Heydar Aliyev
Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev (Azerbaijani: Heydər Əlirza oğlu Əliyev, Russian: Гейдар Алиевич Алиев; 10 May 1923 – 12 December 2003), also spelled as Heidar Aliev, Geidar Aliev, Haydar Aliyev, Geydar Aliyev was the third President of Azerbaijan for the New Azerbaijan Party from October 1993 to October 2003, when his son Ilham Aliyev succeeded him.
From 1969 to 1982, Aliyev was also the leader of Soviet Azerbaijan, practically dominating the political life of Azerbaijan for over many years. In 1948, he married Zarifa Aliyeva. On October 12, 1955, was born their daughter Sevil, and on December 24, 1961, their son Ilham. Zarifa died in 1985 from cancer, and was survived by her husband, son and daughter.
Read more about Heydar Aliyev: From KGB To Leader of Azerbaijan SSR, Fall and Re-invention, Death and Successor, Honors, Honours and Awards