A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born on October 15, 1931 in Tamil Nadu, India. From an early age Abdul Kalam had to work hard to help his family. He studied at St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirapalli. He got average grades at school but was a hard-working student who loved learning. He obtained a degree in Physics from the University of Madras, and specialized in Aeronautical Engineering from the Madras Institute of Technology. After graduating he started to work as a scientist. During that time he directed many successful space research programmes. He received many awards and wrote several books too. In 2002, Abdul Kalam was elected as the eleventh President of India. He served in that position until 2007. He passed away on July 27, 2015.
Nathasha Wijesinghe,
Grade 9,
Pannala National School.