Donald John Trump is the 45th President of the United States, in office since January 20, 2017. In addition to being a politician, he is a successful business magnate and television personality as well. The son of a wealthy real estate developer, Trump attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania before taking charge of his family's business. An astute businessman and charismatic leader, he built and renovated numerous hotels, casinos, and office towers during his business career, accumulating a net worth of billions. He also owned several beauty pageants and ventured into reality television as well. Expanding the horizons of his ambitions, he entered national politics in the early 2000s and set his eyes on the presidential office. As a politician, his career was marred by allegations of sexual misconduct and he also earned much criticism for his extravagant lifestyle and controversial comments on immigrants from Islamic nations. Despite the controversies surrounding him, Trump ran for the 2016 presidential election as a Republican and defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in a surprise victory. Donald Trump is the first person to assume presidency without prior military or government service and at 70, he is also the oldest one to assume the office.
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is an American politician who is the current Vice President of the United States. He was jointly elected with President <a title='Barack Obama' href='/famous/barack-obama.htm'>Barack Obama</a> for the first time in 2008 and then re-elected in 2012 for a second term. Before becoming the Vice President he had represented Delaware as a United States Senator from 1973 until 2009. Born in a middle-class family in Pennsylvania, Biden learned the value of hard word, determination and perseverance from his parents who always encouraged him to stand up for himself and bounce back after failures. As a child he used to stammer but he overcame this problem by memorizing and reciting long passages in front of the mirror. He went on to study law and also developed interest in politics. He joined the Democratic Party and became active in politics alongside managing his legal career. He won the 1972 U.S. Senate election in Delaware when he was just 29 and assumed office the next year. A devastating family tragedy threatened to end his career, but he persevered on bravely. He proved to be a popular senator and set his ambitions higher. He was selected as the running-mate for presidential nominee <a title='Barack Obama' href='/famous/barack-obama.htm'>Barack Obama</a> in 2008 and the Obama-Biden ticket went on to win the election. There are speculations in the media that Biden might bid for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination.
Hillary Clinton is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013. She was also the Democratic Party nominee for President of the United States in the 2016 election which she lost to her Republican opponent Donald Trump. Married to former US President Bill Clinton, she served as the First Lady of the United States during her husband's presidency from 1993 to 2001. Born in Chicago, she was determined and ambitious from a young age. She qualified as a lawyer from Yale Law School and embarked on a successful legal career before venturing into politics. During her tenure as the First Lady, she began developing her own political career and was sworn in as U.S. senator in January 2001. A popular senator, she was easily re-elected to a second term. Soon she set her ambitions higher and served as the Secretary of State in the Obama Administration from 2009 to 2013. She left office after Obama's first term. In 2015, she formally announced her candidacy for the presidency in the 2016 election and was formally nominated at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Following a highly publicized election contest, she lost to Republican Trump on November 8, 2016.
Bernie Sanders is an American politician and a candidate for Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Presently, he is a senator from Vermont, and though a Democrat at the moment, he had been the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history. A politician with an illustrious career spanning several decades, he had previously served for two years as chair of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and is a co-founder of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Born in Brooklyn as the son of Jewish immigrants from Poland, he was raised in a middle-class family. Intelligent and ambitious from a young age, he went to the University of Chicago where he became involved in the civil rights movement and served as an organizer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. His interest in politics further developed in the following years and he was elected mayor of Burlington, Vermont's most populous city, in 1981. He proved to be a popular politician and went on to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. An independent, he entered into a caucus with the Democrats as his prominence in the national political arena grew. In 2015 he announced his plans to run for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States. Born to a white American mother and a black Kenyan father, he is the first African-American to hold the office. Prior to becoming the president, he served three terms representing the 13th District in the Illinois Senate and received national attention during his campaign to represent Illinois in the United States Senate. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, he was a successful civil rights attorney before he ventured into politics. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, he began his presidential campaign in 2007. After winning sufficient delegates in the Democratic Party primaries to receive the presidential nomination, he went on to defeat Republican nominee John McCain in the general election. He assumed office as the President of the United States in January 2009, a time when the country was reeling under the global economic recession. Expectations were high from the new president and the responsibilities on his shoulders, tremendous. Within the first few months he implemented several reforms in order to stabilize the economy and to boost its growth. He also completely overhauled America's foreign policy. Obama was re-elected to a second term as president in November 2012.
George Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States, who served in the office for two consecutive terms, i.e., from 2001 to 2009. He is the son of George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States. The political association of HIS family doesn't end here; his grandfather, Prescott Bush, was the U. S. Senator from Connecticut. After completing of his schooling in Massachusetts, George W. Bush graduated with a B. A. degree in history from Yale University and then went on to Harvard Business School to do his M.B.A. In 1968, he was commissioned into the Texas Air National Guard and he was honorably discharged after six years of service. He married Laura Lane Welch and the couple shifted to Midland, where George W. Bush founded a series of small, independent oil exploration companies. He helped his father, George H. W. Bush in both of his Presidential campaigns before becoming the Governor of Texas himself. He was the Republican candidate for 2000 Presidential elections and won the election by defeating Democrat nominee <a title='Al Gore' href='/famous/al-gore.htm'>Al Gore</a>. Four years later, he was re-elected when he defeated the Democrat <a title='John Kerry' href='/famous/john-kerry.htm'>John Kerry</a>.
˜If you live long enough, you'll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you'll be a better person. It's how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit.' This quote by Bill Clinton aptly describes his life and his motive for living. The 42nd President of the United States of America, Clinton is one of the most remarkable politicians who ventured to take the country through the depressive economic condition towards a progressive and prosperous future. A strong supporter of futuristic vision, he brought about progressive policies in the educational and health care sectors and aimed at providing the citizens with better living conditions. Before taking up the office of the President, Clinton served as the Governor of Arkansas for two terms and the Attorney General of Arkansas from 1977 to 1979. From a tender age, Clinton was blessed with leadership qualities and served as the student union leader in his school and college days. However, very few know that he was blessed with music abilities as well. In fact, Clinton during his high school days was the best saxophonist in the city and even considered taking up music as a career. However, his profound interest in public service had a somewhat overpowering effect as he made his way to the most important office of the country.
Theresa May is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in office since July 2016. She is also the Leader of the Conservative Party and has been the Home Secretary since 2010. The country's second female Prime Minister after fellow Conservative Margaret Thatcher, May is a highly experienced politician who took over as UK's PM from David Cameron during a period of political uncertainty following Britain's withdrawal from the European Union. The daughter of a Church of England clergyman, May was ambitious from the very beginning. She went to a local grammar school before going to Oxford University to study geography at St Hugh's College. She embarked on a banking career and a few years hence she joined the Association for Payment Clearing Services. She entered the political arena in the 1980s and served as a councilor for the London Borough of Merton for around eight years. With her political aspirations on the rise, she made attempts to be elected to the House of Commons in 1992 and 1994, albeit unsuccessfully. After her successful election as the MP for Maidenhead in the 1997 general election, her career has been on the upswing. As a politician she has strong views on migration laws and is a supporter of same sex marriages.
George Herbert Walker was the former President of the United States, who was in the office from 1989 to 1993. He was born in Massachusetts into a political and affluent family. His father, Prescott Sheldon Bush, was a Senator from Connecticut and his mother, Dorothy Bush, hailed from a prominent family. George H.W. Bush joined the US Navy during the Second World War and after coming back he graduated from Yale University with a B.A. degree in economics. He rejected the offer of joining his father's firm and instead shifted to Texas and worked as an oil field supplies salesman. Within a decade he became a millionaire and then entered politics. George H.W. Bush occupied a number of important positions during his political career. He was elected to the House of Representatives from the 7th District of Texas, was appointed as Ambassador to the United Nations, became the Director of Central Intelligence and served as the Vice President of United States during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. In 1988, he was elected as the Republican Party's candidate for the office of U.S President. He defeated Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis and became the 41st President of the United States. Although he became quite popular as a President for his stand against international terrorism and for portraying a strong picture of the nation to the world, he lost the next election in 1993.
