M Karunanidhi (FIle photo | EPS)
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Birth: 3 June, 1924
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Joined politics at the young age of 14
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On 17th September, 1949, Arignar Anna established the DMK party
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Kalaignar was entrusted with the responsibility of spearheading the campaigns and garnering support among the people of Tamil Nadu.
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In 1953 Karunanidhi's foray into Tamil Nadu politics began with his participation in the Kallakudi agitation.
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First elected to Tamil Nadu legislative assembly in 1957 from Kulithalai seat of Tiruchirappalli district
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Kalaignar was elected as the party president in 1969, after the demise of Arignar Anna,
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In 1979, he struck an alliance with Indira’s Congress against MGR’s ADMK-Janata combine
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Swung into the National Front, an anti-Congress formation.
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DMK forms government for the third time on January 1989 after winning the general elections.
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Karunanidhi ensures a berth for nephew, Murasoli Maran in the V P Singh cabinet.
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Between 1996 and 1998 DMK chief emerged as an important player in the United Front.
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In 1999, DMK joined the ministry of Prime Minister A B Vajpayee.
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In 2001, the Jayalalitha-led AIADMK government got Karunanidhi arrested on corruption charges along with nephew Dayanidhi Maran.
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The arrest which left the entire country shell-shocked took place in a dramatic manner with Kalaignar being arrested at 2:00 am with police dragging him off his residence in July, 2001.
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In 2004, the grand old Dravidian party swept all the 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu and helped Congress-led UPA to form government at the Centre.
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The DMK came back to power in 2006 for the fifth time with Kalaignar Karunanidhi as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the fifth time.
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In 2009, Karunanidhi underwent spinal surgery and was confined to wheelchair permanently.
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A. Raja resigns as the Telecom Minister amid allegations of corruption in the 2G scam in 2010.
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Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi also named as one of the accused in the 2G scam. She was arrested later in 2011.
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The DMK chief won the 2011 assembly election for the 12th consecutive time from Thiruvarur.
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In August 2016, the DMK chief made his second appearance in the assembly since J. Jayalalitha-led AIADMK government came to power.
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In December 2016, Thalaivar was admitted to the Kauvery hospital due to difficulty in breathing but was discharged after treatment.
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Karunanidhi named M K Stalin as the working president of DMK in January 2017 thus making him his heir-apparent.
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May 2017 Kalignar celebrated his 94th birthday after recovering from tracheotomy and regaining his speech.
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October 2017 the DMK chief M Karunanidhi made his first public appearance after a year at an exhibition in Chennai.
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In April, 2018 Kalignar visited the DMK party office for the last time.
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28 July, 2018 at 1:30 am the DMK chief rushed to Kauvery hospital after his blood pressure fell drastically.
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The week-long struggle of Thalaivar Kalaignar came to an end as he lost his battle for life on 7 August, 2018 at 6:40 PM.
