Heads of government

People who have led governments.

People in Heads of government

133 profiles

President · South Africa

Nelson Mandela

Helping end apartheid and becoming South Africa’s first Black president.

Prime Minister · United Kingdom

Winston Churchill

Being a racist bigot and responsible for the orders that led to the Bengal famine of 1943, in which an estimated three million people died.

President · United States

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Leading the United States through the Great Depression and most of the Second World War.

President · United States

George Washington

Commanding the Continental Army and becoming the first US president.

President · United States

John F. Kennedy

Leading the United States through the Cuban Missile Crisis and setting the Moon-landing goal.

President · United States

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Commanding the Allied invasion of Western Europe in 1944 and serving as the 34th US president.

Prime Minister · India

Jawaharlal Nehru

Serving as independent India’s first prime minister from 1947 to 1964.

Prime Minister · India

Indira Gandhi

Becoming India’s first woman prime minister and a powerful, deeply contested political leader.

Political leader

Mao Zedong

Founding the People’s Republic of China and ruling through revolutionary campaigns that caused immense suffering.

Prime Minister · Congo

Patrice Lumumba

Leading Congo's independence movement and becoming its first prime minister after Belgian colonial rule.

Political leader

Subhas Chandra Bose

Leading the Indian National Army in an armed campaign against British rule.

President · China

Xi Jinping

Leading China’s Communist Party and presidency while concentrating political power.

President · Russia

Vladimir Putin

Dominating Russian politics and launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Political leader

Tony Benn

Championing democratic socialism and helping change the law on inherited peerages.

President · Ghana

Kwame Nkrumah

Leading Ghana to independence and championing Pan-African unity.

President · Burkina Faso

Thomas Sankara

Leading Burkina Faso’s revolutionary government and promoting self-reliance and social reform.

Prime Minister · Singapore

Lee Kuan Yew

Leading Singapore through independence and its transformation into a major economic centre.

President · Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh

Leading the movement that established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Prime Minister · Pakistan

Benazir Bhutto

Becoming the first woman elected to lead a government in a Muslim-majority country.

Governor-General · Pakistan

Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Leading the movement that created Pakistan in 1947.

President · Cuba

Fidel Castro

Leading the Cuban Revolution and governing Cuba for nearly five decades.

President · United States

Abraham Lincoln

Leading the United States through the Civil War and helping end slavery.

President · Egypt

Gamal Abdel Nasser

Nationalising the Suez Canal and becoming a central figure in Arab nationalism.

Prime Minister · New Zealand

Jacinda Ardern

Leading New Zealand through the Christchurch mosque attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy Prime Minister · India

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Leading the integration of princely states into independent India.

President · Tanzania

Julius Nyerere

Leading independence and shaping Tanzania through his Ujamaa philosophy.

President · France

Charles de Gaulle

Leading Free France and founding the Fifth Republic.

Political leader

Che Guevara

Helping lead the Cuban Revolution and becoming a global revolutionary symbol.

President · Egypt

Anwar Sadat

Leading Egypt in the 1973 war and signing its peace treaty with Israel.

President · Soviet Union

Mikhail Gorbachev

Introducing reforms that transformed the Soviet Union and helped end the Cold War.

President · Chile

Salvador Allende

Pursuing a democratic socialist programme before Chile’s 1973 military coup.

President · Palestine

Yasser Arafat

Leading the Palestinian national movement and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

President · Bangladesh

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Leading the movement for Bangladesh’s independence.

Political leader

Amílcar Cabral

Leading the independence movement for Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.

Political leader

Vladimir Lenin

Leading the Bolshevik Revolution and the early Soviet state.

President · Uruguay

José Mujica

Leading Uruguay from 2010 to 2015 while becoming internationally known for his modest lifestyle and criticism of consumerism.

Political leader

Simón Bolívar

Leading independence campaigns against Spanish rule across much of northern and western South America.

President · Philippines

Corazon Aquino

Becoming the Philippines’ first female president after the People Power movement ended Ferdinand Marcos’s rule in 1986.

Prime Minister · Sri Lanka

Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Becoming the world’s first female prime minister in 1960 and serving three terms as head of government.

President · Kenya

Jomo Kenyatta

Leading Kenya at independence and becoming its first president in 1964.

Military leader

José de San Martín

Leading armies across the Andes and helping secure the independence of Argentina, Chile and Peru from Spanish rule.

President · Indonesia

Sukarno

Co-proclaiming Indonesia’s independence in 1945 and becoming its first president.

Prime Minister · Pakistan

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Founding the Pakistan Peoples Party and leading Pakistan through the adoption of its 1973 constitution.

