About Gusty Spence
Augustus Andrew Spence (28 June 1933 – 25 September 2011) was a Northern Irish Ulster loyalist, politician, and militant who was the leader of the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). One of the first UVF members to be convicted of murder, Spence was a senior figure in the organisation for over a decade. During his time in prison Spence renounced violence and helped to convince a number of fellow inmates that the future of the UVF lay in a more political approach. Spence joined the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP), becoming a leading figure in the group. As a PUP representative he took a principal role in delivering the loyalist ceasefires of 1994. Spence Snr had been a member of the Ulster Volunteers and had fought in the First World War. Spence soon became the UVF commander within the Maze Prison. Released from prison in 1984, Spence soon became a leading member of the UVF-linked Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) and a central figure in the Northern Ireland peace process.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.