This list of the most notable and famous dictators in the world is ordered by their level of importance and notoriety. From ruthless dictators (many of which are considered the worst dictators ever) to lesser known tinpot dictators in history - this list of dictators should help answer the question, "who are the most famous dictators in the world?"
Infamous dictators of the world are often thought of as tyrants - leaders who rule with iron fists, cruelty, unflinching authority, and a lack of opposition. This world dictators list has everyone from Adolf Hitler to Kim Jong Un to many lesser-known rulers. Many of the dictators on this list are considered some of the worst people in the history of the world.
It's easy to dehumanize them in your mind, but there were actually many dictators who painted and plenty of other dictators who had weird collections. Who would have thought? If you want to learn more about modern dictators, find out which countries are ruled by dictatorships in present day.
Read on to learn about the top dictators from history and today.1
Adolf Hitler
Dec. at 56 (1889-1945)Birthplace: Braunau am Inn, Austria
Adolf Hitler (German: [ˈadɔlf ˈhɪtlɐ] (listen); 20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was a German... more2
Joseph Stalin
Dec. at 75 (1878-1953)Birthplace: Gori, Georgia
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; 18 December [O.S. 6] 1878... more3
Mao Zedong
Dec. at 83 (1893-1976)Birthplace: Shaoshan, China
Mao Zedong (; December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a... more4
Benito Mussolini
Dec. at 62 (1883-1945)Birthplace: Predappio, Italy
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (, also US: , Italian: [beˈniːto mussoˈliːni]; 29 July 1883 –... more5
Pol Pot
Dec. at 73 (1925-1998)Birthplace: Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia
Pol Pot (born Saloth Sâr; 19 May 1925 – 15 April 1998) was a Cambodian politician who led... more6
Kim Jong-il
Dec. at 70 (1941-2011)Birthplace: Vyatskoye, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia
Kim Jong-il (officially transcribed Kim Jong Il; Korean: 김정일; Korean pronunciation:... more7
Saddam Hussein
Dec. at 69 (1937-2006)Birthplace: Al-Awja, Iraq
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (; Arabic: صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي Ṣaddām Ḥusayn... more8
Robert Mugabe
Age: 96Birthplace: Zvimba District
Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; Shona: [muɡaɓe]; born 21 February 1924) is a Zimbabwean revolutionary... more9
Kim Jong-un
Age: 37Birthplace: Pyongyang, Pyongan, North Korea
Kim Jong-un (officially transcribed Kim Jong Un; Korean: 김정은; Korean pronunciation:... more10
Fidel Castro
Age: 94Birthplace: Birán, Cuba
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (American Spanish: [fiˈðel aleˈxandɾo ˈkastɾo ˈrus]; 13 August 1926... more11
Chiang Kai-shek
Dec. at 88 (1887-1975)Birthplace: Xikou, China
Chiang Kai-shek (; 31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Generalissimo Chiang or... more12
Idi Amin
Dec. at 78 (1925-2003)Birthplace: Koboko, Uganda
Idi Amin Dada Oumee (; c. 1925 – 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer who served as... more13
Bashar al-Assad
Age: 55Birthplace: Damascus, Syria
Bashar Hafez al-Assad (Arabic: بشار حافظ الأسد Baššār Ḥāfiẓ al-ʾAsad, Levantine... more14
Ferdinand Marcos
Dec. at 72 (1917-1989)Birthplace: Sarrat, Philippines
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino... more15
Kim Il-sung
Dec. at 82 (1912-1994)Birthplace: Pyongyang, Pyongan, North Korea
Kim Il-sung (officially transcribed Kim Il Sung; English pronunciation: ; Korean: 김일성; Korean... more16
Francisco Franco
Dec. at 83 (1892-1975)Birthplace: Spain, Ferrol
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; Spanish: [fɾanˈθisʲko ˈfɾaŋko]; 4 December 1892 – 20 November... more17
Ho Chi Minh
Dec. at 79 (1890-1969)Birthplace: Kim Lien, Vietnam
Hồ Chí Minh (; Vietnamese: [hò cǐ mīŋ̟] (listen), Saigon: [hò cǐ mɨ̄n] (listen); Chữ nôm: 胡志明;... more18
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Dec. at 69 (1942-2011)Birthplace: Qasr Abu Hadi
Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar Gaddafi (; c. 1942 – 20 October 2011), commonly known as Colonel... more19
Nikita Khrushchev
Dec. at 77 (1894-1971)Birthplace: Kalinovka, Russia
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (15 April 1894 – 11 September 1971) was a Soviet statesman who... more20
Hun Sen
Age: 68Birthplace: Stueng Trang District
Hun Sen (Khmer: ហ៊ុន សែន; born 5 August 1952) is a Cambodian politician serving as the Prime... more21
Hideki Tōjō
Dec. at 64 (1884-1948)Birthplace: Kōjimachi, Tokyo
Hideki Tojo (Kyūjitai: 東條 英機; Shinjitai: 東条 英機; Tōjō Hideki ; 30 December 1884 – 23 December... more22
Pervez Musharraf
Age: 77Birthplace: India, Delhi
Syed Pervez Musharraf (Urdu: پرویز مشرف Parvez Muśarraf; born 11 August 1943) is a Pakistani... more23
Mobutu Sese Seko
Dec. at 67 (1930-1997)Birthplace: Lisala, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga (; born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu; 14 October 1930 – 7... more24
Jean-Claude Duvalier
Dec. at 63 (1951-2014)Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Jean-Claude Duvalier (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃klod dyvalje]), nicknamed "Baby Doc" (Haitian... more25
Augusto Pinochet
Dec. at 91 (1915-2006)Birthplace: Valparaíso, Chile
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (UK: , US: , Spanish: [auˈɣusto pinoˈ(t)ʃe(t)]; 25 November... more
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