Kerala History Timeline AD 1805 Death of Pazhassi Raja 52 St. Thomas Mission to Kerala 1809 Kundara Proclamation of Velu Thampi 68 Jews migrated to Kerala. 1809 Velu Thampi commits suicide. 630 Huang Tsang in Kerala. 1812 Kurichiya revolt against the British. 788 Birth of Sankaracharya. 1831 First census taken in Travancore 820 Death of Sankaracharya. 1834 English education started by 825 Beginning of Malayalam Era. Swatithirunal in Travancore. 851 Sulaiman in Kerala. 1847 Rajyasamacharam the first newspaper 1292 Italiyan Traveller Marcopolo reached in Malayalam, published. Kerala. 1855 Birth of Sree Narayana Guru. 1295 Kozhikode city was established 1865 Pandarappatta Proclamation 1342-1347 African traveller Ibanbatuta reached 1891 The first Legislative Assembly in Kerala. Travancore formed. Malayali Memorial 1440 Nicholo Conti in Kerala. 1895-96 Ezhava Memorial 1498 Vascoda Gama reaches Calicut. 1904 Sreemulam Praja Sabha was established. 1504 War of Cranganore (Kodungallor) be- 1920 Gandhiji's first visit to Kerala. tween Cochin and Kozhikode. 1920-21 Malabar Rebellion. 1505 First Portuguese Viceroy De Almeda 1921 First All Kerala Congress Political reached Kochi. Meeting was held at Ottapalam, under 1510 War between the Portuguese and the the leadership of T. Prakasam. Zamorin at Kozhikode. 1924 Vaikom Satyagraha 1573 Printing Press started functioning in 1928 Death of Sree Narayana Guru. Kochi and Vypinkotta. 1930 Salt Satyagraha 1599 Udayamperoor Sunahadhos. 1931 Guruvayur Satyagraha 1616 Captain Keeling reached Kerala. 1932 Nivarthana Agitation 1663 Capture of Kochi by the Dutch. 1934 Split in the congress. Rise of the Leftists 1694 Thalassery Factory established. and Rightists. 1695 Anjengo (Anchu Thengu) Factory 1935 Sri P. Krishna Pillai and Sri. E.M.S. established. Nampoothiripad jointly formed the 1721 Attingal Revolt Communist Party in Malabar. 1729 Marthanda Varma becomes king of 1936 Temple Entry proclamation, allowing the Travancore. lower castes (untouchables) to enter tem- 1731 Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple was ple. rebuilt by Marthanda Varma. 1937 Travancore University established 1741 Battle of Kulachal – Marthanda Varma (in 1957 it is re-named Kerala University). defeated the Dutch. 1940 The first hydro-electric project of Kerala 1750 Thrippadidhanam was started at Pallivasal. 1755 Last Mamamkom festival at Tirunavaya. 1941 Kayyur Samaram. 1766 Haidar Ali invades Malabar Kingdoms. 1946 Punnapra Vayalar Revolt. 1772 Samkshepa Vedartham, the first book in 1948 The first Ministry in Travancore as- Malayalam was published. sumes charge with Sri. Pattom Thanu 1792 Treaty of Sreerangapatanam. Pillai as Chief Minister. 1797 Revolution of Pazhassi 1949 Integration of Travancore and Kochi. 28 9 1952 Consequent to the General Election of 1990 Ernakulam declared the first fully literate December 1951, a new ministry headed district of India. by Sri. A.J. John assumes charge. Smt. Padma Ramachandran becomes the 1954 General Election in Travancore- Cochin. first woman to be appointed as the Chief P.S.P. Ministry headed by Sri Pattom Secretary of Kerala. Thanu Pillai and supported by the 1991 Kerala declared the first fully literate state congress, sworn in in the country. 1954 Mahi was united with Indian Union. Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, 1956 Formation of the Kerala State (November 1) former Maharaja of Travancore passes 1957 General Election. The first Communist away. Ministry headed by Sri. E.M.Sankaran 1992 Alleppey - Kayamkulam railway line inaugu- Nampoothiripad assumes power. rated. 1959 Beginning of the Liberation Movement 1996 Right Livelyhood award given to Kerala (hntam-N-\-k-a-cw) . Kerala put under Presi- Sastra Sahitya Parishad. dent's rule. 1997 K.R. Narayanan becomes the President of In- 1960 Sri. V.V. Giri appointed Governor of dia. Kerala. 1998 E.M.S. (First Chief Minister of Kerala) 1961 Kerala Postal Circle established. passes away. 1963 Land Reforms Act enacted in Kerala. 1999 Kayamkulam Termal Project commis- 1965 First Jnanapeeda Award was given to sioned. G. Sankara Kurup. 2000 International status given to the 1968 Municipal Elections all over Kerala. Nedumbassery airport in Ernakulam. Kozhikode university established. 2001 A.K. Antony sworn in as the Chief Min- 1969 Resignation of the EMS Ministry. Sri C. ister of Kerala. Achutha Menon sworn in as Chief Minister. : UNESCO accepted Koodiyattom as a 1970 Death of Sri Mannathu Padmanabhan. most valued art form of humanity. Death of Sri Pattom Thanu Pillai. : Government banned the use of Endo 1971 Death of the famous Film Star Sathyan sulphan as it is enjurious the health of 1972 Formation of Idukki District. people. 