David Cameron is a British politician who became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2010. The leader of the nation's Conservative Party and Member of Parliament for the Oxfordshire constituency of Witney, he had ventured into politics in the late 1980s when he began working for the Conservative Research Department. Born into a wealthy family in London, he enjoyed a privileged childhood and received his early education from premier schools. A bright student, he went to the Eton College in Berkshire before proceeding to the University of Oxford where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Brasenose College. Following his graduation he worked for the Conservative Research Department, eventually becoming politically active. The bright young man worked as the Special Adviser to the Chancellor and then Special Adviser to the Home Secretary following the Conservative Party's victory in 1992. Cameron entered Parliament in 2001 and became the leader of the Conservative Party after winning the December 2005 elections. His political career flourished over the years and he was elected the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2010. Though initially popular, his party's popularity suffered in 2012 and 2013. Despite the odds, he was re-elected in 2015. Following Britain's decision to leave the European Union in June 2016, he stepped down as the Prime Minister on 13 July 2016.
Ted Cruz is an American politician who is campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 presidential election. Currently, he is the United States Senator from Texas. Cruz was born in Canada but soon moved to the U.S. with his parents. He grew up to be an intelligent and ambitious young man who graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy. Blessed with great oratory skills, he won several prestigious debate competitions as a college student and was named U.S. National Speaker of the Year in 1992. He proceeded to attend Harvard Law School and received his Juris Doctor degree. A brilliant student, he became a founding editor of the Harvard Latino Law Review and was a John M. Olin Fellow in Law and Economics. He soon ventured into a legal career and entered politics as well. He was elected as the 34th U.S. Senator from Texas, in 2012, following which his political career received a big boost. A Republican, he gained much prominence for his powerful speeches, especially his 21-hour speech against President Barack Obama's healthcare plan. The ambitious politician announced his candidacy for the post of the U.S. president, in 2015.
Alexander Hamilton was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States; he was also a well-respected statesman and a successful military leader. Born out of wedlock in mid-eighteenth century, he spent his childhood among the lowest rung of the white society in St. Croix. Starting to work at the age of nine, he later received informal education from his mentors before being sent to the King's College, New York to be trained as a doctor. Here, he was quickly drawn into politics, writing his first published article at the age of seventeen. Later he joined the War of Independence and came close to General Washington, who on becoming President of United States made him the first Secretary of Treasury. In this new avatar, Hamilton founded the nation's financial policy, helping the government to tide over the chaos it had inherited from the revolution. A supporter of strong federal government, he also played significant role in the ratification of the new constitution and held slavery morally wrong.
Narendra Modi is a leading Indian politician and the current Prime Minister of India. He is known for leading his party Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) to a historic win in 2014 elections. He became the first Indian Prime Minister born after independence. He rose from a poverty-stricken tea-selling boy to a development-oriented leader, eventually becoming the longest-serving chief minister of Gujarat for 12 years. He became a controversial figure after the 2002 Gujarat riots. His government was accused of not doing enough to curb the riots. He is a protégé of L.K. Advani and is known for running an incorruptible government through his incisive decision-making qualities. Even though his economic policies have been praised, he is criticized for failing to make much positive change in the overall human development in Gujarat. After assuming the office of the Prime Minister, he announced many programs and policies that his government plans to implement in its 5-year term
Jimmy Carter was the 39th President of America and aspired to establish a government which was both, competent and compassionate. He won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2002. This farmer-turned-politician was determined to make a difference to the country which was suffering from energy costs, mounting inflation, and continuing tensions. Though he found it immensely difficult to keep up with the rising expectations, he tried his best to restore the faith of his citizens in the government. Furthermore, he also tried to make United States a symbol of peace and promoted human rights as a centrepiece of foreign policy. Following his term as the president, he remained publicly active and was involved in several humanitarian efforts. His post presidency period was extremely productive - he worked for a charitable organization, ˜Habitat for Humanity' and also participated in diplomatic talks to forge an agreement with North Korea. He was further involved in resolving international disputes. For his humanitarian efforts and for being a travelling ambassador of peace, he was awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize, which is a testimony to his reputation as one of the most active ex-presidents in the history of the US.
