Days Named After Personalities: Dates and Reasons
Important days notes for exams: national and world observances fixed on a person's birth or death anniversary, with the date, the personality and the reason for each.
By GK24 Editorial Team· Published · 4 min read
A large share of India's national observances are not tied to an event at all but to the birthday of a person the country wishes to honour. Teachers' Day is the birthday of a philosopher who became President, Engineers' Day the birthday of a dam builder, and National Mathematics Day the birthday of a self-taught genius from Kumbakonam. Because the date, the person and the reason all have to be matched, examiners get three facts out of one line, and a question of this kind appears in almost every SSC, Railway, Banking and State paper. This chapter lists the days named after people, Indian and international, with the reason behind each date.
Why a birthday becomes a national day
The pattern is simple. When the government wants a profession or an idea to be remembered, it picks the birth anniversary of the person who stands for it: the best-known teacher for teaching, the best-known engineer for engineering, the greatest hockey player for sport. Where the person's death matters more than the birth, the death anniversary is used instead, which is why Martyrs' Day falls on 30 January. A few days, such as National Doctors' Day, fall on a date that is both the birth and the death anniversary of the same person.
Days on the birthdays of national leaders
| Day | Date | Person honoured |
|---|---|---|
| National Youth Day | 12 January | Swami Vivekananda, born 1863 |
| Parakram Diwas | 23 January | Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, born 1897 |
| Ambedkar Jayanti | 14 April | Dr B R Ambedkar, born 1891 |
| Gandhi Jayanti and the International Day of Non-Violence | 2 October | Mahatma Gandhi, born 1869; Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on the same date in 1904 |
| Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, National Unity Day | 31 October | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, born 1875 |
| National Education Day | 11 November | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, born 1888 |
| Children's Day, Bal Diwas | 14 November | Jawaharlal Nehru, born 1889 |
| Janjatiya Gaurav Divas | 15 November | Birsa Munda, born 1875 |
| Kisan Diwas, National Farmers' Day | 23 December | Chaudhary Charan Singh, born 1902 |
| Good Governance Day | 25 December | Atal Bihari Vajpayee, born 1924 |
The United Nations General Assembly adopted 2 October as the International Day of Non-Violence in 2007, so Gandhi Jayanti is both a national and a world observance, a point papers like to test. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was independent India's first Education Minister, which is why his birthday carries education.
Days named after scientists and professionals
| Day | Date | Person and reason |
|---|---|---|
| National Science Day | 28 February | The day C V Raman announced the Raman effect in 1928; he won the Nobel Prize in 1930 |
| National Statistics Day | 29 June | P C Mahalanobis, born 1893, founder of the Indian Statistical Institute |
| National Doctors' Day | 1 July | Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, born and died on 1 July |
| National Sports Day | 29 August | Major Dhyan Chand, the hockey player, born 1905 |
| Teachers' Day | 5 September | Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, born 1888 |
| Engineers' Day | 15 September | Sir M Visvesvaraya, born 1861 |
| National Milk Day | 26 November | Dr Verghese Kurien, born 1921, who led the dairy movement |
| National Mathematics Day | 22 December | Srinivasa Ramanujan, born 1887 |
National Science Day is the one day in this group fixed by an event rather than a birthday: it marks the announcement of the Raman effect, the scattering of light that won C V Raman the first Nobel Prize in science for an Indian. Teachers' Day began in 1962, when students asked Dr Radhakrishnan, then President, if they could celebrate his birthday and he suggested it be kept for teachers instead.
Days that mark a death
Martyrs' Day, or Shaheed Diwas, is observed on 30 January, the day Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948, and the nation observes two minutes of silence at eleven in the morning. The same name is used on 23 March, the day Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged at Lahore in 1931. Because the two dates share a name, an option list can hold both, so read whether the question asks about Gandhi or about the revolutionaries.
International days named after a person
| Day | Date | Person honoured |
|---|---|---|
| World Braille Day | 4 January | Louis Braille, born 1809, who devised the reading system for the blind |
| World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day | 8 May | Henry Dunant, born 1828, founder of the Red Cross and first Nobel Peace Prize winner |
| International Nurses Day | 12 May | Florence Nightingale, born 1820, the Lady with the Lamp |
| Nelson Mandela International Day | 18 July | Nelson Mandela, born 1918 |
| International Day of Non-Violence | 2 October | Mahatma Gandhi, born 1869 |
The traps in this chapter
- Teachers' Day in India is 5 September for Radhakrishnan, but World Teachers' Day, observed by UNESCO, is 5 October; both often appear in the same set of options.
