On this day: From Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India launch of iTunes, remembering historic events on 9 January

On 9 January, a number of worth-remembering events have taken place over the years, not only in India but all across the globe. On this day in 1915, Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, came back to India from South Africa with the aim to claim freedom from the British. Now, this particular day has become the annual celebration of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas. On 9 January 1960, construction started on Egypt’s Aswan High Dam over the Nile river. On this very day in 2001, Apple introduced their dedicated music platform - iTunes. On the same day in 2005, Mahmoud Abbas, a founder of Fatah, was elected the President of the Palestinian Authority. Historic Events- 9 January: Pravasi Bhartiya Divas: On 9 January every year, Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is celebrated in India to celebrate the contribution of Indian people residing overseas to the development of the country. On this day in 1915, Mahatma Gandhi who is believed to be the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa to assist the country in claiming freedom from British rule. The Pravasi Bhartiya Divas convention offers the government a perfect forum for communication with the diaspora population, which has people living across the world. Since 2003, PBD conventions have been conducted annually. The format was altered in 2015 and now, the PBD has been observed once every two years. During the interim period, theme-based PBD Conferences are held in the presence of NRI stakeholders, policymakers, and professionals. Construction on Aswan High Dam began; 1960: On 9 January 1960, the construction of the Aswan High Dam was started in Egypt with the goal of taking the annual Nile flood under human control. The Aswan High Dam has had a significant positive impact on Egypt’s economy. In order to maximise the floodwaters’ use on irrigated land, water hundreds of thousands of new hectares, improve navigation above and below Aswan and produce large amounts of hydroelectric power, the dam impounds the floodwaters and releases them as needed. The fishing industry is also supported by the dam’s reservoir. Apple introduced iTunes; 2001: On 9 January 2001, Tech giant Apple heralded the era in the digital world with the introduction of iTunes, a dedicated music platform. It offers cost-free, simplified ways to organise and play digital audio and video files. With nonstandard interfaces that are independent of the host operating system, iTunes was designed as a complete work (OS). Songs that are kept on iTunes can be sorted using a wide range of details, enabling the user to search by a number of criteria, including artist, album, song, or genre. Additionally, it has features that let users create unique playlists, and CDs, or play the most recent music they’ve uploaded to their library. Mahmoud Abbas became the President of the Palestinian Authority; 2005: On 9 January 2005, Mahmoud Abbas was elected the President of the Palestinian Authority (PA) succeeding Yasser Arafat following the death of the former. He previously served as the Prime Minister for a brief period in 2003 during Arafat’s tenure. Abbas was one of the founders of Fatah, a political and military organization of Arab Palestinians established in 1950. Late in the 1980s, Fatah started pursuing a two-state solution diplomatically, and its leaders played significant roles in the Oslo peace negotiations that led to the foundation of the Palestinian Authority. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.