Interesting facts

1. **Detroit of India**: Chennai is responsible for a massive portion of India's automobile manufacturing, housing plants for Hyundai, Ford, Renault-Nissan, and BMW. 2. **Longest Beach**: Marina Beach is the second-longest natural urban beach in the world, stretching over 13 kilometers. 3. **Historical Roots**: Founded by the British in 1639 as Madras, it was one of the first major colonial settlements in India. 4. **First Corporation**: The Corporation of Chennai, established in 1688, is the oldest municipal body in India and the second oldest in the world after London. 5. **Healthcare Capital**: Chennai attracts nearly 45% of health tourists from abroad arriving in India, earning it the title "India's Health Capital." 6. **Cultural Epicenter**: Every December, the city hosts the 'Margazhi Season', one of the largest cultural music and dance festivals in the world. 7. **Chess Capital**: The city has produced numerous chess grandmasters, including former World Champion Viswanathan Anand, and is considered the chess capital of India. 8. **Urban National Park**: Guindy National Park is one of the very few national parks globally situated entirely within a metropolitan city's limits. 9. **Largest Zoo**: The Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur is the largest zoological garden in India by area. 10. **Theosophical Society**: The global headquarters of the Theosophical Society was established in the Adyar neighborhood in 1882. 11. **WW1 Attack**: Chennai is the only Indian city to have been attacked during World War I, when the German light cruiser SMS Emden shelled the harbor in 1914. 12. **Kollywood**: The city is the vibrant base of the Tamil film industry, affectionately known as Kollywood, centered around the Kodambakkam neighborhood. 13. **Oldest Engineering College**: The College of Engineering, Guindy, established in 1794, is India's oldest engineering institution. 14. **Oldest Bookstore**: Higginbothams, established in 1844 on Mount Road, is India's oldest existing bookshop. 15. **Indo-Saracenic Architecture**: The city pioneered the Indo-Saracenic architectural style, with landmarks like the Chepauk Palace, Madras High Court, and Ripon Building. 16. **First Modern Mall**: Spencer Plaza, built during the British Raj and reconstructed in the late 20th century, is considered the oldest surviving shopping mall in India. 17. **IT Pioneer**: Tidel Park, when opened in 2000, was the largest IT park in Asia and kickstarted Chennai's massive IT boom. 18. **Global Bank Footprint**: Chennai is home to the World Bank's largest office complex outside of its Washington, D.C. headquarters. 19. **Oldest Cancer Hospital**: The Adyar Cancer Institute, founded in 1954, is one of the oldest and most respected oncology centers in the country. 20. **First Train in the South**: The first railway line in South India was laid between Royapuram in Chennai and Wallajah Road in 1856.