Delhi: Former president APJ Abdul Kalam, died on July 27, 2015 after he collapsed during a lecture in Shillong.


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Following is the life and times of the former president.


- Kalam served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007.


- He was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu and studied physics and aerospace engineering.


- He specialized in aeronautical engineering from Madras Institute of Technology. 


- A major part of his life was spent mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).


- He was involved in the India's civilian space program and military missile development efforts.


- His contribution as project director to develop India's first indigenous satellite launch vehicle (SLV-III) which successfully injected the Rohini satellite in the near earth orbit in July 1980 was significant. 


- He was responsible for the evolution of ISRO's launch vehicle programme, specifically the PSLV configuration. 


- He was known as the Missile Man of India for his work on the development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology.


- He contributed to the development of Agni and Prithvi missiles. 


- He played an pivotal role in India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, the first since the original nuclear test by India in 1974.


- Dr Kalam has served as the principal scientific advisor to the Indian government of India from November 1999 to November 2001. 


- In 2002, Kalam was elected the President of India in 2002 with the support of the both the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress.


- He took up the post of professor, technology and societal transformation at Anna University, Chennai from November 2001.


- Kalam received several prestigious awards including, Padma Bhushan (1981), Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna (1997). 


- A bachelor, the former president was a veena player and was deeply interested in Carnatic music. He was vegetarian all his life.


- The books that he wrote are: 'Wings of Fire', 'India 2020 - A Vision for the New Millennium', 'My journey' and 'Ignited Minds - Unleashing the power within India'. They have been translated in many Indian languages.