Father of the Nation
Father of the Counry is a honorary title given to Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, first coined by the rector of the Charles University of Prague at the opportunity of the emperor's funeral.
These men below are to this day considered the Father of their Country, or Father of the Nation.
| Name | Country | Legacy |
|---|---|---|
| Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj | Malaysia | The first Prime Minister of then-Malaya is commonly known by his formal cognomen of "Bapa Kemerdekaan" (or Father of Independence) a title synonymous to that of Father of the Nation.[1] |
| Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla | Mexico | Recognized as Mexico independence father |
| Mustafa Kemal | Turkey | Was given Atatürk as a surname by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey as a recognition of his being the Father of the Nation..[2] |
| José Gervasio Artigas | Uruguay | Recognized as the "Father of Uruguayan independence."[3] |
| General Aung San | Burma | Considered the founding father of modern day Myanmar (or Burma)[4], although he was assassinated six months before Burmese independence from Great Britain. His daughter Aung San Suu Kyi is a Nobel Peace Prize winning democracy activist and icon for the Burmese people. |
| František Palacký | Czech Republic | Czech politician and historiographer, called Father of the Nation (Otec národa),[5] |
| Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi | India | Recognized as the Father of the Nation by the Indian government.[6] |
| Jón Sigurðsson | Iceland | Leader of the calls for Icelandic home-rule from Denmark and independence, during the 19th century. His goal was later achieved, but not in his lifetime, with Icelandic independence becoming a reality in 1944. Widely recognised as the father of the independence movement ("Sjálfstæðisfaðirinn") and by extension the father of (modern) Iceland ("Landsfaðirinn"). His birthday, June 17, later became the Icelandic national day. |
| Michael Collins | Ireland | Considered by many in Ireland to be the father of Irish independence. [7] |
| Einar Gerhardsen | Norway | The post–World War II prime minister of Norway, is often referred to as the Father of the Nation ("Landsfaderen").[8] |
| Mohammad Ali Jinnah | Pakistan | officially Baba-e-Qaum literally meaning Father of the Nation as recognised by the Pakistan Government.[9] |
| Peter I of Russia | Russia | Was granted the title of Father of the Fatherland (Отец Отечества) in 1721 by the Senate of Russian Empire, together with the title of emperor.[10] |
| Nelson Mandela | South Africa | Is considered Father of the Nation in South Africa for his leadership of the the African National Congress and helping to unite all of South Africa under majoriy rule, before becoming President in 1994. |
| Mohammed Zahir Shah | Afghanistan | Is considered as the Father of the Nation in Afghanistan[11] |
| Sun Yat-sen | China | Is officially the "Father of the Nation" (Chinese: 國父) in the Republic of China; in People's Republic of China he is officially referred to as "Father of Modern China", but also commonly "Father of the Nation".[12] |
| Ante Starcevic | Croatia | Was considered by the Croatian people as the Father of the Nation (Otac domovine) in Croatia.[13] |
| George Washington | United States of America | George Washington is commonly called through the United States Father of our Country.[14] |
| William of Orange | Netherlands | William of Orange, or William the Silent, was the leader of the successful Dutch Revolt against Spain, which led to the Dutch Republic (the first independent Dutch state) and is still known as Vader des Vaderlands, which in English means Father of the Fatherland.[15] |
| Gustaf Vasa | Sweden | Is considered as the Father of the Nation in Sweden.[16] |
| Yasser Arafat | Palestine | Is considered as the Father of the Nation in Palestine.[17] |
| Xanana Gusmão | East Timor | Is considered as the Father of the Nation in East Timor.[18] |
| Ibrahim Rugova | Kosovo | Is considered as the Father of the Nation in Kosovo.[19] |
| Lee Kuan Yew | Singapore | Led Singapore to independence and became the nation's first Prime Minister[20][21] |
| Donald Dewar | Scotland | Led the successful 1997 'Yes' campaign in the referendum for Scottish Devolution and became the first First Minister of Scotland in over 300 years in May 1999 holding that position until his death in October 2000.[22] |
See also
- ^ "Malaysians Celebrate 50 Years of Independence With Pride".
- ^ "Atatürk (Mustafa Kemal)".
- ^ Room, Adrian. "http://books.google.com/books?id=M1JIPAN-eJ4C&printsec=frontcover&client=firefox-a%7C title=Placenames of the World", p. 36
- ^ "TIME Magazine".
{{cite web}}: Text "60 Years of Asian Heroes: Aung San and Aung San Suu Kyi" ignored (help) - ^ "Frantisek Palacky - Radio Prague".
- ^ Nehru's address on Gandhi's death. Retrieved on 30 April 2008.
- ^ "Michael Collins: Father of Modern Ireland".
- ^ Template:No icon Bjørn Talen (1987-05-09). "Gratulerer, kjære landsmann!". Aftenposten. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
- ^ "The Father of Pakistan". The Most Influential Asians of the Century by TIME.
- ^ "Peter the Great Biography - Biography.com".
- ^ "The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan".
- ^ "Dr. Sun Yat-Sen (class of 1882)". Iolani School website.
- ^ "Nationalism and National Policy in Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945)" (PDF).
- ^ George Washington: Father of Our Country
- ^ The Oude and Nieuwe Kerk in Delft
- ^ In the Footsteps of Gustav Vasa, Hallwyl Museum
- ^ Arafat's Ambiguous Legacy, Time Magazine, 11 November 2004
- ^ "East Timor, fragile test-bed for intervention", The Guardian, 14 August 2007
- ^ "Kosovo leader Ibrahim Rugova dies", BBC News, 21 January 2006
- ^ "TIME Magazine - 60 Years of Asian Heroes: Lee Kuan Yew".
- ^ FATHER OF THE NATION at Webster's Online Dictionary
- ^ "Donald Dewar Obituary", BBC News, 11 October 2000