Video Games Day celebrates popular video games that stormed onto the market, and changed the way your kids play games. From Atari to Nintendo to Xbox, video games provide all too many hours of playing time on your television set.
In grandma and grandpa's day, they had stick horses for toys and playtime. Todays kids (big kids and little kids) have an enormous array of video games to play. Before you get tired of one game, another one hits the market. 
Our extensive research into this special day discovered two separately distinct dates. Also, both dates for this special day refer to it as Video Games Day and National Video Games Day. Based upon our research results, we give the edge to September 12th as National Video Games Day. Lucky gamer that you are, you get to celebrate two video games days.
Celebrate  National Video Games Day by playing video games. If you are off from school (or if you are a big kid off from work), make this a marathon day for video games. Better still, invite a few friends and hold a competition. Just make certain that you have enough controllers.


The United Nations’ (UN) International Youth Day is celebrated on August 12 each year to recognize efforts of the world’s youth in enhancing global society. It also aims to promote ways to engage them in becoming more actively involved in making positive contributions to their communities.




International Youth Day is a time to think about the different problems and challenges that face young people across the globe, such as malnutrition and disease. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about the state of young people in each country.


In 1999, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared August 12th to be International Youth Day through resolution 54/120. Their hope was that people would organize activities on this day that would educate the public about issues that involve youth. They also wanted to promote the World Programme of Action for Youth, created in 1995 to find solutions to these situations.
World Population Day is an annual event, observed on July 11, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989.
This day seeks to raise public awareness about global population issues and to empower societies to achieve a better future.
Good trivia questions about the world's population are not hard to come by. For example, did you know that the Population Reference Bureau estimates that the total number of people who have ever lived is approximately 110 billion? Or that a new baby is born every 4.2 seconds?
You can celebrate World Population Day by becoming more aware of global issues such as hunger and poverty, or by donating to charities across the world. Today is a day to think about others.

World Photography Day celebrated on August 19 each year is about remembering how special a photo can be. We may take our photographs for granted but the next time we go through our photographs, we realize that those precious moments cannot again be captured, only shared, and with precious memories and feelings that only photographs can convey.


Early cave paintings show that man has always wanted to record himself, his activities, and the environment around him. Painters of great renown have abounded through the centuries and have left remarkable visual histories of our journey through time. While the camera was not invented until the 19th century, the basic elements of a camera had been known for hundreds of years.
As early as the 1400’s it was documented that inserting a lens in a hole would produce a crisper, clearer image. The technology which was known as “camera obscura” was used by artists to sketch objects more quickly. In 1847, the first ever photograph was taken by Joseph Niepce. A few years later, Louis Daguerre, a Frenchman painter for the Opera, experimented with various methods to try and secure a permanent image.

The credibility of Mitsubishi cars has been a long standing one. Fêted as one of the preeminent automaker companies to evolve in Japan, the history of Mitsubishi stretches as far as 1917, much ahead of the inception of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation back in the year 1970. The first substantial milepost for Mitsubishi that laid grounds for its epoch making success was the seven-passenger sedan, Model-A, which rolled off the assembly line in 1917. Held as pioneers of car innovation, today Mitsubishi cars are coveted for their reliability, efficiency, style and pure sophistication. Mitsubishi Motors has outclassed most other automakers today with their impressive lineup of auto cars, which extends from mini cars to heavy-duty trucks, SUVs, buses and other specialized commercial vehicles. Mitsubishi shared a three decade long alliance with movie star Jackie Chan, who used their vehicles in his movies throughout his career. To know more about origin and background of Mitsubishi, read on.


Interesting & Amazing Information On Origin & Background Of Mitsubishi 


The history of Mitsubishi, one of the leading automakers in Japan, extends itself to the year 1917, when it came out with its first series-production automobile, Model-A. Since then, it has been an uphill ride for the Japanese automakers. Over the past few decades, Mitsubishi has gained ground primarily as an innovator and developed amongst others, Japan’s first diesel engine, its first large-sized bus, its first four-wheel drive passenger car prototype and its first diesel-powered truck. Meaning ‘three diamonds’ in Japanese, Mitsubishi was launched by Yataro Iwasaki, a descendant of samurais, in the early 1870s. This company was primarily concerned with ships, mining and repairing and established itself as a ship and vehicle producing company with World War II.


