Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1918 – 2004) was the first President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the ruler of Abu Dhabi from 1966 to 2004. Background and history: Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was born in Abu Dhabi, in the Al Nahyan family, which had ruled the emirate since the 18th century. He was educated in traditional Islamic and Arabic studies and received military training in the...
The first President of Ukraine was Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk. He was elected on December 1, 1991, and served until July 19, 1994. Kravchuk was born on January 10, 1934, in the village of Velikyi Zhytyn, Rivne Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union. He is of Ukrainian ethnicity and was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1960 to 1991. Kravchuk began his political career in the...
The first President of Uganda was Edward Mutesa II, who served from 1963 to 1966. He was the son of Muteesa I, the Kabaka (King) of Buganda, and was born on November 19, 1924, at Mengo Palace, the traditional seat of the Baganda monarchy. Mutesa II was educated at King’s College, Budo, and Makerere University, Kampala. He succeeded his father as Kabaka in 1939 at the age of 15. During his...
Tuvalu’s first President was Sir Thomas Asiata. Born on May 23, 1934, in Funafuti, Asiata was a distinguished Tuvaluan politician who played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s early governance and international recognition. Background and History: Asiata was born into a prominent family in Funafuti, the capital atoll of Tuvalu. He received his early education at the local Motufoua...
Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov, also known as Turkmenbashi, served as the first President of Turkmenistan from 1991 to 2006. He was born on February 12, 1940, in Gypjak, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union, to an ethnic Turkmen family. Niyazov’s father died during World War II, and his mother raised him and his siblings. Niyazov began his career in the Soviet Communist Party and held various positions...
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, born Mustafa Kemal on May 19, 1881, in Thessaloniki, Ottoman Empire (now Greece), was the first President of Turkey and a prominent figure in the Turkish War of Independence. He is regarded as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century and is revered in Turkey as the “Father of the Turks.” Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s Ethnicity and Background:...
Habib Bourguiba was Tunisia’s first president, serving from 1957 to 1987. He was born on August 3, 1903, in Monastir, Tunisia, to a family of modest means. His father was a government official and his mother was a schoolteacher. Bourguiba received his education in Tunisia and France. He studied law at the University of Paris and became a lawyer in 1927. He returned to Tunisia in 1930 and...
The first President of Trinidad and Tobago was Sir Ellis Emmanuel Innocent Clarke, who served from 1976 to 1987. Born on January 18, 1917, in Caroni, Trinidad, Clarke was the third of seven children. He was the first person of African descent to hold the office of President of Trinidad and Tobago. Clarke’s father, Joseph, was a farmer, and his mother, Beatrice, was a housewife. Clarke...
George Tupou I, born on December 4, 1797, was the first President of Tonga, reigning from 1845 to 1893. He was a remarkable figure in Tongan history, known for his leadership, diplomatic skills, and modernization efforts. Tupou I was born into the Tongan nobility. His father was a high-ranking chief named Taufa’ahau, and his mother was Lupepau’u, a daughter of the Tu’i Tonga...
Sylvanus Épiphanio Olympio, born on September 9, 1902, in Kpando, German Togoland (now Togo), was the first President of Togo, serving from April 27, 1960, to January 13, 1963. Born into a wealthy merchant family of the Ewe ethnic group, Olympio received his education in Togo, Ghana, and France. He worked as a clerk for the French colonial administration and later became a successful businessman...
