 With the opening of the Pamban Bridge to the mainland in 1914, however, the businesses failed and the family fortune and properties were lost over time, apart from the ancestral home.By his early childhood, Kalam's family had become poor; at an early age, he sold newspapers to supplement his family's income.In his school years, Kalam had average grades but was described as a bright and hardworking student who had a strong desire to learn.