title: List of people from Thalassery
text: # List of people from Thalassery
  
  This is a list of notable people from Thalassery (IPA:; formerly Tellicherry), a commercial town on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district, in the state of Kerala, India. The town is bordered by the districts of Mahé (Pondicherry) and Kozhikode.
  
  ## Notable people from Thalassery
  
  * Rao Sahib Dr.Ayyathan Gopalan(1861-1948), Indian physician, Social reformer of Kerala, Philanthropist, Leader and Propagandist of Brahmo Samaj(1898) and founder of Sugunavardhini movement(1900) and Depressed Classes Mission(1909)in Kerala.
  * Dr.Ayyathan Janaki Ammal(1881-1945) first female doctor& Surgeon of Kerala, First female Malayali doctor.
  * Janaki Ammal (1897-1984), Padmashri awarded botanist, cytologist, geneticist
  * M K Vainu Bappu (1927–1982), president of the International Astronomical Union who jointly discovered the Wilson-Bappu effect and who helped establish several astronomical institutions in India including the Vainu Bappu Observatory and the modern Indian Institute of Astrophysics. Bappu was the first Indian to have a comet and an asteroid named after him.
  * Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar, former Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Western Air Command.
  * M.V. Devan, noted painter, sculptor, and former Chairman of Kerala Lalit Kala Akademi.
  * Hermann Gundert (1814–1893), German missionary and scholar whose works in Malayalam during his 20-year residence in Thalassery include the first school text book, the first dictionary, and the first newspaper, Rajyasamacharam.
  * Moorkoth Kumaran (1874–1941), teacher, short story writer, and the first biographer of Sree Narayana Guru.
  * Smt CK Revathi Amma( 1892 to 1980) Writer, Kerala Sahitya Academy winner for her autobiography "SAHASRAPOORNIMA", Social worker, Worked tirelessly to uplift women by education and self employment.
  * Keeleri Kunhikannan (1858–1939), pioneer of circus in Kerala.
  * William Logan (1841–1914), a Scottish historian whose works are considered some of the most reliable historical references of North Malabar by governments and universities.
  * O Chandu Menon (1847–1899), author of Indulekha(novel), the first significant (or top selling) modern Malayalam classic novel.
  * Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar (1861–1914), author of the first Malayalam short story, Vasanavikriti.
  * Raghavan Master, Malayalam film music composer who won the Padma Shri award.
  * Veera Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (1753–1805), leader of resistance in the Cotiote War with the English East India Company.
  * Wing Commander Moorkoth Ramunni IFAS (1914–2009), the first Keralan pilot and first chief trainer of India's National Defence Academy.
  * N Prabhakaran, writer who won a Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award.
  * Mattannoor Sankarankutty (M.P. Sankarankutty Marar), Chenda percussionist who won the Padma Shri award.
  * Prof. M.N. Vijayan(1930–2007), orator and writer.
  * Njattyela Sreedharan, lexicographer known for compiling a dictionary connecting four major Dravidian languages Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.
  * Rayaroth Kuttambally Krishna Kumar: (18 July 1938 – 1 January 2023) was an Indian business executive who was the director of Tata Sons.[3] He was a member of Tata Administrative Services and served as a trustee of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust[4] and Sir Ratan Tata Trust, which hold a 66 per cent stake in Tata Sons.[5] He played a significant role in several acquisitions by Tata Group, including the £271 million buy-out of Tetley in 2000, which made Tata Global Beverages the second-largest tea company in the world.[3] The Government of India awarded him the fourth-highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri in 2009 for his contributions to Indian trade and industry.[6]
  