Jesse Quadrel Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev Mikhail Gorbachev was picked as one of the 100 most influential people in the last 1000 years. He was born in Privol'noye, USSR on March 2nd, 1931. Both of his parents were peasants. He is now 69 years old. He lived his life in the USSR, and eventually became president.
His grandfather was, "Party member and chairman of the first collective farm in Privol'noye in 1931."ÃÂ (http://www.artnet.com) He was active in his town's politics for a long time. His father was active in politics after World War II.
Soon after his birth, Stalin had reached his most powerful point in his rule. This was before World War II began. In a year or two, his homeland's farming failed horribly, causing starvation and an economy breakdown in the area.
Nearly 10 years after this famine, Nazi Germany occupied this area. They held their position until January 1943, when their forces left.
Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev in the White Ho...
English: US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Gen...
English: President George H. W. Bush and President...His family must have been deeply affected by this event, since his father took to politics soon after.
Gorbachev had a rather simple life soon after this. In 1945, he got a part time job at a local farm, working a combine. In 1945, the harvest was exceptionally good, and products exceeded what was planned. He was 18 at the time.
At the age of 19, he went to Moscow State University, and became the secretary of the Law Faculty, an important position in the school.. In 1955, he graduated. Soon after this, he was appointed the Department Head of Stavropol City Komsomol. He finally achieved a political position.
He married in the year 1956, to Raisa Titorenko. She used to study philosophy at the same college that Gorbachev attended. Their daughter, Irina, was born in 1956. Irina was married in 1978. In 1976,