<p>Bal Thackeray is an important icon in Maharashtra, both politically and socially. A fierce campaigner of the 'sons of the soil' theory, Thackeray started his career as a cartoonist in a daily, went on to start his own Marathi weekly 'Marmik' to express his views, and six years later founded the Shiv Sena in order to benefit the Marathi community in Maharashtra.</p>.<p>Apart from regional politics, Thackeray was also known for his ardent anti-Pakistan stand, especially when it came to cricket, stalling multiple India-Pakistan matches in the state with Shiv Sainiks protesting and digging up pitches in protest of the scheduled matches between the two countries. </p>.<p>He passed away on November 17, 2012. </p>.<p><strong>Here is a short account of his lifetime:</strong></p>.<p><strong>23 January, 1926:</strong> Bal Thackeray born in Pune, Maharashtra.</p>.<p><strong>1950-60s:</strong> Stint as a cartoonist with The Free Press Journal.</p>.<p><strong>13 August 1960:</strong> Founded 'Marmik', a Marathi weekly published by the Shiv Sena today</p>.<p><strong>19 June 1966:</strong> Thackeray forms the Shiv Sena, a political party which rode on the larger cause of protection of the welfare and interests of Marathi <em>manoos </em>(Marathi man).</p>.<p><strong>30 October 1966:</strong> Shiv Sena's first Dassera rally held at Shivaji Park</p>.<p><strong>1967:</strong> Shiv Sena enters politics by contesting the Thane Municipal Council polls</p>.<p><strong>1968:</strong> Shiv Sena contests the Bombay Municipal Corporation polls, wins 42 of 120 wards</p>.<p><strong>1969:</strong> Thackeray arrested for the first time after Shiv Sainiks stop the vehicle of then Deputy Prime Minister Morarji Desai at Mahim over the boundary dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka. </p>.<p><strong>26 June 1975 – 21 March 1977:</strong> Extends support to Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi</p>.<p><strong>1985-86:</strong> Shiv Sena embraces Hindutva</p>.<p><strong>1989: </strong>Launches 'Saamana', the mouthpiece of the party</p>.<p><strong>1990: </strong>Sets eyes on Mantralaya, Vidhan Bhavan</p>.<p><b>1991: </b>Shiv Sainiks dig up the Wankhede strip protesting against the India-Pakistan Test in Mumbai. The incident led to the cancellation of the entire series. </p>.<p><strong>1991: </strong>Chhagan Bhujbal quits the Shiv Sena, joins the Congress and later joins Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Once an aide, Bhujbal, who became the deputy chief minister following the 1999 Assembly elections, ordered the arrest of Thackeray in a case against Saamana in connection with the 1992-93 riots</p>.<p><strong>6 December 1992:</strong> Babri Masjid demolished, Sena chief claims responsibility</p>.<p><strong>December 1992-January 1993:</strong> Communal riots in Mumbai</p>.<p><strong>14 March 1995:</strong> Shiv Sena-BJP alliance comes to power. Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi sworn-in as Chief Minister</p>.<p><strong>1998: </strong>Srikrishna Commission report tabled in the Vidhan Sabha, indicts Bal Thackeray for the 1992-93 riots, Manohar Joshi government rejects the report</p>.<p><strong>19 January 1999:</strong> Shiv Sainiks vandalise BCCI office at Churchgate in Mumbai, damage the Prudential World Cup of 1983. This was allegedly done in protest of the Pakistan cricket team's entry into India. </p>.<p><strong>1 February 1999:</strong> Shiv Sena's Narayan Rane sworn-in as Chief Minister after Manohar Joshi steps down</p>.<p><strong>October 1999:</strong> Shiv Sena-BJP saffron alliance loses power in Maharashtra, the Congress-NCP form Democratic Front government </p>.<p><strong>28 July 1999:</strong> Bal Thackeray banned from voting and contesting in any election for six years from December 11, 1999, till December 10, 2005.</p>.<p><strong>1998-2004:</strong> Shiv Sena becomes a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance at the Centre led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee</p>.<p><strong>April 2002: </strong> Manohar Joshi becomes Speaker of the Lok Sabha</p>.<p><strong>February 2003:</strong> Son Uddhav Thackeray becomes Shiv Sena Executive President, cousin Raj Thackeray proposes his name at Mahabaleshwar conclave</p>.<p><strong>July 2005: </strong>Narayan Rane leaves the Shiv Sena, joins the Congress</p>.<p><strong>9 March 2006: </strong>Raj Thackeray launches his own party -- Maharashtra Navnirman Sena</p>.<p><strong>July 2007:</strong> Thackeray supports Congress nominee Pratibha Patil, a Maharashtrian, for Presidential elections</p>.<p><strong>2011-12: </strong>Bal Thackeray's grandson Aaditya Thackeray takes interest in the party and Yuva Sena</p>.<p><strong>July 2012: </strong>Supports UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee for the post of President breaking ranks with the NDA</p>.<p><strong>17 November 2012: </strong>Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray dies of prolonged illness, aged 86</p>
