Today is Tuesday; 2nd of the Iranian month of Aban 1396 solar hijri; corresponding to 4th of the Islamic month of Safar 1439 lunar hijri; and October 24, 2017, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

757 solar years ago, on this day in 1260 AD, Saif od-Din Qutuz, the 3rd Turkic Mamluk (slave) sultan of Egypt, while returning from Syria after his decisive victory over the combined forces of the Mongols, Armenian Christians, and European crusaders, was assassinated at as-Salehiyya by some of his own emirs. His bravery, along with that of his able general and successor as sultan, Baibars al-Bunduqdari, shattered the Mongol myth of invincibility at the crucial battle of Ain Jalut in Palestine in which Hulagu Khan's famous Christian Turkic general, Kitbuqa Noyan, was killed, thereby ending the threat to Egypt and North Africa, a few years after the Mongol sack of Baghdad and the subjugation of Syria, which included the turning of the Omayyad Mosque of Damascus into a cathedral. Although the reign of Qutuz was short, he remains one of the most heroic sultans of Egypt for saving the Muslim world, at a time when the eastern Islamic lands including Iran had been ravaged by the bloodthirsty Mongol hordes. His early life is obscure. Captured by the Mongols in Central Asia and sold as a slave, he was brought to Syria where he was resold to an Egyptian merchant who in turn sold him in Cairo to Ezz od-Din Aybak, the first Mamluk sultan of Egypt. According to some sources, Qutuz claimed that his original name was Mahmoud ibn Mamdoud and he was descended from Ala od-Din Mohammad II, the Khwarezm Shahi ruler. He became deputy sultan to Aybak, after whose murder he served his son, al-Mansur Ali, as Sultan for two years, before deposing him on November 12, 1259, and becoming sultan himself on the promise that the emirs could install any other sultan after he defeated the Mongols.

416 solar years ago, on this day in 1601 AD, Danish astronomer and mathematician, Tycho Brahe, died in Prague, in what is now the Czech Republic at the age of 55. Born in Scania, which was then under Denmark, but is now part of Sweden, he studied for a while in Germany, and later was helped by the Danish ruler to set up an observatory on Hven Island. Influenced by the discoveries of Muslim scientists, centuries earlier, he conducted wide scale observations of the skies and discovered a supernova.

369 solar years ago, on this day in 1648 AD, the last of the treaties of the Peace of Westphalia was signed between Prussia, Austria, France, and Sweden in Osnabruck and Munster, thereby ending the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Netherlands. Though these treaties ended the centuries' long bloody sectarian battles between the Catholic and Protestant sects of Christianity, they did not restore peace throughout Europe. France and Spain remained at war for the next eleven years, making peace only in the Treaty of the Pyrenees of 1659. Among the outcomes of the Peace of Westphalia was reduction of the power of the Pope and the Church and emergence of nation states.

222 solar years ago, on this day in 1795 AD, Poland was partitioned among the Russian, Austrian, and Prussian Empires, and ceased to exist on the geographical map of Europe for 125 years until the end of World War 1, when it was revived by the victorious powers in 1921. Poland is located in Eastern Europe, and covers an area of 312,683 sq km with a population of around 39 million. Its capital is Warsaw.

204 solar years ago, on this day in 1813 AD, the Treaty of Golestan was imposed on Iran by Czarist Russia, ending the 9-year Russo-Persian War that resulted in the loss of the Trans-Caucasian territories of the Qajarid Empire. As per the treaty that was mediated by the crafty British, the Russians occupied what are now the republics of Daghestan and Georgia, as well as Baku in northern Azerbaijan. Thirteen years later in 1826, Russia again invaded Iran and occupied other regions, such as Armenia, Nakhchivan and what is now the Republic of Azerbaijan.

109 lunar years ago, on this day in 1330 AH, the combatant Iranian religious leader, Mirza Ali Aqa Siqqat-ol-Islam Tabrizi, was martyred by the invading Russian forces. He played an important role in Tabriz, as an activist of the Constitutional Revolution. He resolutely struggled against the occupation of parts of northwestern Iran in the Caucasus by Czarist Russia, while guiding and leading people to this end. The Russians, who considered him an opponent, kidnapped and martyred him.

89 solar years ago, on this day in 1928 AD, the Iranian scholar, and statesman, Ayatollah Dr. Seyyed Mohammad Husseini Beheshti, was born in Isfahan. In Qom he studied under leading ulema, including the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA). He also continued his academic studies at the university and obtained PhD in philosophy. He was active in political and cultural spheres as well, and was involved in the 15th Khordad uprising (June 5, 1963). Later he spent several years at the Islamic Centre in Hamburg, Germany. His fluency in German, English, and Arabic assisted him in promoting Islam in Europe. He returned to Iran in 1971 and continued his struggles against the dictatorial Pahlavi regime. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, he was assigned key posts, the last of which was Chief Justice. He achieved martyrdom, along with 72 prominent officials, when a bomb planted by MKO terrorists exploded. He wrote several books, including "God in View of Islam"; "Banking and Islam’s Financial Laws"; and "Role of Faith in Mankind’s Life". In paying him tribute, Imam Khomeini said: “Martyr Beheshti lived and died in oppression; since he was a thorn in the eyes of the foes of Islam.”