It was, however, only in 1960 that Mitsubishi came out with its compact Mitsubishi 500 that initiated its ingress into the extensive domain of producing passenger vehicles. During this time, Mitsubishi came up with other light passenger vehicles like the 360 Van and 360 Pickup. The company also made its presence felt on the racetrack during this decade, bagging honors in Japan's Grand Prix. In the year 1970, Mitsubishi spun off its own independent automobile wing with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. Though this automobile company was quick to hit the American shores with Colt, that sold itself under the name of Dodge marquee, Mitsubishi won independent status as carmakers in America only in 1982. By then, Mitsubishi had already gained grounds with its stupendous auto production and added to its feat, cars like the Galant and the Lancer.


Though a renowned brand, Mitsubishi kicked off globally and reached the zenith of popularity with the launch of the sport-oriented Eclipse and 3000GT in the U.S. and the turbocharged Lancer Evolution in other parts of the world. The popularity and success escalated further when Chrysler bought stakes in Mitsubishi and started exploiting the company further. Mitsubishi's partnership with DaimlerChrysler continued for a few years, before it was financially terminated by 2003. However, the new millennium failed to prove productive for this Japanese carmaker, as the company lost its glory and charm, thanks to the dipping quality. Mitsubishi since then have strived hard to keep up to its good name, streamlining its vehicle roster and improving quality. 

Audi AG is a German automaker that produces luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany, Audi is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group since 1964. The name Audi has been given on the surname of its founder, August Horch. The name Horch is an English cognate with the English word ‘hark’, symbolizing ‘listen’, which becomes ‘Audi’ when translated into Latin. Also, the logo of Audi, the ‘Four Rings’ symbolizes the merger of the four independent motor-vehicle manufacturers, Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer. The Audi vehicles offer topmost levels of luxury and performance that meet and exceed other coveted brands. Read on further to know more interesting and amazing information on the history, origin and background of Audi.


Interesting & Amazing Information On Origin & Background Of Audi 


Audi was first established as Horch & Co. in 1899, by August Horch. The first car was invented in 1901 with the support from 15 fellow workers of Horch. However, Horch was forced to leave the company in 1909, due to problems with the commercial management, which led him to set up another company, using the Horch brand. However, he was barred from using the name, Horch, as it belonged to his former company. It was, then, that the name Audi was conceived. The company, Audi Automobilwerke GmbH was registered in 1910. With this came the first Audi automobile, the Audi Type A 10/22 hp Sport-Phaeton. Other models built included a 2612 cc (2.6 litre) four cylinder model, 3564 cc (3.6 litre) model, 4680 cc (4.7 litre) and 5720 cc (5.7 litre). All these cars were immediate hits and were successful at sporting events as well.


August Horch left Audi in 1920 yet again, only to secure a higher position in the ministry of transport. However, he remained an active member in the board of trustees of Audi. In September 1921, Audi became the first German car manufacturer to produce a car with left-handed drive, the Audi Type K. The left-hand drive became popular, since it provided a better view of the oncoming traffic, allowing safe overtake of the cars. Audi cars at that time were considered to be luxurious cars equipped with special bodywork. In 1924, the company introduced the first six cylinder model, 4655 cc (4.7 litre) in the market. Audi merged with Horch, DKW and Wanderer in 1932 to form Auto Union. With this merger, the company launched the first European car with a six cylinder engine and front-wheel drive, the Audi Front.


With the onset of World War II, the Auto Union plants were retooled for military production. However, heavy bombing during the war severely damaged the plants. Eventually, the Auto Union AG of Chemnitz was deleted from the commercial register. In September 1949, a new Auto Union was launched with headquarters in West German, Ingolstadt, Bavaria. The company continued producing cars, following DKW’s tradition of front-wheel drive vehicles with two-stroke engines. Daimler-Benz took an 87% share in the Auto Union Company in 1958 and increased it to a complete 100% in 1959. During this time, Auto Union was facing a slack period, as the company's aging model range did not stand up to face its competitor manufacturers, Volkswagen and Opel.


