Tamil Nadu Timeline

PoliticsRise of Dravidian rule

C. N. Annadurai becomes Chief Minister

· Fort St. George

C. N. Annadurai becomes Chief Minister
India Post, Government of India, GODL-India · Wikimedia Commons

C. N. Annadurai was sworn in as the first non-Congress Chief Minister of Madras State since independence, heading a DMK government.

C. N. Annadurai took office as Chief Minister of Madras State on 6 March 1967, leading the first DMK government. His government introduced subsidised rice, legalised Self-Respect marriages and adopted a two-language policy in place of the three-language formula. It also moved to rename the state Tamil Nadu, which came into effect in January 1969. Annadurai died in office on 3 February 1969.

Related events

  1. 1936

    1. 4 Apr 1936 to 24 Aug 1936Fort St. GeorgePolitics

      P. T. Rajan becomes First Minister

      For a few months, while the Raja of Bobbili was on leave, Justice Party leader P. T. Rajan was First Minister of the Madras Presidency.

  2. 1967

    1. 1967ChennaiWelfare

      Annadurai's rupee-a-measure rice scheme

      The first DMK government tried to supply rice at one rupee a measure, an election promise made during an acute rice shortage.

  3. 1968

    1. 23 Jan 1968Fort St. GeorgeLanguage

      Assembly adopts the two-language policy

      The Madras Legislative Assembly scrapped the three-language formula and removed Hindi from the school curriculum, adopting Tamil and English.

  4. 1969

    1. 10 Feb 1969 to 31 Jan 1976Fort St. GeorgePolitics

      M. Karunanidhi becomes Chief Minister

      M. Karunanidhi succeeded Annadurai as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and later became president of the DMK.

    2. 3 Feb 1969Anna MemorialPolitics

      Death of C. N. Annadurai

      Chief Minister C. N. Annadurai died of cancer; his funeral was recorded as one of the largest ever attended.

  5. 1974

    1. 15 Aug 1974Fort St. GeorgeGovernance

      Chief Ministers win right to hoist flag on Independence Day

      Following Karunanidhi's demand, Chief Ministers won the right to hoist the national flag on Independence Day, and he did so at Fort St. George.

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