January18

India's first electric car 'Reva' launched in Bangalore.

The last batch of the political prisioners sailed back to the mainland from the Cellular Jail.

Gandhiji refers in ''Indian Opinion'' the possibility of return home to India by mid-year.

Gandhiji restarts 'Harijan' and allied weeklies.

Muthuswami Pillai, father of Bharat Natyam classical dance, passed away.

Mahadev Govind Ranade was born. He was the chief architect of Bombay Prathana Samaj.

Nirupam Chandra Ganguli, criminal lawyer and sportsman, was born at Bhagalpur.

Gajanan Johari, famous Marathi writer, was born.

Shyam Nandan Kishore, great educationist, was born at Muzaffarpur.

Batubhai Umarwadia, father of Gujrati literature's English type and drama writer, passed away.

Vinod Ganpat Kambli, cricketer (prolific Indian batsman 1993-), was born in Bombay.

Shri Bhim Sen Sachar, freedom fighter, leader and Chief Minister of Punjab, passed away.

Indi Singh, Soccer(Football) player, was born in Vancouver, Canada.

Gandhi breaks 121-hour fast in New Delhi, after halting of Muslim-Hindu riots in Calcutta. He breaks the fast on security pledges from communal leaders who "Peace Pledge" to Gandhiji.

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), famous English writer and author, died in Burwash, England at 70. He was a young journalist in British India. He wrote in verses, stories, novels childen's stories some of these were "The Jungle Book, Kim and Just-50 stories" and was honoured with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 for 'Kim' (Indian based story).

Laxminarayn Sahu, litterateur, journalist and social reformer, passed away.

Gurudev Rabindranath Thakur (Tagore) and Mahatma Gandhi met at Sabarmati Ashram.

India and the US resume talks to narrow their differences on the CTBT.

India is declared a secular republic. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (1947-1964) is determined to abolish casteism and industrialize the nation. Constitution makes Hindi official national language, English to continue for 15 years, 14 major state languages are recognized. India also moved a motion for no war treaty between India and Pakistan to improve the relations with neighboring countries.

Miss Meera Behn, follower of Gandhi, left India for good.

Assam agitation turns violent; Army called in.

The office of the Board of Control for Cricket in India is ransacked allegedly by Shiv Sainiks protesting agains Pakistan team's tour of India. Shiv Sena denies hand in attack.

Six thousand labor activists arrested in two days and national strike called in New Delhi.

Prof. Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate, is selected for Bharat Ratna.

Barrister Nath Pai, freedom fighter and member of parliament, passed away at the age of 49.

India hires the law firm McAuliffe, Kelly and Rafaelli for lobbying in Washington.

SC says telephone tapping is violation of fundamental rights but permits it by government in special circumstances.

Justice M. M. Punchhi is sworn in Chief Justice of India.

Kishan Singh at Cuttack sets record for 50 Km W.in 4.19.48.

Kumble takes 16-99 in a match for Karnataka vs Kerala.

India overtake a Pakistan total of 314 to win one-day final in Dhaka.

Kundanlal Saigal, famous film star and unique singer, died at Jalandhar.

Prajapita Brahma, great social reformer and freedom fighter, passed away.

N. T. Rama Rao, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh (during 1983-84, 84-89, 94-95), passed away at Hydrabad.

The Resolution on Official Languages was passed by both the houses of the Parliament wherin the need to formulate a more intensive and comprehensive programme for the progressive use of Hindi for Official purposes, preparing annual assessment report for reviewing the progress, formulating a programme for the co-ordinated development of the other languages included in the 8th schedule alongwith Hindi, adopting of a tri-langual formula, making the knowledge of either Hindi or English compulsory for recruitment to the services of the Union, and inclusion of all the languages of the 8th schedule of the Constitution and English as the optional medium for the exams conducted by the union Public Service Commission at the appropriate time, has been stressed.

Morarji Desai and other opposition leaders were released from jail and Lok Sabha was dissolved by the president during the emergency period.

Spy ring cracked. Top Government officials, businessmen held.

Farooq Abdullah, J&K CM, quits.

Ordinance cuts minimum poll campaign time to 14 days from 20 days.

A 12-point formula mooted to defuse the ministerial crisis.

Narasimha Rao decides to retain Veerappa Moily as Karnataka CM.

The 4-nation non-official initiative on Arms Reduction and Disarmament concludes with Goa Declaration (also called Shanghai-II).

Gul Panag (20) from Delhi was crowned Femina Miss India Universe at the Miss India 1999 beauty pageant in Pune.