Colonel Gaddafi
In the year 1969, a charismatic young officer named Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi led a daring, bloodless coup against King Idris I of Libya. As the Revolutionary Chairman, he ruled with an iron fist from 1969 to 1977. Then, in a surprising twist, he transformed Libya into a socialist utopia, taking on the title of “Brotherly Leader”. His reign, as fascinating as it was controversial, spanned over four decades until his demise in 2011.
In his era, he ousted Libya’s Italian and Jewish populace, banished the US military, and while some hailed him as a benefactor for ushering in prosperity, he was also accused of trampling human rights and bankrolling global terrorism. In 2011, technology played a morbid role when Colonel Gaddafi’s capture and subsequent demise by rebel forces were broadcast globally. A jittery mobile video captured the chilling moments of him being brutalized by an irate mob, then shot multiple times.