PM Modi turns 69: List of many 'firsts'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is celebrating his 69th birthday today.
He was born as the third child to Damodardas Modi and Heeraben. Modi braved many challenges, social and economical, in his childhood but he never lost the sight of his goal—serve India and its people. His journey has been full of ups and downs and inspires many to dream big and ultimately achieve one's goals.

Here is a glimpse of important milestones in his journey from selling tea at a railway station to becoming Prime Minister of India:

* The BJP leader and former Gujarat Chief Minister, Modi stepped into the Parliament building for the first time on May 21, 2014.

* Narendra Modi is the first Prime Minister of the country who was born in an independent India.
* He became the first non-Congress PM to win two consecutive terms with a full majority.
* Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to invite SAARC heads of government to his swearing-in ceremony.

* Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. The Indian PM’s visit to Tel Aviv gave fresh impetus to diplomatic relations between India and Israel.
* First time PM Modi received a foreign dignitary Chinese president Xi Jinping outside Delhi.

* Modi became the first Indian PM to deliver a public speech at Madison Square Garden in New York.

*Narendra Modi was the first Indian PM to visit Canada in 42 years, Nepal in 17 years and the first Indian PM to visit Mongolia.

In the past years, PM Modi has done things differently. In 2014, he led BJP to victory in elections to the Lok Sabha after which he was sworn in as Prime Minister of India. Prior to that he had served as Chief Minister of Gujarat.