History of 27th September- From Antoine to Mihir Sen
Explore the key events from the history of 27th September, from Antoine de Lamothe Cadillac’s imprisonment in 1717 to Mihir Sen’s legendary swim across the English Channel in 1958. Discover notable diplomatic and scientific breakthroughs that shaped history on this day.
Let’s take a stroll down the history of 27th of September, beginning with the year 1717. On this day, Antoine de Lamothe Cadillac, the French founder of Detroit, found himself thrown into the infamous Bastille for daring to speak out against the government and its colonies—rather a sticky wicket for him!
Fast forward to 1779, and we find John Adams, one of the key figures in American history, appointed to negotiate peace terms with Great Britain to bring an end to the Revolutionary War. Quite the diplomatic feather in his cap and an interesting event from the history of 27th September.
Moving ahead with the history of 27th September we come to a more recent event, from the year 2012, when on this day a Japanese team finally cracked the scientific conundrum and produced strong evidence that they had synthesized Element 113. It took nine years, 553 days of beam activity, and a staggering 130 quintillion zinc atoms launched—talk about persistence paying off!
And if that weren’t enough, also on this day in 2012, the Mars Curiosity rover hit the jackpot, discovering evidence of a fast-moving streambed on the Red Planet—a historic breakthrough in the search for Martian water and an event worth mentioning from the history of 27th September.
So there you have it, a quick romp through the noteworthy events from the history of 27th September. Quite a day, wouldn’t you say?
And now we come to the feature story from the history of 27th September.
Mihir Sen: The Unsung Hero Who Dared the Depths
Driven by sheer will and an indomitable spirit, Mihir Sen swam with all the resolve he could muster, faster and smoother than ever before. The date was 27th September 1958, and the waters ahead were both perilous and uninviting—53 kilometres of deep, snake-infested sea, colder than any chill he’d felt. Alone in the vastness, Sen pressed on, stroke after relentless stroke.
What fuelled this extraordinary feat was the certainty that he would be the first Indian to conquer the English Channel. The enormity of the task ahead might have daunted anyone else, but for Sen, the goal was clear—he would not let India down.
As he scythed through the frigid waters, hour upon exhausting hour, Sen couldn’t help but reflect on the journey that had brought him to this pivotal moment. It had started five years ago as nothing more than a dream—a seemingly far-fetched one at that.
A Letter to Nehru: A Glimmer of Hope
Back in 1953, Mihir Sen was a struggling law student in London, barely making ends meet as a clerk at the Indian Embassy. His weekly earnings of five pounds were a pittance, enough to keep body and soul together but not much more.
In a stroke of serendipity, or perhaps pure whimsy, Sen decided to write to none other than the Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. He expressed his deep desire to swim the English Channel, explaining that this was more than just a personal quest—it was a matter of national pride. Not for a moment did he expect a response, but lo and behold, Nehru replied.
The Prime Minister’s words were not only encouraging but also came with a modest government stipend. It was enough to allow Sen to train, though far from enough to afford a coach. Undeterred, Sen taught himself, learning techniques by watching others and reading whatever he could lay his hands on. He perfected the American crawl, the stroke most suited for such a daunting challenge.
By 15th August 1955, the symbolic date of India’s Independence Day, Sen was ready to make his first attempt. Setting off from France to England, the route was known to be more favourable. Sen envisioned this as his personal tribute to India’s struggle for freedom. However, despite coming tantalisingly close to success—just two and a half miles shy of the English coast—fate had other plans. A sudden storm transformed the Channel into a “raging hell,” forcing Sen to abandon the swim.
Seven Attempts, Seven Failures
Over the next three years, Sen made four more attempts, each time thwarted by circumstances beyond his control. By 1958, with five failed attempts behind him, Sen was undeterred. Rather than giving up, he decided to attempt the far tougher feat—swimming from England to France, a direction known to be more grueling due to the currents.
On 6th and 9th September 1958, he tried and failed again. Seven attempts, seven failures—most would have thrown in the towel by then. But not Sen. With the summer season drawing to a close, he decided to give it one last go. On the night of 26th September, he plunged into the icy waters once more.
Victory at Last
After 14 hours and 45 minutes of relentless swimming, Mihir Sen finally staggered onto a deserted section of the French coast. Shivering and utterly exhausted, he had done it. His friend, who had followed him in a small boat, joined him on the shore. Together, they raised the Indian tricolour, singing lines of the national anthem as the English Channel roared behind them.
Back in India, Sen’s achievement took some time to be fully appreciated. Initially, a Reuters report focused on the peculiar fact that he was the first man with a beard to complete the swim in the England-to-France direction—a rather trivial detail considering the magnitude of his accomplishment.
Yet, as the news spread and the scale of what Sen had achieved sank in, he became a national hero. His success was more than just a personal triumph; it became a symbol of what the youth of a newly independent India could achieve with enough determination.
In his own words, penned in the Indian journal Yojana, Sen wrote: “My victory is indeed a victory of the youth of India. If I, in spite of the ignorance of basic swimming skills and the hordes of frustrating handicaps, could conquer the English Channel, my generation in India has nothing to be afraid of. Because if they only DARE, they will also DO!”
A Legacy of Daring
Mihir Sen’s legacy lives on, not just in the annals of Indian swimming, but as a reminder that determination, resilience, and audacity can lead to the unthinkable. His relentless pursuit of the impossible is echoed in the achievements of modern Indian athletes like Neeraj Chopra, who recently remarked, “There is no finish line. The javelin will go just as far as it is thrown.”
Sen’s victory in the Channel swim was more than a physical feat—it was a metaphor for India’s rise, a nation that dared to dream and achieved what many thought impossible. The spirit of Mihir Sen is alive and well today, as Indians continue to push boundaries and break barriers across all fields.
The English Channel may have been conquered in 1958, but the spirit of daring that propelled Sen across it continues to inspire generations.
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