Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam served honorably as the 11th president of India from the year 2002-2007.Abdul Kalam, as he was known to all, was born and raised in the small town of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. He studied physics and aeronautical engineering, and even today Abdul Kalam is possibly the most-loved president of India.He worked hard as a scientist and science administrator for four decades, primarily at ISRO and DRDO, where he was engaged in India’s military missile development efforts and the civilian space program. As a consequence of his technical support and contributions to the nuclear capabilities and the development of launch vehicle technology and ballistic missile, he became known as ‘India’s Missile Man.‘In 1998, he also had a key function in Pokhran-II nuclear testing, the first since the country’s initial nuclear test in 1974.Intriguingly, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam received doctorates from 40 different universities. Kalam was transferred to ISRO in 1969 as the project director for SLT (Satellite Launch Vehicles). The project was successful, and India was effective in launching the Rohini satellite series into the orbit of the earth under Kalam’s direction. Kalam received several accolades, including India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna. Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan are among his other honors.Dr. Kalam always had a soft place for children and students. During his trips across the country, he inspired millions of young children by answering their questions and interacting with them until his untimely death. He thought that children are the future of any nation. On the occasion of his birthday in 2015, the United Nations (UN) designated the day World Student’s Day.The National Space Society also presented him with the Von Braun Award in 2013.Keep reading to discover more about Abdul Kalam’s life and what did Abdul Kalam invent. Why not check out our other facts articles on Anne Frank facts and abacus facts.Abdul Kalam’s Life History: Birth, Education, And DeathAvul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, born on Oct 15, 1931, at the pilgrimage city of Rameswaram, was known as a great Indian president.He was born in the state of Tamil Nadu, which was then in the Madras Presidency, to a Tamil-speaking Muslim family. His father, Jainulabdeen Marakayar, was a local boat owner and imam, while his mother, Ashiamma, was a housewife. In his house, Kalam was the youngest of one sister and four brothers.His forefathers were affluent Marakayar traders and landowners, with a slew of homes and vast swaths of land. However, despite his forefathers being wealthy Marakayar traders, the family had lost most of their assets by the ’20s and were quite impoverished by the time Kalam was born.He had to sell newspapers as a child to supplement the family’s low income. Kalam received mediocre marks at a young age but was noted as a bright and dedicated student with a great desire to learn. He devoted many hours to his academics, particularly mathematics.After graduating from Ramanathapuram’s Schwartz Higher Secondary School, Kalam went on to Saint Joseph’s College in Tiruchirappalli, which was back then associated with the University of Madras, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1954. In 1955, he relocated to Madras to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering from the Madras Institute of Technology.APJ Abdul Kalam once lost out on a chance to join the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot. He was ninth on the list, and there were only eight fighter pilot spots available in the Indian Air Force at the time. The first eight individuals on the shortlist were hired.For his work with ISRO and DRDO, as well as his function as a scientific advisor to the government, the government of India honored him the Padma Vibhushan in 1990 and the Padma Bhushan in 1981. He never got a Nobel Prize, but the former US President, Barack Obama, described him as a proponent of greater US-India relations who advocated to expand space collaboration between the two countries.Kalam was known for his honesty and simple way of living. He didn’t possess a television and got up at 6:30-7 a.m. every day and went to bed by 2 a.m.His books, veena, some clothing, a CD player, and a laptop were among his few personal belongings. He died without a will and his belongings were passed to his elder brother, who survived him.On Jul 25, 2015, Kalam flew to Shillong to give a discourse at the IIM Shillong on ‘Creating a livable planet Earth.’ Barely five minutes into his presentation at 6.35 p.m. IST he passed out and was transported to the adjacent Bethany Hospital in serious condition, with no pulse or other indications of life when he arrived.Despite being admitted to the intensive care unit, Kalam died at 7:45 p.m. IST from a sudden cardiac arrest. The former president was then laid to rest with complete state honors at Pei Karumbu Ground of Rameswaram on Jul 30, 2015. The funeral ceremonies drew almost 350,000 people.Abdul Kalam’s Contributions In The Field Of Science And ResearchAfter graduating in 1960 from Madras Institute of Technology, APJ Abdul Kalam joined the DRDO’s (Defence Research and Development Organisation) Aeronautical Development Establishment as a scientist after joining the DRDS (Defence Research and Development Service).He began his career by building a tiny hovercraft, but he was disenchanted by his decision to work for the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). So, in 1969, Kalam joined the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) as the project director of India’s first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III), which triumphantly launched the Rohini satellite into near-earth orbit in July 1980.Kalam worked on the SLV-III and PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) programs during the ’70s and the ’90s, both of which were successful. In the ’70s, Kalam oversaw two programs, Project Devil and Project Valiant, aimed at developing ballistic missiles based on the successful SLV program’s defense technology.Many missiles produced under the IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Program), including the Prithvi missiles, a tactical surface-to-surface missile, and Agni, an intermediate-range ballistic missile, were developed with Kalam’s scientific research and technical support.From July 1992 until December 1999, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was the Prime Minister’s Chief Scientific Advisor and Secretary of the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation). During this time, he was heavily involved in politics and technology, and this was when the Pokhran-II nuclear testing was carried out. During the testing phase, APJ Abdul Kalam and Rajagopala Chidambaram functioned as the chief project coordinators.In 1998, Kalam collaborated with surgeon Soma Raju to develop the ‘Kalam-Raju Stent,’ a low-cost coronary stent. In 2012, the team created the ‘Kalam-Raju Tablet,’ a robust tablet computer for health treatment in remote locations.Abdul Kalam’s Role As President Of IndiaDr. APJ Abdul Kalam superseded K. R. Narayanan as the 11th president of India.He defeated Lakshmi Sahgal in the 2002 presidential election. His term ran from Jul 25, 2002 - Jul 25, 2007. Before becoming President of India, Kalam was the third person to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India.The first two former president recipients of the Bharat Ratna were Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Zakir Hussain (both of these former presidents took the position after receiving the Bharat Ratna). Throughout his time as president, he was affectionately acknowledged as the people’s president.Dr. Kalam was chastised for failing to act on 20 of the 21 mercy pleas that were presented to him during his presidency. During his five-year presidency, Kalam only responded to one mercy petition. In 2005, he also made the contentious decision to implement President’s Rule in Bihar.In an interactive session at PGI Chandigarh in September 2003, Kalam supported the necessity for a Uniform Civil Code in India based on the country’s population.Dr. Kalam made it a point to reach out to as many young personalities as possible one-on-one during his time as president of India. During his five-year administration, he nearly reached a record-breaking target of meeting 500,000 people.He was given the beloved name of ‘Kalam Chacha’ (Uncle Kalam) when he left office in 2007 because he would get dozens of emails a day from young people who were encouraged to ‘dream, dream, dream!’ by his words. He is claimed to have answered virtually every one of them personally.On Jun 20, 2007, Kalam announced his willingness to pursue a second term in office if his victory in the 2007 presidential election could be guaranteed. However, he opted not to run for president again two days later, citing that he did not wish to involve Rashtrapati Bhavan in any political proceedings.Why Abdul Kalam is Known As The Missile Man Of IndiaAbdul Kalam studied aerospace engineering and physics as a scientist. He spent four decades at DRDO and ISRO, where he was deeply involved in India’s military missile development and the civilian space program.He was titled the ‘Missile Man’ for his successful work with launch vehicle technology and ballistic missiles. Kalam also made substantial contributions to India’s nuclear capabilities. He also had a key political, technical, and organizational role in India’s nuclear tests at Pokhran II in 1998, the first since the country’s principal nuclear test in 1974.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! 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Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam served honorably as the 11th president of India from the year 2002-2007.
