Idi Amin was a Ugandan military officer who seized power in a coup in 1971 and became president.

Idi Amin began his career as a soldier in the British colonial army and rose quickly through the ranks after Uganda’s independence in 1962. In 1971, he overthrew the then-president Milton Obote in a military coup and declared himself the leader of Uganda. This marked the start of his rule, which lasted until 1979.