Islom Abdug?aniyevich Karimov is the first President of Uzbekistan, in office since 1991. Karimov was placed in an orphanage in Samarkand at birth, growing up to study economics and engineering. He became an official in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, becoming the party's First Secretary in Uzbekistan in 1989. On March 24, 1990 he became President of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. Karimov's election to the Uzbek Communist Party resulted after his predecessor Rafik Nishanov failed to quell inter-ethnic clashes and instability in the Fergana region. He declared Uzbekistan an independent nation on August 31, 1991 and subsequently won Uzbekistan's first presidential election on December 29, 1991, with 86% of the vote. 

January 30th, 1938 in Samarkand  /  Died:   Sep 2nd, 2016 - stroke