Mikhail Gorbachev

Russian politician Mikhail Gorbachev formerly served as President of the Soviet Union during the 1980s. Gorbachev won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 for his leadership during The Cold War. Having presided over the effective collapse of the Soviet Union, Gorbachev faces both praise and condemnation from various supporters and opponents.

On October 5, 2009 Gorbachev will be holding a public speech at The United Nations in Geneva on "Resetting the Nuclear Disarmament Agenda".

During his time in office, Gorbachev implemented numerous sweeping reforms, adding measures of democracy that he hoped would improve living standards and worker productivity. His most famous programs included "perestroika," meaning "restructuring," and "glasnost," meaning "openness."

Gorbachev has remained active in Russian politics and international affairs since the collapse of the Soviet Union, running the Gorbachev Foundation since 1992 and founding Green Cross International, which is an environmental organization.

• March 2, 1931: Born in Privolnoye, Krasnogvardeisky District, Stavropol territory in the North Caucasus

• 1950: Enrolled in Faculty of Law, Moscow University

• 1952: Joines the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

• 1955-60: Appointed First Secretary, Komsomol Territorial Committee

• 1970: Appointed First Secretary for Stavropol territory, governing an area of 2.4 million people.

• 1978: Becomes Secretary of Agriculture in Central Committee

• 1985: Elected by Central Committee as General Secretary of CPSU

• 1989: Elected by new parliament as executive President of Soviet Union

• 1991: Resigns as General Secretary of CPSU, dissolves Central Committee

• December 25,1991: Resigns as President when Soviet Union disintegrates

• 1992: Founded the Gorbachev Foundation

• 1991 to Present: Crusades for clean air and water, and against toxic wastes and chemical weapons