Nikita Khrushchev was born in 1894, and died in 1971. From 1958 until 1964, he was premier of the Soviet Union. During his time in office, he helped organize the Austrian State Treaty, and also provoked the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. He was on the leading board when the USSR. launched Sputnik in 1957, and also helped his country through many other times of hardship, as well as celebration. (Pimlott, 20, 21)(Grolier, Nikita Khrushchev)
Joseph Stalin was born in 1879 and died in 1953. He had a dicatorial authority over his country from 1923 to 1953. He led his country through World War II, and was mostly responsible for splitting up Germany into its territories. Stalin was also responsible for creating the environment of the Cold War(Pimlott, 8)(Grolier, Joseph Stalin).
John F. Kennedy was born in 1917 and died at his assassination in 1963. He became the 35th president of the United States in 1961 and was so until his assassination. He was responsible for the Bay of Pigs, and helped his country regain its dignity through the Cuban Missile Crisis. In addition to the Bay of Pigs invasion, Kennedy was also responsible for at least a few assassination attempts on Fidel Castro of Cuba(Loewen, 224, 225)(Grolier, John F. Kennedy).
Richard M. Nixon was born in 1913 and died in the mid-90s. He was 37th president of the United States from 1969 to 1974, and led his country through a detente with the Soviet Union. Nixon withdrew the American troops in Vietnam, and also managed to make an ally with the People’s Republic of China. The Watergate scandal in the 1970s led to his resignation (Pimlott, 25)(Grolier, Richard Nixon).
Mikhail Gorbachev was born in 1931 and is still living. He became the final premier of the Soviet Union, and eventually led it to its collapse. Gorbachev, during his time in office, sought to end the hatred between the United States and Soviet Union, and ended the Cold War with the collapse of the USSR (Grolier, Mikhail Gorbachev).
Fidel Castro Ruz was born in 1926(27), and became Cuba’s dictator in 1959. He has held his power ever since then. Castro stood against the Bay of Pigs, an invasion from the US. government, and about thirty other assassination attempts from the same government (Loewen, 224, 225)(Grolier, Fidel Castro).
Vladimir Lenin was born in 1870, and died in 1924. He founded the Russian Communist party. Lenin organized the Revolution of 1917, which brought communism to Russia. Shortly thereafter, Lenin became the dictator of Russia. He was so until his death. From his death until 1991, what is now St. Petersburg in Russia was called Leningrad (Grolier, Vladimir Lenin).
