Rajiv Gandhi became India’s youngest Prime Minister (PM) at the age of 40 in 1984 after the assassination of his mother and the sitting head of the government Indira Gandhi. He continues to be one of the youngest heads of the government in the world. 

Despite his mother and brother Sanjay’s active role in politics, Gandhi did not step into politics until his sibling's death. He lived away from the shadow of politics as a family man with his wife Sonia and two children, Rahul and Priyanka, and was a professional pilot with Indian Airlines.