In 1964, Volkswagen acquired a 50% holding in Auto Union including the new factory in Ingolstadt and trademark rights of the Auto Union. 18 months later, Volkswagen took complete control of Ingolstadt. During the 1960s, customers were more attracted towards smoother four-stroke engines and hence, DKW was dumped by Volkswagen, because it focused on two-stroke engines. Nonetheless, before it was dumped out from the group, DKW had produced F102, a four-stroke engine in 1965. Developments were made to this model and were named according to their horsepower ratings. They were thus sold as Audi 60, 75, 80 and Super 90, till 1972.


Auto Union merged with NSU, world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles, in 1969 and hence, was renamed as Audi NSU Auto Union AG. With this merger, Audi emerged as a separate brand. It was then that the Audi brand was introduced to the United States. The first car of this merger was the Audi 100, which was soon followed by the Audi 80/Fox in 1972 and Audi 50 in 1974. An Audi performance and rally racing car was launched in 1980, named as Audi Quattro, a turbocharged coupe. In 1985, the company’s official name was shortened to Audi AG. The same year, Audi sold 74,061 cars in the United States. The company, then, presented a new model in the premium segment, the Audi A8, its first production with all-aluminum body, in 1994. A new naming process was also introduced for the Audi models. Hence, the Audi A8 was known as A4 and the Audi 100 was called A6.


Sales increased drastically from 653,000 in 2000 to 1,003,000 in 2008, largest sales taking place in the Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The new Audi A4 was released in 2003, while the new Audi A6 was launched in 2004. Though Audi did struggle with safety issues, it managed to resolve them with a redesign of foot pedal placement. In the present era, the German manufacturer has managed to distinguish itself with its superbly crafted interiors and excellent performance and is proving to be a strong competitor for the premium luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Audi, today, can be very well described as a symphony of luxury and ergonomic design.

Rolls-Royce is well-known for making British aircraft engines. Since its inception, the company has been synonymous with integrity, reliability and innovation. Rolls-Royce is associated with four main business sectors: civil aerospace, defense aerospace, marine and energy. It is the world’s second largest civil aero engine company and defense aero engine company. The company is also a global leader in marine propulsion and a leading supplier of energy solutions. Rolls-Royce has also been engaged in performing various air shows across the world, the main being Paris Air Show and Dubai Air Show. Read through the following lines to know more interesting and amazing information on the history, origin and background of Rolls-Royce.


Interesting & Amazing Information On Origin & Background Of Rolls Royce 


Rolls-Royce is the outcome of the electrical and mechanical business that was established by Henry Royce in 1884. The first motor car was built in 1904 by Royce. In the same year, Royce met Charles Rolls who sold good quality cars in London. Both Rolls and Royce agreed upon manufacturing a large range of cars under the name CS Rolls & Co. The cars so manufactured were highly successful, which lead to the formation of Rolls-Royce Ltd. in March 1906. The same year saw the launching of six-cylinder Silver Ghost, which was declared as “the best car in the world” in the following year.



On the onset of World War I, Royce designed his first aero engine titled ‘The Eagle’ as per the country’s requirements. The engine powered the first direct transatlantic flight and the first flight from England to Australia. In the late 1920s, Rolls-Royce developed the ‘R’ engine that powered Britain’s entry into the International Schneider Trophy seaplane contest. The contest saw the engine establishing a new record for air speed of over 400 mph in 1931. Eventually, the engine made new world records on both water and land. During the last years of life, Royce designed a Merlin aero engine that was launched in 1935, after his death in 1933. The Merlin was capable of powering the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire in the Battle of Britain.