72 solar years ago, on this day in 1945 AD, the United Nations was founded by the victorious powers of World War 2 in place of the defunct League of Nations. At the San Francisco Conference in the US, representatives of fifty world countries ratified the charter of the UN, whose headquarters are based in New York. Its main organs are the General Assembly, the Secretariat, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council; and the International Court of Justice. The goals behind setting up of the UN, in accordance to its charter, are safeguarding of global peace and security; promotion of amicable relations among nations; global cooperation for resolution of social, political, economic, and cultural issues of concern; and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Unfortunately, the UN has failed in its goals because of its exploitation by the 5 self-imposed permanent members, especially the US. The other four self-imposed permanent members are Russia, France, Britain, and China, all of which wield the unfair and unjust veto power at the Security Council that kills the aspirations of independent countries, as is the case with the series of unlawful sanctions the UN has imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran for its peaceful nuclear project, while turning a blind eye to the nuclear arsenal of big powers, and that of the illegal Zionist entity, Israel.

70 lunar years ago, on this day in 1369 AH, senior Iranian religious leader, Ayatollah Mirza Mohammad Ali Shahabadi, passed away in Tehran at the age of 77. He was an accomplished scholar in the field of philosophy and Gnosticism and groomed numerous students at the Qom Seminary. Among his prominent students was the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA). Ayatollah Shahabadi wrote a large number of books and treatises including "al-Insaan wa’l-Khateraat".

53 solar years ago, on this day in 1964 AD, Zambia gained independence from British colonial rule. Situated in southern Africa, it was seized by the British in 1888 and called Northern Rhodesia. Zambia covers an area of 752,614 sq km. Its capital is Lusaka, and it shares borders with Zaire, Angola, Tanzania, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

29 solar years ago, on this day in 1988 AD, Grand Ayatollah Jawad Aqa Tehrani passed away at the age of 85. He was born in Tehran and after completing his studies in Qom left for Holy Najaf in Iraq to continue his higher studies. He groomed many scholars and was known for his piety and ascetic nature. While in Mashhad, he was the teacher of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Among the books written by him are: "Mizan al-Mataleb" in Arabic and the 2-volume "Aieen-e Zendegi" in Persian.

23 solar years ago, on this day in 1993 AD, Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Mirkhani passed away in his hometown Tehran at the age of 76. A product of the seminary of holy Qom, among his teachers were Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Shehab od-Din Mar’ashi Najafi and Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hussain Boroujerdi. He was active in Tehran in academic and revolutionary circles. On establishment of the Islamic Azad University, following the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, he was one of the benefactors who helped establish this higher education centre and generously donated a building for the university to obtain the permit to establish a branch. Besides his religious activities and authoring books, he was interested in social and cultural affairs. Thanks to his efforts, thousands of young knowledge seekers from all around the country have attended the Islamic Azad University to reap the benefit. 

21 solar years ago, on this day in 1996 AD, the erudite scholar Ayatollah Mohammad Vasef Lahiji passed away. He was a picture of piety and a staunch defender of the School of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). He was well versed in theology, jurisprudence, philosophy, logic, mathematics, physics, literature, poetry, Arabic language and Qur’anic studies. An excellent orator in Arabic and Persian, as well as a poet in both languages, he strove to promote the genuine teachings of Islam through his speeches, his writings, and his poems, which were often composed on scientific factors. His published works total two hundred and include books such as “History of the Infallible Imams”, and “Tibb an-Nabawi” (Medicinal Anecdotes from the Prophet of Islam). His poetical works include “Bayt al-Ahzaan-e Asheqaan”.

12 solar years ago, on this day in 2005 AD, Iranian painter Mokarrameh Qanbari, passed away at the age 77. Born in the village of Darikandeh between Qaemshahr and Babol in Mazanderan Province, she was a self-made painter who despite her great talent never received any formal training in painting. She won several international talent prizes. Mokarrameh actually began painting at the age of 63 when she came across some artist's paintings which her son had left at her home. Within a few years her works were noticed by painters in Iran and overseas. She held her first exhibition at the Seyhun Gallery in Tehran in 1995. She also participated in ten other exhibitions and was awarded the jury prize at the Roshd Film Festival and another award at the Rural Artistic-Literary Festival. In 2001, she was awarded an honorary certificate at the Conference of the Foundation of Iranian Women's Studies in Stockholm, Sweden and was named the year's exemplary woman. Iranian filmmaker Ibrahim Mokhtari has made a documentary film about her life and works titled: “Her Memories and Dreams.” She was buried in the courtyard of her house.

AS/MG