Nguyễn Văn Thiệu 5 April 1923 to 29 September 2001) was the President of South Vietnam from 1965 to 1975. He was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), became head of a military junta, and then president after winning a scheduled election. His re-election as president in1971 was widely regarded as fraudulent, running unopposed and winning 94% of the vote on an 87% turnout. He developed a reputation for corruption. He resigned and left the nation a few days before the Fall of Saigon (30 April 1975) and the ultimate North Vietnamese victory. After leaving Vietnam, he spent the rest of his life in exile living sporadically in Taiwan, London, and Massachusetts. He died in Boston.
