Rajiv Gandhi

@Former Prime Minister of India, Family and Family

Rajiv Gandhi served as the sixth Prime Minister of India

Aug 20, 1944

AssassinationIndianCambridge UniversityImperial College LondonTrinity College, CambridgeLeadersPrime MinistersLeo Celebrities
Biography

Personal Details

  • Birthday: August 20, 1944
  • Died on: May 21, 1991
  • Nationality: Indian
  • Famous: Former Prime Minister of India, Cambridge University, Imperial College London, Trinity College, Cambridge, Leaders, Prime Ministers
  • Spouses: Sonia Gandhi
  • Known as: Rajiv Ratna Gandhi
  • Childrens: Priyanka Gandhi

Rajiv Gandhi born at

Mumbai

Unsplash
Birth Place

During his college days in London, he fell in love with an Italian girl, named Albina Maino, who later came to be known as Sonia Gandhi. They married in 1968. The couple was blessed with two children, son Rahul Gandhi in 1970 and daughter Priyanka Gandhi in 1972.

Unsplash
Personal Life

He was assassinated by a female suicide bomber on May 21, 1991 at a public meeting in Sriperumbudur. The woman bomber bent down to touch his feet, detonating a belt laden with 700 grams of RDX explosives. The massive explosion took the life of about 25 people including Rajiv Gandhi.

Unsplash
Personal Life

Three days later, on May 24, 1991, he was given a state funeral and later cremated according to Hindu ritual on the banks of the river Yamuna. The site is today known as Vir Bhumi.

Unsplash
Personal Life

Rajiv Gandhi was born in India’s politically affluent family to Feroze Gandhi, member of the Indian National Congress party and editor of the National Herald newspaper, and Indira Gandhi.

Unsplash
Childhood & Early Life

Strained relationship of his parents led to his relocation to Delhi along with his mother and younger brother. It was during this time that his mother contributed significantly in the Indian political scenario, assisting her father Jawaharlal Nehru who was serving as the Prime Minister of the country.

Unsplash
Childhood & Early Life

Academically, he attained his preliminary education from Welhams Boys’ School and The Doon School in Dehradun before moving to London to complete his A levels. He enrolled at the Trinity College Cambridge in 1962 to study engineering. Four years henceforth, he moved out but without a degree.

Unsplash
Childhood & Early Life

Following year, i.e. in 1966, he was offered a seat at Imperial College London, which he took up but a year later dropped out of the same too. Same year, his mother ascended to premiership.

Unsplash
Childhood & Early Life

Upon returning to India, he, unlike his family members, was dispassionate about politics and instead took to working as a professional pilot for Indian Airlines.

Unsplash
Childhood & Early Life

Succumbing to the pressure of the Congress party politicians and his mother, he reluctantly made his entry into the world of politics, a move that earned the wrath from press, public and opposition politicians as they saw his emergence as a forced hereditary participation.

Unsplash
Political Career

Soon, he found himself in the midst of active politics. He acquired significant party influence and became an important political advisor.

Unsplash
Political Career

In 1981, he won Amethi Lok Sabha seat, once held by his brother, by defeating Sharad Yadav.

Unsplash
Political Career

In 1982, he became member of the Asian Games Organizing Committee and played a vital role in successful conduct of the games.

Unsplash
Political Career

In the subsequent years, he was elected as the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee and was chosen as the President of the Youth Congress. Press and public criticized this move as his mother’s effort to groom him for prime ministerialship.

Unsplash
Political Career

In 1991 he was awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously, India’s highest civilian award.

Unsplash
Awards & Achievements