MGR era

Krishna water supply (Telugu Ganga) project agreed for Madras

Tamil Nadu and the Krishna basin states agreed on a scheme to carry Krishna river water to Madras city, later built as the Telugu Ganga project.

Congress-AIADMK alliance wins 34 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu

In the post-Emergency Lok Sabha election, the Congress-AIADMK-CPI alliance won 34 of Tamil Nadu's 39 seats even as the Janata Party took power nationally.

AIADMK wins assembly election, M. G. Ramachandran becomes Chief Minister

The AIADMK-led alliance won the 1977 assembly election and M. G. Ramachandran was sworn in as Chief Minister.

Bharathiraja's 16 Vayathinile released

Bharathiraja's first film, 16 Vayathinile, with Kamal Haasan, Sridevi and Rajinikanth, moved Tamil cinema from studio sets to real village settings.

November 1977 cyclone strikes Nagapattinam and the Cauvery delta

A very severe cyclonic storm made landfall at Nagapattinam, killing about 560 people and affecting around 10 lakh people in Tamil Nadu.

First Madras Book Fair held

Organised by the Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India, the first Madras Book Fair later developed into the yearly Chennai Book Fair.

Oru Vilakku one-lamp electricity scheme

Under the 'one lamp' scheme, the MGR government supplied small homes with free electricity and an electric lamp paid for by the state.

Guindy declared a national park

What was left of the forest on the old Guindy estate in Chennai was made a national park, among the smallest in India and one of only a few within a city.

Anna University established

Anna University was established in Madras as a technical university, named after former Chief Minister C. N. Annadurai.

Sankara Nethralaya eye hospital founded in Madras

Led by S. S. Badrinath, a group in Madras founded Sankara Nethralaya, a charitable eye hospital run on a not-for-profit basis.

Mullaperiyar dam safety dispute begins

Kerala's safety fears about Mullaperiyar dam after the 1979 Morvi disaster led Tamil Nadu to cut its storage level to 136 feet and reinforce the structure.

Income ceiling introduced for backward class reservation

The MGR government introduced an annual income ceiling to exclude better-off families from backward class reservation.

First unit of Tuticorin Thermal Power Station commissioned

The first unit of the coal-fired Tuticorin Thermal Power Station was commissioned, with further units added through 1992.

Periyar (Erode) district formed

Erode district, first named Periyar district, was carved out of Coimbatore district.

Hindu Munnani founded in Tamil Nadu

The Hindu Munnani, a Hindutva organisation set up with RSS backing, was founded in Tamil Nadu by Ramagopalan.

DMK-Congress alliance wins 37 of 39 Lok Sabha seats

The Congress (Indira) and DMK alliance won 37 of Tamil Nadu's 39 Lok Sabha seats, a setback for M. G. Ramachandran's ruling AIADMK.

Income ceiling withdrawn, backward class quota raised to 50%

After electoral setbacks, the MGR government withdrew the income ceiling and raised the backward class quota from 31% to 50%.

MGR government dismissed, President's rule imposed

The Union government dismissed the AIADMK ministry and dissolved the Tamil Nadu assembly, imposing President's rule.

AIADMK re-elected, MGR sworn in for second term

Months after the DMK and Congress swept the Lok Sabha polls, the AIADMK won the May 1980 assembly election, bringing MGR back as Chief Minister.

V. Baskaran captains India to Olympic hockey gold in Moscow

Led by Vasudevan Baskaran of Tamil Nadu, India beat Spain 4-3 in the final to win their eighth Olympic hockey gold.

Tamil Nadu part of Pulicat Lake declared a bird sanctuary

The Tamil Nadu portion of the Pulicat lagoon in Tiruvallur district was declared a bird sanctuary in October 1980.

Coimbatore becomes a municipal corporation

Coimbatore, a municipality since 1866, was raised to municipal corporation status, becoming the third such body in Tamil Nadu.

Fifth World Tamil Conference held in Madurai

The fifth World Tamil Conference, a gathering of Tamil scholars from many countries, was held in Madurai.

Meenakshipuram mass conversion

Several hundred Dalits in Meenakshipuram village in Tirunelveli district converted from Hinduism to Islam, citing caste discrimination.

Tamil University founded at Thanjavur

The Tamil University was established in Thanjavur as a research university devoted to the Tamil language and culture.

Bharathidasan University established in Tiruchirappalli

The state government established Bharathidasan University at Tiruchirappalli, named after the Tamil poet Bharathidasan.

Bharathiar University established in Coimbatore

Bharathiar University, named after the poet Subramania Bharati, was established as a state university in Coimbatore.

Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board established

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board was set up as the state body to monitor and control pollution.

Mandaikadu Hindu-Christian clashes

Tensions between Hindus and Christians in Kanyakumari district escalated during the Mandaikadu temple festival, leading to police firing and deaths.

Nutritious Noon Meal Scheme launched

MGR's government expanded the school midday meal into a universal Nutritious Noon Meal Scheme for children across Tamil Nadu.

TASMAC established to handle liquor trade

Formed by the M. G. Ramachandran government, the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) handled wholesale liquor trade whenever prohibition was lifted.

Free dhoti and saree scheme for Pongal

The state began distributing free saris and dhotis to poor families for Pongal, a scheme that also provides work to handloom and power loom weavers.

Srikkanth top-scores as India win the 1983 World Cup

Madras opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth made 38, the highest score of the final, as India beat the West Indies at Lord's.

Black July and the arrival of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees

Anti-Tamil pogroms in Sri Lanka in July 1983 sent the first large wave of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees to Tamil Nadu.

Apollo Hospitals founded in Madras

Prathap C. Reddy founded Apollo Hospitals in Madras, India's first corporate healthcare provider.

