POLITICIAN

John Vorster

1915 - 1983

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Balthazar Johannes Vorster (Afrikaans pronunciation: [ˈbaltɑːzar juəˈhanəs ˈfɔrstər]; 13 December 1915 – 10 September 1983), better known as John Vorster, was a South African politician who served as the prime minister of South Africa from 1966 to 1978 and the fourth state president of South Africa from 1978 to 1979. Known as B. J. Vorster during much of his career, he came to prefer the anglicized name John in the 1970s. He was interned in 1942 by the South African government for his involvement in the pro-Nazi Ossewabrandwag. Vorster strongly adhered to his country's policy of apartheid, overseeing (as Minister of Justice) the Rivonia Trial, in which Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment for sabotage, (as Prime Minister) the Terrorism Act, the complete abolition of non-white political representation, the Soweto Riots and the Steve Biko crisis. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. John Vorster is the 1,792nd most popular politician (up from 9,178th in 2019), the 14th most popular biography from South Africa (up from 43rd in 2019) and the 3rd most popular South African Politician.

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Among POLITICIANS

Among politicians, John Vorster ranks 1,792 out of 19,576Before him are Tvrtko I of Bosnia, Heinz Fischer, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, Berengar I of Italy, Valentinian II, and Emperor Suizei. After him are Nahum, Alexander Mackenzie, Edward, King of Portugal, Anitta, Æthelred the Unready, and Lü Buwei.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1915, John Vorster ranks 23Before him are Yitzhak Shamir, Paul Samuelson, Clifford Shull, Billie Holiday, Hu Yaobang, and Sviatoslav Richter. After him are Saul Bellow, Aung San, Robert A. Dahl, Joachim Peiper, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., and Jerome Bruner. Among people deceased in 1983, John Vorster ranks 13Before him are Leopold III of Belgium, Hergé, Albert Claude, Felix Bloch, Idris of Libya, and Jon Brower Minnoch. After him are Tennessee Williams, Benigno Aquino Jr., David Niven, Arthur Koestler, Nikolai Podgorny, and Roy Sullivan.

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In South Africa

Among people born in South Africa, John Vorster ranks 14 out of 454Before him are F. W. de Klerk (1936), Desmond Tutu (1931), Miriam Makeba (1932), Shaka (1787), Christiaan Barnard (1922), and Michael Levitt (1947). After him are D. F. Malan (1874), Max Theiler (1899), Cetshwayo kaMpande (1826), Thabo Mbeki (1942), C. R. Swart (1894), and Cyril Ramaphosa (1952).

Among POLITICIANS In South Africa

Among politicians born in South Africa, John Vorster ranks 3Before him are F. W. de Klerk (1936), and Shaka (1787). After him are 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).