Giorgio Napolitano was a prominent Italian politician best known for Serving as the President of Italy from 2006 to 2015. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived president in the history of the Italian Republic. Napolitano's political career began in the aftermath of World War II, where he actively participated in the anti-fascist resistance movement. He was a member of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming one of the party's leading figures. Napolit... moreGiorgio Napolitano was a prominent Italian politician best known for Serving as the President of Italy from 2006 to 2015. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived president in the history of the Italian Republic. Napolitano's political career began in the aftermath of World War II, where he actively participated in the anti-fascist resistance movement. He was a member of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming one of the party's leading figures. Napolitano consistently advocated for social justice and workers' rights, earning him respect and support from various factions within the political spectrum. In 2006, Napolitano made history by becoming the first former member of the PCI to be elected as President of Italy. During his nine-year tenure, he demonstrated his commitment to upholding the democratic values and institutions of Italy. Napolitano's presidency was marked by his efforts to promote political stability, foster dialogue among different political parties, and address economic challenges facing the country. He played a crucial role in navigating Italy through political crises and providing a steady hand during turbulent times. His ability to bring diverse political factions together and find common ground earned him widespread respect and admiration. After leaving the presidency, Napolitano continued to be an influential figure in Italian politics. He remained a respected voice, offering guidance and insights on key issues and the future direction of the country.
Nizam Mir Barkat Ali Khan Siddiqi Mukarram Jah, Asaf Jah VIII, also known as Mukarram Jah, was the titular Nizam of Hyderabad between 1967 and 1971, a descended from famed Islamic royalty in India and Turkey, who later fled to Australia and became a sheep farmer. Jah was the eldest son of Azam Jah and Dürrüşehvar Sultan and was named successor to the title of Nizam of Hyderabad by Mir Osman Ali Khan his grandfather. He became the titular Nizam after his grandfather's death in 1967. Following 26t... moreNizam Mir Barkat Ali Khan Siddiqi Mukarram Jah, Asaf Jah VIII, also known as Mukarram Jah, was the titular Nizam of Hyderabad between 1967 and 1971, a descended from famed Islamic royalty in India and Turkey, who later fled to Australia and became a sheep farmer. Jah was the eldest son of Azam Jah and Dürrüşehvar Sultan and was named successor to the title of Nizam of Hyderabad by Mir Osman Ali Khan his grandfather. He became the titular Nizam after his grandfather's death in 1967. Following 26th Amendment to the Indian constitution in 1971, the Indian government cut off the Nizam’s allowance and abolished the royal court’s title. In 1972, he traveled to Australia to visit a friend from Harrow and Cambridge, George Hobday. He loved the environment and settled there becoming a sheep farmer. In 1996 he sold the farm and moved to Turkey where stayed until his death. He was married five times and had a total of 6 children.
Álvaro Colom Caballeros was an engineer and businessman who served as the 47th Guatemalan President for one term from 2008 to 2012. . His term was marked by putting the country’s forgotten Indigenous communities at the center of his government, by expanding access to education and health care in Indigenous villages. He also provided aid to the poor in a country scarred by deep inequalities and decades of civil war. Caballeros was born in Guatemala City, the fourth of five children and earned a d... moreÁlvaro Colom Caballeros was an engineer and businessman who served as the 47th Guatemalan President for one term from 2008 to 2012. . His term was marked by putting the country’s forgotten Indigenous communities at the center of his government, by expanding access to education and health care in Indigenous villages. He also provided aid to the poor in a country scarred by deep inequalities and decades of civil war. Caballeros was born in Guatemala City, the fourth of five children and earned a degree in industrial engineering at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. After graduating he taught in the Faculty of Engineering between 1975 and 1977 before becoming a businessman in the garment industry, manufacturing clothing for export. Before he became president, Caballeros headed a government fund that was set up to invest in villages that had been abandoned by the government during the 36-year civil war between military regimes and leftist guerrillas. Caballeros founded the party National Unity for Hope and ran for president three times before winning in 2008. His time in office was marred by corruption allegation, assassination allegation none of which were ever proven to be true in a court of law.
Pervez Musharraf was a Pakistani general known for seizing power in 1999 and ruling the Muslim-majority nation for nine years as president and was however ousted for his policies he put in place that supported the United States' war on terrorism in 2008. After finishing his college education at Forman Christian College where he studied mathematic, Musharraf joined the Pakistani military and was commissioned into the artillery regiment of the Pakistan Army in 1964. During his service in the army... morePervez Musharraf was a Pakistani general known for seizing power in 1999 and ruling the Muslim-majority nation for nine years as president and was however ousted for his policies he put in place that supported the United States' war on terrorism in 2008. After finishing his college education at Forman Christian College where he studied mathematic, Musharraf joined the Pakistani military and was commissioned into the artillery regiment of the Pakistan Army in 1964. During his service in the army he fought in wars like 1965 Indo-Pakistani War. Over the years he rose through the ranks in the army so much so that by 1998 he was promoted to four-star general by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, making Musharraf the head of the country's armed forces. After his coup he remained as the head of the military retiring from the position in 2007. During his reign he survived two assassinations attempts and was accused of human rights abuses and oppression. He stepped down in 2008 and went on a self imposed exile returning to Pakistan in 2013. Musharraf published his autobiography In the Line of Fire: A Memoir in 2006.
