Agostinho Neto
Angolan communist revolutionary, poet, and first President of Angola.
Chronology: 1922-09-17 – 1979-09-10
Origins & Early Life
António Agostinho Neto Kilamba (17 September 1922 – 10 September 1979) was an Angolan communist revolutionary, politician and poet. He served as the first president of Angola from 1975 to 1979, after leading the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) during the war for independence. He led the MPLA during the beginning of the Angolan Civil War, which began in 1975 and lasted until 2002. An author of several books, he is considered Angola's preeminent poet.
Pivotal Works & Achievements
His birthday is celebrated as National Heroes' Day, a public holiday in Angola. == Early life and education == Neto was born at Caxicane, in Ícolo e Bengo, a province of Portuguese Angola, on 17 September 1922, to parents who were both school teachers and Methodists. His father was also a Methodist pastor. Neto attended high school in Luanda, Angola's capital. After secondary school, Neto worked in the colonial health services, before going on to university.
Enduring Legacy & Impact
The younger Neto left Angola for Portugal, and studied medicine at University of Coimbra and University of Lisbon. As a college student, Neto combined his academic life with covert revolutionary political activity. In 1951, PIDE, the security police force of the...
Source: Wikipedia