8 March in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 8 March is the birth anniversary of Vishvanath Narayan Mandlik, Hari Narayan Apte, Gopi Chand Bhargava, Biswanath Dash, Damerla Rama Rao, Sahir Ludhianvi, Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Digambar Kamat, and Santosh Sivan.
8 March is also observed as the death anniversary of Rani Karnavati, Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher, and Vinod Mehta.
Birth Anniversary on 8 March
8 March in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Vishvanath Narayan Mandlik (8 March 1833 – 9 May 1899), was an eminent citizen, lawyer, author, and legal expert on Hindu law. Mandlik was born in Ratnagiri District on 8 March 1833.
Hari Narayan Apte (8 March 1864 – 3 March 1919), was a writer and novelist. He was born on 8 March 1864 in Maharashtra, British India.
Gopi Chand Bhargava (8 March 1889 – 26 December 1966), the former and first chief minister of Punjab. He became chief minister thrice (15 August 1947 – 13 April 1949, 18 October 1949 – 20 June 1951, and 21 June 1964 – 6 July 1964), He was affiliated with Indian National Congress (INC). He was born on 8 March 1889 in Punjab, British India.
Biswanath Dash (8 March 1889 – 2 June 1984), was an Indian politician, lawyer, and philanthropist. He was the 7th Chief Minister of Odisha. He also served as Governor of Uttar Pradesh. He was born on 8 March 1889.
Damerla Rama Rao (8 March 1897 — 6 February 1925), was an Indian artist. He was inclined towards the art of painting and sketching since childhood. In 1923, Ramarao started Rajahmundry Chitra Kalashala and trained many youngsters. He was the first artist to paint nude women. He was born on 8 March 1897 in Rajahmundry, British India.
Abdul Hayee (8 March 1921 – 25 October 1980), was an Indian poet, the lyricist who wrote in the Urdu and Hindi languages. He was known by his pen name Sahir Ludhianvi. Sahir won a Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist for the Taj Mahal (1963). He won a second Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist for his work on Kabhie Kabhie (1976). He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1971. On 8 March 2013, the ninety-second anniversary of Sahir’s birth, a commemorative stamp was issued in his honor. He was born on 8 March 1921 in Ludhiana, British India.
Vasundhara Raje Scindia is an Indian politician and former Chief Minister of Rajasthan. She is affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party. She is also the head of the Dholpur royal family and is the acting queen of Dholpur. Vasundhara Raje was born on 8 March 1953 in Mumbai, India.
Digambar Kamat, an Indian politician. He was the Chief Minister of Goa from June 2007 to March 2012. He was born on 8 March 1954 in Goa.
Santosh Sivan, is an Indian cinematographer, film director, producer, and actor known for his works in Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi cinema. As of 2014, he has received eleven National Film Awards and twenty-one international awards for his works. He was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award, for his contributions to Indian cinema in 2014. He was born on 8 February 1964.
Read More: 7 March in Indian and World History
Death Anniversary on 8 March
8 March in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Rani Karnavati is also known as Rani Karmavati, a princess and temporary ruler from Bundi, India. She was married to Rana Sanga of Chittorgarh, the capital of Mewar Kingdom. She was the mother of the next two Ranas, Rana Vikramaditya and Rana Uday Singh, and grandmother of the legendary Maharana Pratap. She was as fierce as her husband and defended Chittor with a small contingent of soldiers until it inevitably fell to the Gujarat army. She refused to flee and performed Jauhar to protect her honor on 8 March 1534.
Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher (24 August 1888 – 8 March 1957), was a lawyer, solicitor, and social worker and the first chief minister of Bombay State. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award by the Government of India in 1954. He died on 8 March 1957 in Pune, India, at an age of 68.
Vinod Mehta (31 May 1942 – 8 March 2015), was an Indian journalist, editor, and political commentator. He was also the founder and editor-in-chief of Outlook from 1995 to 2012. He died on 8 March 2015 in New Delhi, India, at the age of 73.
Read More: 6 March in Indian and World History
Notable events on 8 March in Indian and World History
8 March 1535 – Siege of Chittorgarh took place. Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat attacked Chittor Fort, after the death of Rana Sanga, with the aim of expanding his kingdom. The forts defense was led by the Widow of Sanga, Rani Karnavati. As a result, women are said to have committed Jauhar or mass self-immolation.
8 March 1879 – Otto Hahn was a German chemist. In 1944, Otto Hahn was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and was Born.
8 March 1930 – Mahatma Gandhi commenced the Civil Disobedience Movement. It was the start of the civil disobedience movement which commenced as Mahatma Gandhi broke the salt law on the coastal town of Dandi on the Arabian Sea on April 5. Dandi March is also known as Namak Satyagrah or Salt Satyagrah.
8 March 1864 – Sương Nguyệt Anh, the first female newspaper editor of the first women’s newspaper in Vietnam, was born.
8 March 1886 – Edward Calvin Kendall an American chemist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
8 March 1914 – Frank Soo – a pioneering British footballer of Chinese descent who played for Stoke City – was born.
8 March 1923 – Johannes Diderik van der Waals a Dutch theoretical physicist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
8 March 2009– Seund Ja Rhee – a South Korean painter, engraver, draughtswoman, and illustrator – died.
8 March Historical Significance
March 8 holds great historical significance primarily due to its recognition as International Women’s Day. Established in the early 20th century, this day celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women worldwide while also serving as a call to action for gender equality and women’s rights. The origins of International Women’s Day trace back to labor movements in North America and Europe, with the first official celebration taking place in 1911. Beyond its contemporary global observance, March 8 has also been a date of notable events in history. For example, in 1917, women in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) initiated a strike for “Bread and Peace,” which eventually sparked the Russian Revolution, leading to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II. This date continues to symbolize the ongoing struggle for women’s rights and the progress made towards achieving gender parity.
Important Days of 8 March in History
International Women’s Day: This is the most widely recognized observance on 8 March. It celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace: This is observed by the United Nations to focus on women’s rights and to promote international peace and security.