The 3rd. Vice President of the United States from 1801 to 1805 who was one of the first Senators from New York. He infamously killed his rival, <a title='Alexander Hamilton' href='/famous/alexander-hamilton.htm'>Alexander Hamilton</a>, in a duel.
John McCain was an American politician who served as a Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican Party's presidential nominee in the 2008 presidential elections. Born into a military family, he followed his family tradition and joined the U.S Naval Academy, eventually becoming a naval aviator. He took part in the Vietnam War and was almost killed, on a bombing mission over Hanoi, when his plane was shot down and he was taken a prisoner. John McCain's near-death experience in the Vietnam War didn't deter him from returning back to resume duty. After retiring from the navy, he joined politics. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives twice and to the U.S Senate four times. He has earned a reputation of a "maverick" politician for his open disagreement with his party on certain issues. He played a key role in restoring diplomatic relations with Vietnam in the 1990s. He was a US Senator from Arizona from 1987 to 2018. He also contested for presidential nomination in 2000 against Texas Governor George W. Bush, and ran for the US presidential elections in 2008 opposite Democratic candidate Barack Obama but lost.
Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi is a Pakistani former cricketer and the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan. He became an inspiration to youngsters venturing into cricket. He rose to popularity with his amazing talent as one of the finest cricketers Pakistan has ever produced. His journey of transforming from the biggest heartthrob of cricket to an influential politician is highly impressive and motivating. He is credited for leading Pakistan to its first ever Cricket World Cup title in 1992, defeating England, thereby being termed as the most successful and prominent cricket captain of Pakistan. This champion cricketer surprised the world as an exceptional fast bowler and a great all-rounder, making the game of cricket more popular in his country. He excelled not just in the cricketing arena, but also in the political world and social ground. He retired from cricket in 1992 and entered politics by forming his own party “ Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice). He established the first cancer hospital, in Lahore, after losing his mother to the deadly disease. He is involved in raising funds for various health and educational projects, coming out a helping hand for the underprivileged and deserving.
Rodrigo Duterte is the current and the sixteenth President of the Philippines, in office since June 2016. Born in into a politically active family, he spent most of his life in Davao City. Subsequently, he became the Mayor of Davao and served for seven terms, totaling more than 22 years. In 2016, he won a huge mandate and became the President of Philippines. Since the Philippines' law does not allow anybody to hold any post for more than three consecutive terms, therefore after serving his three consecutive terms as Mayor of Davao, he also served as the Congressman of the 1st District of Davao City and Vice Mayor of the city. His success lies in his ability to connect to the masses, a trick he learned while in school. To his critics, he is a foul-mouthed adulterer, obsessed with killing criminals; but millions of his countrymen favour him just because of that. They see in him the Philippine leader, who would get the country free from crime and drugs, the two menaces that have plagued their life for long.
Boris Johnson is a British politician who has served as the Mayor of London since 2008. He previously served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Henley from 2001 until 2008 and is serving as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip since 2015. A member of the Conservative Party, the politician is also a popular historian and journalist. Born in New York City to English parents, he returned to the United Kingdom with his family as a child. Both his parents valued high-achievers and the young boy was raised to be competitive from a young age. A good student, he was awarded a King's Scholarship to study at the prestigious Eton College following which he read Classics at Balliol College, Oxford. He embarked on a career as a journalist with ˜The Times' and found considerable success in this profession, taking the editorship of ˜The Spectator' from 1999 to 2005. Along with journalism he was also deeply interested in politics and was elected to the House of Commons as MP for Henley in 2001. Soon a popular political figure, he went on to serve on the opposition front bench, first as Shadow Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries and then for Higher Education. He is considered a controversial figure in British politics and journalism due to his enigmatic personality, with his own share of both supporters and detractors.
