July 8 is the birth anniversary of two famous Kolkatans, former chief minister Jyoti Basu and cricketer Sourav Ganguly.
But July 8 also saw the official end of a pivotal event in Indian history. In 1859, on this day, Viceroy of India Lord Canning proclaimed peace throughout the country after the 1857 Uprising.
It was preceded by the suppression of the violent protests against British authorities by Indian army personnel and leaders of some Indian states. Sir Colin Campbell and Sir Hugh Rose had led the British campaigns. On November 1, 1858, according to Queen Victoria’s Proclamation, the British crown had taken over the governance of India from the East India Company.