V. K. Krishna Menon - Politician, Family and Childhood
V. K. Krishna Menon's Personal Details
Statesman and diplomat V.K
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | May 3, 1896 |
| Died on | October 6, 1974 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Famous | University College London, Leaders, Political Leaders, Diplomats, Politician |
| Known as | Vengalil Krishnan Krishna Menon |
| Universities |
|
| Notable Alumnis |
|
| Birth Place | Kozhikode, Kerala |
| Gender | Male |
| Sun Sign | Taurus |
| Born in | Kozhikode, Kerala |
| Famous as | Indian Politician |
| Died at Age | 78 |
// Famous Politician
Sebastian Coe
Sebastian Coe is a British former track and field athlete turned politician. This biography of Sebastian Coe provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
Stephen Lewis
Stephen Lewis is a Canadian politician, broadcaster, diplomat and professor. This biography profiles his childhood, career, works, life, achievements and timeline.
Oswald Mosley
Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley was a British politician known for his pro-fascist beliefs. This biography profiles his childhood, family, personal life, opinions, career, etc.
V. K. Krishna Menon's photo
Who is V. K. Krishna Menon?
Brilliant, astute, and point blank, V.K. Krishna Menon was undoubtedly one of the most successful yet aggressive diplomats and statesmen from India. He served at several top positions as the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s close political confidante. The power he held was so immense that it is no surprise that the ‘Time’ magazine called him the second most powerful man in India, after the then Prime Minister Nehru himself! Such was the power he commanded. He was very outspoken and did not think twice before uttering politically incorrect comments if he felt he was right. He was often seen as a bold champion for India in the Western world where he left no opportunity to speak up and defend his motherland. A highly intelligent and hard working man, he had served as India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and as the country’s Defence Minister. As a young man he had been an active participant in India’s independence movement and had launched the India League in London to garner support for the cause. A headstrong person deeply devoted to his country, he dedicated his entire life to the services of the nation.
// Famous University College London
Pietro Boselli
Pietro Boselli is an Italian model, engineer, teacher, and fitness athlete who became famous as the ‘world’s sexiest math teacher’. Check out this biography to know about his birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.
David Attenborough
Sir David Attenborough is an English broadcaster and naturalist. This biography offers detailed information about his childhood, life, works, achievements, trivia and timeline.
Robert Browning
Robert Browning was a famous English poet and playwright. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and other facts about his life.
Childhood & Early Life
He was born into a wealthy and influential family in Kerala. His father, Komath Krishna Kurup was a very famous and rich lawyer; his mother too hailed from a reputed and wealthy family.
He was sent to Zamorin’s College in Kozhikode to receive his early education. After that he went to Presidency College, Chennai from where he graduated with a B.A. in History and Economics in 1918.
He then went to Madras Law College where he became involved in theosophy. His acquaintance with Annie Besant led to his association with the “Brothers of Service” founded by Annie Besant.
In 1924, Annie Besant helped him to go to London for his higher studies at the University College, London after which he went to the London School of Economics.
He earned an M.A. in Psychology with First Class Honours in 1930 and completed his MSc in Political Science in 1934.
Career
He began his career in the 1930s as an editor for ‘Bodley Head’ and ‘Twentieth Century Library’. He took his career in publishing further by also working with the Penguin and Pelican Books in 1935.
He was a socialist and joined the Labour Party in England where he served as the Labour councilor for the Borough of St. Pancras from 1934 to 1939. He was being prepared to be nominated as a candidate from the Dundee Parliamentary constituency in 1939 but the plan was derailed.
He served again as the Labour councilor from 1944 to 1947. He established the St. Pancras Arts and Civil Council in 1944 and was made the chairman of the Education and Public Library Committee the next year.
Over this time, he had become friends with another nationalist, Jawaharlal Nehru. This friendship would last for many years ending only with the death of Nehru.
Menon worked to ensure that Nehru would emerge as a leader of the Indian independence movement and would be selected as Independent India’s first Prime Minister.
Menon became the high commissioner to the United Kingdom in 1947 after India gained independence. He held this post till 1952. He had always been highly distrustful of the U.K. and the British politicians too viewed him as a menace.
He was made the leader of the Indian delegation to the United Nations in 1952. He became very popular for his brilliance in solving complex political problems. He worked in this position till 1962 during which he had engineered a peace plan for Korea and a ceasefire in Indo-China.
He was been against nuclear weapons and passionately opposed their proliferation throughout the 1950s by collaborating with Bertrand Russell.
He became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1953 and joined the Union Cabinet in 1956 as Minister without Portfolio. In 1957, he was made Minister of Defence and began to create a domestic military industrial complex in the face of much opposition.
He delivered an eight-hour speech at the United Nation’s Security Council on 23 January 1957 defending India’s stand on Kashmir. The speech remains till date, the longest ever delivered in the UN. The speech ended only when Menon collapsed with exhaustion.
After India’s defeat to China in the 1962 Indo-China War, Menon’s role was severely criticized and he was forced to tender his resignation.
In 1967, he resigned from the Congress and contested the parliamentary elections as an independent, after he was denied the party ticket from the North east Bombay constituency on the grounds that he was a non-Maharashtrian. But, he lost the election.
