1872
Pammal Sambanda Mudaliar– Father of Tamil Drama
The city’s tradition of drama owes a lot to Pammal Sambanda Mudaliar, a playwright and actor, who is called the father of Tamil drama. The artist, who starred in plays staged in the Suguna Vilasa Sabha (SVS), was instrumental in revitalising Tamil drama.
Madras Presidency Chief Minister C. Rajagopalachari paid rich tributes to Mr. Mudaliar during his 81st birthday celebrations in Chennai in February 1953. He said the actor had pulled the art of drama out of its pathetic state.
The Padma Bhushan awardee who also wrote 109 books was a pioneer of the Tamil stage. The resident of George Town played as many as 109 different characters before he died at the age of 92 on September 24, 1964.
1896
Connemara Public Library
The library’s beginnings go back to 1860, when Captain Jesse Mitchell set up a small library as part of the Madras Museum.
Hundreds of books had been found to be surplus in the libraries of Haileybury College in Hertford Heath, Hertfordshire (where civil service candidates were trained) and these were sent to the Madras Government, which in turn handed them over to the Madras Museum. Conceived on the lines of the British Museum Library, it was part of the Madras Museum until 1890, when the need for a free public library prompted the then Governor of Madras, Lord Connemara, to lay the foundation on March 22 1890. It opened in 1896 and was named after the former Governor (who had by then returned to Britain).
The library was indeed essentially free: A small deposit had to be paid, but this was refundable. It became the state central library with the enactment of the Madras Public Libraries Act 1948, which was the first concerted effort in India to institutionalise, structure, co-ordinate and organise public library services.
This is one of Asia's largest libraries. In 1981, it became one of the four national depository libraries.
1767-1799
Anglo-Mysore war and the Role of Madras
Even before the Sepoy Mutiny, which was the precursor to India’s freedom struggle, the Anglo-Mysore wars between the English rulers of Madras and Tipu Sultan had seen the British face a serious challenge.
In the four wars between 1767 and 1799, Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan tried their best to cripple the increasing power of the East India Company.
Tipu, who succeeded Hyder Ali as the ruler of Mysore during the second war in December 1781, was especially aggressive and uncompromising in his attempts to counter British influence.
For the British, the Madras Presidency was a key base of operations for their wars against Tipu. Governor-General Wellesley personally visited Madras in December 1798 to ensure preparations were in order to raise a powerful army to take on Mysore.
Snippets
In 1911, the city's streets were lit by 6,300 kerosene lamps. By 1914, 15 electric lights were provided for street illumination. Kerosene lamps were completely replaced with 8,300 electric lights in 1924
Nathaniel Higginson, a member of the council of Fort St. George, became the first Mayor of Madras Corporation that was
created in December 1687
The venue of the first film screening in Madras - Victoria Public Hall, an Indo-Saracenic structure - was built to honour Queen Victoria in 1887. Designed by R.H. Chisholm, it was built at a cost of Rs. 2 lakh
N.S.C Bose Road was once called China Bazaar. Chinese dentists were based there as were shops that sold kitchenware
The ancient Chenna Kesava Perumal and Kalikambal temples were demolished by the British. They were reconstructed on N.S.C. Bose Road and at Thambu Chetty Street respectively
