| DATE | BRIEF DESCRIPTION |
| 1869 | Born October 2 into a political Hindu family. |
| 1888-1891 | Trains as a lawyer in London and returns to India. |
| 1893-1914 | Serves as a legal adviser in South Africa, where he experiences racial injustice and becomes a political activist. Develops a new method of non-violent protest which he calls satyagraha. |
| 1914 | Returns to India and becomes leader of the Indian nationalist movement. Begins to transform the Indian National Congress into a powerful national organization. |
| 1919 | In protest at the Amritsar Massacre he leads a nationwide campaign of passive non-cooperation with the government of British India. |
| 1922-1924 | Imprisoned by the British. |
| 1924-1928 | After his release he launches a comprehensive programme of national regeneration, and fights simultaneously on the social, economic, religious, and political fronts. The poet Tagore calls him Mahatma ("great soul"). |
| 1930-1934 | Begins a series of campaigns of civil disobedience against the British. |
| 1939 | Refuses to support Britain in World War II unless India is granted independence. |
| 1942 | Arrested and held by the British government. |
| 1944 | Released following British agreement to Indian independence. Opposes partition of India. |
| 1947 | India gains independence but is divided into separate states, India and Pakistan. |
| 1948 | Assassinated by a Hindu nationalist on January 30. |
