Jerry Rawlings Takes Power

Date: June 4, 1979 • Location: Rome, Italy

Jerry Rawlings came to power in Ghana as chairman of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council.

Jerry John Rawlings was a Ghanaian military officer, aviator, politician, and revolutionary who led the country briefly in 1979 and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military regime until 1993 and then served two terms as the democratically elected president of Ghana. He was the longest-serving president in Ghana's history, presiding over the country for 19 years..