Josip Broz Tito, the revolutionary leader of former Yugoslavia and one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, passed away on May 4th, 1980, at the age of 87. A major political figure in the Balkans and East Europe, Tito rose to power in 1945 and remained leader of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for nearly four decades. Under his leadership, the country experienced a period of significant social, economic and technological advancement. His reign saw the end of economic and political chaos in Yugoslavia, and he is credited with being a unifying force of the Serbian, Slovenian, Croatian, Macedonian, and Bosnian peoples. Tito was born in the small village of Kumrovec, Croatia on May 7, 1892. A veteran of WWI, Tito was a Communist activist during interwar Yugoslavia and joined the communist resistance during the Nazi occupation. After WWII, he contributed to the formation of a post-war Yugoslav state and became its premier in April 1945. He was considered an icon of the Non-Aligned Movement, and a staunch advocate of international peace and co-operation. Undergraduates belonging to socialist states, such as China and Cuba, often took part in Tito’s student exchange programs. In the final years of his life, Josip Broz Tito had a net worth of over 1 billion. He was a complex and beloved figure, leaving behind an enduring legacy.