Of May Day, Osama, Catch 22 and the Empire State building

There are some dates in history when significantly more seems to have happened than on other dates, and 1 May is one such.

It’s an extraordinary day, replete with events that take one back in time and think about a time long gone. Not just in India, but all over the world.

First, the extraordinary milestones. 1 May, 1840, was the day that the postage stamp, the Penny Black ,was launched. The Penny Black was not the first postage stamp; it was the first adhesive postage stamp. To those of you who have never seen or used one, this is how they worked. After writing your letter and addressing and sealing the envelope, one had to affix a stamp on it. Before the Penny Black, you needed to look around for a jar of glue (you didn’t have convenient plastic glue tubes or glue-sticks, then). After the Penny Black, hey, presto, all you needed to do was to lick the reverse of the stamp.

This fact will have all those responsible for infrastructure in India hanging their heads in shame. 1 May, 1931, saw the inauguration of the Empire State Building , then, and for the next 40 years, the tallest building in the world. Why should we hang our heads in shame? It’s because the building took only one year and 45 days to build.

In February this year, India was declared polio-free, in large part thanks to the efficacy of the polio vaccine, which was first made available to the public 56 years ago, on 1 May, 1956.

Some great people born on 1 May. Joseph Heller , who gave the world Catch 22, was born on this day in 1923. If you haven’t read Catch 22, here’s a quote from Heller which should spur you to buy a copy today.

“Everyone in my book accuses everyone else of being crazy. Frankly, I think the whole society is nuts — and the question is: What does a sane man do in an insane society?”

Manna Dey was born four years earlier. Manna Dey entertained a nation for decades, giving us such gems as Yeh raat bhigi bhigi and Pyar hua iqrar hua. Haven’t heard them? Take a detour, and off to YouTube you go. Here’s Pyar hua, iqrar hua from Shree 420. The bonus is Raj Kapoor.

As far as deaths are concerned, it’s a mixed bag of good and bad news. The world lost iconic Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna in a crash which caused the F1 organisers to re-look at safety aspects in the sport.

Here’s the first of deaths that will not be mourned by many. Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945 and one of Adolf Hitler’s closest associates, died on this day in 1945. The way things are going, the Congress party would do well to have someone with his skills around.

On the same day, a German newsreader officially announced that Adolf Hitler had “fallen at his command post in the Reich Chancellery.” Hitler died on 30 April, but his death was announced the next day.

Similarly, Barack Obama announced the death of Osama Bin laden late on 1 May, 2011 (US time and date), though it was already 2 May in Pakistan, where he was killed.

Closer home, and to the reasons we have a holiday today, the state of Maharashtra was formed on 1 May, 1960 ), as was the state of Gujarat .

Another reason for the holiday, in the rest of the country and in 80 countries worldwide, is that May 1, May Day, is celebrated as International Workers’ Day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers%27_Day).

And to round it off, there was another notable birth on 1 May, 1944. Take a look at his colorful and eventful life here .

And, on this happy note, have a great holiday.