Cheddi Jagan

His Excellency Cheddi B. Jagan
Jagan in 1962
4th President of Guyana
In office 9 October 1992 – 6 March 1997
Prime Minister (also First Vice President)	Sam Hinds
Preceded by	Desmond Hoyte
Succeeded by	Sam Hinds
1st Premier of British Guiana
In office 5 September 1961 – 12 December 1964
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor	Ralph Grey Richard Luyt
Preceded by	Inaugural holder
Succeeded by	Forbes Burnham
Additional ministry In office 5 September 1961 – 12 December 1964 Minister of Planning and Development Preceded by Inaugural holder Succeeded by Forbes Burnham
1st Chief Minister of British Guiana
In office 30 May 1953 – 9 October 1953
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor	Alfred Savage
Preceded by	Inaugural holder
Succeeded by	Interim government
Additional ministry In office 30 May 1953 – December 1953 Minister of Agriculture, Forests, Lands and Mines Preceded by John Sydney Dash Succeeded by Frank McDavid
Minister of Trade and Industry of British Guiana
In office 1957–1961
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor	Patrick Muir Renison Ralph Grey
Leader of the Opposition of Guyana
In office 1966–1973
Succeeded by	Marcellus Fielden Singh
In office 1976–1992
Preceded by	Marcellus Fielden Singh
Succeeded by	Desmond Hoyte
General Secretary of the People's Progressive Party
In office 1970[1] – 6 March 1997
President of the Guyana Rice Producers Association
In office 1952–1953
Personal details
Born	Cheddi Berret Jagan (1918-03-22)22 March 1918 Ankerville, Port Mourant, Berbice, British Guiana (present-day East Berbice-Corentyne, Guyana)
Died	6 March 1997(1997-03-06) (aged 78) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	People's Progressive Party (after 1950)
Other political affiliations	Manpower Citizens' Association (1945–1946) Political Affairs Committee (1946–1950)
Spouse	Janet Rosenberg ​ (m. 1943)​
Children	Cheddi "Joey" Jagan Jr. Nadira Jagan-Brancier
Relatives	Derek Chunilall Jagan (brother)
Education	Queen's College, Georgetown Howard University
Alma mater	Central YMCA College (BS) Northwestern University (DDS)
Occupation	Dentist and Politician
Awards	Order of Friendship of Peoples (1978) Order of Solidarity (1988) Order of the Liberator (1993) Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (1994) Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo (2005) Order of Liberation (2007)
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Cheddi Berret Jagan (22 March 1918 – 6 March 1997) was a Guyanese politician and dentist who was first elected Chief Minister in 1953 and later Premier of British Guiana from 1961 to 1964. He later served as President of Guyana from 1992 to his death in 1997.^[2] In 1953, he became the first Hindu and person of Indian descent to be a head of government outside of the Indian subcontinent.

Jagan founded the People's Progressive Party along with his wife Janet and Forbes Burnham, and served as the first leader of the party. Jagan was a leading figure in the campaign for the independence of Guyana from the United Kingdom, and advocated for increased powers for trade unions at a time when British Guiana's economy was dominated by powerful foreign enterprises. Jagan lost his position as Prime Minister to Forbes Burnham following the 1964 British Guiana general election, and Burnham would become Guyana's first Head of Government following independence. 28 years later, Jagan was elected president in the 1992 Guyanese general election, which was regarded as the first "free and fair" election since 1964.^[3]