Remembering APJ Abdul Kalam on His 91st Birthday! Famous Quotes & Facts About the 'Missile Man'

The 11^th President of India was an aerospace scientist, a respected youth icon, and regarded as the ‘People’s President. His contributions and achievements have no comparison both as a scientist and as president.

He has left his footprints with the immense contributions he made for the development of the country not only in the field of science but also in literature, language, and philosophy.

Dr. Kalam was awarded Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan in the year 1981 and 1990 respectively, and Bharat Ratna in 1997 for his work in science and politics.

Some popular quotes by Dr. Abdul Kalam

An inspiration to many, Dr. Kalam has often spoken to children and the country’s youth, inspiring them to think big in life. Here are some of his inspiring quotes.

• "To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotion to your goal."

• “Don’t take rest after your first victory because if you fail in the second, more lips are waiting to say that your first victory was just luck.”

• "Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough."

• "If you fail, never give up because FAIL means "First Attempt in Learning".

• "Dream, dream, dream. Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action."

• “Creativity is seeing the same thing but thinking differently.”

• "All of us do not have equal talent. But, all of us have an equal opportunity to develop our talents."

Some Interesting facts about the Missile Man of India

• His full name was Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam.

• Jainulabudeen Kalam, the father of Kalam, was a local boat owner and imam. Although the former President's ancestors were wealthy, their fortunes were lost as a result of business failures, forcing him to take on odd jobs.

• APJ Abdul Kalam was India’s first ‘Bachelor President’ and was also a vegetarian.

• He got doctorates from 48 universities throughout his lifetime, including the University of Edinburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University.

• Wings of Fire, the autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam, was initially released in English, but due to its success and the public's demand for his life's story, it was later translated into 13 languages, including French and Chinese. Six biographies have also been written on him.

• Kalam significantly improved India's nuclear arsenal. The Pokhran -2 nuclear tests (in 1998) were successful due to his organizational and technical support.

Many celebrities and political leaders took to Twitter to honor and wish Dr. Kalam on his 91st birth anniversary.