Hosni Mubarak Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research
4 minute read
Updated 6:51 PM EST, Tue November 29, 2022
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak speaks to the media in Berlin, Germany in 2010.
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak speaks to the media in Berlin, Germany in 2010.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Then-Vice President Mubarak, left, joins President Anwar Sadat at a military parade on October 6, 1981, the day Islamic fundamentalists from within the army assassinated Sadat. Mubarak succeeded Sadat as Egypt's president, maintaining power for nearly three decades.
Then-Vice President Mubarak, left, joins President Anwar Sadat at a military parade on October 6, 1981, the day Islamic fundamentalists from within the army assassinated Sadat. Mubarak succeeded Sadat as Egypt's president, maintaining power for nearly three decades.
AFP/Getty Images
Eight days after Sadat's assassination, Mubarak, right, is officially sworn in as Egypt's president on October 14, 1981. Mubarak was re-elected in 1987, 1993, 1999 and 2005.
Eight days after Sadat's assassination, Mubarak, right, is officially sworn in as Egypt's president on October 14, 1981. Mubarak was re-elected in 1987, 1993, 1999 and 2005.
Tom Hartwell/AFP/Getty Images
Mubarak poses with US President Ronald Reagan at the White House in 1982.
Mubarak through the years —
Mubarak poses with US President Ronald Reagan at the White House in 1982.
AFP/Getty Images
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher meets with Mubarak in London in 1985.
Mubarak through the years —
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher meets with Mubarak in London in 1985.
Diana, Princess of Wales, visits Mubarak during a trip to Egypt in 1992.
Mubarak through the years —
Diana, Princess of Wales, visits Mubarak during a trip to Egypt in 1992.
Mubarak and US President Bill Clinton hold a joint press conference in 1995.
Mubarak and US President Bill Clinton hold a joint press conference in 1995.
Michael Geissinger/AFP/Getty Images
The front page of the Ethiopian Herald reports a foiled assassination attempt on Mubarak on June 27, 1995. He survived an attempt by an al Qaeda-affiliated group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Mubarak through the years —
The front page of the Ethiopian Herald reports a foiled assassination attempt on Mubarak on June 27, 1995. He survived an attempt by an al Qaeda-affiliated group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Mubarak, third from left, joins President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, second from left, Jordan's King Hussein, third from right, and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, second from right, in Washington in 1995. The Israeli leader and Arafat signed maps representing the redeployment of Israeli troops in the West Bank.
Mubarak through the years —
Mubarak, third from left, joins President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, second from left, Jordan's King Hussein, third from right, and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, second from right, in Washington in 1995. The Israeli leader and Arafat signed maps representing the redeployment of Israeli troops in the West Bank.
Mubarak welcomes Pope John Paul II to Egypt for a three-day visit in 2000.
Mubarak welcomes Pope John Paul II to Egypt for a three-day visit in 2000.
Leila Gorchev/AFP/Getty Images
US President George W. Bush greets Mubarak at the White House in 2002 to talk about the Middle East crisis and the war in Afghanistan.
Mubarak through the years —
US President George W. Bush greets Mubarak at the White House in 2002 to talk about the Middle East crisis and the war in Afghanistan.
In 2005, Mubarak again runs for a six-year term in the country's first multiparty presidential election. He was declared the official winner with about 88% of the vote, but many considered the election to be a sham.
Mubarak through the years —
In 2005, Mubarak again runs for a six-year term in the country's first multiparty presidential election. He was declared the official winner with about 88% of the vote, but many considered the election to be a sham.
After weeks of Egyptians protesting Mubarak's 29-year reign, the President steps down from office on February 11, 2011, causing celebrations in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
Mubarak through the years —
After weeks of Egyptians protesting Mubarak's 29-year reign, the President steps down from office on February 11, 2011, causing celebrations in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
The ousted leader lies in a medical bed inside a cage in a courtroom during his verdict hearing in Cairo on June 2, 2012. A judge sentenced Mubarak to life in prison for his role in ordering the killing of protesters in the 2011 uprisings.
Mubarak through the years —
The ousted leader lies in a medical bed inside a cage in a courtroom during his verdict hearing in Cairo on June 2, 2012. A judge sentenced Mubarak to life in prison for his role in ordering the killing of protesters in the 2011 uprisings.
AFP/Getty Images
Mubarak and his sons Gamal, left, and Alaa are seen behind the defendants' cage during their retrial at the Police Academy in Cairo. Mubarak was granted a retrial.
Mubarak and his sons Gamal, left, and Alaa are seen behind the defendants' cage during their retrial at the Police Academy in Cairo. Mubarak was granted a retrial.
Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images
In photos: Hosni Mubarak
CNN  — 

Here’s a look at the life of Hosni Mubarak, former president of Egypt.

Personal

Birth date: May 4, 1928

Death date: February 25, 2020

Birth place: Kafr-el Meselha, Minufiya, Egypt

Birth name: Mohammed Hosni Mubarak

Marriage: Suzanne (Thabet) Mubarak

Children: Gamal and Alaa

Education: Egyptian Military Academy, 1949; Air Force Academy, 1952, with additional training at the Frunze General Staff Academy (USSR), 1964

Timeline

1952-1959 - Works as a flight instructor at the Egyptian Air Force Academy.

1965-1967 - Commands several Air Force bases.

1967-1969 - Commander of the Air Force Academy.

1969-1972 - Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Air Force.

1972-1975 - Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Air Force and Deputy Minister of War.

1973 - Leads an air campaign against Israel during the Yom Kippur War.

1974 - Promoted to the rank of Air Marshal of the Egyptian Air Force.

1975-1981 - Vice president of Egypt, serving under President Anwar Sadat.

October 6, 1981 - During a military parade, Sadat is assassinated by a group of Islamic fundamentalists. Mubarak, standing next to Sadat, suffers an injury to his left hand.

October 14, 1981 - Mubarak is sworn in as president of Egypt. He is later reelected four times, serving as president for almost 30 years before stepping down in 2011.

June 26, 1995 - Survives an assassination attempt by an al Qaeda affiliated group.

September 6, 1999 - Survives an assassination attempt in Port Said, Egypt.

March 13, 2002 - Meets with US Vice President Dick Cheney and pledges to pressure Saddam Hussein into allowing the return of United Nations inspectors.

June 6-8, 2002 - Meets with US President George W. Bush in Washington to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Mubarak’s peace plan.

March 13, 2006 - Meets with Pope Benedict XVI. They discuss Iraq, Iran and the prospects for Middle East peace.

May 28, 2006 - Hosts a summit with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in an effort to coordinate security measures along the border between Israel and Egypt.

June 17, 2006 - Meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and asks for renewed peace talks between Israel and Palestine.

June 2007 - Holds a summit meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine and Prime Minister Olmert of Israel.

August 18, 2009 - Meets in Washington with US President Barack Obama to discuss the process of peace in the Middle East.

January 2011 - Inspired by street protests in Tunisia, activists in Cairo gather in Tahrir Square to demonstrate against corruption and inequality. The protesters call on Mubarak to resign.

February 11, 2011 - Steps down as president.

May 24, 2011 - Mubarak is charged with ordering the deaths of protesters. According to Amnesty International, more than 800 people were killed as the government cracked down on protesters. Mubarak also faces corruption charges.

August 3, 2011 - Mubarak’s trial begins.

June 2, 2012 - Mubarak is found guilty of complicity in the deaths of protestors. Instead of getting the death penalty, he is sentenced to life in prison. The main trial judge says prosecutors did not make a strong enough case that Mubarak directly ordered the killing of civilians so he does not receive a death sentence.

January 13, 2013 - Mubarak’s conviction is overturned in appeals court and he is granted a new trial.

May 11, 2013 - Mubarak’s retrial for the deaths of protestors begins.

May 21, 2014 - In a separate trial, Mubarak is found guilty of embezzling millions of dollars intended to fund renovations of presidential palaces. He is sentenced to three years in prison.

November 29, 2014 - A judge dismisses the charges against Mubarak for the deaths of demonstrators. He is also found not guilty of corruption.

June 4, 2015 - Egyptian state media reports that Mubarak will face a third trial for his role in the deaths of protesters. The court sets November 5, 2015 as the date of the new trial.

March 2, 2017 - Egypt’s highest criminal court, the Court of Cessation, acquits Mubarak of charges that he was complicit in the deaths of protesters in 2011. The verdict is final, setting the stage for Mubarak to leave the military hospital where he’s been held since 2012.

March 24, 2017 - Mubarak is released from a military hospital in Maadi.

February 25, 2020 - Dies at a military hospital in Cairo.