On April 26, 1973, A.N. Ray became Chief Justice of India. The twelve Chief Justices before him had been appointed by the convention of seniority. Ray was not the most senior judge. His appointment passed over three judges senior to him: J.M. Shelat, K.S. Hegde and A.N. Grover.
All three resigned in protest. The legal site LiveLaw later called the date “The Saddest Day In The History Of Our Free Institution.”