Sun Myung Moon was a Korean religious leader, business magnate and media mogul. A self-proclaimed messiah, he was the founder of the Unification Church and of its widely noted "Blessing" or mass wedding ceremony. His extensive business interests included News World Communications, an international news media corporation which founded The Washington Times and owns other media in several countries, and Tongil Group, a South Korean business group active in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, tourism, and publishing. Born in what is now North Korea, Moon's family converted to Christianity when he was a child. In 1954, he founded the Unification Church in Seoul, South Korea based on conservative, family-oriented teachings from new interpretations of the Bible. He outlined these principles in his book, Explanation of the Divine Principle. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was a leading figure in a wave of new religious movements that raised controversy on several issues. Followers, who were then sometimes called "Moonies", considered him their True Father while critics labeled him a cult leader. [More at Wikipedia]

February 25th, 1920 in North Pyongan Province  /  Died:   Sep 3rd, 2012