Life
Kubitschek was born into a very poor family in the countryside of Brazilian state Minas Gerais. His father, João César de Oliveira (1872–1905), who died when Juscelino was two years old, was a traveling salesman. He was raised by his mother, a schoolteacher named Júlia Kubitschek (1873–1973), of Czech (by grandfather) and Roma (gypsy) descent.
Trained as a medical doctor, Kubitschek was elected to the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil from his home state in 1934. With the imposition of Getúlio Vargas' dictatorship in 1937, Kubitschek returned to practicing medicine. However, he was soon appointed mayor of Belo Horizonte in 1940. There, he idealized the project of an artificial lake (Pampulha Lake) to supply water to the city and also an architectural complex, with several buildings projected by renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer.
He was again elected to the National Congress of Brazil in 1945 and became governor of the state in 1950. In 1955, he ran for president with the slogan "fifty years of progress in five" and won.
He was sworn in on January 31, 1956 as President of what was then known as the Republic of the United States of Brazil.
Read more about this topic: Juscelino Kubitschek
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