Amazing: A shopkeeper who tracks all key events

Sunday (Rourkela): What is common to the Sepoy Mutiny and the launch of Coca-Cola? The date March 29.

On March 29, 1857, Mangal Pandey, a soldier in the English Regiment fired at his British master and triggered off the Sepoy Mutiny. Exactly 29 years later, on March 29, 1886, Coca-Cola, the popular thirst quencher hit the market in the United States.

For such nuggets of information, have a chat with Kishan Kumar Agarwal, a grocer in Rourkela who has studied up to class seven.

The 61-year-old man collects interesting bits of information and notes down all important events taking place locally, nationally and abroad.

He also hangs a list of important events of the day in his shop with the caption in Hindi – ‘Aaj Ke Din Itihas Mein’, (Today in history).

Besides the Sepoy Mutiny and the launch of Coca Cola on March 29, Kishan said, on the same date the Telugu Desam party was formed by N T Rama Rao in 1982, a major earth quake in Garwal region of Uttarakhand occurred in 1999 and Orissa’s noted freedom fighter Laxman Nayak was hanged during British rule in Berhampur jail in 1943.

Kishan also celebrates events. For instance, if you happen to visit his shop on January 24, you will be greeted with a banner ‘SAIL Foundation Day’. SAIL came into existence in 1973.  PTI