Leonid Brezhnev - 1968 Ruler of Soviet Union

Leonid Brezhnev was a Soviet politician who played a significant role in shaping the history of the Soviet Union. He served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1982 and as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet from 1960 to 1964 and again from 1977 to 1982. Brezhnev's 18-year term as General Secretary was second only to Joseph Stalin's in duration.

Brezhnev was born into a working-class family in Kamianske, Ukraine, in 1906. He joined the Communist party's youth league in 1923 and became an official party member in 1929. When Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, he joined the Red Army as a commissar and rapidly rose through the ranks to become a major general during World War II. After the war, he was promoted to the party's Central Committee in 1952 and became a full member of the Politburo by 1957. In 1964, he replaced Nikita Khrushchev as First Secretary of the CPSU, the most powerful position in the country.

Brezhnev's conservative and pragmatic approach to governance was in sharp contrast to Khrushchev's impulsive and often controversial policies. He was known for reaching decisions through consensus and minimizing dissent among the party leadership. Under Brezhnev's leadership, the Soviet Union made significant gains in the international arena, including achieving nuclear parity with the United States and strengthening its control over Central and Eastern Europe. Additionally, his efforts to push for détente between the two Cold War superpowers helped to reduce tensions between the two nations.

However, Brezhnev's disregard for political reform resulted in a period of societal decline known as the Brezhnev Stagnation. The country experienced pervasive corruption, falling economic growth, and a rapidly growing technological gap with the United States. Additionally, the massive arms buildup and widespread military interventionism under Brezhnev's leadership strained the Soviet economy, leading to a period of economic hardship in the latter years of his rule.

Brezhnev's health rapidly declined after 1975, and he increasingly withdrew from international affairs, although he maintained his hold on power. He passed away in 1982 and was succeeded as General Secretary by Yuri Andropov.

Brezhnev's legacy is a mixed one, with some historians viewing his tenure as a time of political stability and foreign policy success, while others see it as a period of corruption, inefficiency, and economic stagnation. Nevertheless, his role in shaping the Soviet Union during one of the most volatile periods of its history cannot be ignored, and he remains a significant figure in the history of 20th-century politics.

1968 President of Singapore

Yusof bin Ishak (12 August 1910 – 23 November 1970) was an eminent Singaporean politician and the first President of Singapore. His portrait appears on the Singapore Portrait Series currency notes introduced in 1999.

Yusof was well known both as a journalist and the founder of the Malay newspaper Utusan Melayu prior to becoming head of state of Singapore. He was married to Noor Aishah.

He first served as Yang di-Pertuan Negara (head of state) between 1959 and 1965, remaining in office during the time that Singapore was part of the Federation of Malaysia between 1963 and 1965. Following Singapore's departure from Malaysia in 1965, he served as the first President of the Republic until his death in 1970.

Yusof is buried at Kranji State Cemetery.

1968 French Republic President

Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969. The 18th President of French Republic and Co-Prince of Andora

As President, Charles de Gaulle ended the political chaos that preceded his return to power. A new French currency was issued in January 1960 to control inflation and industrial growth was promoted. Although he initially supported French rule over Algeria, he controversially decided to grant independence to that country, ending an expensive and unpopular war but leaving France divided and having to face down opposition from the white settlers and French military who had originally supported his return to power.

De Gaulle oversaw the development of French atomic weapons and promoted a pan-European foreign policy, seeking independence from U.S. and British influence. He withdrew France from NATO military command - although remaining a member of the western alliance - and twice vetoed Britain's entry into the European Community. He travelled widely in Eastern Europe and other parts of the world and recognised Communist China. On a visit to Canada he gave encouragement to Quebec Separatism.

During his term, de Gaulle also faced controversy and political opposition from Communists and Socialists. Despite having been re-elected as President, this time by direct popular ballot, in 1965, in May 1968 he appeared likely to lose power amidst widespread protests by students and orkers, but survived the crisis with an increased majority in the Assembly. However, de Gaulle resigned after losing a referendum in 1969. He is considered by many to be the most influential leader in modern French history.

1968 ruler of Abu Dhabi of UAE

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Arabic: زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان‎)‎, (1918 – 2 November 2004), the principal architect of United Arab Emirates (UAE), was the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the UAE for over 30 years (1971-2004).

Zayed was the youngest son of Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, the traditional ruler of Abu Dhabi from 1922 to 1926. He was named after his famous grandfather, Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, who ruled the emirate from 1855 to 1909. On August 6, 1966 he succeeded his brother, Sheikh Shakhbut Bin-Sultan Al Nahyan, as emir of Abu Dhabi after the latter was deposed in a bloodless palace coup. Zayed was first appointed (by the other six Sheikhs on the Supreme Council) to the presidency of the UAE in 1971 and was reappointed on four further occasions: 1976, 1981, 1986, and 1991. He was considered a relatively liberal ruler, and permitted private media. However, they were expected to practice self-censorship and avoid criticism of Zayed or the ruling families.

