On August 16th, 2003, Idi Amin, former president of Uganda, died at the age of 75. Amin was born around 1925 in Koboko, Uganda, to a Kakwa family. He joined the British colonial army in 1946 and served in the King's African Rifles during the First and Second World Wars and post-war-period. Amin rose to propose the rank of major general in the post-independence Uganda Army and became its commander in the mid-1960s. In 1971, Amin overthrew the democratically elected government of Milton Obote and declared himself president of Uganda. During his 8-year rule, Amin's rule was marked by human rights abuses, political repression, ethnic persecutions, corruption and economic mismanagement. Many of his opponents, including Obote, were forced into exile. In 1979, Amin was toppled from power, living in exile in Libya and then in Saudi Arabia until his death. Amin was ultimately remembered by many as a brutal dictator, responsible for thousands of deaths and untold human suffering. He is survived by his four wives and an estimated 54 children.