Nicolae Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceauşescu ruled Romania as communist dictator from 1965 to 1989, combining Stalinist repression with nationalist independence from Moscow. He built a massive personality cult and the Palace of the People in Bucharest. His 1980s austerity programmes caused widespread suffering. When revolution swept Eastern Europe in 1989, Ceauşescu and his wife Elena were captured, tried in a summary military tribunal on Christmas Day, and executed by firing squad.
- Lived: 1918 CE – 1989 CE
- Nationality: Romanian
- Roles: dictator, head_of_state, communist_leader
