Thomas Stephens was the first Englishman to reach India, at least by sea route. He sailed for India on a Portuguese ship as a Jesuit missionary on 4th April 1579 and landed at Goa six months later, on 24th october.
The Purna Swaraj resolution was passed by the Indian National Congress during the Lahore session on 26th December 1929. Jawaharlal Nehru was the president of that session. It was decided that 26th January 1930 would be celebrated as ‘Independence Day’.