---
title: "Swami Vivekananda: Life, Ideas, UPSC GS1 Notes"
description: "Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) introduced Vedanta to the West at Chicago in 1893 and founded the Ramakrishna Mission. Key facts and ideas for UPSC GS1 history."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/swami-vivekananda"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Swami Vivekananda was a Hindu monk and disciple of Ramakrishna who founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 and propagated Vedanta philosophy internationally.
- What is the significance of Vivekananda's 1893 Chicago address for UPSC purposes?
- How does Vivekananda's reform philosophy differ from the Brahmo Samaj?
- What is the doctrine of 'practical Vedanta' or daridra narayana?
- Why is 12 January observed as National Youth Day in India?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 12 January 1863

   Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902), born Narendranath Datta in Calcutta on , was a Hindu monk, philosopher, and the principal architect of modern Indian religious…

2. 11 September 1893

   Vivekananda's defining public moment was his address to the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago on , convened in conjunction with the World's Columbia…

3. 1 May 1897

   Returning to India in 1897, Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission on at Belur, near Calcutta, and later consecrated the Belur Math as its headquarters…

4. 4 July 1902

   He died at Belur Math on , aged thirty-nine.

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Example

At the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago on 11 September 1893, Swami Vivekananda opened with "Sisters and Brothers of America," presenting Vedanta to a Western audience and securing international recognition for Hindu philosophy.

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