Agostinho Neto

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Agostinho Neto
Neto in 1975
1st President of Angola
In office 11 November 1975 – 10 September 1979
Prime Minister	Lopo do Nascimento (1975–1978)
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	José Eduardo dos Santos
President of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola
In office 10 December 1956 – 10 September 1979
Preceded by	Ilídio Machado
Succeeded by	José Eduardo dos Santos
Personal details
Born	António Agostinho Neto (1922-09-17)17 September 1922 Ícolo e Bengo, Portuguese Angola
Died	10 September 1979(1979-09-10) (aged 56) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Cause of death	Pancreatic cancer
Political party	MPLA
Spouse	Maria Eugénia Neto ​ (m. 1957)​ [1]
Relations	António Alberto Neto (nephew) Ruth Neto (sister) Deolinda Rodrigues (cousin) Roberto Francisco de Almeida (cousin)
Children	Mário Jorge da Silva Neto Irene Alexandra da Silva Neto Leda da Silva Neto Mihaela Radkova Marinova[2]
Alma mater	University of Lisbon
Military service
Allegiance	People's Republic of Angola
Years of service	1961–1979
Battles/wars	Angolan War of Independence Angolan Civil War

António Agostinho Neto (17 September 1922 – 10 September 1979) was an Angolan communist politician and poet. He served as the first president of Angola from 1975 to 1979, having led the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) in the war for independence (1961–1974). Until his death, he led the MPLA in the civil war (1975–2002). Known also for his literary activities, he is considered Angola's preeminent poet. His birthday is celebrated as National Heroes' Day, a public holiday in Angola.