David Ben-Gurion
- Born on October 16, 1886
- Zionist statesman and political leader
- first prime minister and defense minister of Israel
- Delivered Israel's declaration of independence on May 14, 1948
- known as "Father of the Nation"
Gamal Abdel Nasser
- born on January 15, 1918
- started off as army officer, then to prime minister, and then president (1956-70)
- became a controversial leader of the Arab world
- created the United Arab Republic (lasted only 3 years)
- died on September 28, 1970
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
- born on October 26, 1919
- Shah of iran from 1941-1979
- maintained a foreign policy of pro-western
- overthrown by his people that supported anti-western
- fled to the United States
- died on July 27, 1980
Anwar Sadat
- Born on December 25, 1918
- served in military before overthrowing country's monarchy in 1950s
- vice president before becoming president in 1970
- earned Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 for peace agreements with Israel
- Assassinated on October 6, 1981
Menachem Begin
- Born on August 16, 1913
- prime minister of Israel from 1977- 1983
- corecipient of the Noble Peace Prize with Anwar Sadat
- their peace treaty was formally signed in 1979
- died on March 9, 1992
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
- born on September 24, 1902
- became the supreme religious leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979
- worked to remove the Shah (Pahlavi) from power for his associations with the west
- named political and religious leader of Iran for life
- rules country for ten years
- died on June 3, 1989
Saddam Hussein
- born on April 28, 1937
- ruthless dictator of Iraq from 1979-2003
- joined the Baath party in 1957
- attempt to assassinate prime minister on October 7, 1959
- forced to flee and exiled to syria for three months and moved to egypt for three years
- returns in 1963 when the Baaths overthrow the government
- takes presidential position in july of 1979
- used fear and terror to rule
- U.S attacks Iraq on march 19, 2003
- Saddam exceuted on December 30, 2006