- 2 October is the birthday of both Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri, so a question may ask which leader shares the date.
- National Science Day marks a discovery, not a birthday, while National Mathematics Day marks a birthday.
- Martyrs' Day exists on two dates, 30 January and 23 March.
- National Doctors' Day is unusual because 1 July is both the birth and the death anniversary of Dr B C Roy, who was also Chief Minister of West Bengal and a Bharat Ratna.
Exam Point of View
The question is nearly always one of two forms: name the personality behind a given date, or give the date of a named day. The distractors are chosen from neighbouring dates, so learn the clusters rather than single facts. In November, keep 11 November for Maulana Azad, 14 November for Nehru, 15 November for Birsa Munda and 26 November for Verghese Kurien, and remember that Indira Gandhi was born on 19 November but died on 31 October, the birthday of Sardar Patel. In September, keep 5 September for Radhakrishnan and 15 September for Visvesvaraya, and do not confuse Teachers' Day with World Teachers' Day on 5 October. Two days in the list are not birthdays at all: National Science Day marks the announcement of the Raman effect and Martyrs' Day marks a death, on 30 January for Gandhi and on 23 March for Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru.
Important Facts
| National Youth Day, 12 January | Swami Vivekananda, born 1863 |
|---|---|
| Parakram Diwas, 23 January | Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, born 1897 |
| Martyrs' Day, 30 January | Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948 |
| National Science Day, 28 February | Announcement of the Raman effect by C V Raman in 1928 |
| Ambedkar Jayanti, 14 April | Dr B R Ambedkar, born 1891 |
| International Nurses Day, 12 May | Florence Nightingale, born 1820 |
| National Statistics Day, 29 June | P C Mahalanobis, born 1893 |
| National Doctors' Day, 1 July | Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, born and died on 1 July |
| National Sports Day, 29 August | Major Dhyan Chand, born 1905 |
| Teachers' Day, 5 September | Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, born 1888 |
| Engineers' Day, 15 September | Sir M Visvesvaraya, born 1861 |
| Gandhi Jayanti, 2 October | Mahatma Gandhi, born 1869; also the International Day of Non-Violence |
| Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, 31 October | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, born 1875 |
| National Education Day, 11 November | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, born 1888 |
| Children's Day, 14 November | Jawaharlal Nehru, born 1889 |
| National Milk Day, 26 November | Dr Verghese Kurien, born 1921 |
| Kisan Diwas, 23 December | Chaudhary Charan Singh, born 1902 |
| National Mathematics Day, 22 December | Srinivasa Ramanujan, born 1887 |
| Good Governance Day, 25 December | Atal Bihari Vajpayee, born 1924 |
| World Braille Day, 4 January | Louis Braille, born 1809 |
Practice MCQs on this topic
National Youth Day is observed in India on 12 January, the birth anniversary of which personality?
- A.Swami Vivekananda
- B.Raja Ram Mohan Roy
- C.Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- D.Subhas Chandra Bose
Show answer
Swami Vivekananda was born on 12 January 1863 at Kolkata, and the Government of India declared his birthday National Youth Day in 1984, first observed in 1985, because his writings and his address at the Parliament of Religions at Chicago in 1893 are held up as a model for young…
Read the full explanation →Teachers' Day is celebrated in India on 5 September, the birth anniversary of:
- A.Dr Rajendra Prasad
- B.Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
- C.Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
- D.Dr Zakir Husain
Show answer
Dr Radhakrishnan, philosopher, professor and the second President of India, was born on 5 September 1888. When students wished to celebrate his birthday in 1962, he suggested that the day be kept for teachers instead, and it has been Teachers' Day ever since.
Read the full explanation →Children's Day is observed in India on 14 November because it is the birth anniversary of:
- A.Mahatma Gandhi
- B.Jawaharlal Nehru
- C.Indira Gandhi
- D.Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Show answer
Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, was born on 14 November 1889, and because of his affection for children, who called him Chacha Nehru, the date was adopted as Children's Day or Bal Diwas.
Read the full explanation →Engineers' Day is observed in India on 15 September in memory of which engineer?
- A.Sir M Visvesvaraya
- B.E Sreedharan
- C.A P J Abdul Kalam
- D.Satish Dhawan
Show answer
Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was born on 15 September 1861 in Mysore state, and he is remembered for the Krishna Raja Sagara dam, the block system of irrigation gates and his years as Diwan of Mysore.
Read the full explanation →National Science Day is observed in India on 28 February to mark which achievement?
