Important Dates in Indian History

Rabindranath Tagore was born in 1861. Remember him with the national anthem and the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Rabindranath Tagore received the Nobel Prize in 1913. He became the first Asian literary figure to receive it.

Mangal Pandey was hanged on 8 April 1857 after his action against East India Company officers at Barrackpore. Therefore, 1857 is the correct answer. The year 1858 is more closely associated with the suppression of the revolt and the end of Company rule, not with his execution. Exam tip: Link Mangal Pandey and the Barrackpore incident with the early phase of the Revolt of 1857.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was born in 1820 in Birsingha village in Bengal. He became an important scholar, educator and social reformer in nineteenth-century India. He is especially remembered for supporting widow remarriage and for working to improve education, including education for girls. Remembering his birth year along with these reforms helps distinguish him from other figures and dates in modern Indian history.

Option B, 1820, is correct. The other choices do not give his birth year: 1772 is associated with Raja Rammohan Roy, while 1824 and 1856 are different historical dates. The question asks specifically for the year of birth, not the year of a reform or another event. Thus the historical date supplied by option B is the appropriate answer.

Dadabhai Naoroji was born in 1825. Remember him with the Drain Theory and the Grand Old Man of India.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was born in 1866. Link him with moderate politics and as Gandhi's political mentor.

Chandra Shekhar Azad was born in 1906. Remember him with revolutionary organisation and the Alfred Park incident.

Chandra Shekhar Azad died on 27 February 1931 at Alfred Park, Allahabad (now Chandra Shekhar Azad Park), when he was surrounded by British police. Therefore, 1931 is the correct answer. The year 1928 is more closely associated with events such as the death of Lala Lajpat Rai and the Saunders assassination, not Azad’s death. Exam tip: remember ‘Alfred Park—1931’ for Azad’s martyrdom.

Rajguru was born in 1908. Remember him as a revolutionary martyr with Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev.

Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh became full states in 1987. For exams remember statehood dates of Northeastern states.

Goa got full statehood in 1987. For exams remember Goa Liberation in 1961 and statehood in 1987 separately.

The Bharat Ratna was instituted in 1954. For exams remember it as India's highest civilian award.

The Padma Awards were instituted in 1954. For exams remember that Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards began in the same year.

The first Bharat Ratna awards were given in 1954. For exams remember the institution year and first award year together.

The categories of Padma Awards were changed in 1955. For exams remember 1954 for institution and 1955 for category change separately.

The Param Vir Chakra is considered instituted on 26 January 1950. For exams remember it as India's highest wartime gallantry award.

The Param Vir Chakra was made effective from 15 August 1947. For exams remember the institution date and effective date separately.

Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra are also gallantry awards linked with 26 January 1950. For exams remember the date of wartime gallantry awards together.

The Ashoka Chakra series is considered to have begun in 1952. For exams remember the date of peacetime gallantry awards.

The names of the Ashoka Chakra series were changed in 1967. For exams remember the year of old and new names.