Kannammoola was the birthplace of Chattampi Swamikal, who is considered to be one of the greatest religious scholars and reformer of Kerala.

[1] The suburb was initially owned by a Namboothiri family called Kolloor Athiyara Mathom.

In 1809, the British sentenced Velu Thampi Dalawa, a former Dewan of Travancore and freedom fighter, to be executed in Kannammoola.

In his book Pracheena Malayalam, Swamikal argues that the evil of caste and the superiority claims of the Brahmins are without any logic.

Swamikal's meeting with Swami Vivekananda in 1892 was instrumental in bringing about social change in a caste-ridden society.