| Original Name | Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam |
| Profession | Scientist |
| Date of Birth | October 15, 1931 |
| Mother Tongue | Tamil |
| Home Town | Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram district |
| Titles | Indian Missile Man,India’s ‘Father of Missile Technology’, 200% Indian, Gandhian Missile Man |
| Schooling | ‘Samiyar’ school in Rameswaram, and Schwartz School in Ramnathapuram town |
| College | St. Joseph College, Trichi for BSc degree. |
| Education | DMIT in Aeronautical Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology (1954-57) |
| Father | Jainulabdeen Marakayar |
| Mother | Ashiamma |
| Achievments | Missiles – Prithvi, Trishul, Akash, Nag, and Agni Nuclear Tests |
| His Inspiration | Mahatma Gandhi |
| Favourite author | Subramania Bharathi |
| Special talent | He plays Veena |
| Auto Biography | Wings of Fire |
| Popular quote from his poem | “Dreams float on an impatient wind, A wind that wants to create a new order. An order of strength and thundering of fire.” |
| His Vision for India | Freedom, Development and Self-Reliance |
| Awards | Padma Bhusan (1981), the Padma Vibhushan (1990), the Bharat Ratna (1997). |
| Assignment abroad | 1963-64 in the United States at the Wallops Island Rocketry Centre and the Langley Research Centre. |
| Hobbies | Reading |
| Other facts | * He recites the Quran and the Bhagwad Gita with equal devotion *He is a vegetarian * Jadavpur University conferred him the honor of Doctor of Science in 1990 * Received an honorary degree of Doctor of Science from IIT, Mumbai in 1991 * Kalam was the first graduate in the family * He is a bachelor |
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