Constantine II was the last King of Greece, reigning from 6 March 1964 until the abolition of the Greek monarchy on 1 June 1973 before being exiled. Constantine was born in Anthens, Greece, he was the only son of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece. During the second world war his family was forced into exile hence he spent his early years in Egypt and South Africa. Before he ascended to the throne he was a competitive sailor and Olympian, winning a gold medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics in th... moreConstantine II was the last King of Greece, reigning from 6 March 1964 until the abolition of the Greek monarchy on 1 June 1973 before being exiled. Constantine was born in Anthens, Greece, he was the only son of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece. During the second world war his family was forced into exile hence he spent his early years in Egypt and South Africa. Before he ascended to the throne he was a competitive sailor and Olympian, winning a gold medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics in the Dragon class.
Following the death of his father King Paul in 1964, he became the new King of Greece at age 23. His reign was plagued with political instability that led to the Colonels' Coup of 21 April 1967. The coup did not remove him as head of state however he was left with little room to maneuver. He then inaugurated the junta which suffered an unsuccessful countercoup which forced him to flee the country in December of 1967. He lived most of his life in exile only to return in 2008. He will be remembered as a King without a crown, a monarch without a kingdom.
Jose Eduardo Dos Santos was a renowned Angolan President who served from 1979 to 2017. He was also commander in chief of the Angolan armed forces and holds a record of being the longest serving President of Angola . He is a great contributor towards the liberation of black people from apartheid rule and supported liberation movements in Southern Africa.
Santos came from humble beginnings, born to a bricklayer in an impoverished town of Luanda Angola on 28 August 1942.His journey to greatness... moreJose Eduardo Dos Santos was a renowned Angolan President who served from 1979 to 2017. He was also commander in chief of the Angolan armed forces and holds a record of being the longest serving President of Angola . He is a great contributor towards the liberation of black people from apartheid rule and supported liberation movements in Southern Africa.
Santos came from humble beginnings, born to a bricklayer in an impoverished town of Luanda Angola on 28 August 1942.His journey to greatness began in school when he joined the anti-colonial movement while getting his degree in petroleum engineering and radar communications in the Soviet Union which is present day Russia. When Angola attained its independence he was put as the first foreign minister of present day Angola until he replaced Agostinho Neto as President after his death.
Santos was known to be a realist and when he came into power he tried to smooth this over with the west who did not recognize the MPLA-led government. He was popular during the first years of his reign with the ordering of the withdrawal of Cuban forces from Angola. As time passed on he and his political party became unpopular after having stayed too long in power The more he stayed in power the more he was accused of being authoritarian and corrupt.
Carlos Saul Menem was a renowned lawyer and driven politician who served as Argentina’s 44th president from 1989-1999 and as Senator of his beloved La Rioja Province from 2005 until his recent death. Menem was born to two Syrian refugees who immigrated to Argentina before his birth. Raised Muslim, Carlos later converted to Roman Catholicism. As a liberal Peronist, his political strategies came to be known as “Menemism”. The leader was captured and deposed during the 1976 Argentine coup d&apo... moreCarlos Saul Menem was a renowned lawyer and driven politician who served as Argentina’s 44th president from 1989-1999 and as Senator of his beloved La Rioja Province from 2005 until his recent death. Menem was born to two Syrian refugees who immigrated to Argentina before his birth. Raised Muslim, Carlos later converted to Roman Catholicism. As a liberal Peronist, his political strategies came to be known as “Menemism”. The leader was captured and deposed during the 1976 Argentine coup d'état, but was later elected to the position of Governor of La Rioja in 1983. Complications from a urinary tract infection claimed Mr. Menem’s life after two months in a drug-induced coma, which doctors had placed him under due to kidney failure.
Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa was Prime Minister of Bahrain since its independence from Britain in 1971. Khalifa played a central role in building the govt administration, modernizing its structures, and personally recruiting its leading personnel. He was a businessman with land and other interests in Bahrain, Southeast Asia, and the U.K., and was the wealthiest individual within the kingdom.
