Ranko Alimpić was born in Nakučani, Principality of Serbia, on 9 March 1826, to father Marko, a farmer, and mother Filipa, née Jerotić, from the village of Sinoševac.

In the same year, he entered the military service, where he progressed rapidly from 1845 when he was promoted to lieutenant, from 1858 to staff captain, from 1859 to major, from 1862 to colonel and from 1876 to general.

[5] During that time he was part of a group of revolutionaries ("Liberal Club") that also included Jevrem Grujić and Jovan Ilić; he helped spread propaganda for the cause that eventually led to the election of a national assembly, the abdication of Alexander Karađorđević, and the return to power of Miloš Obrenović I of Serbia.

[9] During the Turkish bombing of Belgrade immediately after the Čukur česma incident, he commanded Serb forces in the city.

[13] In 1878 he was appointed Minister of Public Works; Radical politician Pera Todorović called him "General Pasha", alleging that in 1876 Alimpić had been a coward.

[13] His widow wrote a 738-page biography of her husband entitled Život i rad generala Ranka Alimpića : u svezi sa dogaćajima iz najnovije srpske istorije[17] ("Life and work of General Ranko Alimpić in connection with events from Serbian history"), published in Belgrade in 1892.