 "The many things you did not know about Muammar Gaddafi")
As the Libyan crisis comes to a head and nears the endgame, we thought we’d share facts about
Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi
that aren’t commonly known: He was born in a tent, which may or may not explain why he likes to pitch a tent in hotel rooms when travelling. • Avoids eye contact. • Dislikes staying on upper floors. • Dislikes flying over water. [caption id=“attachment_66333” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Reuters”]
[/caption] • Never travels without his Ukranian nurse, Galyna Kolotnytska, 38. • Believes the Isreal-Palestine conflict can be solved by creating a new country, Isratine Fasts on Mondays and Thursdays. • He renamed the Roman months to Arab ones. For example,
August
, named after
Augustus Caesar
, was renamed Hannibal, and
July
, from
Julius Caesar
, was called Nasser, after Gamal Abdel Nasser. • In 2002 Gaddafi bought a 7.5 percent stake in Italian football club,
Juventus
. • Since the 1980s, he has travelled with his Amazonian Guard, which is all-female, and reportedly sworn to a life of celibacy. Other highlights of Gaddafi’s life: • Gaddafi was the youngest child born to a nomadic Bedouin peasant family. • He was expelled from school in 1961 for his political activities. He entered the Benghazi Military Academy In 1963 On his graduation in 1965, he was sent to England for further training. • In 1966, he returned to Libya and was named a commissioned officer in the Signal Corps. • In September 1969 Gaddafi and conspirators staged a bloodless and unopposed coup in against King Idris I who was on a visit to Turkey. He was only 27 at the time. Since then, Gaddafi has ruled Libya. As of now, he still does. Still curious about the dictator?
Read more about him here
.
Anant Rangaswami was, until recently, the editor of Campaign India magazine, of which Anant was also the founding editor. Campaign India is now arguably India's most respected publication in the advertising and media space. Anant has over 20 years experience in media and advertising. He began in Madras, for STAR TV, moving on as Regional Manager, South for Sony’s SET and finally as Chief Manager at BCCL’s Times Television and Times FM. He then moved to advertising, rising to the post of Associate Vice President at TBWA India. Anant then made the leap into journalism, taking over as editor of what is now Campaign India's competitive publication, Impact. Anant teaches regularly and is a prolific blogger and author of Watching from the sidelines.