Trivia

Overthrew the monarchy of Libya in the so-called "Green Revolution" in 1969, establishing a socialist Arab state under his leadership.

In a quite eerie coincidence, the year of his death had been predicted by a 1980s sitcom Second Chance (1987). The pilot episode of the show which aired in 1987 featured the ex-Libyan leader as one of the people showing up in Saint Peter's Office on July 29, 2011 to be judged whether he will go to hell or heaven.

He was a vocal opponent of South Africa's Apartheid regime.

He was an advocate of universal health care.

Was once (as a child) publicly slapped by one of his teachers. Many say that this is the source of his resentment for academics, apparent in many of his speeches and essays.

Author of the political treatise 'The Green Book', which has been mass-produced in several languages.

His eldest son, Saif Gaddafi, was expected to be Libya's next president.

His son Saadi was a professional football player in Italy for a while.

His hair was actually a wig, as was revealed after his death.

During the 1970s and 1980s he funded terrorist groups in the West, including the Provisional IRA.

Rebel forces said Gaddafi was killed by crossfire, although video footage showed him being savagely beaten before being shot several times.

He was often referred to as Colonel Gaddafi, although he was actually only a lieutenant when he seized power in September 1969, having recently been passed over for promotion to captain.

His actual year of birth went unrecorded, as Libya was under Italian occupation at the time. Gaddafi himself said he could have been born before 1940.

Father of Saif Gaddafi,, Al-Saadi Gaddafi, Hannibal Gaddafi, Aysha Gaddafi, Mutassim Gaddafi, Khamis Gaddafi, Hana Gaddfi, and Milad Gaddafi, and Muhammad Gaddafi.

Libya's dictator from 1969 to 2011.