Idi Amin (Heroes & Villains)

Idi Amin, who preferred to be called "Big Daddy," will go down in history as one of the most vilified mass murderers of the twentieth century. Self proclaimed President of Uganda, Amin illegally seized power in a military coup in 1971 and tyrannically ruled ten million fellow Ugandans until he ignominiously fled the African country in 1979. In his wake Amin left deplorable examples of brutality, torture, murder, and demented personal behavior. During his eight years of barbaric rule an estimated three hundred thousand Ugandans were killed by his orders. Although Amin died in exile in 2003 a failed dictator, there is still much to be learned about Uganda's history, Amin's dictatorship, and how he orchestrated his rise to power and maintained power while inflicting so much pain on his followers.