Born: 29 March 1984 · Died: 4 January 2011 · Age: 26
Quick facts
Date of birth29 March 1984
Date of death4 January 2011
Age at death26
NationalityTunisian
BirthplaceSidi Bouzid, Tunisia
Editor's Take:
Mohamed Bouazizi was not a politician. He was a young vendor worn down by fines and humiliation. His desperate act in front of a government office spoke for millions who felt the same. Within weeks Tunisia's president had fled and protests had spread across the Arab world. The outcomes ranged from democracy to civil war. His name remains a symbol of anger at injustice. Tunisia has honoured him with a monument in his home town.
Key Milestones
2010: Sets himself on fire after officials seize his cart
2011: Dies in hospital
2011: President Ben Ali flees Tunisia
2011: Honoured with the Sakharov Prize
Tarek El-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi (Arabic: طارق الطيب محمد البوعزيزي, romanized: Ṭāriq aṭ-Ṭayib Muḥammad al-Būʿazīzī; 29 March 1984 – 4 January 2011) was a Tunisian street vendor who, in response to the confiscation of his wares as well as the harassment and humiliation inflicted by municipal officials and their aides,…
