30 Jan : The unknown ‘Mahatma’

On 30 January, 1948, Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the nation, was assassinated.
Friday has some sort of a significance in Gandhi’s life. He played a crucial role in freeing India from the British rule and the country became independent on August 15, 1947, which happened to be on a Friday. He was also born on Friday and, sadly, met his end on a Friday (January 30, 1948) after he was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic.

Just two days ago Mahatma Gandhi addressed his followers : 
“If I’m to die by the bullet of a mad man, I must do so smiling. God must be in my heart and on my lips. And if anything happens, you are not to shed a single tear.”— Gandhiji, January 28, 1948

Listen to Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite song :

Now Unknown/less known facts about Mahatma : 

• Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times (1937, 1938, 1939, 1947 and 1948) but never won the award.
• Gandhi was a favourite to win the prize in 1948, but died at the start of the year.
• The Nobel committee could not come to an agreement about awarding the Peace Prize to him posthumously so, the award was not given to anyone in 1948.
• Time magazine named Gandhi the Man of the Year in 1930.
• Gandhi was the runner-up for the Time magazine’s Person of the Century award in 1999, losing to Albert Einstein.
• There are 53 major roads in India named after Mahatma Gandhi.
• Gandhi’s spinning wheel was auctioned in the UK for £110,000 (₹1,07,85,005) in November 2013.
• Gandhi memorabilia included his last will, which was sold for £20,000 (₹19,61,046)
• Gandhi’s famous glasses fetched £34,000 (₹33,32,979.52) at an auction.