Sukarno
A fiery orator and political architect who welded thousands of islands into a single, defiantly independent nation against colonial odds.
1901–1970 (age 69)·President of Indonesia from 1945 to 1967·Birthday: June 6·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Born in Java under Dutch rule, Sukarno spent his youth immersed in nationalist ideals, which led to frequent imprisonment by colonial authorities. His genius lay not in military strategy but in synthesis and spectacle, weaving diverse Islamic, Marxist, and indigenous philosophies into a unified ideology he called 'Marhaenism'. After Japan's wartime occupation ended, he seized a fleeting moment in 1945 to declare Indonesia's independence, reading the proclamation himself. For over two decades as president, he performed a precarious balancing act on the world stage, founding the Non-Aligned Movement while internally navigating between a powerful army and the Communist Party. His flamboyant, authoritarian rule, marked by monumental building projects and relentless speechmaking, ultimately gave way to economic turmoil and a transfer of power that ushered in three decades of military rule.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Sukarno was born in 1901, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sukarno Was Born
The biggest hits of 1901
Sukarno's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1901Born
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Started school
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1914Became a teenager
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Could drive
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1919Could vote
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Turned 21
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1931Turned 30
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1941Turned 40
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1951Turned 50
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1961Turned 60
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1970Died at 69
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
Key Achievements
- Proclaimed Indonesia's independence on August 17, 1945, becoming its first president.
- Forged the foundational national ideology of Pancasila, which remains Indonesia's philosophical cornerstone.
- Hosted the 1955 Bandung Conference, a pivotal event in the creation of the Non-Aligned Movement.
- Successfully defended Indonesian sovereignty against Dutch attempts to reassert control after World War II.
Did You Know?
He was a skilled painter and architect, personally involved in designing several major monuments in Jakarta.
He married nine times over the course of his life.
He gave a famous speech at the 1960 UN General Assembly titled 'To Build the World Anew'.
His name is sometimes spelled 'Soekarno', following older Dutch-based orthography.
“Give me 1000 old men and I will surely remove Semeru from its base; give me 10 young men and I will surely shake the world.”
