Keeping up with the #ThrowbackThursday trend, FWD business looks at significant events that took place throughout history on 15 June
Words: Vandana Devi Images: Various Sources
173 years ago..
15 June 1844 – Vulcanisation of Rubber Patented
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Vulcanisation is a chemical process that strengthens rubber. Charles Goodyear discovered this process and it allowed rubber to withstand heat and cold. This revolutionised the rubber industry. Vulcanisation of Rubber allowed automotive tires, pencil erasers, life jackets, gloves and more to be in commercial use. The American discovered the process in the year 1839 and on 15 June 1844 he patented it.
98 years ago…
15 June 1919 – First nonstop flight across the Atlantic
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John Alcock and Arthur Brown landed an airplane in a bog in Clifden, Ireland and this marked the end of the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic. They started from Newfoundland and the journey took 16 hr and 12 min. They won the prize offered by the London Daily Mail. The plane suffered some damages while landing but both Alcock and Brown came away unhurt.
70 years ago…
15 June 1947 – All India Congress accept the Mountbatten Plan
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The Mountbatten Plan was the plan for partition of India declared by the last Viceroy of country, Lord Mountbatten. On 15 June 1947, the Mountbatten Plan was passed and the decision of the partition was accepted by the All India Congress. The states of Punjab and Bengal were divided and the division of British India into two separate states was completed.
And Today…
15 June – World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
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The theme for this year’s observation is – ‘Understand and End Financial Abuse of Older People : a Human Rights Issue’. Through this theme, the idea is to explore effective means to strengthen protections against financial and material exploitation by discussing ways to ensure participation of older adults themselves in ending victimisation. The objectives are to promote research across countries to understand the scale and severity of exploitation of older people, to raise public awareness and so on.