Here’s a look at the life of former National Security Adviser and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
Personal:
Birth date: May 27, 1923
Birth place: Furth, Germany
Birth name: Heinz Alfred Kissinger
Father: Louis Kissinger, a teacher
Mother: Paula (Stern) Kissinger
Marriages: Nancy (Maginnes) Kissinger (March 30, 1974-present); Ann Fleischer (1949-1964, divorced)
Children: with Ann Fleischer: Elizabeth, David
Education: Harvard University, B.A., 1950; M.A., 1952; Ph.D., 1954
Military: US Army, 1943-1949, Captain
Religion: Jewish
Other Facts:
Kissinger’s name was changed to Henry when his family immigrated to the United States to escape the Nazis.
Attended high school at night while working at a factory during the day.
First person to serve as both national security adviser and secretary of state.
Timeline:
1938 – The Kissinger family immigrates to the United States, settling in New York.
June 19, 1943 – Becomes a US citizen.
1954-1971 – Harvard University faculty member.
1957-1960 – Associate Director of Harvard’s Center for International Affairs.
1956-1960 – Consultant, Weapons Systems Evaluation Group of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
1961-1962 – Consultant, National Security Council.
1961-1968 – Consultant, US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.
1965-1968 – Consultant, US Department of State.
1969-1974 – Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs for President Nixon.
1969 – Helps initiate the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) with the Soviet Union.
1972 – Kissinger and President Nixon are named Time Magazine’s Men of the Year.
September 23, 1973-January 20, 1977 – Secretary of State under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
1973 – Wins the Nobel Peace Prize, with Le Duc Tho, for negotiating the end of the Vietnam War. Le Duc Tho declines the award.
1974-1975 – Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs for President Ford.
1982 – Opens international consulting firm Kissinger Associates, Inc.
1982 – Has triple coronary bypass surgery.
November 2002 – Is appointed by President George W. Bush to lead the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the 9-11 Commission).
December 13, 2002 – Resigns as chairman of the 9-11 Commission, citing controversy over possible conflicts of interest with clients of his consulting firm.
March 2005 – Undergoes an angioplasty procedure.
May 18, 2006 – Is awarded the Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal for Leadership and Service.
July 15, 2014 – Undergoes heart surgery to replace an aortic valve.