Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

Zayed governed Abu Dhabi's Eastern Region from 1946, watching his older brother Shakhbut rule the emirate itself. On 6 August 1966, members of the ruling family - with British backing - deposed Shakhbut in a bloodless coup and installed Zayed as ruler. Oil revenue was flooding in, and the family wanted someone who would spend it. Five years later, on 2 December 1971, Zayed became the first president of the newly independent United Arab Emirates, binding seven sheikhdoms into a federation that many expected would fracture. He held the office until his death in 2004, long enough to be called the Father of the Nation.