Hirohito (29 April 1901 – 7 January 1989), posthumously known as Shōwa, was Emperor of Japan from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. The Shōwa era that coincided with his reign is the longest in Japanese history, involving the transition from an imperial state to a constitutional monarchy. The rise of Japanese militarism led to Japan's expansion across the Pacific, which ended with its surrender in World War II. A period of rapid economic growth followed, known as the Japanese economic miracle.
Hirohito was born during the reign of his paternal grandfather, Emperor Meiji, as the first child of Crown Prince Yoshihito and Crown Princess Sadako (later Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei).