The great scientist and former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam passed away on Monday after suffering a massive heart attack while he was delivering a lecture at Indian Institute of Management in Shillong.
Kalam, who once aspired to become a fighter pilot, studied aerospace engineering and later worked with Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
He had spent 40-years of his life serving DRDO and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
In the year 1960 Kalam started his career with designing helicopters at DRDO for the Indian Army.
He was later transferred to ISRO in the year 1969 where he worked under Vikram Sarabhai, who is known as the father of India’s space programme. Sarabhi played a key role in the establishment of ISRO.
Kalam was invited by Raja Ramanna, a prominent Indian physicist to become a part of the country's first nuclear test, "Smiling Buddha" as a representative of Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL).
Dr Kalam was awarded India’s highest civil honors and many other awards:
Padma Bhusham in 1981
Padma Vibhusham in 1990
Bharat Ratna in 1997
Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration in 1997
Veer Savarkar Award in 1998
Ramanujan Award in 2000
Honorary Doctorate of Science by University of Wolverhampton, UK in 2007
Dr. Abdul Kalam was also an incredible writer and his autobiography, "2020-A vision for the New Millennium" is a self explanary evidence of it.
A few more important writings of Dr Kalam are: Envisioning an Empowered Nation, Ignited Minds, My Journey, Developments in Fluid Mechanics and Space Technology, The Luminous Sparks, The Life Tree, Mission India, Children Ask Kalam, Guiding Souls and Indomitable Spirit and Inspiring Thoughts.