On what date was Mahatma Gandhi born in Porbandar, India?

Mahatma Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, India.

His birth name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Porbandar was then a small princely-state port on the Kathiawar Peninsula, now in Gujarat. His father, Karamchand Gandhi, served as a senior administrator, while his mother, Putlibai, strongly influenced his religious and ethical outlook.

Gandhi’s birthday is observed in India as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday. The United Nations also marks 2 October as the International Day of Non-Violence, established in 2007. A common mix-up is to confuse Gandhi’s birth date with 30 January, the date of his assassination in 1948.

The honorific “Mahatma,” meaning “great soul,” became associated with him during his public life, but it was not his birth name.