Muammar Gaddafi died on 20 October 2011 in Sirte, aged 69. 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
- 5 October 2011Death of Steve Jobs
- 5 October 2011Premiere of American Horror Story
- 7 October 2011Release of Litecoin
- 10 October 2011Creation of Dart
- 20 October 2011Death of Muammar Gaddafi
- 23 October 2011Van earthquake of 2011
- 8 November 2011Launch of Fobos-Grunt
- 10 November 2011The western black rhinoceros is declared extinct
- from 14 November 2011 to 3 January 2013Daraa Governorate clashes
More in Wars, politics & history
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- 11 February 1990Nelson Mandela is released from prison
- from 20 March 2003 to 15 December 2011Iraq War
- from 18 December 2010 to 1 December 2012Arab Spring
- from 15 March 2011 to 8 December 2024Syrian Civil War
- 28 February 20262026 Iran War
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 21st century.