1974 Death of former Union Defence Minister : First Malayalam audio novel ‘Ithanente Sri. V.K. Krishna Menon. Peru’ written by Sakkariya published. 1976 Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi : Tinu Yohannan becomes the first inaugurates the Railway Broad Gauge Malayali to be selected to the Indian Line between Ernakulam and Trivandrum. cricket team. 1979 President’s rule in Kerala for the fifth time. : Malayala Manorama Associate Editor , 1980 The first ship built in Cochin shipyard, Thomas Jacob is selected the chairman Rani Padmini launched. of Press Accademi. Formation of Wayanad District. : First AIDS patient in the state, Chithra 1981 Punalur Liquor tragedy. (Kilimanoor) dies. Pottekkad wins the 1980 Jnanapith award 2002 : Sikhandar Bhakth becomes Kerala Gov- for his work Oru Desathinte Katha. ernor 1982 Vypeen Liquor tragedy - 59 persons : First Malayalam Playback singer, killed. Sarojini,dies 1984 Kasargod, the 14th district of Kerala : Kumarakom boat tragedy comes into existence. : Swami Saswathikananda drowned to 1986 Pope John Paul II visits Kerala. death 1988 About 100 persons killed in the train ac- : Kerala becomes India’s first child friendly cident at Peruman near Kollam. state. 1989 The first literate town in India - : Jeevan TV becomes first Malayalam Kottayam. channel to telecast English news. 29 0 : M. Kamalan sworn is as the Chairperson V.C of the newly started National Uni- of State Women’s Commission versity of Advanced Legal Studies. : Dr. Kamala Surayya is selected for the : Retired High Court Judge T.K. Ezhuthachan Award. Chandrasekharadas is appointed the Om- 2003 : Kerala’s first coast-Guard station is budsman. started at Vizhinjam. : Raman Sri Vastava is appointed the D.G.P. : Vellanadu Panchayat in Trivandrum be- with the charge of law and order. comes the country’s first fully : Famous writer and cartoonist O.V. Vijayan computorised Panchayat. dies. : Calicut based Nedungadi Bank merges 2006 : Justice V.K. Bali is appointed the Chief itself with the Punjab National Bank. Justice of Kerala High Court. : Yusafali Kecheri assumes charge as the : Famous literary critic and writer Prof. M. President of Kerala Sahithya Accademi Krishnan Nair dies. : Global Investors Meet (GIM) in Cochin : P. Kamal Kutty is appointed the Chief inaugurated by the Prime Minister as Election Commissioner A.B.Vajpayee. : Muttathu Varkey Award 2006 is given to : Communal Riots in Maradu. Kamala Surayya. : The state’s first heart transplantation : Dr. Samuel Paul is selected for this Year’s sucessfully done in the Medical Trust Jitgil Memorial Award instituted by the Hospital (Ernakulam) World Bank for Social Service. He is the : K.M. Mani becomes the longest ruling First Asian to win the honour. Kerala Minister. : K. Radhakrishnan sworn in as the 2004 : Kerala government decides to start speaker of 12 Kerala Legislative Assem- Jalanidhi Project. bly. : Kerala Governor Sikhandar Bhakt dies. : Famous Economist Prabhat Patnaik is ap- : Anamudi forest area is proclaimed a Na- pointed the Vice - Chairman of State Plan- tional Park. ning Board. : R.L. Bhatia becomes Kerala Governor : Senior Advocate C.P. Sudhakara Prasad : P.K.Muraleedharan becomes the first In- is appointed the Advocate General. dian to Control Olympic Boxing Compe- tition. : Justice N. Dinakar is appointed the state Human Rights Commission Chairman. : Former Chief Secretary K.B. Raveendran Nair becomes the Chairman of Third Fi- : Suma Varma is appointed the Banking nance Commission of Kerala. Ombudsman of Kerala and : M.K. Ramachandran Nair sworn in as the Lakshadweep. Vice Chancellor of Kerala University. : The Vallathol Award for this year is given : Kerala wins the 59th Santhosh Trophy to O.N.V. Kurup. defeating Punjab. : Adayalangal of Sethu wins the Vayalar : Tsunami brings diaster to Kerala coastal Award for this year. villages. : This year’s Ezhuthachan Award for life- 2005 : Kerala Government bans online lotery. time contribution to Malayalam language : Palat Mohandas sworn in as the Chief and literature is conferred upon Kovilan. information Commissioner. : Malayali Scientist Dr. George Joseph is : Kerala Legislature’s first woman Deputy appointed the Director for the centre for Speaker K.O. Ayisha Beevi dies. Space Science and Technology Educa- : Dr. Sripat Ganapat Bhat becomes the first tion in Asia Pacific (Under the U.N) 29 1 Kerala History PRE-HISTORIC KERALA Kottavai (a form of Durga) was the chief diety of Kerala is believed to have originated by the with- people during the Sangham Age (war goddess) drawal of sea, when Parasurama threw his axe from Avvayar was the most famous poetess of the Gokarnam to Kanyakumary. Sangham period. Kalidasa’s Reghuvamsam mentions about kerala. Manram was the famous socio-political institu- Parasurama divided