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From Nelson Mandela to Vladimir Putin, list of Republic Day chief guests over the years
Republic Day chief guest: This year, French President Emmanuel Macron will be the chief guest at the 75th Republic Day celebrations on January 26 in Delhi.
Republic Day chief guest: India is all set to celebrate its 75th Republic Day on Friday, the highlight of which are the tableaus that show India's rich tradition, cultural heritage, spectacles of the nation's progress and achievements.
The Republic Day Parade rehearsals and the Beating the Retreat ceremonies are already being practised in full swing in the capital cities of all Indian states.
Republic Day commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of India on January 26, 1950. While India gained independence from the British Raj in 1947, it wasn't until January 26, 1950, that the Constitution of India came into effect, and the country became a sovereign state, declaring it a republic.
Republic Day 2024: Date, history, significance, parade time, theme and all you want to know
This year, French President Emmanuel Macron will be the chief guest at the 75th Republic Day celebrations on January 26 in Delhi.
Over the years, several heads of state have graced their presence on the occasion of India's Republic Day. No chief guests were invited between 2021 and 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Republic Day: Here's a list of chief guests over the years:
2023: Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President of Egypt.
2020: Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil
2019: Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa
2018: Heads of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) states. These included: Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei; Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia; Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia; Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister of Laos; Najib Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia;' Aung San Suu Kyi, State counsellor of Myanmar; Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines; Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore; Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand; Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam.
2017: Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
2016: Francois Hollande, President of France.
2015: Barack Obama, President of the United States.
2014: Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan
2013: Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, King of Bhutan
2012: Yingluck Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand
More notable names from the past:
1957: Georgy Zhukov, Minister of Defence, Soviet Union
1960: Kliment Voroshilov, President of USSR
1961: Queen Elizabeth, UK
1967: King Mohammed Zahir Shah, Afghanistan
1971: Julius Nyerere, President of Tanzania
1995: Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa
2002: Cassam Uteem, President of Mauritius
2007: Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
