On This Day

Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong's funeral takes place in Beijing, China

Mao Zedong (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese revolutionary, politician, writer, political theorist and the founder of the People's Republic of China.

Mao Zedong (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese revolutionary, politician, writer, political theorist and the founder of the People's Republic of China. He led China primarily as the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from its establishment in October 1949 until his death in September 1976. His theories, which he advocated as a Chinese adaptation of Marxism–Leninism, are known as Maoism.

Born to a peasant family in Shaoshan, Hunan, Mao studied in Changsha and was influenced by the 1911 Revolution and ideas of Chinese nationalism and anti-imperialism. He was introduced to Marxism while working as a librarian at Peking University, and later participated in the May Fourth Movement of 1919. In 1921, Mao became a founding member of the CCP.

Historical Significance

Mao Zedong (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese revolutionary, politician, writer, political theorist and the founder of the People's Republic of China.

Key People

Mao Zedong

Events Before

  1. TV game show "Wheel of Fortune" debuts on NBC

    Wheel of Fortune (often known simply as Wheel) is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show has aired continuously since January 6, 1975.

  2. Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor (57) weds toy inventor Jack Ryan (48) (div. 1976)

    Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor (57) weds toy inventor Jack Ryan (48) (div. 1976)

  3. Margaret Thatcher defeats Edward Heath for leadership of the British Conservative Party

    Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990.

  4. Colour television transmission begins in Australia

    Television broadcasting in Australia began officially on 16 September 1956, with the opening of TCN-9, quickly followed by national and commercial stations in Sydney and Melbourne, all these being in…

  5. "Mirror," a Russian film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky and starring Margarita Terekhova and Ignat Daniltsev, is released

    Mirror is a 1975 Soviet avant-garde drama film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky and written by Tarkovsky and Aleksandr Misharin.

Events After

  1. Erroll Garner dies

    Erroll Garner dies

  2. Belgium undergoes a major municipal reorganization and reapportions 2,359 communities into 596

    Belgium undergoes a major municipal reorganization and reapportions 2,359 communities into 596

  3. Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs incorporate Apple Computer, Inc.

    Apple Inc., originally Apple Computer, Inc., is an American multinational corporation that creates and markets consumer electronics and attendant computer software, and is a digital distributor of…

  4. American film director Martin Scorsese (34) divorces Julia Cameron (28) after 1 year of marriage

    Megalopolis is a 2024 American epic science fiction drama film written, directed, and produced by Francis Ford Coppola.

  5. Miniseries "Roots" premieres on ABC

    Miniseries "Roots" premieres on ABC

More from the 1970s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 18, 1976?
Mao Zedong (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese revolutionary, politician, writer, political theorist and the founder of the People's Republic of China. He led China primarily as the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from its establishment in October 1949 until his death in September 1976. His theories, which he advocated as a Chinese adaptation of Marxism–Leninism, are known as Maoism.
Why is Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong's funeral takes place in Beijing,... significant?
Mao Zedong (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese revolutionary, politician, writer, political theorist and the founder of the People's Republic of China.
Who was involved in Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong's funeral takes place in Beijing,...?
Key figures include Mao Zedong.

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