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Gamal Abdel Nasser
Nationalising the Suez Canal and becoming a central figure in Arab nationalism.
Suez Canal · United Arab Republic
- Born
- 15 January 1918
- Birthplace
- Alexandria, Egypt
- Died
- 28 September 1970
More people
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser was an Egyptian army officer and president whose rule combined social reform, state-led development and authoritarian power.
Early life
Education
Grew up in several Egyptian cities before military training.
Army experience
Served in the 1948 Arab–Israeli war.
Career
- 1952
Free Officers
Helped overthrow the monarchy.
- 1954–1956
Consolidating power
Became prime minister and then president.
- 1956–1970
Presidency
Pursued Arab unity and major state projects through repeated conflicts.
Policies & events
Suez Canal
Nationalised the canal company.
United Arab Republic
Led the short-lived union of Egypt and Syria.
Aswan High Dam
Oversaw construction of the major Nile project.
Beyond work
Political control
Suppressed opponents and restricted political pluralism.
1967 war
Egypt’s defeat severely damaged his leadership and regional project.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Stevan Kragujević. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.