In 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is killed at her residence in New Delhi by her bodyguards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh.
Indira Gandhi, India's prime minister, is killed by two of her own bodyguards in New Delhi. Sikhs Beant Singh and Satwant Singh opened fire on Gandhi as she headed to her office from an adjoining home. Satwant Singh, who lived long enough to stand trial, was convicted and killed in 1989. Riots erupted in New Delhi following Gandhi's murder. Over the span of two days, more than 1,000 innocent Sikhs were slain in indiscriminate assaults. Rajiv Gandhi, Gandhi's son, took over as Prime Minister.
Related On This Day
The 1997 Tokyo International Film Festival saw the world premiere of James Cameron's "Titanic," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk seizes Constantinople from Mehmed VI in 1922, establishing the Republic of Turkey and bringing the Ottoman Empire to an end.
Rajiv Gandhi becomes India's sixth Prime Minister in 1984, succeeding his mother Indira Gandhi, who was killed.
Vallabhbhai Patel, an Indian independence warrior and statesman, was born in Gujarat, India, in 1875.
In 1966, the Indian state of Haryana was formed from Punjab, and the territory of Chandigarh was established.
Aishwarya Rai, an Indian actress and beauty queen, was born in Mangaluru, India, in 1973.