Politics · Military · 1921–2008
Born: 8 June 1921 · Died: 27 January 2008 · Age at death: 86
Suharto died aged 86. He was born on 8 June 1921 and died on 27 January 2008.
Indonesian army general who seized power in the 1960s and ruled as president for 31 years until protests forced him out
Did you know?He was often referred to as the Smiling General due to his calm and soft-spoken outward demeanour.
Suharto ruled Indonesia for 31 years. An army general, he took control after a failed coup attempt in 1965, which was blamed on the communists. Over the following months, hundreds of thousands of suspected communists were killed. He then pushed aside the founding president, Sukarno. His New Order regime brought economic growth, schools and roads. It also brought harsh repression, the occupation of East Timor and vast corruption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997 sparked mass protests, and he resigned in 1998.
Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian general and politician who served as the second and longest-serving president of Indonesia from 1967 to 1998. Suharto was born in Kemusuk, near the city of Yogyakarta, during the Dutch colonial era.
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Profile
President of Indonesia, 1921–2008
Suharto was born in Kemusuk, Java, on 8 June 1921.
He took control after the 1965 coup attempt.
He became president in 1967.
He resigned in May 1998.
Career highlights
Did you know?He used only one name, as many Javanese do.
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