Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, the fifth President of the Indian Republic, was born on 13 May 1905, at Hauz Qazi area of old Delhi. He matriculated from Delhi Government High School and proceeded to England for higher education in 1913. On his return to India in 1928, he started legal practice in the Lahore High Court. In 1925, he met
Jawaharlal Nehru, which became a turning point in his life.
In 1931 he became a primary member of Congress and actively participated in the freedom movement. After independence, he was elected to the Assam Assembly for two consecutive terms. He was also the Advocate-General of the Government of Assam. Later Jawaharlal Nehru invited him to join his cabinet in January 1966. He was elected to the Presidentship of the Indian Republic on 20 August 1974.
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was a tennis player and a golfer; he was the President of the Assam Football Association and the Assam Cricket Association for several terms and also the Vice-President of the Assam Sports Council. In April 1967 he was elected as the President of the All India Cricket Association.
He passed away in office, on February 11, 1977.
