Islom AbdugÊğaniyevich Karimov was born on January 30, 1938, and died on September 2, 2016.
He was the first President of Uzbekistan, in office from 1990 to 2016.
Karimov was placed in an orphanage in Samarkand at birth, growing up to study economics and engineering.
Islam Karimov became an official in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, becoming the party’s First Secretary in Uzbekistan in 1989.
On March 24, 1990, Islam Karimov became President of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic.
His election to the Uzbek Communist Party resulted after his predecessor Rafiq Nishonov failed to quell inter-ethnic clashes and instability in the Fergana Region.
Islam Karimov passed away at 78 years old.