Passion or Profession: President

Period: 1931–

Before becoming president, Cardoso earned a doctorate in sociology, authored more than 20 books, and taught at several universities. Cardoso was elected president of Brazil in 1994 and reelected in 1998. He helped bring an end to the widespread financial corruption that had plagued Brazil for decades. Prior to serving as president, he was Brazil's minister of finance. In this position, he introduced a new currency (the real) and cut inflation from 45 percent to less than 2 percent. However, Cardoso's policies failed to impact daily life for many Brazilians, leading to a change in power in 2002.