Joko Widodo is the current President of Indonesia serving in this position since October 2014. There was some controversy involved during the presidential election in mid-2014 though eventually he was declared the winner of the election by the General Elections Commission. Thus he assumed office as the 7th President of Indonesia after having held several other positions in the Indonesian administration. Born into a poor family in the city of Surakarta, Widodo faced his share of struggles as a member of the underprivileged section of the society. Because of the family's dire financial situations he had to start working as a young boy to support his family and to pay for his own education. Hard working and intelligent, he studied hard and graduated with a degree in forestry engineering from the prestigious Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta. Eventually he entered politics and was elected to the position of governor of Jakarta. He proved to be very popular among both the urban and rural sections of the society, and rose through the ranks, eventually getting elected as the President. He commands great respect from the citizens since he is perceived as a clean and principled politician who understands the problems of the common people.
Mike Pence is an American politician, serving as the 50th governor of Indiana since 2013. A conservative and a supporter of the Tea Party movement, he had previously represented Indiana's 2nd congressional district and Indiana's 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013. In July 2016, Pence was named the Republican Party nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2016 election. Born into a Catholic family with political leanings, he became interested in politics at an early age due to the influence of his family. As a young man, he idolized former President John F. Kennedy and was later inspired by Ronald Reagan. He went on to graduate from Hanover College and earned his J.D. from Indiana University School of Law following which he ventured into a legal career. He began a career in radio talk in the 1990s even as he tried to enter politics. After years of unsuccessful attempts, he finally was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in Indiana's 2nd Congressional District in 2000. From there his political career has been on a rise and he went on to become the Governor of Indiana in 2013.
Willard Mitt Romney is an American politician who served as the 70th Governor of Massachusetts for one term from 2003 to 2007. He is also known for being the Republican nominee for the President of the United States in the 2012 US Presidential Elections, where he was defeated by Barack Obama. Romney was born in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Before beginning his political career, he had spent a few years serving as a Mormon missionary in France. Later he joined ˜Bain & Company' where he eventually rose to the position of the Chief Executive Officer and helped the company emerge victorious out of a major financial crisis. He also led the spinoff company ˜Bain Capital,' a private equity investment which became one of the largest of its kind in the US. He then ventured into politics and was elected the Governor of Massachusetts in 2002. In this position, he developed and brought into existence the Massachusetts health care reform law. After serving his term, he didn't seek re-election but instead focused on earning a nomination to the 2008 US presidential election. However, John McCain became the eventual presidential nominee. Romney eventually won the 2012 Republican nomination, but was defeated by Barack Obama in the 2012 general election.
A communist philosopher, founder of the Soviet Republic and a devout follower of Marxist views, Vladimir Lenin is remembered as the leader of the Bolshevik Party, who played a pivotal role in reshaping Russia. Considered by some as a saint and others, as a dictator, Lenin proposed state capitalism reforms for Russia, which brought about a radical change in the country. Lenin, one of the most discussed leaders of the 20th century, fuelled the Bolshevik revolution and later, took over as the ˜Premier' of the newly formed Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). His ideologies combined with those of Karl Marx, collectively came to be known as ˜Marxism-Leninism', a doctrine that paved way for a number of radical schools of thought, such as Trotskyism, Maoism and Stalinism. His administration oversaw the execution of many social reformative measures, mechanization and the implementation of the ˜New Economic Policy'. This leader of the Bolshevik bloc was one of the main orchestrators of the infamous October Revolution during World War I, which was basically influenced by one of his best known works, ˜The April Theses'. A controversial leader, Lenin was an extremely hard-working person, blessed with impeccable oratory skills and also had a penchant for humor. Scroll further for more.
Marco Rubio is a United States Senator from Florida; he is in office since January 2011. He previously served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. Born in Florida to Cubans who immigrated to the United States prior to the rise of Fidel Castro, neither of his parents was a U.S. citizen at the time of Rubio's birth. He grew up in a working class community and watched his parents struggle to raise him and his siblings. The family eventually gained U.S. citizenship. He performed well in school and went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Florida before studying law at the University of Miami School of Law. He became involved in politics while still a law student and shortly after completing his degree he was made the City Commissioner for West Miami before being elected to the Florida House of Representatives. His political career progressed rapidly over the years and he went on to serve as the House Majority Leader and Speaker of the Florida House. He also has his own law firm and teaches at the Florida International University as an adjunct professor. In 2015, he announced that he is seeking the Republican nomination in the 2016 primaries.