*Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam,* the most popular President in India’s history, was born on 15 October 1931

*Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam,* the most popular President in India’s history, was born on 15 October 1931 in a small coastal town in what is now Tamil Nadu. An aerospace engineer and scientist before he was appointed to the country’s highest constitutional office, Kalam was closely linked to India’s missile programme. One of the reasons for his popularity, which continued even after his term as President ended in 2007, was the thousands of interactions he has had with school children and college students over the years. ‘People’s President’ and ‘India’s missile man’ are some of the more common labels attached to him.