A.P.J Abdul Kalam was born in 1931 in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu to Jainulabdeen Marakayar and Ashiamma Jainulabdeen. He received secondary education at the Schwartz School in Ramanathapuram. Kalam began his career by designing a helicopter for the Indian army and later served as the project director for India's first satellite launch vehicle SLV-III. He leads a remarkably ascetic life, working 18 hours a day while following a spiritual routine of reading the Bhagavad Gita and playing the Rudra Veena instrument.