On This Day

Abhinav Bindra wins the men's 10 m air rifle at the Beijing Olympics, achieving the first individual Olympic gold medal

Abhinav Bindra wins the men's 10 m air rifle at the Beijing Olympics, achieving the first individual Olympic gold medal for India and the country's first gold medal in any Olympic event since 1980

Abhinav Bindra is an Indian former sport shooter and a businessman. He is an Olympic gold medalist as well as the first and one of only two Indians to win an individual Olympic gold medal. Bindra is also the first Indian to have held concurrently the World and Olympic titles for the men's 10-metre air rifle event, having earned those honours at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2006 World Championships. Bindra has won seven medals at the Commonwealth Games and three medals at the Asian Games.

With more than 150 medals in his 22-year career, he is the recipient of the Padma Bhushan from the Government of India and is one of the top influencers of sport policy in the country.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Bindra finished fourth in the finals of the 10-metre air rifle event.

Historical Significance

Abhinav Bindra is an Indian former sport shooter and a businessman.

Events Before

  1. Adam Air Flight 574 disappears over Indonesia with 102 people on board

    Adam Air Flight 574 disappears over Indonesia with 102 people on board

  2. Bulgarian, Romanian, and Irish become official languages of the European Union, joining 20 other official languages

    On 1 January 2007, Bulgaria and Romania became member states of the European Union (EU) in the fifth wave of EU enlargement. Bulgaria and Romania did not have a referendum related to European Union…

  3. The 110th United States Congress convenes and elects Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House

    Nancy Patricia Pelosi ( pə-LOH-see; née D'Alesandro; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who was the 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 2007 to 2011...

  4. Apple CEO Steve Jobs announces the iPhone

    Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American businessman, co-inventor, and investor.

  5. "Married ... With Children" actor David Faustino (32) divorces actress Andrea Elmer Faustino (31) due to irreconcilable

    "Married ... With Children" actor David Faustino (32) divorces actress Andrea Elmer Faustino (31) due to irreconcilable differences after 3 years of marriage

Events After

  1. 67 people die and 222 are injured in a nightclub fire at Santika Club in Bangkok, Thailand

    A fireworks accident and nightclub fire occurred on 1 January 2009 in the Santika Club in Ekkamai, Watthana, Bangkok, where New Year celebrations were taking place.

  2. Cristiano Ronaldo is awarded the FIFA World Player of the Year for the first time at a ceremony in Zürich

    Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, nicknamed CR7, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team.

  3. Chesley Sullenberger lands US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in NY

    Chesley Sullenberger lands US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in NYC. All passengers and crew survive in what becomes known as the "Miracle on the Hudson."

  4. Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the

    Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the office. Joe Biden becomes the 47th Vice President.

  5. International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes ag

    International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, becoming the first sitting head of state to be indicted

More from the 2000s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 11, 2008?
Abhinav Bindra is an Indian former sport shooter and a businessman. He is an Olympic gold medalist as well as the first and one of only two Indians to win an individual Olympic gold medal. Bindra is also the first Indian to have held concurrently the World and Olympic titles for the men's 10-metre air rifle event, having earned those honours at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2006 World Championships.
Why is Abhinav Bindra wins the men's 10 m air rifle at the Beijing Olympics, achievi... significant?
Abhinav Bindra is an Indian former sport shooter and a businessman.

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