Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger dead at 100.
A statement from Kissinger Associates confirmed that Henry Kissinger passed away on Wednesday at his Connecticut residence.
Kissinger, a figure both revered and controversial, was hailed as a brilliant strategist by supporters and criticized as a master manipulator by detractors.
Known for pioneering détente with the Soviet Union, initiating diplomatic ties with China, and receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for negotiating the Paris Peace Accords to end the US involvement in Vietnam, Kissinger's legacy is marked by both acclaim and controversy.
Despite a less conventionally charismatic appearance, the bespectacled and accented Kissinger, who once famously remarked, "Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac," had a social life that included dating actresses like Jill St. John, Shirley MacLaine, Marlo Thomas, Candice Bergen, and Liv Ullman.
Remaining a figure of influence even after leaving public life, Kissinger met Chinese President Xi Jinping in July, receiving deep respect from the leader who acknowledged the enduring link between Sino-US relations and Kissinger's name.
A key player in the normalization of US-China diplomatic ties under Presidents Nixon and Ford, Kissinger expressed a growing sense of infallibility after leaving office.
Born in Germany in 1923, Kissinger, known for his intellect from childhood, faced controversy for his role in the Vietnam conflict, particularly the bombing of Cambodia and Laos.
While involved in secret talks with North and South Vietnam leading to the Paris Peace Accords in 1973, Kissinger's legacy is complicated by accusations of supporting the 1973 coup in Chile, leading to the regime of General Augusto Pinochet. Kissinger shared the Nobel Peace Prize with his North Vietnamese counterpart, though the ceasefire was not lasting.
