POLITICIAN

F. W. de Klerk

1936 - 2021

Photo of F. W. de Klerk

Icon of person F. W. de Klerk

Frederik Willem de Klerk ( də-KLURK, də-KLAIRK, Afrikaans: [ˈfriədərək ˈvələm də ˈklɛrk]; 18 March 1936 – 11 November 2021) was a South African politician who served as the seventh and final state president of South Africa from 1989 to 1994 and as deputy president alongside Thabo Mbeki under President Nelson Mandela from 1994 to 1996. As South Africa's last head of state from the era of white-minority rule, he and his government dismantled the apartheid system and introduced universal suffrage. Ideologically a social conservative and an economic liberal, he led the National Party (NP) from 1989 to 1997. Born in Johannesburg to an influential Afrikaner family, de Klerk studied at Potchefstroom University before pursuing a career in law. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. F. W. de Klerk is the 1,533rd most popular politician (down from 1,105th in 2019), the 8th most popular biography from South Africa (down from 7th in 2019) and the most popular South African Politician.

F.W. de Klerk is most famous for being the last president of apartheid-era South Africa and for ending apartheid.

Memorability Metrics

Loading...

Page views of F. W. de Klerk by language

Loading...

Among POLITICIANS

Among politicians, F. W. de Klerk ranks 1,533 out of 19,576. Before him are Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria, Frederick VII of Denmark, Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, Emperor Yao, Töregene Khatun, and Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg. After him are Maria Anna of Bavaria, Karađorđe, Lucilla, Ehud Olmert, Manuel L. Quezon, and Afonso III of Portugal.

Most Popular Politicians in Wikipedia

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Contemporaries

Among people born in 1936, F. W. de Klerk ranks 19. Before him are Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, Margaret Hamilton, Ken Loach, Valery Legasov, Harald zur Hausen, and John McCain. After him are Louis Gossett Jr., Andrei Chikatilo, Robert Woodrow Wilson, Aga Khan IV, Zubin Mehta, and Glen Campbell. Among people deceased in 2021, F. W. de Klerk ranks 16. Before him are George Shultz, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Roh Tae-woo, Mikis Theodorakis, Frank Williams, and Aaron T. Beck. After him are Paul J. Crutzen, Desmond Tutu, Raffaella Carrà, Martinus J. G. Veltman, Carlos Menem, and Isamu Akasaki.

Others Born in 1936

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Others Deceased in 2021

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

In South Africa

Among people born in South Africa, F. W. de Klerk ranks 8 out of 454. Before him are Nelson Mandela (1918), Elon Musk (1971), Allan MacLeod Cormack (1924), J. M. Coetzee (1940), Nadine Gordimer (1923), and Sarah Baartman (1788). After him are Desmond Tutu (1931), Miriam Makeba (1932), Shaka (1787), Christiaan Barnard (1922), Michael Levitt (1947), and John Vorster (1915).

Others born in South Africa

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Among POLITICIANS In South Africa

Among politicians born in South Africa, F. W. de Klerk ranks 1. After him are Shaka (1787), John Vorster (1915), D. F. Malan (1874), Cetshwayo kaMpande (1826), Thabo Mbeki (1942), C. R. Swart (1894), Cyril Ramaphosa (1952), Jacob Zuma (1942), J. G. Strijdom (1893), Dingane kaSenzangakhona (1795), and Paul Kruger (1825).

South African born Politicians

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous