Sam Nujoma (1929–2025), first president of Namibia

Sam Nujoma was a leader of Namibia’s decades-long War of Independence, later elected its first president.

Alex Salmond (1954–2024), former first minister of Scotland

Alex Salmond was the first minister of Scotland from 2007 through 2014, leading the country as it prepared to vote on a referendum on independence from the United Kingdom.

Kiingi Tuheitia (1955–2024), king of New Zealand’s Māori 

Kiingi Tuheitia was the king of New Zealand’s indigenous Māori from 2006 until his death, a leader who worked to unify the nation’s tribes.

Nguyá»…n Phíº Trọng (1944–2024), former president of Vietnam

Nguyá»…n Phíº Trọng was the president of Vietnam from 2018 to 2021 and the long-serving general secretary of the country’s ruling Communist Party.

Ali Hassan Mwinyi (1925–2024), former president of Tanzania

Ali Hassan Mwinyi was the second president of Tanzania after the country’s 1961 independence from Great Britain, serving from 1985 to 1995.

Brian Mulroney (1939–2024), Canadian PM who improved ties with U.S. 

Brian Mulroney was a former Canadian prime minister who played an integral role in strengthening economic relations with the United States.

Sebastián Piñera (1949–2024), former Chilean president 

Sebastián Piñera was a prominent Chilean businessman and billionaire who served two terms as President, including a period of rapid economic growth for the country.

Hage Geingob (1941–2024), president of Namibia 

Hage Geingob was the third president of Namibia, serving from 2015 until his death. 

Li Keqiang (1955–2023), former premier of China

Li Keqiang was a former premier of China and the country’s top economic official for a decade, prior to his retirement in 2023 as the second ranking leader of the country.

Martti Ahtisaari (1937–2023), Nobel-winning Finnish president

Martti Ahtisaari was the former president of Finland and the recipient of the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize.

László Sólyom (1942–2023), former Hungarian president 

László Sólyom was a legal scholar who became Hungary’s third post-communism president, helping to guide the country towards a free-market democracy during a time of difficult transition.

Giorgio Napolitano (1925–2023), two-time president of Italy 

Giorgio Napolitano was an Italian politician who became the first ever reelected president since the founding of the Italian Republic in 1947 and the longest serving president in its history.

Silvio Berlusconi (1936–2023), former prime minister of Italy 

Silvio Berlusconi was a media mogul who became prime minister of Italy, serving from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011.

Jiang Zemin (1926–2022), former president of China

Jiang Zemin was president of China from 1993 to 2003 and guided the country through economic reforms.

Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–2022), last leader of the Soviet Union

Mikhail Gorbachev was the last leader of the Soviet Union, who presided over the collapse of the U.S.S.R. and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the Cold War.

Fidel V. Ramos (1928–2022), former president of the Philippines

Fidel V. Ramos was president of the Philippines in the 1990s and a major figure in the country’s 1986 People Power Revolution.

José Eduardo dos Santos (1942–2022), former president of Angola

José Eduardo dos Santos was the former longtime president of the African nation of Angola, having served from 1979 to 2017.

Shinzo Abe (1954–2022), longtime Japanese prime minister

Shinzo Abe was the prime minister of Japan from 2006 to 2007 and 2012 to 2020, the country’s longest-serving prime minister.

Leonid Kravchuk (1934–2022), first president of independent Ukraine

Leonid Kravchuk was the first president of Ukraine after it gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Stanislav Shushkevich (1934–2022), first leader of post-Soviet Belarus

Stanislav Shushkevich was the first head of state of an independent Belarus after the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931–2021), who helped end apartheid in South Africa

Desmond Tutu was a South African Anglican cleric, outspoken opponent of apartheid and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

F.W. de Klerk (1936–2021), former South African president who won Nobel Peace Prize

F.W. de Klerk was the last South African president under apartheid, who shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with for their work ending the nation's oppressive political system.

Jovenel Moí¯se (1968–2021), president of Haiti

Jovenel Mo í¯se was the president of Haiti since 2017.

Benigno Aquino III (1960–2021), former president of the Philippines

Benigno Aquino III was the president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016 and the son of former Philippine President .

Kenneth Kaunda (1924–2021), Zambia’s former president and liberator

Kenneth Kaunda was the former president of Zambia, who led the fight to free the country from British rule.

Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (1920–2020), former secretary-general of the United Nations

Javier Pérez de Cuéllar served as secretary-general of the United Nations for two terms, from 1982 to 1991. During that time, he mediated disputes such as the Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina as well as conflicts in Central America. The end of his term saw the collapse of the Soviet Union, the independence of Namibia in Africa, and a cease-fire in Western Sahara.

Qaboos bin Said (1940–2020), peacemaking Sultan of Oman

Qaboos bin Said was the sultan of Oman, who built his country into a developed nation and became known as a peacemaker who helped mediate talks between countries including the U.S. and Iran. When Qaboos took power in 1970 after a bloodless coup against his father, Oman was an impoverished nation, far behind the developed world in education, health care, infrastructure, and other key areas. Qaboos used the country’s oil revenues to modernize it, building schools, hospitals, and roads and creating a thriving economy. As Sultan, Qaboos abolished slavery, gave women the vote, and began appointing women to ministry positions. He was the longest-serving leader in the Arab world.

