Encyclopaedist Nagendranath Basu was born on this day.
Basu was an official surveyor of Orissa government. Located in Mayurbhanj district, he took part in many expeditions. He donated a huge collection of manuscripts, coins and inscriptions to Bangiya Sahitya Parishad and Calcutta University. He edited several journals and books, many of which were old Bengali literary texts. He also compiled an English to Bengali dictionary called Shabdendu Mahakosh. He was a member of The Asiatic Society.
Basu became well-known as the compiler of one of the most detailed encyclopaedias in Bengali at that time, titled Bangla Bishwakosh. Its first volume was produced with the help of writer Trailokyanath Mukhopadhyay and his brother, Rangalal. The remaining 23 volumes were compiled by Basu. Later, Hindi editions of the encyclopaedia were published.
Basu also compiled a history of Bengali families, based on kulapanjikas (traditional genealogies), though later this was criticised for being based on sources that were not historical.