In 1969, Menon contested the parliamentary election as an independent from constituency of Midnapore in West Bengal and won it.
In 1971 parliamentary election, Menon contested from the constituency of Trivandrum, in his homestate of Kerala, and won the election.
Personal Life & Legacy
Menon lived a very simple life and even as the high commissioner refused to take a salary. He lived in a single room residence and preferred to use public transport whenever possible. However when he went to social gatherings, he was impeccably dressed. He was a vegetarian and teetotaler who never married.
He died in 1974 at the age of 78 years.
In 2006, The V. K. Krishna Menon Institute was established to commemorate the life and achievements of Menon.
Trivia
This Indian diplomat was often referred to as "India's Rasputin" or "Nehru's Evil Genius".
// Famous Political Leaders
Edi Rama
Edi Rama is the current Prime Minister of Albania. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the current President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Check out this biography to know about his birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.
Leo Varadkar
Cam Leo Varadkar is the current Taoiseach—the Prime Minister—of the Republic of Ireland. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and other facts about his life.
V. K. Krishna Menon biography timelines
- // 3rd May 1896He was born into a wealthy and influential family in Kerala. His father, Komath Krishna Kurup was a very famous and rich lawyer; his mother too hailed from a reputed and wealthy family.
- // 1918He was sent to Zamorin’s College in Kozhikode to receive his early education. After that he went to Presidency College, Chennai from where he graduated with a B.A. in History and Economics in 1918.
- // 1924In 1924, Annie Besant helped him to go to London for his higher studies at the University College, London after which he went to the London School of Economics.
- // 1934He earned an M.A. in Psychology with First Class Honours in 1930 and completed his MSc in Political Science in 1934.
- // 1934 To 1939He was a socialist and joined the Labour Party in England where he served as the Labour councilor for the Borough of St. Pancras from 1934 to 1939. He was being prepared to be nominated as a candidate from the Dundee Parliamentary constituency in 1939 but the plan was derailed.
- // 1935He began his career in the 1930s as an editor for ‘Bodley Head’ and ‘Twentieth Century Library’. He took his career in publishing further by also working with the Penguin and Pelican Books in 1935.
- // 1944 To 1947He served again as the Labour councilor from 1944 to 1947. He established the St. Pancras Arts and Civil Council in 1944 and was made the chairman of the Education and Public Library Committee the next year.
- // 1947 To 1953Menon became the high commissioner to the United Kingdom in 1947 after India gained independence. He held this post till 1952. He had always been highly distrustful of the U.K. and the British politicians too viewed him as a menace.
- // 1957He became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1953 and joined the Union Cabinet in 1956 as Minister without Portfolio. In 1957, he was made Minister of Defence and began to create a domestic military industrial complex in the face of much opposition.
- // 1962After India’s defeat to China in the 1962 Indo-China War, Menon’s role was severely criticized and he was forced to tender his resignation.
- // 1967In 1967, he resigned from the Congress and contested the parliamentary elections as an independent, after he was denied the party ticket from the North east Bombay constituency on the grounds that he was a non-Maharashtrian. But, he lost the election.
- // 1969In 1969, Menon contested the parliamentary election as an independent from constituency of Midnapore in West Bengal and won it.
- // 1971In 1971 parliamentary election, Menon contested from the constituency of Trivandrum, in his homestate of Kerala, and won the election.
- // 6th Oct 1974He died in 1974 at the age of 78 years.
// Famous Diplomats
Gertrude Bell
Gertrude Bell was an English writer and diplomat, who was highly influential in helping the British Empire exert its dominance in the Middle East. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about her
Stephen Lewis
Stephen Lewis is a Canadian politician, broadcaster, diplomat and professor. This biography profiles his childhood, career, works, life, achievements and timeline.
Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian politician, historian and philosopher who is widely known as a founder of modern political science.
Nizar Qabbani
Nizar Qabbani was a poet, and is one among the most honoured men in the Arab Literary world. This biography provides detailed information about his childhood, career, profile and timeline.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt was the the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family life, achievements and other facts related to her life.
Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier is an actor, director and diplomat who was the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. This biography provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
V. K. Krishna Menon's FAQ
What is V. K. Krishna Menon birthday?
V. K. Krishna Menon was born at 1896-05-03
When was V. K. Krishna Menon died?
V. K. Krishna Menon was died at 1974-10-06
Where was V. K. Krishna Menon died?
V. K. Krishna Menon was died in Delhi, India
Which age was V. K. Krishna Menon died?
V. K. Krishna Menon was died at age 78
Where is V. K. Krishna Menon's birth place?
V. K. Krishna Menon was born in Kozhikode, Kerala
What is V. K. Krishna Menon nationalities?
V. K. Krishna Menon's nationalities is Indian
What was V. K. Krishna Menon universities?
V. K. Krishna Menon studied at University College London
What was V. K. Krishna Menon notable alumnis?
V. K. Krishna Menon's notable alumnis is University College London
What is V. K. Krishna Menon's sun sign?
V. K. Krishna Menon is Taurus
How famous is V. K. Krishna Menon?
V. K. Krishna Menon is famouse as Indian Politician