Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born in Tiruttani in Tamil Nadu on 5th September 1888 into a poor Brahmin family. His father Sarvepalli Veeraswami was employed on a meagre salary in the zamindari. His mother’s name was Sitamma. It was difficult for Radhakrishnan’s father to educate him. Radhakrishnan was awarded scholarships throughout his academic life. He initially went to school in Tiruttani, and then went to the Lutheran Mission School in Tirupati for his high school.
He initially joined Voorhees College in Vellore, but, later switched to the prestigious Madras Christian College at the age of 17. He chose philosophy as his major, and attained a BA and an MA in the field.
He married Sivakamuamma in 1904, at the age of 16. The couple had five daughters and a son. They were married for 51 years, until, Sivakamuamma died in 1956.
Dr. Radhakrishnan accepted an assistant lectureship at the Madras Presidency College in 1909. In 1918, Dr. Radhakrishnan was appointed as the professor of philosophy by the University of Mysore. He was immensely popular among his students.
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