Mohamed Naguib was the first president of Egypt after it became a republic. He was born in Khartoum, Sudan, on 7 July 1902 to an Egyptian father and Sudanese mother, according to what is stated in his memoirs.
Naguib began his life as a farmer in Gharbiya Governorate. He joined the military school in 1917 where he graduated after a year and traveled to Sudan in February 1918 to join the Egyptian battalion along with his father. He returned to Egypt and moved to Cairo in 1921. Naguib joined the royal guard in 1923 and then the Faculty of Law. He was promoted to Captain in 1931.
Naguib participated in the 1948 war in Palestine. In 1949, he was appointed director of the Frontier Corps, then was promoted to the rank of Major General in December 1950, and then he became director of the infantry.
He was chosen by the Free Officers as leader to the 23 July revolution. He formed the first Ministry after the resignation of Ali Maher Pasha in 1952, and assumed presidency in 1953, to be dismissed from all his posts in the 14 November 1954, due to increased disagreements between him and the Free Officers.
The Revolution Leadership Council issued a statement on his dismissal causing demonstrations supporting him. The council issued a statement on 27 February 1954 reinstating him as president of the republic in order to calm protests before dismissing him again and putting him under house arrest for over 25 years. Naguib was released by late President Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat in 1974.
On this day in history 28 August 1984, Naguib died in Maadi Military Hospital. A solemn military funeral was held for him led by former President Hosni Mubarak.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
