Idi Amin: Former Dictator of Uganda Dies at 75

Idi Amin was a Ugandan military officer who ruled Uganda as dictator from 1971 to 1979. Born around 1928 in Kampala, he joined the British colonial King's African Rifles and rose to command Uganda's army.

He seized power in a coup in January 1971 while President Milton Obote was abroad. In 1972 he expelled Uganda's Asian population. His rule was marked by killings of opponents and ethnic groups, with estimates of the death toll between 100,000 and 500,000. He briefly chaired the Organisation of African Unity in 1975.

He was overthrown in 1979 after a Tanzanian invasion and lived in exile in Libya and then Saudi Arabia. He had several wives and dozens of children. He died in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on August 16, 2003, at age 75, of kidney failure.

Achievements: President of Uganda (1971-1979), Chairman of the Organisation of African Unity (1975-1976).

Birth: About 1928 - Kampala, Uganda.

Profession: Military officer and dictator.

Interesting Facts: He was Uganda's light heavyweight boxing champion from 1951 to 1960.