Passion or Profession: revolutionary, politician

Period: 1933–1986

Machel was the son of poor farmers who were forced by the Portuguese rulers to grow cotton instead of the food they desperately needed. As an adult, Machel was the leader of the guerilla efforts to gain Mozambique’s freedom. Later, he became the country’s first president. Despite his good intentions, his attempts to aid revolutions elsewhere in Africa damaged Mozambique’s economy. He died in a mysterious plane crash in 1986.