Rajiv Gandhi or Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was born on 20th August 1944 in Bombay. He was born to Feroz Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. He was the 7th Prime Minister of India serving from 1984 to 1989. He studied in Trinity College, Cambridge Imperial College London. On the day Indira Gandhi was assassinated Rajiv Gandhi was announced as the Next Prime Minister even with the likes of Experienced Pranab Mukherjee and PV Narasimha Rao. After his brother Sanjay Gandhi’s Death in Aeroplane Crash he Entered the Politics.
On his 71st Birth Anniversary we present you 11 known Facts about Rajiv Gandhi
1. Rajiv Gandhi was named after his Maternal Grandmother Kamala Nehru.
Kamala Refers to Godess Lakshmi and Rajiv means Lotus
2. At the Age of 40, Rajiv Gandhi became the Youngest Prime Minister of India
3. Rajiv Gandhi met and dated Antonia Maino ( changed to Sonia Gandhi later) an Italian waitress during his college in UK
4. After his college Rajiv Gandhi returned to India in 1966 and Become Professional Pilot For Indian Airlines
5. Rajiv Gandhi remained apolitical till his Brother Sanjay Gandhi’s Death in 1980
6. After his Brother’s Death he contested in Amethi and was elected to Lok Sabha for the First Time in 1981.
7. In 1982 Rajiv Gandhi was made a General Secretary of Congress and handed over the Major Responsibility of Asian Games which helped him in grooming as a Politician.
8. Rajiv Gandhi has led his Party to a Landslide victory of winning 411 Seats of total 542 Seats with the Sympathy of his Mother’s Assassination
9. During the Election Campaign Rajiv Gandhi Travelled a Distance equal to one and half times the Circumference of Earth, meeting Millions Face to Face and Delivering 250 Speeches.
10. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a Public Meeting held on 21 May 1991 in Sriperumbudur in Chennai
11. Rajiv Gandhi was posthumously Awarded with Country’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1991, by the Indian government.
Sonia Gandhi Receiving Bharat Ratna on behalf of her Late Husband Rajiv Gandhi.