Name: Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam)
Nick Name: Missile Man
Nationality: Indian
Occupation: Engineer, Scientist, Author, Professor, Politician
Born: 15-Oct -1931
Place of Birth: Dhanushkodi, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India
Died: 27 July 2015
Died at the age of: 83
Place of Death: Shillong, Meghalaya, India
Famous as: Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam President from 2002 to 2007
Preceded by: Kocheril Raman Narayanan (President from 1997-2002)
Succeeded by: Pratibha Patil (President from 2007-2012)
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam also known as Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam. He was born in Dhanushkodi, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu and studied physics and aerospace engineering.
He was the 11th president of India and elected against Lakshmi Sehgal in 2002. Before becoming the President of India, he worked with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as an aerospace engineer.
He was known as the Missile Man of India for his important role in the nation's civilian space programme and military missile development. Also, in 1998, he made significant contributions to India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests.
Do you know that A.P.J Abdul Kalam began his career as a scientist at the Aeronautical Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)? He had also served as the project director of India's first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) at ISRO.
"FAILURE will never overtake me if my definition to SUCCEED is strong enough".
In 1990s he had served as the Chief Scientific adviser to the Prime Minister before becoming the President of India in 2002. Now, let us study about Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam in detail through this article.
A.P.J Abdul Kalam: Family history and early life
Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October, 1931 to a Tamil Muslim family in Rameswaram, then in Madras Presidency in British India and now in Tamil Nadu. His father name was Jainulabdeen, who was a boat owner and imam of a local mosque. His mother name was Ashiamma, who was a housewife.
Abdul Kalam was the youngest of five siblings, the eldest was a sister, namely Asim Zohra and three elder brothers, namely Mohammed Muthu Meera Lebbai Maraikayar, Mustafa Kalam and Kasim Mohammed. He was close to his family and always helps them, though he remained a bachelor whole life.
His ancestors had been wealthy traders and landowners, with numerous properties and large tracts of land. They trade groceries between the mainland and the island to and from Srilanka and also ferrying the pilgrims from mainland to the Pamban Island. So,their family got the title "Mara Kalam Iyakkivar" (wooden boat steerers) and later known as "Marakier."
But by 1920s, his family had lost most of his fortune; their businesses failed and by the time Abdul Kalam was born are in the stage of the poverty-stricken. To help the family, Kalam started selling newspapers at an early age.
In his school days, Kalam had average grades but was described as a bright and hardworking student who had a strong desire to learn. Mathematics was his main interest.
Knowledge without action is useless and irrelevant. Knowledge with action converts adversity into prosperity.
Education gives you wings to fly. Achievement comes out of fire in our subconscious mind that 'I will win'.
He had completed his matriculation from Schwartz Higher Secondary School, Ramanathapuram and later he went to Saint Joseph's college where he became a physics graduate. In 1955, he went to Madras to study aerospace engineering in Madras Institute of Technology.
During his third year of graduation, he was assigned a project to design a low-level attack aircraft together with a few other students. Their teacher had given them a tight deadline for completing the project, it was very difficult. Kalam worked hard under immense pressure and finally completed his project within the stipulated deadline. The teacher was impressed by the dedication of Kalam.
As a result Kalam want to become a fighter pilot but he got 9th position in the qualifiers list and only eight positions were available in the IAF.
A.P.J Abdul Kalam: Education and Career
A.P.J Abdul Kalam had completed his graduation in 1957 from the Madras Institute of Technology and in 1958 as a scientist he had joined the Aeronautical Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
In the early 1960s, he worked with the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) under the renowned space scientist Vikram Sarabhai.
He had started his career by designing a small hovercraft at DRDO.
After visiting NASA's Langely Research Centre in Hampton, Virginia; Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland and Wallops Flight Facility in 1963-64, he had started working on an expandable rocket project independently in 1965 at DRDO.