Olof Palme


Sven Olof Joachim Palme (January 30, 1927 - February 28, 1986), Swedish
politician. Leader of the Social Democrat Party from 1969 and twice Prime
Minister of Sweden, first with a Privy Council Government from 1969 to 1976,
secondly with a Cabinet Government in 1982, which was ended by his
assassination in 1986.

As social democrat, Palme held several ministerial posts before becoming
Prime Minister in 1969. Palme had a number of controversial views,
criticizing United States in the Vietnam War, nuclear weapons and the
apartheid politics in South Africa, while applauding the PLO and Fidel
Castro.

His assassination on February 28, 1986, remains unsolved, and - not unlike
John F. Kennedy - several conspiracy theories surround the murder. Christer
Pettersson, was tried and convicted for the murder but was acquitted on
appeal. This was the first murder of a Swedish politician since Axel von
Fersen in 1810, and the first assassination of a Swedish head of government
since King Gustav III of Sweden was killed in 1792.