Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Porbander, Gujarot, India on October 2, 1869. Born as a son of the Dewan or Prime Minister of the small state Porbander and a highly religious woman. His father was an important figure in his life , but being the youngest of four other siblings he was closer to his mother. Putlibai's saintliness had a lasting impression on Gandhi and from her he learned about sacrifice and love.

Before attending school Gandhi was encouraged to do moral justice all the time. For that reason he never cheated or lied though often encouraged by his teachers. Gandhi's schooling took place in Rajkot. After the family moved here when his father, Karamchand Gandhi, was appointed a job. Gandhi neither excelled in school or in sports.

At age thirteen ,Gandhi's schooling was interrupted when a marriage was arranged for him to marry, Kasturbai, a girl of the same age. Later in life Gandhi would go against child marriages since it had made him responsible for things that a adult was to be responsible for, not a child. The first four years of their marriage Gandhi and Kasturbai spent less than three years together.

In 1887, Gandhi went to England to study law for four years. He thought it had ended successfully, but on his first case back in Rajkot he couldn't remember the question he was going to ask the witness for his client.

When Gandhi was offered the chance to go to South Africa to sort out a legal claim he jumped at the opportunity. While traveling first class on a train in South Africa Gandhi was confronted by two officials who ordered him to go to the van compartment. When he refused, a policeman came and pushed Gandhi and his luggage off the the train. Unfortunately, they kept his duffel bag that held his winter over coat and he was left shivering at the station. This incident made Gandhi realize how prejudiced Englishman were towards Indians. In 1915, the Gandhi family, which Gandhi had gone back to collect in 1896, sailed back to India.

The government of India passed the Rowlatt Bill in 1918. This made it possible that "troublemakers" could be sentenced without a jury. The following year Gandhi had a dream that he announced to the Indian leaders. He asked all of India to have a strike. The day was set for March 30, but then changed to April 6.

In Delhi, the strike was held on the original date. 40,000 people gathered in the main street until troops fired into the crowd when they refused to break up. Nine people died. Another massacre took place at Amritsar where hundreds were killed and a thousand plus were injured. When the Prince of Wales came on a visit to India 22, policeman were killed in a riot.

On August 7,1942 Gandhi and the All-Indi Congress Committee asked the British to leave India. Two days later Gandhi was arrested with his wife. During their imprisonment Gandhi went on three-week fast of eating only water with citrus fruit juice. Though he didn't die, he was very close to dying. While Gandhi was still weak, Kasturbai, his wife died in his arms. He took her death so hard that he was released from prison.

By the end of World War II, the British agreed to grant independence to India, due to the peaceful efforts of Gandhi.

During evening prayer on January 20, 1948 a bomb was thrown at Gandhi. It exploded a distance away from Gandhi and he decided to ignore it. He begged police not to increase his security and to not press charges against his attacker. On January 30, 1948, during evening prayer, a Hindu man knelt before Gandhi and fired three shots. Gandhi was dead.

 "The light has gone out of our lives." -Nehru, Prime Minister