<p>Bal Thackeray is an important icon in Maharashtra, both politically and socially. A fierce campaigner of the 'sons of the soil' theory, Thackeray started his career as a cartoonist in a daily, went on to start his own Marathi weekly 'Marmik' to express his views, and six years later founded the Shiv Sena in order to benefit the Marathi community in Maharashtra.</p>.<p>Apart from regional politics, Thackeray was also known for his ardent anti-Pakistan stand, especially when it came to cricket, stalling multiple India-Pakistan matches in the state with Shiv Sainiks protesting and digging up pitches in protest of the scheduled matches between the two countries. </p>.<p>He passed away on November 17, 2012. </p>.<p><strong>Here is a short account of his lifetime:</strong></p>.<p><strong>23 January, 1926:</strong> Bal Thackeray born in Pune, Maharashtra.</p>.<p><strong>1950-60s:</strong> Stint as a cartoonist with The Free Press Journal.</p>.<p><strong>13 August 1960:</strong> Founded 'Marmik', a Marathi weekly published by the Shiv Sena today</p>.<p><strong>19 June 1966:</strong> Thackeray forms the Shiv Sena, a political party which rode on the larger cause of protection of the welfare and interests of Marathi <em>manoos </em>(Marathi man).</p>.<p><strong>30 October 1966:</strong> Shiv Sena's first Dassera rally held at Shivaji Park</p>.<p><strong>1967:</strong> Shiv Sena enters politics by contesting the Thane Municipal Council polls</p>.<p><strong>1968:</strong> Shiv Sena contests the Bombay Municipal Corporation polls, wins 42 of 120 wards</p>.<p><strong>1969:</strong> Thackeray arrested for the first time after Shiv Sainiks stop the vehicle of then Deputy Prime Minister Morarji Desai at Mahim over the boundary dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka. </p>.<p><strong>26 June 1975 – 21 March 1977:</strong> Extends support to Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi</p>.<p><strong>1985-86:</strong> Shiv Sena embraces Hindutva</p>.<p><strong>1989: </strong>Launches 'Saamana', the mouthpiece of the party</p>.<p><strong>1990: </strong>Sets eyes on Mantralaya, Vidhan Bhavan</p>.<p><b>1991: </b>Shiv Sainiks dig up the Wankhede strip protesting against the India-Pakistan Test in Mumbai. The incident led to the cancellation of the entire series. </p>.<p><strong>1991: </strong>Chhagan Bhujbal quits the Shiv Sena, joins the Congress and later joins Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Once an aide, Bhujbal, who became the deputy chief minister following the 1999 Assembly elections, ordered the arrest of Thackeray in a case against Saamana in connection with the 1992-93 riots</p>.<p><strong>6 December 1992:</strong> Babri Masjid demolished, Sena chief claims responsibility</p>.<p><strong>December 1992-January 1993:</strong> Communal riots in Mumbai</p>.<p><strong>14 March 1995:</strong> Shiv Sena-BJP alliance comes to power. Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi sworn-in as Chief Minister</p>.<p><strong>1998: </strong>Srikrishna Commission report tabled in the Vidhan Sabha, indicts Bal Thackeray for the 1992-93 riots, Manohar Joshi government rejects the report</p>.<p><strong>19 January 1999:</strong> Shiv Sainiks vandalise BCCI office at Churchgate in Mumbai, damage the Prudential World Cup of 1983. This was allegedly done in protest of the Pakistan cricket team's entry into India. </p>.<p><strong>1 February 1999:</strong> Shiv Sena's Narayan Rane sworn-in as Chief Minister after Manohar Joshi steps down</p>.<p><strong>October 1999:</strong> Shiv Sena-BJP saffron alliance loses power in Maharashtra, the Congress-NCP form Democratic Front government </p>.<p><strong>28 July 1999:</strong> Bal Thackeray banned from voting and contesting in any election for six years from December 11, 1999, till December 10, 2005.</p>.<p><strong>1998-2004:</strong> Shiv Sena becomes a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance at the Centre led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee</p>.<p><strong>April 2002: </strong> Manohar Joshi becomes Speaker of the Lok Sabha</p>.<p><strong>February 2003:</strong> Son Uddhav Thackeray becomes Shiv Sena Executive President, cousin Raj Thackeray proposes his name at Mahabaleshwar conclave</p>.<p><strong>July 2005: </strong>Narayan Rane leaves the Shiv Sena, joins the Congress</p>.<p><strong>9 March 2006: </strong>Raj Thackeray launches his own party -- Maharashtra Navnirman Sena</p>.<p><strong>July 2007:</strong> Thackeray supports Congress nominee Pratibha Patil, a Maharashtrian, for Presidential elections</p>.<p><strong>2011-12: </strong>Bal Thackeray's grandson Aaditya Thackeray takes interest in the party and Yuva Sena</p>.<p><strong>July 2012: </strong>Supports UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee for the post of President breaking ranks with the NDA</p>.<p><strong>17 November 2012: </strong>Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray dies of prolonged illness, aged 86</p>