Madras Day is celebrated on 22 August every year; in 2026 it marks the 387th anniversary of the city’s founding in 1639. It recalls the 1639 land grant under which the English East India Company obtained land at Madraspatnam from local rulers. Fort St. George, built later, became the core around which Madras grew as a trading settlement. First celebrated in 2004, the day highlights the city’s history, heritage, culture and growth into modern Chennai. Madras State was renamed Tamil Nadu on 14 January 1969, and Madras city became Chennai on 17 July 1996.