PERSONAL INFORMATION
Full Name: Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
Nickname: Missile Man, People’s President
Profession: Professor, Author, Aerospace Scientist
Date of Birth: 15 October 1931
Age (at the time of death): 83 Years
Zodiac sign/Sun sign: Libra
Nationality: Indian
Hometown: Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India
Religion: Islam
Ethnicity: Tamil Muslim
Famous Books: 1998: India 2020 1999: Wings Of Fire 2002: Ignited Minds 2006: Indomitable Spirit 2012: Turning Points
Famous Quotes: • All Birds find shelter during a rain. But Eagle avoids rain by flying above the Clouds. • Man needs difficulties in life because they are necessary to enjoy the success. • If you want to shine like a sun. First, burn like a sun. • All of us do not have equal talent. But, all of us have an equal opportunity to develop our talents. • Be more dedicated to making solid achievements than in running after swift but synthetic happiness. • Without your involvement, you can’t succeed. With your involvement, you can’t fail. • Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow. • Science is a beautiful gift to humanity; we should not distort it. • You have to dream before your dreams can come true. • Great dreams of great dreamers are always transcended. • Poetry comes from the highest happiness or the deepest sorrow. • Life is a difficult game. You can win it only by retaining your birthright to be a person.
Institutes/Places Named After Him: 30 July 2015: Uttar Pradesh State Government renamed Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU) to “A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University.” 31 July 2015: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Memorial Travancore Institute of Digestive Diseases, Kerala. 4 August 2015: A new academic complex at Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala was named after him. 16 August 2015: The Puducherry Government announced that the newly inaugurated science centre-cum-planetarium would be named after former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. August 2015: Kerala Technological University was renamed to A P J Abdul Kalam Technological University. September 2015: Wheeler Island, a national missile test site in Odisha, was renamed Abdul Kalam Island. May 2017: NASA named a new organism discovered by them after the much-loved A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The new organism — a form of bacteria — has been found only on the International Space Station (ISS) and has not been found on earth! Researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the foremost lab of NASA for work on interplanetary travel, discovered the new bacteria on the filters of the International Space Station (ISS) and named it Solibacillus kalamii.
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EDUCATION
School: Schwartz Higher Secondary School, Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, India
College/University: St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India Madras Institute of Technology, Chromepet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Science in Physics from Saint Joseph’s College, the University of Madras in 1954 A Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Madras Institute of Technology in 1960
PHYSICAL STATISTICS
Height (approx.): in centimeters – 163 cm in meters – 1.63 m in feet inches – 5’ 4”
Weight (approx.): in kilograms – 60 kg in pounds – 132 lbs
Eye Colour: Black
Hair Colour: Grey
FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS
Family: Father – Jainulabiddin Marakayar (A boat owner and Imam of a local Mosque) Mother – Ashiamma Jainulabiddin (Housewife Brothers – Kasim Mohammed, Mustafa Kamal, Mohammed Muthu Meera Lebbai Maraikayar Sister – Asim Zohra (eldest)
Marital Status: Unmarried
Wife/Spouse: N/A
Children: None
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Awards/Honours: 1981: Padma Bhushan by the Government of India 1990: Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India 1997: Bharat Ratna by the Government of India 1998: Veer Savarkar Award by the Government of India 2007: King Charles II Medal by Royal Society, UK 2009: Hoover Medal by ASME Foundation, USA 2013: Von Braun Award by National Space Society 2014: Doctor of Science by Edinburgh University, UK
MONEY FACTOR
Net Worth: In material terms, the “People’s President” owned 2,500 books, a Veena, a wrist watch, a CD Player, a laptop, 6 shirts, 4 trousers, 3 suits and a pair of shoes, his ancestral house and a small site near the house in Rameswaram.
OTHER INFORMATION
Birth Place: Rameswaram, Ramnad District, Madras Presidency, British India (now in Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu, India
Date of Death: 27 July 2015
Place of Death: Shillong, Meghalaya, India
Death Cause: Cardiac arrest (Stroke)
Resting Place: Pei Karumbu, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India
Hobbies: Playing Veena, Delivering Motivational Lectures, Walking, Listening to Indian Classical Music
Favourite Subject(s): Mathematics, Physics
INTERESTING BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, affectionately known as the “Missile Man of India,” was born into a Tamil Muslim family in the coastal town of Rameswaram. His father, a ferry owner, played a pivotal role in the lives of Hindu pilgrims, who relied on his services to travel between Rameswaram and the now-deserted Dhanushkodi. This family legacy of ferrying pilgrims earned them the title “Mara Kalam iyakkivar,” or wooden boat steerers. However, the family fortune began to wane after the opening of the Pamban Bridge in 1914, which diminished the need for ferry services and led to the gradual loss of their properties. Growing up during the tumultuous years of the Second World War, young Kalam experienced the shadows of conflict as the war drew uncomfortably close to Rameswaram, shaping his worldview.
Kalam’s educational journey was marked by perseverance and a deep thirst for knowledge. Although he was an average student in school, his teachers recognized his bright intellect and hard work. After completing his graduation in Physics from Saint Joseph’s College in Tiruchirappalli, Kalam set his sights on Aerospace Engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology. His time at MIT was not without challenges; during a pivotal senior project, the Dean expressed dissatisfaction with his progress, warning him that his scholarship was at stake unless he met a demanding deadline. Rising to the occasion, Kalam not only completed the project on time but also impressed the Dean, who later admitted that he had purposefully placed him under pressure to test his mettle.
Kalam’s aspirations extended to the skies, as he had dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot. However, his ambitions were thwarted when he placed ninth in the Indian Air Force qualifiers, a narrow miss given the availability of only eight positions. Following his graduation in 1960, Kalam began his professional career at the Aeronautical Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), where he designed a small hovercraft. Yet, his dissatisfaction with the role prompted him to join the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in 1969, where he became the Project Director for India’s first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III). Under his leadership, the SLV-III successfully deployed the “Rohini” satellite into near-earth orbit in July 1980, marking a significant milestone for the nation.
Throughout the 1970s and 1990s, Kalam dedicated himself to the development of missile technology, directing projects such as ‘Project Devil’ and ‘Project Valiant’ aimed at creating ballistic missiles. His unwavering commitment to India’s defense capabilities culminated in the establishment of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) in 1980, where he played a crucial role in the development of various successful missiles, including ‘Agni’ and ‘Prithvi.’ His contributions to the Pokhran-II Nuclear Tests in 1998 further solidified his reputation as one of India’s leading scientists. In 2002, Kalam ascended to the presidency, becoming the 11th President of India and the first scientist to hold the office. Known as the “People’s President,” he endeared himself to citizens by insisting on paying for his meals and refusing any special treatment, choosing instead to engage with the public and focus on his passion for education and innovation.
Kalam’s legacy extends beyond his scientific achievements; he inspired many through his writings and speeches, advocating for a vision of a developed India. Tragically, his life came to an unexpected end on July 27, 2015, while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong. His sudden cardiac arrest left the nation in mourning, prompting widespread tributes and a declaration of state mourning by the Government of India. Laid to rest in his hometown of Rameswaram, his memory lives on through the Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial, inaugurated in 2017, and his enduring influence as a beacon of knowledge and integrity.
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Note: All biographical information compiled from publicly available sources.