Félix Houphouët-Boigny 1905 – 1993

Biography

Félix Houphouët-Boigny was born on October 16, 1905, in N’Gokro, a village in what would become the Ivory Coast. He would dedicate his life to the nation’s independence and development, guiding his country through its formative years as a sovereign state.

Houphouët-Boigny served as the First President of Ivory Coast, a role he held with dedication from 1960 until his death in 1993. His leadership spanned more than three decades, a period in which he worked to establish national institutions and chart the country’s path during a transformative era in African history.

On December 7, 1993, Houphouët-Boigny passed away in Yamoussoukro at the age of eighty-eight. He died of prostate cancer after a long life devoted to public service. His death marked the end of an era for Ivory Coast, closing a significant chapter in the nation’s history and leaving a lasting legacy as the country’s founding president.