Highly successful, the demand for Merlin in the World War II transformed the fate of Rolls-Royce, from being a small company to a major contender for aero propulsion. In 1944, Rolls-Royce started developing aero gas turbine that was pioneered by Sir Frank Whittle. After the great success of the engine, Rolls-Royce committed itself to producing only gas turbines. Other major engine manufacturers in Britain during the war were Armstrong Siddeley, Blackburn, Bristol, de Havilland and Napier. Bristol was the leader among these and in 1959, it merged with Armstrong Siddeley, motor car and aero-engine making company. Eventually, in 1961, the other three companies too were absorbed by Bristol Siddeley and Rolls-Royce. In 1966, both Rolls-Royce and Bristol Siddeley merged together to become a single aero-engine industry in Britain.


The late 1960s saw the emerging of widebody liners. Seeing to the requirement, Rolls-Royce launched the RB211 for the Lockheed L-1011 Tri-Star. However, initial problems with RB211 led to the company being taken into state ownership, eventually separating the motor car business in 1973. After undergoing a number of mergers and acquisitions, Rolls-Royce came up as the only British company to deliver power for use in air, at sea and on land. In 1990, Rolls-Royce ventured with BMW of Germany. The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was sold by Vickers to Volkswagen in 1998 though BMW held rights to the name. In 2003, BMW took over the responsibility for Rolls-Royce cars. The company is, today, known as Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG.



Hyundai Motor Company is a Korean automaker, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. A Korean word which stands for “modernity”, Hyundai Motor is a division of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group that manages Kia Motors as well. The company’s slogan reads as “Drive your way”, while the logo is a slanted, stylized “H”, symbolizing the company shaking hands with its customer. A relative newcomer to the automobile industry, Hyundai has, nonetheless, grown to become one of the world’s largest car makers in just over three decades. Though there had been numerous obstacles, the company overcame all the odds and earned global recognition for the advanced technology and excellent quality. The company has been continuously pressing ahead to achieve its goals of ranking amongst the world’s elite automakers. Read on further to know some interesting and amazing information on the history, origin and background of Hyundai.


Interesting & Amazing Information On Origin & Background Of Hyundai 


Hyundai Motor Company was founded by Chung Ju-Yung in 1947, as Hyundai Engineering and Constructions Company. The company was later established as Hyundai Motor Company in 1967. Cortina was the first model released by Hyundai, in collaboration with Ford Motor Company, in 1968. In 1975, Hyundai launched its first domestic car, Pony, which was powered by Japan’s Mitsubishi engines. The company started exporting cars to Ecuador, in the following year and then followed with exports to the Benelux countries (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg). Pony was exported to Canada also where it surpassed expectations and became the top-selling car in the Canadian market.


Hyundai entered the United States in 1986, with its subcompact Excel. The car was an immediate hit with more than 100,000 Excels being sold in just seven months. The model was adjudged as the “Best Product #10” by Fortune magazine, due to its supreme affordability. The year 1988 was a big turnover for Hyundai, as it started producing cars with its own technology, the first being midsize Sonata. However, Hyundai’s nascent image was tarnished due to the vehicles’ poor durability and reliability. Sales dropped drastically resulting in its disappearance from the American market, in the 1990s. The company, then, invested heavily in new product designs and improved the overall quality and reliability of the cars.


Hyundai Motors India Limited was established in 1996 in Irrungattukotai near Chennai with an assembly plant as well. In 1999, the ownership was transferred to Chung Ju-Yung’s son, Chung Mong Koo. Hyundai bought Kia Motors in 1998 and two years later partnered with Daimler Chrysler to create the Daimler-Hyundai Truck Corporation. However, Chrysler bowed out in 2004 due to financial difficulties. After Chung Ju-Yung’s death in 2001, Hyundai was divided into three separate companies: Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Motor Group and Hyundai Engineering and Construction. All the three companies have been competing successfully in the global marketplace till date.


In a survey by J.D. Power and Associates in 2006, Hyundai was placed third, after Porsche and Lexus and ahead of arch-rival Toyota, in terms of overall quality. Since then, this motor company has been producing cars and sports utility vehicles, providing customers a high level of content and performance, at an affordable price. Today, Hyundai vehicles are sold in 193 countries with as many as 6,000 dealerships and showrooms worldwide. Currently, Hyundai is the largest automaker in the world in terms of profit, world’s fourth largest automaker by the number of units sold and the fastest growing automaker in the world. The company also operates the world’s largest integrated automobile manufacturing facility in Ulsan, capable of producing approximately 1.6 million units annually.


