Origins & Early Life

Nathuram Vinayak Godse IPA: [nət̪ʰuɾam ʋinajək ɡoɖse] (19 May 1910 – 15 November 1949) was the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi. He was a Hindu nationalist from Maharashtra who shot Gandhi in the chest three times at point blank range at a multi-faith prayer meeting in Birla House in New Delhi on 30 January 1948. Godse was a prominent populariser of the works of his mentor, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who had formulated the Hindu nationalist ideology of Hindutva. Godse was a member of the Hindu Mahasabha, a Hindutva political party, and of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindutva paramilitary organisation.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Godse made two unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi in 1944 before his third successful attempt in 1948. Soon after Mahatma Gandhi had fallen from the fatal shots at the prayer meeting, and while the attendant crowd was in shock, Godse was grasped and restrained by Herbert Reiner Jr., a vice-consul at the new American embassy in Delhi who was also attending; eventually, Godse was taken away by the police. Godse had plotted the assassination with Narayan Apte and six others. Godse claimed Gandhi had favoured the political demands of Indian Muslims during...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. J. Ayer — Contemporary (Born in 1910) (1910): Influential English philosopher known for logical positivism and emotivism.
• Akira Kurosawa — Contemporary (Born in 1910) (1910): Master of Japanese cinema, known for dynamic style and epic storytelling.
• Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson — Contemporary (Died in 1910) (1910): Pioneering Norwegian writer, poet, and polemicist, celebrated for national spirit.
• Ahmed Zaki (actor) — Contemporary (Born in 1949) (1949): Iconic Egyptian actor celebrated for intense dramatic performances.
• Alan Menken — Contemporary (Born in 1949) (1949): Award-winning American composer celebrated for Disney film scores and Broadway musicals.
• Amadeo Giannini — Contemporary (Died in 1949) (1949): Pioneering American banker who founded the Bank of Italy and influenced modern finance.
• Abraham Pais — Shared historical date (05-19 · Born) (1918): Pioneering physicist and acclaimed science historian of modern physics.
• Alcuin — Shared historical date (05-19 · Died) (804): Leading scholar of the Carolingian Renaissance, influential teacher and clergyman.
• Adolfo Pedernera — Shared historical date (11-15 · Born) (1918): Argentine football legend, nicknamed 'El Maestro,' pivotal in the 1940s.
• Albertus Magnus — Shared historical date (11-15 · Died) (1280): Pioneering medieval philosopher, scientist, and Dominican friar.
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