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A photo of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam by Lijesh K –

Top 10Facts about A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October 1931 and died on 27 July 2015. He was an Indian aerospace scientist and statesman who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007.

He was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu and studied physics and aerospace engineering. He played a pivotal organisational, technical, and political role in India’s Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, the first since the original nuclear test by India in 1974. In the article are the top ten facts about A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

1. He was nicknamed the Missile Man of India

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam by Government of India –

He developed a ballistic missile and a launch vehicle technology. A ballistic missile is a type of missile which uses projectile motion to deliver warheads to a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods; most of the flight is unpowered.

Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the Earth’s atmosphere, while intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are launched on a sub-orbital flight. Also, a launch vehicle or carrier rocket can carry a payload from the surface to outer space, such as spacecraft and satellites.

2. Kalam was elected as the 11th president of India in 2002

He received the support of both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the then-opposition Indian National Congress to get into power as a president. Widely referred to as the “People’s President”, he returned to his civilian life of education, writing and public service after a single term.

3. His ancestors were wealthy but his family was not

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam photo by Ceomediaplus –

His father Jainulabdeen Marakayar was a boat owner and imam of a local mosque. His mother Ashiamma was a housewife. His father owned a ferry that took Hindu pilgrims back and forth between Rameswaram and the now-uninhabited Dhanushkodi.

His ancestors had been wealthy Marakayar traders and landowners, with numerous properties and large tracts of land. Even though his ancestors had been wealthy Marakayar traders, the family had lost most of its fortunes by the 1920s and was poverty-stricken by the time Kalam was born.

4. What did Kalam do after graduating from university?

After graduating from the Madras Institute of Technology in 1960, Kalam joined the Aeronautical Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation as a scientist.

5. Developing a hovercraft was his first design in the Defence Research & Development Service

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam photo by Vipul5491 –

A hovercraft, also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is an amphibious craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and other surfaces. Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the hull, or air cushion, that is slightly above atmospheric pressure.

Though he started his career by designing a small hovercraft Kalam remained unconvinced by his choice of a job at DRDO.

In 1969, Kalam was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) where he was the project director of India’s first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) which successfully deployed the Rohini satellite in near-earth orbit in July 1980.

6. Kalam became a visiting professor after leaving the office

Kalam became a visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong, the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, and the Indian Institute of Management Indore; an honorary fellow of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore; chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram.

He also was a professor of Aerospace Engineering at Anna University; and an adjunct at many other academic and research institutions across India. He taught information technology at the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, and technology at Banaras Hindu University and Anna University.

7. People criticized Kalam as a pro-nuclear scientist

The former President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam photo by President’s Secretariat –

In 2011, Kalam was criticised by civil groups over his stand on the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant; he supported the establishment of the nuclear power plant and was accused of not speaking with the local people.

The protesters were hostile to his visit as they saw him as a pro-nuclear scientist and were unimpressed by the assurances he provided regarding the plant’s safety features. Indeed, his staunchly scientific outlook; especially his pro-nuclear stance made him unpopular with some.

8. He died of Cardiac arrest

On 27 July 2015, Kalam travelled to Shillong to deliver a lecture on “Creating a Livable Planet Earth” at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong. While climbing a flight of stairs, he experienced some discomfort but was able to enter the auditorium after a brief rest.

At around 6:35 p.m. IST, only five minutes into his lecture, he collapsed. He was rushed to the nearby Bethany Hospital in critical condition; upon arrival, he lacked a pulse or any other signs of life. Despite being placed in the intensive care unit, Kalam was confirmed dead of a sudden cardiac arrest at 7:45 p.m. IST.

9. What were the reactions of Indians towards Kalam’s death?

India reacted to Kalam’s death with an outpouring of grief; numerous tributes were paid to the former president across the nation and on social media. The Government of India declared a seven-day state mourning period as a mark of respect.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-president Hamid Ansari, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and other leaders condoled the former President’s demise. According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kalam’s death is a great loss to the scientific community.

10. The Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial was built in his memory

The Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial was by the DRDO in Pei Karumbu, in the island town of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2017.

On display are the replicas of rockets and missiles which Kalam had worked with. Acrylic paintings about his life are also displayed along with hundreds of portraits depicting the life of the mass leader.

There is a statue of Kalam at the entrance showing him playing the Veena. There are two other smaller statues of the leader in sitting and standing posture.