Born on October 6, 1930 (Qurdaha, Syria)
Died on June 10, 2000 (Damascus, Syria)

President of Syria
Military leader

Syrian president Hafez Assad was one of the longest-serving leaders in modern Middle Eastern history. After staging a bloodless coup (overthrow of government) in 1970 he turned Syria from a country that had been stricken with political upheaval to an independent and stable nation. He silenced critics of his policies by ruling effectively and forcefully and suppressing the opposition in his country. Although much of his time in office was spent struggling with issues surrounding the Israeli occupation of the former Palestinian territories, he became an important player in the Middle East, developing his country's infrastructure and presiding over the emergence of a Syrian middle class. While he was often viewed as ruthless, Assad is also seen as a quiet man who lived simply...