Mao Zedong

1893 – 1976

Mao Zedong was the founding chairman of the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Republic of China, leading the country from its 1949 establishment until his death in 1976. His Great Leap Forward from 1958 to 1962 produced the worst famine in human history, killing an estimated 30 to 45 million people, and his Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976 unleashed a decade of political persecution that killed and imprisoned millions and devastated Chinese cultural and educational institutions. His personality cult, formalized through the Little Red Book that became one of the most-printed books in history, ruled Chinese political life for a generation.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM