New Delhi, September 5: Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was born on September 5 in 1888, served as the first Vice President of India and the second President of India. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan's birthday is celebrated as Teacher's Day because he was one of India's most distinguished twentieth-century scholars of comparative religion and philosophy. He taught religion and philosophy at several prominent educational institutes in different parts of the world. On Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan's birth anniversary, here are 11 lesser-known facts about one of the best minds of India. Teachers' Day 2020 Wishes & HD Images: Facebook Greetings, WhatsApp Stickers, GIF Messages and SMS to Celebrate Birth Anniversary of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

  1. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was awarded a knighthood in 1931.

  2. Radhakrishnan was a recipient of the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.

  3. He was the first Indian to hold a professorial chair at the University of Oxford.

  4. Radhakrishnan’s father wanted him to become a priest at a temple.

  5. Charing sittings of Rajya Sabha as Vice President, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan would Sanskrit scriptures and Bible to clam the heated situation.

  6. Besides holding various posts at educational institutes in India, Radhakrishnan was Upton Lecturer at Manchester College, Oxford in 1926, 1929, and 1930.

  7. In 1930, he was appointed Haskell lecturer in Comparative Religion at the University of Chicago.

  8. Sarvepalli believed that "teachers should be the best minds in the country".

  9. At the age of 16, Sarvepalli was married to Sivakamu, a distant cousin.

  10. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan represented India at UNESCO and also served Ambassador of India to the Soviet Union.

  11. He was against State institutions imparting denominational religious instruction as it was against the secular vision of India.

When Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan became the President of India, some of his students and friends requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday, on 5 September. He replied, "Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if September 5 is observed as Teachers' Day." His birthday has since been celebrated as Teacher's Day in India.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 05, 2020 07:15 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).