Aung San Suu Kyi is born in Rangoon, Burma, the third child of independence leader Aung San and diplomat Khin Kyi.
On 19 June 1945, Aung San Suu Kyi was born in Rangoon (now Yangon), then part of British-ruled Burma, as the third child of independence hero General Aung San and diplomat Khin Kyi.
Her birth into a family at the heart of Burma’s anti-colonial struggle profoundly shaped her trajectory. General Aung San led negotiations for Burma’s independence before his assassination in 1947, while Khin Kyi later served as Burma’s ambassador to India. Growing up in this political household exposed Suu Kyi from an early age to debates about nationalism, democracy, and social justice.
Historically, this date matters because it marks the arrival of the woman who would become the most prominent figure in Myanmar’s modern political history. Suu Kyi’s life would span decolonization, military dictatorship, and fragile democratic openings, and her lineage gave her unusual moral authority among Burmese citizens. Her birthday is frequently invoked by supporters and critics alike as a symbol of both hope and controversy in Myanmar’s democratic journey.
For women’s history, her birth signals the emergence of a female leader who, decades later, would become an international icon of nonviolent resistance and then a contested head of government, illustrating the complex paths of women’s political leadership in postcolonial states.
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