President · Zambia

Kenneth Kaunda

Leading Zambia to independence and serving as its first president from 1964 to 1991.

Prime Minister · Canada

Pierre Trudeau

Reshaping modern Canada through official bilingualism and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

President · Mexico

Benito Juárez

Defending Mexico’s republic against French intervention and advancing the separation of church and state.

Prime Minister · Norway

Gro Harlem Brundtland

Leading Norway and putting sustainable development at the centre of international policy.

President · Indonesia

Suharto

Ruling Indonesia’s authoritarian New Order after the army-led mass killings of 1965–1966.

President · Sri Lanka

Chandrika Kumaratunga

Serving as Sri Lanka’s first female president from 1994 to 2005.

President · Botswana

Seretse Khama

Leading Botswana to independence and serving as its first president.

Prime Minister · Canada

Lester B. Pearson

Helping establish UN peacekeeping during the Suez Crisis and leading Canada’s government.

President · Chile

Michelle Bachelet

Becoming Chile’s first woman president and later leading the UN human-rights office.

Chancellor · Germany

Willy Brandt

The West German chancellor whose Ostpolitik opened dialogue with Eastern Europe during the Cold War.

Prime Minister · Malaysia

Mahathir Mohamad

The Malaysian prime minister associated with rapid industrialisation and an extraordinary return to office in his nineties.

Prime Minister · Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina

The long-serving Bangladeshi prime minister whose government fell after the deadly crackdown on protests in 2024.

President · Namibia

Sam Nujoma

Namibia’s first president and a central leader of its independence movement.

Prime Minister · Canada

Brian Mulroney

The Canadian prime minister who negotiated free trade with the United States and pushed international action against apartheid.

President · Brazil

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Rising from metalworker and union leader to Brazil’s presidency and expanding anti-poverty programmes.

Chancellor · Germany

Konrad Adenauer

Leading West Germany’s postwar reconstruction and integration with Western Europe.

State Counsellor · Myanmar

Aung San Suu Kyi

Leading Myanmar’s democracy movement and later its civilian government.

Prime Minister · Bangladesh

Khaleda Zia

Becoming Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister and leading the BNP.

President · Palestine

Mahmoud Abbas

Leading the Palestinian Authority and pursuing Palestinian statehood through diplomacy.

President · Mozambique

Samora Machel

Leading Mozambique to independence and becoming its first president in 1975.

President · Brazil

Dilma Rousseff

Becoming Brazil’s first woman president.

Chancellor · Germany

Helmut Kohl

Leading Germany through reunification in 1990.

President · Philippines

Ferdinand Marcos

Ruling the Philippines for two decades, including years of martial law, before the People Power uprising.

Prime Minister · Pakistan

Nawaz Sharif

Serving three separate terms as Pakistan’s prime minister.

President · Liberia

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Becoming Africa’s first elected woman head of state and sharing the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.

President · Brazil

Getúlio Vargas

Reshaping Brazil through industrialisation and labour laws while ruling for years as a dictator.

President · France

François Mitterrand

Serving as France’s president from 1981 to 1995 and leading its first Socialist presidency under the Fifth Republic.

President · Philippines

Rodrigo Duterte

Serving as Philippine president and launching a deadly anti-drug campaign.

Prime Minister · Pakistan

Liaquat Ali Khan

Serving as Pakistan’s first prime minister after independence in 1947.

President · Malawi

Joyce Banda

Becoming Malawi’s first woman president, serving from 2012 to 2014.

President · Brazil

Juscelino Kubitschek

Building Brasília as Brazil’s new capital.

President · Indonesia

Megawati Sukarnoputri

Becoming Indonesia’s first woman president.

President · Senegal

Léopold Sédar Senghor

Serving as Senegal’s first president and helping develop Négritude.

President · Bolivia

Evo Morales

Leading Bolivia’s government from 2006 to 2019.

Prime Minister · United Kingdom

Clement Attlee

Leading the postwar Labour government that established the NHS.

President · Indonesia

Joko Widodo

Rising from local government to Indonesia’s presidency.

President · Botswana

Ian Khama

Serving as Botswana’s president from 2008 to 2018.

President · Ghana

Jerry Rawlings

Leading Ghana through military rule and its return to multiparty government.

President · Tanzania

Samia Suluhu Hassan

Becoming Tanzania’s first woman president in 2021.

President · Botswana

Duma Boko

Leading the opposition alliance that won Botswana’s 2024 election.

President · Ghana

John Mahama

Serving two separate periods as Ghana’s president.

Political leader

Park Won-soon

Serving as mayor of Seoul from 2011 to 2020.

President · Ghana

Nana Akufo-Addo

Serving as Ghana’s president from 2017 to 2025.