Khalifa bin Salman was born in Al Jasra and was the second of three sons of Shaykh Salman bin H... morePrince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa was Prime Minister of Bahrain since its independence from Britain in 1971. Khalifa played a central role in building the govt administration, modernizing its structures, and personally recruiting its leading personnel. He was a businessman with land and other interests in Bahrain, Southeast Asia, and the U.K., and was the wealthiest individual within the kingdom.
Khalifa bin Salman was born in Al Jasra and was the second of three sons of Shaykh Salman bin Hamad, ruler of Bahrain from 1942 to 1961. He received no formal education but was tutored in reading and writing also as other traditional skills. Prince Khalifa was appointed to serve in various government capacities from 1956 and was appointed as prime minister by his brother Emir Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, in 1971. He was assigned the control of state and economy, while his brother, the Emir, was involved in diplomatic and ceremonial affairs. Prince Khalifa received a World Peace Culture Award on 6 August 2017. Among local and foreign business communities, Khalifa was appreciated as an astute businessman who attracted some major banks and investment houses to take a position in Bahrain development projects. He was also seen as a pillar of stability whose policies have made Bahraini economy "the fastest growing economy within the Arab world [with] the freest economy within the Middle East.
Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa experienced various health problems. In September 2019 he visited Germany for treatment and returned to Bahrain in March 2020. He headed the cupboard last time in July 2020 and visited the US for treatment in August 2020. Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa died at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota on 11 November 2020 at the age of 84, 9 days before his 85th Birthday. Serving 50 years and 11 months in office he was the world's longest-serving prime minister in history at the time of his death.
Colonel Amadou Toumani Toure supervised Mali’s multiparty elections as chairman of the transitional government in 1991 and was the second democratically elected President of Mali 2002-2012. Amadou Toumani Touré was the head of President Moussa Traore security guard until a popular revolution overthrew the regime in March 1991. He arrested the president, led the revolution and oversaw the military to civilian transition that brought about a new constitution and multiparty elections. He then hande... moreColonel Amadou Toumani Toure supervised Mali’s multiparty elections as chairman of the transitional government in 1991 and was the second democratically elected President of Mali 2002-2012. Amadou Toumani Touré was the head of President Moussa Traore security guard until a popular revolution overthrew the regime in March 1991. He arrested the president, led the revolution and oversaw the military to civilian transition that brought about a new constitution and multiparty elections. He then handed over power to Mali’s first democratically elected president Alpha Oumar Konare, on 6th June 1992, who later promoted Toure to the rank of a General. After retirement from the army, Toure joined politics as a civilian and won the presidential election in 2002 with broad support from the masses. Without stress, he was re-elected in 2007 for a second term, and a failed coup d’état was carried out that forced him to go into hiding on the 22nd March 2012. Because of this, Toure resigned as president on 8th April, 2012 and went into exile eleven days later. Amadou Toumani Toure died on the 9th November 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey, a week after his 72 birthday.
Jerry John Rawlings was a charismatic Ghanaian military officer and politician who led the country from 1981 to 2001 and also for a brief period in 1979. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the democratically elected President of Ghana. Rawlings came to power in Ghana as a flight lieutenant of the Ghana Air Force following a coup d'état in 1979. Before that, he led an unsuccessful coup attempt against the ruling military government on 15 May 1979, just five weeks bef... moreJerry John Rawlings was a charismatic Ghanaian military officer and politician who led the country from 1981 to 2001 and also for a brief period in 1979. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the democratically elected President of Ghana. Rawlings came to power in Ghana as a flight lieutenant of the Ghana Air Force following a coup d'état in 1979. Before that, he led an unsuccessful coup attempt against the ruling military government on 15 May 1979, just five weeks before scheduled democratic elections were due to take place. After handing power over to a civilian government, he took back control of the country on 31 December 1981 as the chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).
In 1992, Rawlings resigned from the military, founded the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and became the first President of the Fourth Republic. He was re-elected in 1996 for four more years. After two terms in office, the limit according to the Ghanaian Constitution, Rawlings endorsed his vice-president John Atta Mills as a presidential candidate in 2000. Rawlings served as the African Union envoy to Somalia.
He died in November 2020, at age 73, and was accorded a state funeral.
John Magufuli served as the fifth President of Tanzania from 2015 until his death in 2021 and was chairman of the Southern African Development Community from 2019 to 2020. An Industrial chemist, Magufuli ventured into elective politics after a short period as a secondary school chemistry and mathematics teacher when he was elected as a Member of Parliament in 1995 for Chato district and served in different government position including twice Minister of Works Transport and Communications. Known ... moreJohn Magufuli served as the fifth President of Tanzania from 2015 until his death in 2021 and was chairman of the Southern African Development Community from 2019 to 2020. An Industrial chemist, Magufuli ventured into elective politics after a short period as a secondary school chemistry and mathematics teacher when he was elected as a Member of Parliament in 1995 for Chato district and served in different government position including twice Minister of Works Transport and Communications. Known as "The Bulldozer" for his tough stance against corruption, government spending and his hardline policies, Magufuli swept to victory in October 2015 as a candidate of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), the country's dominant party.
