Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was born on March 2, 1931, in Privolnoye, Stavropol Krai, Russia, then part of the Soviet Union.¹⁾

His father, Sergey Andreyevich Gorbachev, was a tractor driver, and his mother, Maria Panteleyevna Gorbacheva, was a kolkhoz (collective farm) worker.²⁾

Gorbachev's family suffered greatly during World War II, with his father fighting in the Red Army and his hometown being occupied by Nazi forces.³⁾

He studied law at Moscow State University, where he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) in 1952.⁴⁾

While at university, he met his future wife, Raisa Titarenko, who was also a student there.⁵⁾

Gorbachev and Raisa were married in 1953 and remained together until her death in 1999.⁶⁾

After university, Gorbachev returned to Stavropol and began his career in the Komsomol (Communist Youth League).⁷⁾

His early work focused on agriculture, and he rose through the ranks to become a regional party leader.⁸⁾

Gorbachev was known for his reformist attitudes and was an advocate for modernization and anti-corruption.⁹⁾

In 1971, he was elected to the Central Committee of the CPSU.¹⁰⁾

By 1980, Gorbachev had become a full member of the Politburo, the top decision-making body of the CPSU.¹¹⁾

He was elected General Secretary of the CPSU on March 11, 1985, following the death of Konstantin Chernenko.¹²⁾

At 54, he was the youngest member of the Politburo to become General Secretary since Joseph Stalin.¹³⁾

He introduced the policy of “glasnost” (openness), which aimed to increase transparency in government institutions and reduce censorship.¹⁴⁾

Gorbachev's policy of “perestroika” (restructuring) sought to reform the stagnant Soviet economy by introducing elements of market economics.¹⁵⁾

One of his early reforms was an anti-alcohol campaign to combat widespread alcoholism in the Soviet Union.¹⁶⁾

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred in 1986, and the initial handling of the crisis damaged Gorbachev’s credibility, but he later used it to push for more openness.¹⁷⁾

Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1987, significantly reducing the nuclear arsenals of both superpowers.¹⁸⁾

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 for his role in ending the Cold War and his efforts to promote peace and international cooperation.¹⁹⁾

Gorbachev oversaw the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, a process that was completed in 1989.²⁰⁾

His policies and diplomacy contributed significantly to the end of the Cold War.²¹⁾

Gorbachev’s reforms and non-intervention policy led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.²²⁾

His policies allowed Eastern European countries to break away from Soviet control and pursue their own paths to democracy and independence.²³⁾

Despite his international acclaim, Gorbachev faced significant criticism at home for the economic hardships that accompanied his reforms.²⁴⁾

In August 1991, hardline communists attempted a coup against Gorbachev, which ultimately failed but weakened his position.²⁵⁾

He resigned as the President of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991, and the Soviet Union was officially dissolved the next day.²⁶⁾

After his resignation, Gorbachev remained active in public life, writing books and giving lectures.²⁷⁾

He established the Gorbachev Foundation in 1991 to support research and discussion on global issues.²⁸⁾

In 1993, he founded Green Cross International, an environmental organization.²⁹⁾

Gorbachev ran for the presidency of Russia in 1996 but received less than 1% of the vote.³⁰⁾