandfather, Emperor Jahangir, died and his father succeeded as emperor. In 1642 at the age of 27, he was formally confirmed as heir and promoted to the command of 20,000-foot and 20,000 horse – a matter that made his brothers jealous and some years later led to the breakout of the War of Succession in which he was defeated and killed by his younger brother Prince Mohi od-Din (later the Emperor Aurangzeb). The scholarly Dara, who was well versed in Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit languages, was a follower of the Iranian mystic Sarmad Kashani. He completed the translation of 50 Upanishads from its original Sanskrit into Persian in 1657 and named it “Sirr-e-Akbar” (The Great Mystery). His most famous work is the “Majma’ al-Bahrain” (The Confluence of the Two Seas) – a philosophical work in verse which has been published in Iran. The other books written by him in Persian are “Safinat al-Awliya”, “Sakinat ul-Awliya” and his divan titled “Iksir-e Azam”.

289 solar years ago, on this day in 1727 AD, the English physicist, mathematician, and thinker, Isaac Newton, died at the age of 84. He was 24 years old when he prepared the three laws of motion and applied them in regard to celestial bodies. His most important discovery was the universal gravitation. He also made major discoveries in optics.

222 solar years ago, on this day in 1794 AD, the 44-year rule of the Zand Dynasty ended in Iran with the defeat, capture, and later tortuous killing of the extremely handsome and gallant ruler, Lotf Ali Khan, who in a recent battle with his mortal enemy, Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, had almost won the fray and put his opponents to flight, but for a tactical error that proved costly. Founded by Karim Khan, a general of Nader Shah Afshar, the dynasty at one time ruled almost all of Iran, along with Basra and parts of the Caucasus, except for Greater Khorasan. To legitimize his rule, Karim Khan had placed the Safavid prince, Ismail III, as a figurehead, and never took the title of Shah, contenting himself with the honourary epithet “Wakil ar-Re’aya” (Representative of the People). He based his administration on social justice, and to this day he has the reputation as one of the most able rulers in Iranian history. On his death, civil war broke out, and none of his successors were able to rule as effectively as he had – fighting each other, oblivious of the danger posed by the Qajar warlord, who after ending Lotf Ali Khan’s 5-year reign, declared himself king of the new dynasty.

201 solar years ago, on this day in 1815 AD, after escaping from Elba, Napoleon entered Paris with a regular army of 140,000 and a volunteer force of around 200,000, beginning his "Hundred Days" rule, which ended with his final defeat and exile at Waterloo.

91 solar years ago, on this day in 1925 AD, Iran officially replaced the lunar hijri calendar with the solar hijri calendar, which is based on the earth’s rotation around the sun, but like its lunar counterpart, is dated from the migration of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) from Mecca to Medina. It was precisely calculated by the famous Iranian scientist Omar Khayyam in 1079, and is more perfect than the Gregorian calendar. The solar hijri calendar and its Arabic months are also in use in Iran since it is indispensible for keeping track of Islamic dates, eids, rituals, the fasting month of Ramadhan, the Hajj pilgrimage and the mourning month of Moharram.

60 solar years ago, on this day in 1956 AD, Tunisia gained independence from French colonial rule. As of the early 10th century, Tunisia was the seat of the Fatimid caliphs, who were Ismaili Shi’ites and brought the whole of North Africa including Egypt under their control. In 1574 AD, the Ottoman Empire seized control of Tunisia. In 1705, the Cretan Muslim, Hussain ibn Ali, who was earlier appointed governor by the Ottomans, founded the Hussainid Dynasty that ruled Tunisia for the two-and-a-half centuries till 1957, even under French colonial rule that had started 1881. After independence, the anti-Islamic Habib Bourquiba, seized power and ruled Tunisia with an iron fist for almost three decades. After him, in 1987, Zain al-Abidin bin Ali started his despotic rule, until he was ousted in January 2011 in a popular uprising, which has seen the coming to power of the Islamic party, an-Nahdha, led by Rashed Ghannoushi. Tunisia covers an area of more than 163,000 sq km. it shares borders with Algeria and Libya and is situated south of the Mediterranean Sea.

47 solar years ago, on this day in 1969 AD, Ali Daei, one of the leading Iranian footballers and a coach, was born in Ardabil, northwestern Iran. A graduate of Sharif University of Technology in Materials Engineering (Metallurgical), having played for famous international clubs such as Bayern Munich and Hertha BSC, he became captain of the Iranian national football team. He is the world's all-time leading goal-scorer in men's international matches. After retirement he coached the national team and later became head coach of the Persepolis club. From June 2007 until 2013, Daei was a member of the FIFA Football Committee.

13 solar years ago, on this day in 2003 AD, the US and Britain attacked Iraq under the pretext of finding weapons of mass destruction, which turned out to be a great lie, as no WMD was ever discovered. World opinion and the majority of countries considered the US-British invasion as illegal and in line with the illegitimate interests of controlling oil-rich Iraq. Over a million innocent Iraqis were killed over the past 8 years, and the only positive point was the ouster, trial and execution of Saddam, the tyrannical dictator of the Ba’th minority regime.