For India, March 4 is a date that can never be forgotten. On this day in 1961, the Indian Navy received its first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. It is also known as India's Bahubali. At that time, INS Vikrant was commissioned in Belfast, United Kingdom, which served the Navy till 1997.

Before being commissioned in India, this aircraft carrier was named HMS Hercules. It was a Majestic class ship, which was used by the Royal British Army. The weight of this ship was more than 16 thousand tons, its length was 700 feet and its width was approximately 128 feet. The maximum speed of this ship was 25 knots which could travel up to 12000 nautical miles. Apart from this, the Asian Games were organized for the first time in Indian history on this day. These games were hosted in New Delhi from 4 to 11 March 1951.

489 players from 11 countries participated

489 players from 11 countries participated in the first Asian Games held in India. Initially, these games were to be held in 1950, but later they were extended by a year. During this period 57 games were organized in which Japan won 60 medals including 24 gold medals. India won 51 medals including 15 gold medals in this sporting event and stood second in the medal tally.

Other major events that happened on March 4

• 1788: Publication of the Calcutta Gazette began, now known as the Gazette of the Government of West Bengal.
• 1801: Thomas Jefferson became the first president to be sworn in in Washington, D.C.
• 1858: British officer J.P. Walker sailed from Calcutta to Andaman and Nicobar with about 200 prisoners, most of whom were accused of the 1857 mutiny.
• 1879: Bethune College was established in Calcutta with the aim of providing higher education to girls, the first women's college outside Britain.
• 1933: Franklin D. Roosevelt takes office as the 32nd President of the United States.
• 1951: The first Asian Games were held in New Delhi.
• 1961: Indian Navy's first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant began service.
• 1975: Silent cinema legend Charlie Chaplin was knighted at the age of 85.
• 1980: Zimbabwe's nationalist leader Robert Mugabe wins a landslide election victory and takes office as the country's first black prime minister.
• 2009: A new version of the BrahMos missile was successfully tested in Pokhran, Rajasthan.
• 2022: Former Australian legendary spinner Shane Warne passed away.
• 2024: Shahbaz Sharif took oath as Prime Minister for the second time in Pakistan.