He was the ruler of the Eastern Region form 1946 before becoming the ruler of the whole Abu Dhabi.

1968 Prime Minister of Japan

Eisaku Satō (Satō Eisaku?, March 27, 1901 – June 3, 1975) was a Japanese politician and the 61st, 62nd and 63rd Prime Minister of Japan, elected on November 9, 1964, and re-elected on February 17, 1967, and January 14, 1970, serving until July 7, 1972. He was the longest serving prime minister in the history of Japan.

1968 was a pivotal year for Japan, as it marked the beginning of Eisaku Sato's tenure as Prime Minister. Sato, who served as Prime Minister from November 9, 1964 to December 25, 1972, is considered one of Japan's most important and influential leaders of the 20th century.

During his tenure, Sato implemented a number of important policies that helped to solidify Japan's position as a major economic power. One of his most notable achievements was the introduction of the "Japan-US Joint Communique" which normalized the relationship between the two countries and set the stage for Japan's economic growth. He also focused on domestic policies, such as the improvement of living standards of citizens and the promotion of science and technology to spur economic development.

Sato also played a key role in Japan's foreign policy during this time period, particularly in its relations with the United States and Southeast Asia. He established diplomatic relations with a number of Southeast Asian countries and worked to improve relations between Japan and its former colonies.

Sato's tenure as Prime Minister also saw the rise of the student movement and protests for democratic reforms, which he handled with great care and tact. He was able to maintain stability and order while also pushing for political and social reforms.

In recognition of his contributions to Japan's development, Sato was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974, becoming the first Japanese Prime Minister to receive the award. He was recognized for his efforts to promote peace in Asia and for his contributions to the improvement of Japan-US relations.

Overall, Eisaku Sato played a crucial role in shaping Japan's economic and political landscape during his tenure as Prime Minister in 1968 and his legacy continues to be felt to this day.

1968 Indonesia's President

Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was the second President of Indonesia. He held the office from 1967 following Sukarno's removal up to his resignation in 1998.

Suharto was born in a small village near Yogyakarta, during the Dutch colonial controera. His Javanese peasant parents divorced not long after his birth, and for much of his childhood he was passed between foster parents. During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, Suharto served in Japanese-organised Indonesian security forces. During Indonesia's independence struggle, he joined the newly-formed Indonesian army. Following Indonesian independence, Suharto rose to the rank of Major General. An attempted coup on 30 September 1965 was countered by Suharto-led troops, was blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party. An army led anti-communist purge, killed over half a million people, and Suharto wrested power from Indonesia's founding president, Sukarno. He was appointed acting president in 1967 and President the following year. Support for Suharto's presidency eroded following the hardship of 1997–98 Asian financial crisis. He was forced to resign from the presidency in May 1998 and he died in 2008.

The legacy of Suharto's 32-year rule is debated both in Indonesia and abroad. Under his "New Order" administration, Suharto constructed a strong, centralised and military-dominated government. An ability to maintain stability over a sprawling and diverse Indonesia and an avowedly anti-Communist stance won him the economic and diplomatic support of the West during the Cold War. For most of his presidency, Indonesia experienced significant economic growth and industrialisation, dramatically improving health, education and living standards. Indonesia's 24-year occupation of East Timor during Suharto's presidency, resulted in at least 100,000 deaths. By the 1990s, the New Order's authoritarianism and widespread corruption was a source of discontent. In the years since his presidency, attempts to try him on charges of corruption and genocide failed because of his poor health.

Like many Javanese, Suharto had only one name. In religious contexts, he is sometimes called “Haji” or “el-Haj Mohammed Suharto”, but this Islamic title is not part of his formal name or generally used. The spelling "Suharto" reflects current Indonesian spelling, but people's names were always exempt from this. The English-language press generally uses the spelling 'Suharto', but Suharto and his family, as well as the Indonesian government and media, use 'Soeharto'.

1968 Prime Minister of Australia

On 10 January 1968, Sir John Grey Gorton, (September 1911 – 19 May 2002), Australian politician, became the 19th Prime Minister in unusual circumstances. He was elected Liberal Party leader to replace Harold Holt, who had disappeared the previous month while swimming off the Victorian coast, and was presumed dead. Gorton also left the job in unusual circumstances – he declared himself out of office after a tied party vote of confidence in his leadership on 10 March 1971.

Prime Minister John Gorton with Indonesian President Soeharto in Djakarta during the Gorton’s visit in 1968.