Science Technology

Goldingham sets Madras time

Astronomer John Goldingham of the Madras Observatory fixed Madras time at 5 hours 21 minutes ahead of Greenwich.

Great Trigonometrical Survey begins at Madras

Measuring a baseline close to Madras, William Lambton set the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India in motion.

Thomas Glanville Taylor takes charge of the Madras Observatory

T. G. Taylor came to Madras as head of the observatory, where he compiled the Madras Catalogue of Stars.

Robert Bruce Foote finds Palaeolithic tool at Pallavaram

Geologist Robert Bruce Foote discovered a Palaeolithic hand axe at Pallavaram near Madras, the first conclusive find of its kind in India.

Madras Observatory begins daily weather reports

The Madras Observatory started issuing daily weather reports, an early step in organised weather forecasting in south India.

Birth of mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan

Erode was the birthplace of Srinivasa Ramanujan, the self-taught mathematician famed for his work in number theory and infinite series.

Kodaikanal Solar Observatory founded

Solar research moved from the Madras Observatory to a new observatory at Kodaikanal, where the Evershed effect was discovered in 1909.

Ramanujan writes to G. H. Hardy

Srinivasa Ramanujan, a clerk at the Madras Port Trust, began corresponding with G. H. Hardy, who arranged for him to travel to Cambridge in 1914.

Death of Srinivasa Ramanujan

The self-taught mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan died in Madras at the age of 32, a year after returning from Cambridge.

C. V. Raman wins the Nobel Prize in Physics

C. V. Raman, a physicist born in Tiruchirappalli, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for research on light scattering.

Central Leather Research Institute founded in Madras

The Central Leather Research Institute was founded in Madras as a laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Central Electrochemical Research Institute founded at Karaikudi

A national laboratory for electrochemistry under the CSIR was founded at Karaikudi in Sivaganga district.

Construction of Madras Atomic Power Station begins at Kalpakkam

Work began on the Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam, India's first indigenously built nuclear power station.

Reactor Research Centre set up at Kalpakkam

An order by Vikram Sarabhai set up the Reactor Research Centre at Kalpakkam, which later became the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research.

First unit of Madras Atomic Power Station reaches full power

At Kalpakkam, MAPS-1, the first nuclear power reactor India built largely on its own, reached full-power operation.

Fast Breeder Test Reactor at Kalpakkam reaches criticality

India's Fast Breeder Test Reactor at Kalpakkam reached first criticality, making India the seventh nation able to build and run a breeder reactor.

Second unit of Madras Atomic Power Station commissioned

The second 220 MW unit of the Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam was commissioned, completing the two-unit station.

SPIC Science Foundation founds the school that became Chennai Mathematical Institute

The SPIC Science Foundation founded a School of Mathematics in Madras, which grew into the Chennai Mathematical Institute.

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam awarded the Bharat Ratna

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the Rameswaram-born scientist who headed India's missile programme, received the Bharat Ratna.

Foundation of ISRO's Kulasekarapattinam launch complex

ISRO's second spaceport, for small satellite launch vehicles, was launched at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district.

Sivagalai finds push back the dating of iron in Tamil Nadu

Radiometric dates from Sivagalai in a state report pushed iron use in Tamil Nadu back to 3345 BCE, a claim that sparked broad debate.

Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam reaches criticality

India's 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam achieved first criticality on 6 April 2026.