Morgan Tsvangirai
The trade unionist who became the face of Zimbabwe's democratic opposition, enduring brutal repression to challenge Robert Mugabe's rule.
1952–2018 (age 66)·Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, 2009 to 2013·Birthday: March 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Morgan Tsvangirai emerged from the copper mines of Zimbabwe, where he worked as a plant operator and rose through the ranks of the trade union movement. His plainspoken demeanor and palpable courage made him a natural leader when political discontent with Robert Mugabe's regime coalesced in the late 1990s. As founding president of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), he offered the first credible electoral threat to Mugabe in decades. Tsvangirai's path was one of profound sacrifice: he was arrested, tried for treason, and severely beaten by state security forces. A controversial power-sharing agreement in 2009 made him Prime Minister, though real power remained elusive. His legacy is that of a resilient symbol of resistance, whose efforts, however imperfect, helped pave the way for Mugabe's eventual fall.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Morgan was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Morgan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Morgan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 60
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2018Died at 66
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
Key Achievements
- Founded and led the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Zimbabwe's first strong opposition party since independence.
- Served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 2009 to 2013 under a contentious power-sharing agreement with Robert Mugabe.
- Endured a high-profile treason trial in 2004, which was widely viewed as politically motivated and which he ultimately won.
Did You Know?
He survived at least three assassination attempts, including a notorious incident where he was thrown from his office window.
Before entering politics full-time, he was the Secretary-General of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.
His 2009 inauguration as Prime Minister was held in a Harare hospital, where his deputy was recovering from an assassination attempt.
“The price of freedom is everything.”
