File:JJ_Rawlings_in_Brussels_1998_(P002554000101,_cropped).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Jerry Rawlings
Sign in to saveAlso known as Jerry John Rawlings, J J Rawlings, Papa J, Junior Jesus
fourth President of the Republic of Ghana (1947-2020)
Jerry Rawlings was a military officer who served as Ghana's fourth president from 1992 to 2000, following an earlier period leading the country through military rule in the 1980s. He is a significant figure in modern Ghanaian history because of his role in shaping the nation's political direction during pivotal decades of transition and reform.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Given name
- Jerry
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- Ghana
- Place of birth
- Accra
- Place of death
- Korle - Bu Teaching Hospital
- Occupation
- soldier
- Educated at
- Achimota School
- Political party
- National Democratic Congress
- Languages spoken
- Twi
- Native language
- English language
- Conflict
- Second Liberian Civil War
- Military branch
- Ghana Air Force
- Military rank
- captain
- Image
- JJ Rawlings in Brussels 1998 (P002554000101, cropped).jpg
- Number of children
- 4
- Work location
- Accra
Show 12 more facts
- Ghana Place Names URL
- sites.google.com/site/ghanaplacenames/places-in-perspective/birthplaces#h.qcain25x7yrs
- name in native language
- Jerry John Rawlings
- date of birth
- 1947-06-22
- Commons category
- Jerry Rawlings
- start of work period
- 1967-00-00
- date of death
- 2020-11-12
- manner of death
- natural causes
- P10632
- Jerry Rawlings
- place of burial
- Accra
- nickname
- Junior Jesus
- candidacy in election
- 1992 Ghanaian presidential election
- member of
- Holy Spirit Cathedral (Accra)
Sources (8)
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Encyclopedic overview
Jerry John Rawlings (22 June 1947 – 12 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer, aviator, politician, and revolutionary who led the country briefly in 1979 and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military regime until 1993 and then served two terms as the democratically elected president of Ghana. He was the longest-serving leader in Ghana's history, presiding over the country for 19 years.
Rawlings came to power in Ghana as a flight lieutenant of the Ghana Air Force following a coup d'état in 1979. Before that, he led an unsuccessful coup attempt against the ruling military government on Tuesday, 15 May 1979, just five weeks before scheduled democratic elections were due. After handing power over to a civilian government, he overthrew the democratically elected Government through a military coup on Thursday, 31 December 1981, as the chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Jerry Rawlings” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.