Anastasio Somoza García (1896–September 21, 1956) President of Nicaragua. 1896 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... List of Presidents of Nicaragua list may not be complete José Núñez 1839 Evaristo Rocha 1839 Patricio Rivas 1839 Joaquín del Cosío 1839 Hilario Ulloa 1839 Tomás Valladares 1839-1840 Patricio Rivas 1840-1841 Pablo Buitrago 1841-1843 Juan de Dios Orozco 1843 Manuel Pérez...

Anastasio Somoza Garcia was born in San Marcos on Feb. 1, 1896. As a teenager was sent to live with relatives in Philadelphia, where he attended the Pierce School of Business Administration. After returning to Nicaragua, he was unsuccessful as a businessman. In 1926 he joined the Liberal revolution, and after US Marines entered the country, his accented English allowed him to rise in the constabulary forces organized by them. The Marines fought General Sandino and his forces from 1927 to 1933. In January 1933 the Marines evacuated the country, and left Somoza Garcia in charge of the newly formed National Guard. During peace talks, Somoza ordered the assasination of General Sandino (21 February 1934). Sandino's assasination was followed by the murder of the peasants and of former Sandinistas by the National Guard. In 1936 Somoza overthrew the elected government of Nicaragua and became a dictator, assuming the presidency in 1937.

He ruled from 1937 to 1956, and enriched his family and political allies. The dictatorship he founded lasted 42 years. He was shot on September 21, 1956, by the poet Rigoberto López Pérez in the city of León, and died several days later after being sent to a Panama Canal Zone hospital. 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... León is a city in Nicaragua, Central America, located at 12. ... Map of Panama, with Panama canal The Panama Canal Zone was a 553 mile² (1,432 km²) territory inside of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area extending 5 mi (8. ...

Though the Somozas were ruthless and exploitive dictators, the US continued to support them as a non-communist stronghold in Nicaragua.

His sons ruled the country directly or through figurehead politicians, and although their rule was repressive and corrupt, the United States viewed them as a source of anti-communism and stability in the region. After many years of struggle the Sandinista Front, organized by Carlos Fonseca in 1964, led the Nicaraguan people in a revolution that toppled the last Somozas whose military tactics caused more than 50,000 deaths. Anti-communism is opposition to communist ideology, organization, or government, on either a theoretical or practical level. ...

External link

• [1] (http://www.sandinovive.org/monstruos/somozas1.htm) Page on the Somozas (in Spanish)

List of Presidents of Nicaragua list may not be complete José Núñez 1839 Evaristo Rocha 1839 Patricio Rivas 1839 Joaquín del Cosío 1839 Hilario Ulloa 1839 Tomás Valladares 1839-1840 Patricio Rivas 1840-1841 Pablo Buitrago 1841-1843 Juan de Dios Orozco 1843 Manuel Pérez... Luis Somoza Debayle was the Acting President and later dictator and President of Nicaragua from 1956-1967 following his fathers assassination in 1956. ...