Muammar Gaddafi was born on 7 June 1942 in Qasr Abu Hadi. A Libyan army officer, Gaddafi took power in a bloodless coup in 1969 that overthrew King Idris, and he ruled the country for more than four decades. He proclaimed a system of direct rule by popular committees in 1977, set out in his Green Book, while retaining personal control. His government spent oil revenue on development and backed militant groups abroad, and Libya was held responsible for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie. He renounced weapons of mass destruction in 2003, which eased relations with the West. In 2011 a popular uprising and NATO intervention ended his rule, and he was captured and killed near Sirte.
Before and after
- from June 1942 to February 1943Rise of White Rose
- from 1 June 1942 to 24 November 1942Case Blue
- 5 June 1942Birth of Teodoro Obiang
- from 6 June 1942 to 28 July 1943Japanese occupation of Kiska
- 7 June 1942Birth of Muammar Gaddafi
- from 12 June 1942 to 15 June 1942Operation Harpoon
- 18 June 1942Birth of Thabo Mbeki
- 18 June 1942Birth of Roger Ebert
- 18 June 1942Birth of Paul McCartney
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918World War I
- 28 June 1919Treaty of Versailles
- 4 June 1920Treaty of Trianon
- from 1933 to 1945The Holocaust
- 30 January 1933Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
- from 1 September 1939 to 2 September 1945World War II
The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.