Jacques Chirac (1932–2019), former president of France

Jacques Chirac was the president of France from 1995 to 2007, as well as mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995 and prime minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and 1986 to 1988.

Robert Mugabe (1924–2019), former president of Zimbabwe

Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s former president, had a controversial legacy that swung from liberating Zimbabwe from colonial rule to ruling it himself with an iron fist.

Salute to U.S. Presidents

With the passing of George H.W. Bush, there are four living U.S. presidents we can offer a salute to: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. But what of the 39 men who have led our country and passed away? Well, they may not be able to hear our thanks, but Presidents’ Day encourages us to remember them, too. We’re doing so by focusing on one key legacy that each president left—the deeds that we remember them for, years after their deaths.

Kofi Annan (1938–2018), former UN Secretary-General

Nobel Peace Prize winner andfirst black African Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr., who was murdered 50 years ago today on April 4, 1968, is one of the most revered figures in American history. Born the son of a civil rights activist, he became one himself, inspired by the teachings of Jesus to dedicate his life to the service of others.

Princess Diana: Style and Substance

More than two decades after her death, we continue to be fascinated by Princess Diana.

Helmut Kohl (1930 - 2017), former chancellor of Germany

Former German chancellor presided over his country's reunification...

Fidel Castro (1926 - 2016), longtime Communist leader of the Republic of Cuba

Fidel Castro, the longtime Communist leader of the Republic of Cuba, died Nov. 25, 2016. He was 90.

Shimon Peres (1923–2016), former president of Israel

Nobel Peace Prize winner formerly served as Israel's president and prime minister.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1922 - 2016), former secretary-general of the United Nations

Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Egyptian scholar, statesman and former secretary-general of the United Nations, died Tuesday, Feb. 16. He was 93. Boutros-Ghali became the sixth secretary-general of the United Nations Jan. 1, 1992. Despite the end of the Cold War, his term was fraught with international crises, including the breakup of Yugoslavia, genocide in Rwanda and several other civil wars in Africa. He initiated several reform efforts at the U.N. and broadened peacekeeping missions around the world.

Golda Meir: 10 Facts

Golda Meir was the first female prime minister of Israel, and only the third woman anywhere in the world to hold that office.

Comrade J and the Cold War that Never Ended

When 10 alleged Russian spies were recently arrested before being deported in a spy swap arranged by the CIA, many found the events anachronistic, a throwback to a previous era. One person who would not have been surprised was Sergei Tretyakov.

MLK: Give Us the Ballot

On May 17, 1957, the traveled to Washington, D.C. for a rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The purpose of the protest? Push the president and Congress to enforce Brown v. Board of Education. It had been three years since the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down the legal basis of "separate but equal," yet in many places, not much had changed. In addition to urging the government to honor the historic Supreme Court decision, King also spoke at length about the role voting rights would play in addressing the ills plaguing African-Americans.

MLK: Our God is Marching On (How Long, Not Long)

On March 25, 1965, the  Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and a crowd of 25,000 marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in support of voting rights for African-Americans. At the conclusion of the march, King delivered this speech, familiarly referred to as "How Long, Not Long." The speech was defiant at times, referencing the violence that beset the movement at the time. In fact, a previous march on March 7 was met with a violent response from state troopers who beat and gassed marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. King's speech makes it clear that the movement cannot be dissuaded after coming so far, encouraging the people to keep up the struggle.

MLK: The Drum Major Instinct

On Feb. 4, 1968, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a sermon that many consider prophetic of his impending death. In the sermon, King reiterated his long-standing call to his congregation to work through love and service to others as they struggle for greatness for themselves and for humanity at large. Toward the end of the sermon, King spends time talking about how he hoped to be remembered not for his awards and achievements, but for his service to others. He imagines his funeral and shares what he hopes his own eulogy will include.

MLK: I've Been to the Mountaintop

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his final address April 3, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He and members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference were in the city to support an ongoing strike by sanitation workers, the focus of a large portion of the sermon. King gives equal weight to the ongoing nature of the struggle for human rights and the paramount importance of nonviolence for the survival of humanity.

JFK Quotes

President John F. Kennedy is one of the most quoted people of the 20th century, and his words have inspired for more than 50 years. Whether he was talking about civil rights, public service, the Cold War, or any other topic, people listened and took his words to heart. Here are a few of our favorite JFK quotes.

JFK: 20 Things to Know About John F. Kennedy

How much do you know about John F. Kennedy's early life and his personal time away from the Oval Office? Learn more with a few of our favorite facts about JFK.

10 Facts About Gerald Ford

How well do you know former president (1913–2006)? Here are 10 facts about the 38th president of the United States.

Corazon Aquino: The Housewife Who Led a Revolution

We remember Corazon Aquino, the woman who rose from politician’s wife reluctant to be in the public eye to the much-loved bringer of democracy to the Philippines, by sharing eight facts about her life and career.

Jiddu Krishnamurti: The Guru Who Wasn’t

Though he refused to consider himself any kind of religious authority, Jiddu Krishnamuriti became one of the 20th century’s leading spiritual philosophers.