Obituary
List of Obituary articles
-
An up-close photo of Muhammadu Buhari speaking. Despite Good Intentions, Muhammadu Buhari Failed Nigeria
A former military dictator and late convert to democracy, Nigeria’s two-time ruler lacked the discipline to enact transformational change.
-
José Mujica poses with his hands on his chin. Uruguay’s José Mujica Aimed to Change the World
On his journey from urban guerrilla to tortured prisoner to elected president, the world also changed him.
-
Aerial shot of Pope Francis walking Pope Francis Led Catholics Through a Time of Crisis
The first pontiff from the global south has died, the Vatican announced Monday.
-
Mario Vargas Llosa raises his arms. Mario Vargas Llosa: A Literary Colossus Who Aimed to Change the World
The Peruvian Nobel laureate initially embraced communism—until it clashed with liberty.
-
Jean-Marie Le Pen, a man in his 90s wearing a pinstriped suit, adjusts how he sits in a chair in front of a black wall. He is looking down and to the side, showing his face in partial profile. Jean-Marie Le Pen Embodied France’s Dark Side
The far-right leader and founder of the National Front died at age 96.
-
Then-U.S. President Jimmy Carter listens to a question in 1977. Jimmy Carter Was the True Change Agent of the Cold War
There’s a reason the 39th president is still revered by former Soviet dissidents.
-
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter tours an East Jerusalem neighborhood in 2010. Jimmy Carter Was a Foreign-Policy Visionary
The 39th U.S. president is often remembered for a failed rescue mission in the Iranian desert, but his legacy is much larger than that.
-
Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh clasps his hands together and smiles slightly. Singh is a man with a blue head covering and wearing a white shirt. Manmohan Singh Uncaged the Indian Tiger
The two-time former prime minister laid the foundations for India’s rapid growth. He was 92.
-
Alberto Fujimori talks into a microphone in the middle of a crowd with his arm raised. Alberto Fujimori Transformed Peru—for Better and Worse
As president, he defeated the Shining Path guerrillas but also oversaw paramilitary death squads that massacred civilians.
-
A black and white portrait of a man wearing a sweater with a collared shirt under it. James C. Scott Trampled Across Borders to Explain the World
The political scientist, anthropologist, and anarchist loved the global margins.
-
Alexei Navalny, a man in his 40s wearing a winter coat and a serious expression, stands while surrounded by a large crowd of people waving Russian flags during a march Alexei Navalny Wanted to Make Russia a ‘Normal Country’
The jailed opposition leader who challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin has died in a prison colony.
-
Henry Kissinger during an interview in Washington in August 1980. Henry Kissinger, Colossus on the World Stage
The late statesman was a master of realpolitik—whom some regarded as a war criminal.
-
Chinese President Xi Jinping waves and leads the way as Premier Li Keqiang claps and trails behind him in front of an ornate wall at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Li Keqiang Lived and Died in Xi Jinping’s Shadow
The former Chinese premier was heralded as a reformer, but change never came.
-
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi adjusts his tie and grimaces during a news conference at the Chigi Palace in Rome on May 26, 2010. Behind him a painting shows a woman's outreached arm. The Scandalous Life and Career of Silvio Berlusconi
The former Italian leader loved topless women and Vladimir Putin but hated being compared to Donald Trump.
-
Outgoing Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in 2008 Pervez Musharraf Dragged His Country Down
The charismatic Pakistani general aimed to be a great national leader but failed by shredding the constitution and recklessly doing Washington’s bidding.
