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Birth
Salvador Allende was born on June 26, 1908 in Santiago, Chile. He was the son of Salvador Allende Castro, lawyer and notary, and Laura Gossens Uribe. -
Studies
He studied medicine at the University of Chile and in 1927 he was president of the Center for Medicine Students and organized a group that meets periodically to read and discuss Marxism -
The socialist party
The Communist Party (PC) of Chile suffered a crisis: expelled ex-members, disgruntled party members...That's when Salvador among other socialist democrats created their own political party, The Socialist Party (PS). -
Elected to Congress
On 1937 at just 28 years old, he embarked on the first of his many political campaigns. It was thus that at his young age he won a seat in the Chamber of Deputies. He was elected to Congress -
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Minister of Health, Welfare and Social Assistance
Between September 28, 1939 and October 23, 1941; and between December 15, 1941 and April 7, 1942, he was Minister of Health, Welfare and Social Assistance during the government of Pedro Aguirre Cerda. -
Compulsory Insurance Fund
In 1942, after completing his ministerial work, he joined the Compulsory Insurance Fund, where he became vice president and administrator. -
Senator
In 1945 he was elected senator and held this position until 1970. During those 25 years he was three times presidential candidate of his party. In the years 1952, 1958, 1964 , it wasn't until 1970 that he actually won. -
First presidential attempt
In the presidential elections of 1952, he was a presidential candidate for the first time, sponsored by the People's Front, obtaining five percent of the vote. That election was won by Carlos Ibáñez del Campo. -
Second presidential attempt
In the presidential elections of 1958, the FRAP (Frente de Acción Popular), which he helped to found in 1956, presented him as a candidate. However, he was not elected although he came second in that vote, with 28.8% of the vote. -
Third presidential attempt
In the presidential elections of 1964, he was again a candidate supported by the FRAP. However, he was defeated by Eduardo Frei Montalva, although he managed almost 39% of the votes. -
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President of the Chilean Senate
Between December 27, 1966 to May 15, 1969 he became the President of the Chilean Senate. And this last year he was one of the founders of the Popular Unity (UP), a political alliance that brought together the entire left, plus center forces. -
Period: to
President of the Republic of Chile
Before he had made three attempts to become the president of Chile. He made a fourth attempt in 1970, leading the Popular Unity, a coalition that included the main left-wing formations (Socialist Party, Communist Party, Radical Party) and certain groups split from Christian democracy. He won by a slim majority, for which he had to be ratified by the National Congress.
He continued being the president until the day he died. -
Death
Finally his death arrived when a military coup, led by General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, on September 11, 1973. The general opinion is that Allende committed suicide during the assault on the presidential palace of La Moneda. He took his own life with an AK-47 rifle, a gift from Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
