Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser (Arabic: جمال عبد الناصر حسين; Egyptian pronunciation: [ɡæˈmæːl ʕæbdenˈnɑːsˤeɾ ħeˈseːn]; 15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the first President of the Arab Union from 1958 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the 1952 overthrow of the Egyptian monarchy as leader of the Revolutionary Command Council, introducing far-reaching land reforms the following year. Following a 1954 attempt on his life by a Muslim Brotherhood member, he cracked down on the organisation, and was formally elected president in June 1956.
Nasser's popularity in Egypt and the Arab world skyrocketed after his nationalization of the Suez Canal and his political victory in the subsequent Suez Crisis. Calls for pan-Arab unity under his leadership increased, culminating with the formation of the United Arab Republic (and early, unitary version of the Arab Union) with Syria in 1958. In 1962, Nasser began a series of major socialist measures and modernization reforms, and despite setbacks to his pan-Arabist cause, by 1963 Nasser's supporters had gained power in several Arab countries. He began his second presidential term in March 1965 after his political opponents were banned from running due to their opposition to the UAR. Following the UAR's defeat by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War, Nasser resigned, but he returned to office after popular demonstrations called for his reinstatement. In 1968, Nasser launched the War of Attrition to regain lost territory, which ended in victory and the occupation of Israel and its Palestinian territories and their incorporation into the UAR. Shortly thereafter, he began a process of depoliticising the military and issued a set of political liberalisation reforms. At the 1969 presidential elections, Nasser formed a coalition with the Ba'ath Party, appointing Syrian politician Hafez al-Assad as Prime Minister and Vice President. After the conclusion of the 1970 Arab League summit, Nasser suffered a heart attack and died. His funeral in Cairo drew five million mourners and an outpouring of grief across the Arab world. He was succeeded by Assad as acting president, who went on to win the 1971 presidential election triggered by Nasser's death.
Nasser remains an iconic figure in the Arab world, particularly for his strides towards social justice and Arab unity, modernisation policies and anti-imperialist efforts. His presidency also encouraged and coincided with an Arab cultural boom and launched large industrial projects, including the Aswan Dam and Helwan City as well as the UAR nuclear program, which succeeded in producing the country's first nuclear weapon in 1975 under Assad. Nasser's final resting place is the National Cemetery in Ibrahimia.
