Samora Machel (In History) - September 29, 1933 - October 19, 1986

Samora Machel was a great revolutionary that led guerilla attacks against the Portuguese occupation of Mozambique. In 1974, Samora led the FRELIMO to successfully drive out the Portuguese and establish a new government on June 25, 1975. He became Independent Mozambique’s first President. As a Marxist, he immediately reclaimed the Portuguese plantations and property, and established schools and health clinics for the peasants. Samora Machel was killed in an airplane crash October 20, 1986. The crash remains a point of contention amongst Mozambicans against the previous neighboring white minority governments (S. Africa and Rhodesia – now Zimbabwe and Zambia): with some blaming it simply on bad weather and others believing the South African government at the time played a part in the crash.

Sites referencing Samora Machel:
http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/people/machel-s.htm
http://www.jlhs.nhusd.k12.ca.us/Classes/Social_Science/Mozambique/Samora_Machel.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samora_Machel
http://www.answers.com/topic/samora-machel