Henry Kissinger: Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Secretary of State Dies at

Henry Kissinger was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State under Presidents Nixon and Ford and dominated American foreign policy in the 1970s. Born Heinz Alfred Kissinger on May 27, 1923, in Furth, Germany, he fled Nazi Germany with his family in 1938.

Kissinger served as National Security Advisor from 1969 to 1975 and as the 56th Secretary of State from 1973 to 1977. He pioneered detente with the Soviet Union and helped open relations with China. He shared the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize with Le Duc Tho for negotiating the Paris Peace Accords, a decision that drew controversy.

Kissinger served in the U.S. Army during World War II and earned the Bronze Star. He married Ann Fleischer in 1949 and Nancy Maginnes in 1974, and had two children. He remained a controversial figure: supporters credited him with realpolitik achievements, while critics blamed him for civilian deaths in Cambodia and for backing authoritarian regimes. He died at his home in Kent, Connecticut, on November 29, 2023, at age 100.

Achievements: National Security Advisor (1969-1975), 56th Secretary of State (1973-1977), opened relations with China, shared the Nobel Peace Prize for the Paris Peace Accords (1973).

Birth: May 27, 1923 - Furth, Bavaria, Germany.

Profession: Diplomat, political scientist and author.

Interesting Facts: He fled Nazi Germany as a teenager and was later drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943. He remained influential as an adviser and author into his late nineties.