Sunil Gavaskar scores record 236 not out at Madras

In the sixth Test against the West Indies at Madras, Sunil Gavaskar scored 236 not out, his 30th Test century and then the highest Test score by an Indian.

Mother Teresa Women's University founded at Kodaikanal

The Tamil Nadu government established Mother Teresa Women's University at Kodaikanal, a state university dedicated to women's education.

Mahabalipuram monuments declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Pallava-era Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram became Tamil Nadu's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Madras Export Processing Zone set up at Tambaram

The Union government set up the Madras Export Processing Zone on GST Road at Tambaram to attract foreign investment and boost exports.

Vellore Engineering College founded, later VIT

G. Viswanathan founded Vellore Engineering College as a self-financing institution; it grew into the Vellore Institute of Technology.

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.

Titan Watches founded as Tata-TIDCO joint venture with plant at Hosur

Titan Watches Limited was incorporated in Chennai as a joint venture of the Tata Group and TIDCO, with a quartz watch plant at Hosur.

Meenambakkam airport bomb blast

A bomb exploded at Meenambakkam airport in Madras, killing several people.

MGR falls ill and is treated in the United States

Kidney failure put Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran in hospital, and he later had a kidney transplant in New York.

AIADMK wins 1984 election while MGR is in hospital abroad

Contesting from a hospital in the United States, MGR led the AIADMK-Congress alliance to victory in the 1984 assembly election.

Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation (TESO) formed

TESO was formed in Tamil Nadu to mobilise support for Sri Lankan Tamils, with M. Karunanidhi among its leaders.

Madras zoo moves to Vandalur as Arignar Anna Zoological Park

The Madras Zoo, founded in 1855, moved to a large new site at Vandalur as the Arignar Anna Zoological Park.

Ramanathapuram district split into three

Ramanathapuram district was trifurcated into Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Virudhunagar districts.

Dindigul district re-established from Madurai

Dindigul district was carved out of Madurai district in September 1985.

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.

First HIV cases in India detected in Madras

India's first documented HIV infections were found among sex workers in Madras by microbiologist Suniti Solomon and her student Sellappan Nirmala.

Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park declared

Twenty-one islets lying offshore between Thoothukudi and Dhanushkodi were designated the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park.

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.

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve established, India's first

India's first biosphere reserve was created from the Nilgiri hills and nearby forests, stretching across Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

India and Australia play the tied Test at Madras

The India-Australia Test at Chepauk ended in a tie, only the second tied Test in cricket history.

Thoothukudi district formed

Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) district was carved out of Tirunelveli district on 20 October 1986.

Tamil Nadu Legislative Council abolished

The upper house of the Tamil Nadu legislature, in existence since 1921, was abolished at the request of the MGR government.

DMK agitation against Navodaya schools

The DMK protested the National Policy on Education's Navodaya schools, seen as a route for Hindi imposition; the schools were not opened in Tamil Nadu.

Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur, declared a World Heritage Site

The 11th-century Brihadisvara Temple built by Rajaraja I at Thanjavur was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

MRF Pace Foundation set up in Madras

MRF Limited set up a fast-bowling academy in Madras with the help of Australian bowler Dennis Lillee.

Srirangam temple Rajagopuram completed

The 73-metre main gateway tower of the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam was completed after centuries.

Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme

Tamil Nadu began cash assistance for poor pregnant women, a pioneering state maternity benefit scheme named after Muthulakshmi Reddy.

Mettur Thermal Power Station begins generating

The first unit of the Mettur Thermal Power Station, the state utility's first inland coal-fired plant, was commissioned.

Operation Poomalai: Indian airdrop over Jaffna

Indian Air Force transport planes dropped relief supplies over the besieged city of Jaffna, halting a Sri Lankan army offensive against the Tamil militants.

Indo-Sri Lanka Accord signed

An accord between India and Sri Lanka on the Tamil issue led to the dispatch of the Indian Peace Keeping Force to the island.

Vanniyar reservation agitation

The Vanniyar Sangam led a road blockade agitation in northern Tamil Nadu demanding separate reservation for the Vanniyar community.

Tamil Nadu Medical University created

Presidential assent was given to the Tamil Nadu Medical University Act; the university opened in Madras in 1988 and later took MGR's name.

Mani Ratnam's Nayakan released

Mani Ratnam's Nayakan, with Kamal Haasan in the title role, reached cinemas and was later named by Time as one of the greatest films of all time.

Death of M. G. Ramachandran

Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran died in office in Madras; he was buried at Marina Beach next to the Anna memorial.

Viswanathan Anand becomes India's first grandmaster

Chess player Viswanathan Anand of Madras became India's first grandmaster.

M. G. Ramachandran awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously

M. G. Ramachandran, the former Chief Minister who had died in December 1987, was honoured posthumously with the Bharat Ratna, India's top civilian award.

Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve created

A tiger reserve was formed in the southern Western Ghats by joining the Kalakkad and Mundanthurai wildlife sanctuaries.

Road bridge to Rameswaram opened

A road bridge parallel to the Pamban railway bridge opened, giving Rameswaram island its first road link to the mainland.

Janaki Ramachandran ministry and President's rule

V. N. Janaki became Tamil Nadu's first woman Chief Minister, but her ministry was dismissed within weeks and President's rule followed.

Tamil Nadu win the Ranji Trophy for the second time

Beating Railways by an innings in the final, Tamil Nadu won the Ranji Trophy for the second time, 33 years after its first title.

Investigative magazine Nakkheeran launched

The Tamil biweekly Nakkheeran, founded and edited by Nakkheeran Gopal, published its first issue.

India and the Soviet Union sign the Kudankulam nuclear agreement

Rajiv Gandhi and Mikhail Gorbachev signed an agreement to build two nuclear reactors at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district.