Yasser Arafat: Palestinian Leader and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Dies at 7

Yasser Arafat was the longtime chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization and first president of the Palestinian Authority. Born on August 24, 1929, he spent his early years in Cairo and later co-founded the Fatah movement in the late 1950s.

Arafat led the PLO from 1969 and signed the Oslo Accords with Israel in 1993. He shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres. He was elected president of the Palestinian Authority in 1996 and remained its leader until his death. Supporters see him as the father of Palestinian nationalism, while critics blame him for violence and the failure of peace talks.

Arafat spent his final years confined to his compound in Ramallah. He fell ill in October 2004 and was flown to a military hospital near Paris, where he died on November 11, 2004, at age 75. No autopsy was performed, and the exact cause of death has been disputed.

Achievements: Nobel Peace Prize (1994), Chairman of the PLO (1969-2004), President of the Palestinian Authority (1996-2004).

Birth: August 24, 1929 - Cairo, Egypt.

Profession: Political leader.

Interesting Facts: He was rarely seen without his black and white keffiyeh scarf.