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Ho Chi Minh Facts

Ho Chi Minh Facts
Ho Chi Minh was a Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader who became a key figure in founding the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945. He was born Nguyễn Sinh Cung, on May 19, 1890, in Hoàng Trù, to Nguyễn Sinh Sắc (his father) and Hoàng Thị Loan (his mother). Ho mastered Chinese writing at an early age, was an avid kite flyer and liked fishing. At the age of 10 his father gave him a new name, according to tradition - Nguyễn Tất Thành, which means Nguyễn the Accomplished. He enrolled at the Lycee to earn a French education. He then went to Phan Thiet for six months at the Duc Thanh School, and then to Sai Gon, France, and then the United States.
Interesting Ho Chi Minh Facts:
Ho Chi Minh took the name in 1941 while returning to Vietnam from China, by using a stolen ID card with that name.
Ho Chi Minh tried to gain admission to the French Colonial Administrative School in 1911 but failed so he continued to work aboard ships and traveling until 1917.
Between 1912 and 1913 Ho Chi Minh worked in New York and Boston doing odd jobs to support himself. During this time his political outlook was shaped through meetings with Korean Nationalists.
Between 1913 and 1919 Ho Chi Minh worked in the United Kingdom in various places, doing a variety of restaurant jobs such as baking, waiting on tables, and working as a pastry chef.
Between 1919 and 1923 Ho Chi Minh worked in France and this is where he began to take politics much more seriously. He made friends with a socialist party comrade named Marcel Cachin.
Ho Chi Minh joined the Nguyen Ai Quoc Vietnamese Nationalist group. This group fought for Vietnamese people's civil rights. During their fight for rights of the Vietnamese people they went to the Versailles Peace Talks but did not meet with success.
This sparked Ho Chi Minh's desire to fight harder for the rights of the Vietnamese people and he founded the Parti Communiste Francais (FCP).
Ho Chi Minh went to Moscow in 1923 and enrolled in the Communist University of the Toilers of the East.
In 1924 Ho Chi Minh moved to Canton China and took part in the Fifth Comintern Congress.
In Canton Ho Chi Minh lectured young Vietnamese revolutionaries and organized Youth Education Classes.
Ho Chi Minh began his journey to return to Southeast Asia in 1927.
In 1931 Ho Chi Minh was arrested in Hong Kong. False reports of his death surfaced because of the unrest his arrest caused. He was released from prison in 1933.
After living in other countries Ho Chi Minh began the independence movement in 1941, attracting over 10,000 members.
During WWII Ho Chi Minh achieved several military victories against the French and Japanese in Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945, a communist ruled party. He served as Prime Minister from 1945 to 1955 as well as President from 1945 to 1969.
Ho Chi Minh died on September 2, 1969 at the age of 79, due to a heart attack.


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