C.R. Rajagopalachari was born on 10 December 1878 in Salem, Madras Presidency, British India. He died on 25 December 1972 in Madras, Tamil Nadu, India.
Controversially declined to take part in the Quit India Movement of 1942, reasoning that cooperating with the British government in its war effort against Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan would provide a better probability for negotiating for independence.