Rajiv Gandhi was an Indian politician who began serving as the 6th Prime Minister of India after his mother Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984. He is also the grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru and father to well-known politicians Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. He claimed a central role in the eyes of the public after he assumed the position as the youngest Prime Minister of India. However, his leading spree came to an end after he was assassinated in 1991.
Born Name
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi
Nick Name
Mr. Clean, Computerji
Age
Rajiv was born on August 20, 1944.
Died
He died on May 21, 1991, at the age of 46 in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, India due to a planned assassination.
Sun Sign
Leo
Born Place
Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India
Nationality
Education
Rajiv attended Shiv Niketan school. Later, he went on to be admitted into Welham Boys’ School, Dehradun after which he joined the Doon School, Dehradun in 1954.
In 1961, his parents sent him off to London, where he started pursuing his A-levels. Thereafter, he stayed on and joined the prestigious Trinity College in Cambridge, England in 1962 to obtain a degree in Engineering but left without obtaining the degree in 1965.
In 1966, Rajiv joined the Imperial College London, where he studied Mechanical Engineering. However, he dropped out less than halfway through his course.
Later, he joined the Flying Club where he trained to become a pilot.
Sonia Gandhi (1968-1991) – Rajiv and Sonia lived with one another for 3 years before getting married in 1968. They have a son named, Rahul Gandhi (b. June 19, 1970) and a daughter named Priyanka Gandhi (b. January 12, 1972).
Race / Ethnicity
Asian (Indian)
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Oval face shape
Partially bald
Religion
Hinduism
Rajiv Gandhi Facts
He was raised in Bombay and studied at the same school as his brother Sanjay.
After spending half a decade studying in London, Rajiv returned to India in 1966. It was also the same year his mother had been elected as the Prime Minister.
During his childhood days, he often said to be a shy person and liked to keep to himself. He also loved to draw and paint.
Unlike his brother Sanjay, Rajiv had no interest in following in his family’s footsteps so he became a pilot for Air India in 1970.
His mother Indira was shot by 2 of her own bodyguards at her residence in Safdarjung Road, New Delhi.
Rajiv was 40 years old when he was chosen to be the “Prime Minister of India”.
His wife Sonia’s birth name is “Edvige Antonia Albina Màino”.
Rajiv was assassinated on May 21, 1991, while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. He was killed by a human bomb that was carried by Thenmozhi Rajaratnam a member of “Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam”.
Featured Image By Santosh Kumar Shukla / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 2.0