What started off as a humble beginning, today, has resulted in a giant sized automobile company, with its manufacturing units in North America, China, Czech Republic, Pakistan, India and Turkey and research and development centers in Europe, Asia, North America and the Pacific Rim. Hyundai has made records with successful sales of sporty Tiburon Coupe (1996 through 2008), Tucson SUV (2004-present) and Entourage minivan (2007-present). The Genesis Coupe sports car debuted in 2009, while Santa Fe Crossover was released in 2001, which was lengthened to mid-size range in 2007.The company  launch the Sonata hybrid in 2010.





Basketball is a very popular sport, comprising of two teams. Each of the teams has five members and competes against each other for scoring points, by passing the ball through a 10 feet (3 m) high hoop. The team with the maximum points, at the end of the game, wins. Talking about the origin of basketball, the game came into being as far back as the year 1891. Since then, it has evolved to consist of common techniques of shooting, passing and dribbling. If you want to explore some interesting information on the background of basketball, read on.




History of Basketball



It was in the year 1891 that Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian physical education student and instructor at YMCA Training School (now Springfield College) started looking for an energetic indoor game. The purpose of the game was to keep the students in shape, even during the winter months, when they were unable to indulge in any major outdoor physical activity. One day, an idea struck him and he pegged a peach basket on a 10-foot (3.05 m) elevated track. At the same time, he wrote some basic rules for the game and called it ‘basket ball’.




Initially, the basket retained it bottom and the ball had to be retrieved after making a goal. However, with time, as some inconvenience was noted, a hole was made at the bottom of the basket. Till 1906, peach baskets continued to be used and finally, were replaced by metal hoops with backboards. Soon, some more changes were made to the hoop and ultimately, it evolved to the one we see today. The first official basketball game was played in the YMCA gymnasium, on 20th January 1892, with nine players.




It was by 1897-1898 that a team of five members became a usual practice. The entry of women into basketball was noticed around 1892, at Smith College. It was Senda Berenson, a physical education teacher, who modified Naismith's rules and paved way for women’s basketball. She also played a major role in organizing the first women’s collegiate basketball game, on 21st March 1893. With time, basketball spread throughout USA and Canada. By 1895, the game was being played at several women's high schools.




The first intercollegiate women's game was played in April 1896. The year 1901 saw Berenson becoming the editor of A.G. Spalding’s first Women's Basketball Guide. By early-1900s, frequent injuries started to occur during men’s basketball games. This prompted President Roosevelt to suggest the formation of a governing body for college basketball. The result was the creation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS), which was later (1910) renamed as National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).




Amateur sports clubs, colleges and professional clubs for basketball started opening. In the years before World War I, the Amateur Athletic Union and the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States competed for control over the rules of the game. The first men's national championship tournament, the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball tournament was organized in 1937. The next year saw the first national championship for NCAA teams, the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in New York, being organized.




National Basketball Association



In 1946, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) was formed. Its main aim was to organize top professional teams and thus, promote the popularity of the professional game. The first game, under the association, was played in November 1946, in Toronto, Ontario. The two teams were those of the Toronto Huskies and New York Knickerbockers. Basketball Association of America became National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949 and today, it is the top professional basketball league in the world




International Basketball



The International Basketball Federation was formed in 1932. The eight founding nations of the federation included Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania and Switzerland. Since the federation started with only amateur players; its acronym was FIBA, with ‘A’ standing for amateur. Basketball made its entry into Olympic Games only in the year 1936. The first final was won by United States, after defeating Canada.




In 1950, the first FIBA World Championship for men was held in Argentina. The first FIBA World Championship for Women was organized three years after the men’s one i.e. in 1953, in Chile. Women's basketball was added to the Olympics in the year 1976. It was in the year 1992 that professional players were introduced in Olympic Games, after FIBA dropped the distinction between them and amateurs. Today, basketball has become one of the most popular games, played worldwide.