A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in full Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
Born October 15, 1931, Rameswaram, India—Died July 27, 2015, Shillong
Indian scientist and politician who played a leading role in the development of India’s missile and nuclear weapons programs.
APJ Abdul Kalam was president of India from 2002 to 2007.
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was an Indian aerospace scientist who served as the 11th president of India from 2002 to 2007.
1st Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India
Kalam earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from the Madras Institute of Technology and in 1958
In 1969 he moved to the Indian Space Research Organisation, where he was project director of the SLV-III, the first satellite launch vehicle
Kalam planned the program that produced a number of successful missiles, which helped earn him the nickname “Missile Man.”
Among those successes was Agni, India’s first intermediate-range ballistic missile, which incorporated aspects of the SLV-III and was launched in 1989.
From 1992 to 1997 Kalam was scientific adviser to the defense minister, and he later served as principal scientific adviser (1999–2001) to the government with the rank of cabinet minister.