Timeline - Revising History

As the title might suggest, this post has nothing to do with the timeline of your Facebook account. We are dealing with something bigger than Facebook here, we are going back down our own memory lane- not the database of facebook.com. While remembering things, many times we get confused as to what might have been happening exactly at the same time in our Nepali date or the Gregorian date. Do you remember September 11? What were you doing at that time? And as you recall that moment, can you exactly say what was the day or month or year according to the Nepali calendar?
We have two major calendars in Nepal, Bikram Sambat and the international Gregorian calendar. The difference between them is 57 years. That means now it is 2012 AD whereas the Bikram Sambat has flown far ahead- it's 2069BS  right now.

The confusion arises from the use of both calendars and our memories sometimes get deluded. We usually remember days according to one particular calendar and get shocked later on when that date is converted to the other calendar.

For example: The twin towers were attacked on September 11, 2001 and that was 2058BS; exactly five years after the upsurge of the Maoist Revolution (2o52BS).
So here I give you some information I gathered while going down my memory lane.

If you have crossed over any old bridges in Nepal, you will find that most of them have a stereotyped design. It was so because all of them were built under the aid of the British Government. If you ever explore carefully , you will find that they were built in 1903 AD, that means 1960 BS- the time when the Ranas were ruling in Nepal. The bridges are still being used in various parts of Nepal, though the exact construction dates carved on the iron framework might differ slightly. On the other side of the world, exactly in 1903 two brothers from America had invented the aeroplane.

World War started in 1939 AD : that was 1996BS, six years after the Great Earthquake and the publishing of the 14th edition of Muna Madan.

Remember 2007 BS.? That was when the Ranas were overthrown; it was in 1950 AD- Tibet was about to be colonized by China..............1952AD precisely. Cold War had started.

1969 AD? Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon; 2026 BS according to Nepali calendar. Nepal was under the Panchayat Era then.

While the Nepalese were voting between the Panchayat System and Multi-Party System in 2036BS; Pink Floyd members were releasing their hit album The Wall (1979 AD).

Can you believe Michael Jackson had released his multi-platinum album in 2039BS? 1982 AD........Back then, every youth used to grow long hair and wear tight jeans..........remnants of the Hippies who had left the scenario by then.

Gulf War started in 1990 - that was 2047BS. Whenever a plane droned in the horizon  we used to gaze at the smoke trail and wonder what kind of war was going on in Iraq........ Nepal was issuing its first Democratic Constitution after the end of the Panchayat System in 2046 BS.

In 1993, Princess Diana visited Pakhribas. Click here to have a look at the beautiful images. That was two years behind the start of the Maoist Revolution (2052BS).

Okay, so this list keeps on going! I might have missed some major events and their corresponding Gregorian or Nepali dates............................you can convert them yourselves and refresh your memory of the times we lived.