Born in Nadiad, Kheda District, Gujarat, fourth son of Jhaverbhai Patel, a farmer of Karamsad and Ladbai Patel; primary schooling up to English Third standard at Karamsad

Married to Jhaverba of Gana, a village 3 miles from Karamsad

Passed matriculation exam in Nadiad

Passed the District Pleader's Examination; practices in Godhra; contracts bubonic plague from a court official whom he nursed during an epidemic in Godhra

Shifted legal practice to Borsad, made a name as a criminal lawyer

Daughter Mani (later known as Manibehn) born

Saved enough money to go to England to become a barrister but gave it away to his elder brother Vitthalbhai who wished to become barrister first

Son Dahya born

Wife Jhaverba dies after a surgical operation in Bombay

Vallabhbhai leaves for England, admitted to Middle Temple

Took final examination after 6th term instead of the usual 12, ranked first in first class; won a prize of fifty pounds, left for India the day after the exam; brother Vitthalbhai elected as member of the Bombay Council

Vallabhbhai becomes Barrister (Bar-at-Law) of Middle Temple Inn

Returns to India; practices in Ahmedabad; becomes the foremost criminal lawyer

Jhaverbhai, Vallabhbhai's father, dies at the age of 85

Member, Gujarat Sabha, which was converted into Gujarat Provincial Congress Committee in 1919; Secretary, Gujarat Provincial Conference of which Mahatma Gandhi was the President.

Elected councilor of Ahmedabad Municipality; Chairman, Sanitary and Public Works Committee

First direct contact with Mahatma Gandhi

Organized famine relief in Ahmedabad district; established a temporary hospital in Ahmedabad with a grant from Municipal Board to Gujarat Sabha to combat severe influenza of epidemic; successfully led "No-Tax" agitation against land revenue recovered by Government from drought affected Kheda district farmers

Discards western dress and adopts khadi, dhoti, kurta and chappals; burnt all his foreign clothes; won all open seats in the Ahmedabad Municipal elections, collected one million rupees for the Tilak Swaraj Fund and enrolled 300, 000 members for Indian National Congress from Gujarat; decides with Gandhi to establish Gujarat Vidyapeeth

Chairman, Reception Committee, Indian National Congress, 36th session, Ahmedabad; First Chairman, Gujarat Regional Congress Committee

Satyagraha at Borsad, Gujarat - Against the Governments, "Haidiya" punitive tax imposed on the entire population of Borsad Taluka. Gandhi calls Vallabhbhai "King of Borsad"

Leads Nagpur National Flag Agitation; collected one million rupees in Rangoon for Gujarat Vidyapeeth

Elected President of Ahmedabad Municipality

Unprecedented floods in Gujarat, Vallabhbhai obtained one crore (10 million) rupees from he Government for famine relief

Resigned from the Presidency of Ahmedabad Municipality; presides over the Kathiawad Political Conference at Morbi

Leads the Bardoli No-Tax Campaign Satyagraha in Kheda District; Vallabhbhai called "Sardar" by the peasants. Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress endorses
the title

Presided over Maharashtra Political Conference; tours Maharashtra

Arrested for canvassing Gandhi's salt Satyagraha; Lodged in Sabarmati jail, Ahmedabad. Went on hunger strike in jail requesting C class diet instead of A class provided to him because of his high status. Request granted!

Released

Rearrested in Bombay and sent to Yeravada jail for 3 months

Rearrested and sentenced to 9 months imprisonment

Presides over Indian National Congress, 46th session, Karachi.

Joins Gandhi in talks with Viceroy Lord Irwin in Simla

Brother Vitthalbhai dies in a clinic near Geneva while Sardar was in prison (see below)

Arrested during the Civil Disobedience Movement and jailed in Yeravada Prison along with Mahatma Gandhi; later joined by Mahadev Desai from Nasik jail. Daughter Manibehn and Kasturba Gandhi also jailed but for shorter periods.

Released on grounds of health - serious nose trouble.

Chairman, Congress Parliamentary Board; supervises Congress' ministries in eight provinces, 1937-1939; in charge of selection of candidates for elections

Arrested under Defense of India Act for participation in Satyagraha launched by Gandhiji to press Great Britain for a commitment on India's Independence

Released from prison following a severe intestinal ailment

Arrested for participation in Quit India Movement; jailed in Ahmednagar Fort along with Nehru, Azad, and other prominent leaders; shifted to Yeravada prison in early 1945

Released from prison to participate in Simla Talks

Sardar joins the "Interim Government," as Minister for Home, Information, and Broad- casting (headed by Nehru as Vice-President of the Viceroy's Executive Council)

Inaugurates the Vitthalbhbhai Patel Maha Vidyalaya at Vallabh Vidyanagar

Government of India decides to establish a Department of (Princely) States under Sardar Patel

Sardar joins Independent India's Cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for
Home, States, Information and Broadcasting

Visits Somnath Patan and decides to renovate the Somnath Mahadev Temple

"Doctor of Laws" degree conferred on Sardar by Nagpur, Banaras and Allahabad Universities on Nov 3, 25, and 27 respectively

Inaugurates Rajya Sangh of Bhavnagar

Inaugurates Rajasthan Sangh

Agreements to constitute Madhya/Bharat Sangh

"Police Action" in Hyderabad

"Bharat Ratna," the highest Indian national award, conferred posthumously on Sardar Patel. The award was accepted by Sardar's grandson, Vipinbhai Patel.

Served as Acting Prime Minister of India during Nehru's visit to the U.S., UK, and Canada

Sardar Patel dies in Bombay; cremated in Bombay

"Bharat Ratna," the highest Indian national award, conferred posthumously on Sardar Patel. The award was accepted by Sardar's grandson, Vipinbhai Patel.