Jawaharlal Nehru Birthday & Age: Wife, Daughter Indira, Family & Career Timeline

Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, was born on 14 November 1889 in Allahabad (now Prayagraj). He died on 27 May 1964 at the age of 74, but his birthday remains one of the best-known dates in India: it is celebrated every year as Children’s Day, in memory of his fondness for children, who called him “Chacha Nehru”.

A Prominent Family

Nehru was the first child of Motilal Nehru, a wealthy self-made barrister who twice served as president of the Indian National Congress, and Swarup Rani. Both parents came from the Kashmiri Pandit community. He had two younger sisters, and both became notable figures in their own right.

Family Member	Relation	Known For
Motilal Nehru	Father	Lawyer; Congress president in 1919 and 1928
Swarup Rani	Mother	Raised in Lahore
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit	Sister	First woman president of the UN General Assembly
Krishna Hutheesing	Sister	Writer
Kamala Nehru	Wife	Married 1916
Indira Gandhi	Daughter	India’s first woman prime minister

Wife Kamala and Daughter Indira

In 1916 Nehru married Kamala Kaul, from a Kashmiri Pandit family settled in Delhi. Their only daughter, Indira, was born in 1917. A son born in 1924 lived only a few days. Kamala, who took part in the freedom struggle herself, died in 1936. Indira later became India’s first — and so far only — woman prime minister, serving from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 to 1984. Nehru’s famous book Letters from a Father to His Daughter grew out of letters he wrote to her when she was a child.

👉 Explore other famous birthdays: Famous Birthdays on November 14

Education in England

Nehru was educated at Harrow School and then Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned an honours degree in natural science in 1910. He read widely in politics, economics and history, influenced by writers such as George Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells and John Maynard Keynes. He then trained in law at the Inner Temple in London, became a barrister, and returned to India to practise at the Allahabad High Court.

Career Timeline

• 1912: Returns to India and joins the Allahabad High Court as a lawyer.
• 1919–1920s: Becomes deeply involved in the national movement alongside Mahatma Gandhi.
• 1929: As Congress president, calls for Purna Swaraj — complete independence from British rule.
• 1930s: Spends long periods in prison, where he writes much of his best-known work.
• 1937: Leads the Congress campaign that wins several provincial elections.
• 15 August 1947: Delivers the “Tryst with Destiny” speech and becomes India’s first prime minister.
• 1950: India becomes a republic; Nehru continues as prime minister.
• 1951, 1957, 1962: Wins three general elections.
• 27 May 1964: Dies in office after a heart attack, after 16 years and 286 days as prime minister.

His Ideas and Legacy

As prime minister, Nehru promoted parliamentary democracy, secularism, and science and technology, shaping India’s early direction as a modern nation. Abroad, he kept India out of both Cold War blocs, an approach that helped lay the groundwork for the Non-Aligned Movement. Historians and politicians still debate parts of his record, including economic policy and the 1962 border war with China, but his role as a founding figure of independent India is widely recognised.

Books by Nehru

Book	Year	About
Letters from a Father to His Daughter	1929	Letters to young Indira about the world’s history
An Autobiography	1936	His life and the freedom struggle
The Discovery of India	1946	A sweeping look at Indian history and culture, written in prison

Why His Birthday Is Children’s Day

Nehru believed children were the future of the nation and spoke often about education and science for young people. After his death, India began marking his birthday as Children’s Day. Schools hold cultural programmes, games and speeches, and teachers often organise special activities for students on 14 November.

👉 Read more: Children’s Day in India (14 November)

👉 See all observances on this date: November 14 Holidays and Special Days

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