Often accused for his autocratic tendencies during his presidency, Magufuli was famous for imposing measures to curb government spending, such as reducing his cabinet ministries, barring unnecessary foreign travel by government officials, using cheaper vehicles and board rooms for transport and meetings respectively, shrinking the delegation for international tours, suspending government related festivities in favor of progressive activities and reducing his own salary from US$15,000 to US$4,000 per month. He also ensured value addition by banning export of unprocessed ores, introduced free education for all the government schools, amended the laws governing the award of mining contracts in favor of locals, addition of half a dozen Air Tanzania planes as a way of reviving the national carrier, expansion of Port of Dar es Salaam among many initiatives. Following Magufuli's austerity measures, the hashtag "#WhatWouldMagufuliDo" was used by Twitter users to demonstrate their own austerity measures inspired by the president. The World Bank classified Tanzania as a middle-income economy for the first time in 2020, a feat achieved five years ahead of schedule. Tanzania’s increasing wealth was driven by domestic and foreign investments in infrastructure and agriculture.
Magufuli banned shisha smoking, citing its health effects among youth as the reason. Magufuli's government has been accused of repressing opposition, restricting freedom of speech and a crackdown on members of the political opposition. In late 2018, Magufuli initiated a nationwide crackdown against gays and lesbians with his health minister supporting the use of 'anal exams' to prove whether someone is having gay sex.
Magufuli dismissed the severity of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID 19) and urged voters to gather in churches and mosques to protect themselves against it. Following the death of the vice president of the semiautonomous island of Zanzibar from Covid-19, Mr. Magufuli for the first time in months asked Tanzanians to take precautions against the coronavirus, including wearing locally made masks. He quipped “This illness kills,” to worshipers after attending a church service in the capital, Dodoma.
Magufuli, 61, died of heart complications while being treated in Dar es Salaam’s Mzena hospital leaving behind a mixed legacy and questions over the leadership of his gold-producing nation. Speculation had been rife across East Africa for more than a week that Mr. Magufuli, a vocal Covid-19 skeptic, was critically ill with the coronavirus.
John Magufuli was survived by his wife Janeth Magufuli, a primary school teacher, and three children.
John Napier Wyndham Turner, a lawyer by training, served as justice and then finance minister from 1968-1975 under the cabinet of the 15th Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, father of Justin Pierre James Trudeau, the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada. He resigned after arguments with the Prime Minister who was the Liberal Party leader and resumed his legal work and nine years later won the party leadership.
Turner served as the country's 17th prime minister and, despite his short tenure of 79 ... moreJohn Napier Wyndham Turner, a lawyer by training, served as justice and then finance minister from 1968-1975 under the cabinet of the 15th Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, father of Justin Pierre James Trudeau, the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada. He resigned after arguments with the Prime Minister who was the Liberal Party leader and resumed his legal work and nine years later won the party leadership.
Turner served as the country's 17th prime minister and, despite his short tenure of 79 days, the second shortest in Canadian history, at the helm of a Liberal Party government in 1984, he spent decades in Canadian federal politics. His gaffes combined with growing public fatigue with the Liberals, who had been in power for 20 of the previous 21 years, resulted in his party falling from 135 seats in the 282-member House of Commons to just 40. The Conservatives, under the leadership of Brian Mulroney, swept to power with 211 seats. Despite the result, Turner hung onto his post. In the 1988 election, Turner was a strong opponent of a proposed free trade agreement with the US but lost again to Mr Mulroney, but not as badly. He resigned as Liberal leader in 1990 and was replaced by Jean Chretien, who led the party to victory in 1993.
A track athletics star, Turner graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1949, winning a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford University. After studying law, he went to Paris to work on a doctorate at the Sorbonne. The young lawyer caused a stir when he danced with Princess Margaret at a party in 1959, giving rise to speculation that the two would become a couple. The two remained friends for life.
Turner's time in federal politics was perhaps best remembered for his battles with former Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, especially over free trade with the United States. As justice minister, he defended reforms to Canada's Criminal Code that paved the way for LGBTQ rights and legal abortions and in the finance ministry he faced economic pressures due to the global oil crisis.
Turner died at home in Toronto, and was survived by his wife Geills and four children. Turner was Canada's first Prime Minister born in the United Kingdom since Mackenzie Bowell in 1896. He was the fourth longest-lived Prime Minister, living to the age of 91. Legislators from across the Canadian political spectrum described him as being deeply devoted to the public service.
