Strom Thurmond

Profession: US Senator

Nationality:

Biography: Strom Thurmond was an American politician who served as Senator for South Carolina from 1954 to 2003, before which he had been Governor of South Carolina (1947-1951). While he was initially a member of the Democratic Party, he joined the Republic Party in 1964 where he remained for the rest of his career.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Thurmond was a staunch opponent of civil rights legislation. He holds the record for longest single-handed filibuster, at just over 24 hours, which he conducted in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

Thurmond retired in 2004, then the oldest serving Senator; at the time also his 48 years in the Senate was a record, since surpassed by Robert Byrd, Daniel Inouye, and Patrick Leahy.

Born: December 5, 1902
Birthplace: Edgefield, South Carolina, USA

Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Tiger
Star Sign: Sagittarius

Died: June 26, 2003 (aged 100)