Portrait of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

Birthday profile

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Libyan engineer and politician (died 2026)

Born
June 25, 1972
Died
February 3, 2026
Zodiac sign
Cancer
Birth year
1972

About Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

Saif al-Islam Muammar al-Gaddafi (25 June 1972 – 3 February 2026) was a Libyan political figure. He was the second son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his second wife Safia Farkash. He was a part of his father's inner circle, performing public relations and diplomatic roles on his behalf. He publicly turned down his father's offer of the country's second-highest post and held no official government position. According to United States Department of State officials in Tripoli, during his father's reign, he was the second most widely recognized person in Libya, being at times the de facto prime minister, and was mentioned as a possible successor, though he rejected this. However, in spite of his earlier claim of not wanting to be a successor, Gaddafi was acknowledged by 2015 to have been his father's heir apparent, with anybody wanting to do business in Libya having to go through him first. An arrest warrant was issued for him on 27 June 2011 by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for charges of crimes against humanity against the Libyan people, for killing and persecuting civilians, under Articles 7(1)(a) and 7(1)(h) of the Rome Statute. He denied the charges. Gaddafi was captured in southern Libya by the Zintan militia on 19 November 2011, after the end of the Libyan Civil War, and flown by plane to Zintan. He was sentenced to death on 28 July 2015 by a court in Tripoli for crimes during the civil war, in a widely criticized trial conducted in absentia. He remained in the custody of the de facto independent authorities of Zintan. On 10 June 2017, he was released from prison in Zintan, according to a statement from the Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Battalion. Later the same month, his full amnesty was declared by the Tobruk-based government led by Khalifa Haftar. As of December 2019, Gaddafi remained wanted under his ICC arrest warrant for crimes against humanity. On 14 November, he attempted to register as a candidate in the presidential election originally scheduled to take place in December 2021, but was rejected. This decision was overturned less than a month later, which reinstated his candidacy, although the election was indefinitely postponed several weeks later. On 3 February 2026, Gaddafi was assassinated at his home by four unknown gunmen who fled the scene. In 2005, Gaddafi was awarded a "Young Global Leader" title by the World Economic Forum. Gaddafi was awarded a PhD degree in 2008 from the London School of Economics, where he attended amid a series of contacts between the school and the Libyan political establishment. Gaddafi's first foray into international diplomacy was serving as an intermediary between the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group and the Government of the Philippines in August 2000.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi timeline

  1. Gaddafi's first foray into international diplomacy was serving as an intermediary between the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group and the Government of the Philippines in August 2000.
  2. In 2005, Gaddafi was awarded a "Young Global Leader" title by the World Economic Forum.
  3. Gaddafi was awarded a PhD degree in 2008 from the London School of Economics, where he attended amid a series of contacts between the school and the Libyan political establishment.
  4. However, in spite of his earlier claim of not wanting to be a successor, Gaddafi was acknowledged by 2015 to have been his father's heir apparent, with anybody wanting to do business in Libya having to go through him first.

The world when Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was born

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was born in 1972. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1972

  • #1 song"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" – Roberta Flack
  • Top movieThe Godfather
  • Top TV showAll in the Family
  • Best-selling bookJonathan Livingston Seagull – Richard Bach

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentMark Spitz wins 7 gold medals at Munich Olympics
  • Top headlineWatergate break-in begins Nixon's downfall
  • Technology milestoneAtari founded
  • Defining fadPong (first mainstream video game)
  • Notable inventionPong video game
  • World population3.85 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderRichard Nixon
  • Sports championOakland Athletics (World Series)
  • Also wonLos Angeles Lakers (NBA)
  • U.S. population209.9M

1972 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Saif al-Islam Gaddafi's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19722026
Gas$0.36$3.45/gal
Average home$19,800$435,000
Average income$12,600$67,500
Minimum wage$1.60$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$1.70$11.95
Postage stamp$0.08$0.73
Population209.9M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Library of Congress, Wikidata. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

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