- A.The launch of Aryabhata
- B.The announcement of the Raman effect
- C.The first Pokhran nuclear test
- D.The founding of the Indian Space Research Organisation
Show answer
On 28 February 1928 the physicist C V Raman announced his discovery that light changes its wavelength when it is scattered by molecules, an effect that carries his name, and for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930, the first Nobel Prize in science won by an…
Read the full explanation →National Mathematics Day is observed on 22 December, the birth anniversary of:
- A.Aryabhata
- B.Srinivasa Ramanujan
- C.Brahmagupta
- D.C R Rao
Show answer
The mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan was born on 22 December 1887 at Erode in Tamil Nadu and grew up in Kumbakonam, and although he had almost no formal training in the subject, his results on infinite series, partitions and continued fractions astonished mathematicians in England.
Read the full explanation →National Sports Day is celebrated in India on 29 August, the birth anniversary of:
- A.Milkha Singh
- B.Dhyan Chand
- C.K D Jadhav
- D.Dhanraj Pillay
Show answer
Major Dhyan Chand, the hockey player born on 29 August 1905, won Olympic gold with India in 1928, 1932 and 1936 and was so skilful with the ball that he was called the Wizard.
Read the full explanation →National Doctors' Day is observed in India on 1 July in memory of which person?
- A.Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy
- B.Dr Zakir Husain
- C.Dr Rajendra Prasad
- D.Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy
Show answer
Dr B C Roy was a physician who became Chief Minister of West Bengal and was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1961.
Read the full explanation →Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, or National Unity Day, is observed on 31 October, the birth anniversary of:
- A.Indira Gandhi
- B.Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- C.Lal Bahadur Shastri
- D.Govind Ballabh Pant
Show answer
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, born on 31 October 1875 at Nadiad in Gujarat, was independent India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister and is remembered as the Iron Man of India for merging more than five hundred princely states into the Union.
Read the full explanation →National Education Day is observed in India on 11 November, the birth anniversary of:
- A.Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
- B.Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
- C.Jyotirao Phule
- D.Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Show answer
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, born on 11 November 1888, was a scholar and freedom fighter who became independent India's first Minister of Education and set up the University Grants Commission and the early Indian Institutes of Technology.
Read the full explanation →World Braille Day is observed on 4 January every year, marking the birth anniversary of:
- A.Louis Braille
- B.Helen Keller
- C.Thomas Edison
- D.Alexander Graham Bell
Show answer
Louis Braille, born in France on 4 January 1809, lost his sight in childhood and devised the system of raised dots that allows blind and partially sighted people to read and write by touch.
Read the full explanation →International Nurses Day is observed on 12 May, the birth anniversary of:
- A.Mother Teresa
- B.Florence Nightingale
- C.Clara Barton
- D.Sister Nivedita
Show answer
Florence Nightingale was born on 12 May 1820 and became famous for organising nursing care during the Crimean War, where her rounds at night earned her the name the Lady with the Lamp.
Read the full explanation →Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Teachers' Day in India on 5 September and not on 5 October?
Indian Teachers' Day falls on 5 September because it is the birthday of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the philosopher who became the second President of India and who asked that his birthday be kept for teachers. World Teachers' Day, observed by UNESCO in many countries, is a separate observance on 5 October. Both dates appear together in options, so read whether the question says India or the world.
Is National Science Day based on somebody's birthday?
No. It is one of the few days in this chapter fixed by an event. On 28 February 1928 C V Raman announced the discovery that light changes wavelength when scattered by molecules, now called the Raman effect, and for it he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. The day has been observed since 1987 and marks the discovery rather than his birth.
Why does Martyrs' Day appear on two dates?
Shaheed Diwas is observed on 30 January, the day Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948, when the country keeps two minutes of silence. The same name is used on 23 March, the day Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged in 1931. Some states keep further martyrs' days, so an examination question will usually name the person or the event to fix the date.
Which day is connected with both a birth and a death anniversary?
National Doctors' Day on 1 July. Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, the physician who became Chief Minister of West Bengal and received the Bharat Ratna, was born on 1 July 1882 and died on 1 July 1962, so the same date carries both anniversaries. The observance began in 1991 and honours the medical profession.
Which days named after Indians are also observed worldwide?
Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October is the clearest case: the United Nations General Assembly adopted the date in 2007 as the International Day of Non-Violence. The birthday of A P J Abdul Kalam, 15 October, is observed as World Students' Day. Outside India, 18 July is Nelson Mandela International Day and 4 January is World Braille Day for Louis Braille.
Sources
- National Youth Day and Teachers' Day: observances and circulars — Ministry of Education, Government of India
- National Science Day observance — Department of Science and Technology, Government of India
- Resolution adopting the International Day of Non-Violence — United Nations General Assembly