President · Chile

Juan Luis Sanfuentes

Leading Chile during the First World War.

President · Chile

Pedro Montt

Serving as Chile’s president from 1906 to 1910.

Political leader

Pan Yue

Holding senior Chinese environmental and ethnic-affairs posts.

President · Tanzania

Jakaya Kikwete

Serving as Tanzania’s president from 2005 to 2015.

President · Botswana

Mokgweetsi Masisi

Serving as Botswana’s president from 2018 to 2024.

Political leader

Habiba Sarābi

Becoming Afghanistan’s first female provincial governor.

President · Ghana

John Atta Mills

Serving as Ghana’s president from 2009 to 2012.

President · Botswana

Festus Mogae

Leading Botswana from 1998 to 2008 and expanding its response to HIV/AIDS.

Political leader

C. D. Deshmukh

Becoming the Reserve Bank of India’s first Indian governor.

President · Chile

José Tomás Ovalle

Serving as Chile’s provisional leader during the 1829–1831 transition.

President · Chile

Agustín Eyzaguirre

Serving as provisional president during Chile’s early republican years.

President · Chile

José Joaquín Pérez

Leading Chile from 1861 to 1871 during a period of liberal reform.

Prime Minister · Thailand

Anand Panyarachun

Leading two transitional Thai governments in 1991 and 1992.

President · Botswana

Quett Masire

Leading Botswana as its second president from 1980 to 1998.

President · Ghana

Hilla Limann

Serving as president of Ghana’s Third Republic.

President · Chile

Federico Errázuriz Zañartu

Serving as Chile’s president from 1871 to 1876.

Political leader

Tôn Thất Thiện

Advocating press freedom as a South Vietnamese minister and journalist.

President · Tanzania

Benjamin Mkapa

Serving as Tanzania’s president from 1995 to 2005.

President · Chile

Francisco Antonio Pinto

Leading Chile during the constitutional struggles of 1827–1829.

Political leader

Tadatoshi Akiba

Advocating nuclear disarmament as mayor of Hiroshima.

President · Ghana

Edward Akufo-Addo

Serving as Ghana’s chief justice and ceremonial president.

President · Chile

Abraham Oyanedel

Leading Chile’s provisional government before the 1932 elections.

President · Ghana

John Kufuor

Serving two terms as Ghana’s president from 2001 to 2009.

Political leader

Jesse Robredo

Leading Naga City and serving as Philippine interior secretary.

President · Chile

Sebastián Piñera

Serving two terms as president of Chile.

President · Tanzania

Ali Hassan Mwinyi

Leading Tanzania’s economic liberalisation as president.

President · Tanzania

John Magufuli

Serving as Tanzania’s president from 2015 to 2021.

President · Chile

José Antonio Kast

Becoming Chile’s president in 2026.

Political leader

Claudio Vicuña Guerrero

Winning Chile’s 1891 presidential election without taking office.

Political leader

Zuzana Čaputová

Becoming Slovakia’s first woman president after environmental legal campaigning.

President · Chile

Arturo Alessandri

Leading Chile through constitutional change and repeated presidential terms.

President · Chile

Juan Antonio Ríos

Leading Chile during the Second World War

Political leader

C. Rajagopalachari

Serving as independent India’s last governor-general

President · Chile

Joaquín Prieto

Chile’s presidency from 1831 to 1841

President · Chile

Fernando Errázuriz Aldunate

Serving as Chile’s provisional president in 1831

President · Chile

Francisco Ruiz-Tagle

Chile’s brief provisional presidency in 1830

President · Chile

Elías Fernández Albano

Serving briefly as acting president of Chile in 1910.

President · Chile

Aníbal Pinto

Leading Chile during the opening years of the War of the Pacific.

President · Chile

Federico Errázuriz Echaurren

Serving as Chile’s president from 1896 to 1901.

President · Chile

Francisco Ramón Vicuña

Serving as acting president during Chile’s 1829 crisis.

Political leader

Jerónimo Méndez

Leading Chile’s interim administration in 1941–42.

President · Chile

Manuel Montt

Leading Chile from 1851 to 1861.

Political leader

Jawhar Sircar

Leading Prasar Bharati and serving in India’s Rajya Sabha.

President · Chile

Juan Esteban Montero

Serving as Chilean president during the Depression-era crisis.

President · Chile

Gabriel Boric

Serving as Chile’s president from 2022 to 2026.

President · Chile

Domingo Santa María

Introducing secular civil laws during Chile’s 1881–1886 presidency.

President · Chile

Emiliano Figueroa

Serving as Chile’s president during the political upheaval of the 1920s.