World Students’ Day is a holiday that’s observed annually on the 15th of October. This day commemorates the birthday of Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, the former President of India. Abdul Kalam took office on July 18th, 2002, and became extremely popular during his 5-year tenure.

He was so beloved that he was even called the “People’s President.” This holiday is observed on his birthday every year because he was a dedicated teacher and identified himself in that role before anything else. It’s for this reason that this holiday is observed at schools and other educational facilities all across India.

The History of World Students’ Day

On October 15th, 1931, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was born to a Tamil Muslim family on Pamban Island, India. He graduated from Saint Joseph’s College with a degree in physics and from the Madras Institute of Technology, where he studied aerospace engineering. In the 1990s, he became India’s most famous nuclear scientist.

On July 18th, 2002, he became the 11th President of the Republic of India. During his five-year tenure, he became known as the “People’s President.” After his presidency, he lectured at institutions of higher learning and even became a guest professor. He received honorary doctorates from over 40 universities. On July 27, 2015, he died from a cardiac arrest at Bethany Hospital.

Facts About APJ Abdul Kalam

Although this day is now celebrated in honor of students and is observed by schools and communities all over India and around the world, we think that it’s worth mentioning some facts about APJ Abdul Kalam that people might not know.

We discovered the following facts while researching this holiday and think that our readers will find the information to be not only educational but entertaining as well.

• He was India’s first president who was not only a vegetarian but also a bachelor.
• He received honorary degrees from 48 different universities.
• He was not only awarded the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan civilian awards but also received the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India.
• His autobiography, Wings of Fire: An Autobiography, was first published in English and would later be translated into 13 different languages.

Observing World Students’ Day

On this day, students across India, and now in other countries around the planet, gather on campus, engage in competitions, and work on acts that reinforce their social responsibility. People also use the hashtag #WorldStudentsDay to spread the word about this holiday online.