B. R. Ambedkar
The principal architect of India's constitution, he dedicated his life to battling caste oppression and became a spiritual leader for millions.
1891–1956 (age 65)·Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer·Birthday: April 14·The Lost Generation
Biography
Born into the marginalized Dalit community, Bhimrao Ambedkar faced searing discrimination from his earliest days, an experience that forged an unshakeable resolve. His brilliant mind earned him doctorates from Columbia University and the London School of Economics, making him one of India's most highly educated scholars. After independence, Jawaharlal Nehru tasked him with a monumental job: chairing the drafting committee for the nation's constitution. Ambedkar poured his vision of justice, equality, and fundamental rights into that foundational document, creating a framework for a modern democracy. Yet, disillusioned by the persistence of caste prejudice within Hinduism, he made a final, powerful statement. In 1956, he publicly converted to Buddhism, initiating a mass movement that continues to offer millions of Dalits a path to dignity and social liberation.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
B. was born in 1891, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When B. Was Born
The biggest hits of 1891
B.'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1891Born
President: Benjamin Harrison
1896Started school
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1904Became a teenager
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1907Could drive
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Could vote
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1912Turned 21
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1921Turned 30
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1931Turned 40
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1941Turned 50
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1951Turned 60
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1956Died at 65
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
Key Achievements
- Served as the chairman of the drafting committee for the Constitution of India, authoring its pivotal text.
- Founded the Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha to promote education and socio-economic improvement for the depressed classes.
- Was appointed independent India's first Law Minister and served on the Defence Advisory Committee.
- Led the Mahad Satyagraha in 1927 to assert the right of Dalits to use public water tanks.
Did You Know?
He was the first Indian to pursue a doctorate in economics abroad.
His personal library, the 'Rajgruha', contained over 50,000 books.
He is often depicted in statues and paintings wearing a blue suit, a style he adopted from his time in the West.
Ambedkar's conversion to Buddhism inspired over 500,000 of his followers to convert in a single ceremony.
““I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.””
