Donald Rumsfeld

Date of Birth: July 9, 1932

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Date of Death: June 29, 2021

Biography

Donald Henry Rumsfeld was an American politician and businessman who served as the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977 and as the 21st Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006. He holds the distinction of being both the youngest and the second-oldest person to have served as Secretary of Defense. Rumsfeld was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in the suburb of Winnetka. Rumsfeld graduated from Princeton University in 1954 with a degree in political science and served as a naval aviator in the U.S. Navy from 1954 to 1957. After his military service, he entered politics, serving as a U.S. Representative for Illinois from 1963 to 1969. He later held various positions in the Nixon and Ford administrations, including Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity and U.S. Ambassador to NATO. Rumsfeld’s tenure as Secretary of Defense under George W. Bush was marked by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the subsequent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. His handling of the Iraq War, particularly issues related to troop levels and the treatment of detainees, was highly controversial and led to his resignation in 2006. After leaving public service, Rumsfeld authored several books and continued to contribute to political discourse until his death in 2021.

5 Interesting Facts about Donald Rumsfeld

1. Donald Rumsfeld was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977.

2. He was the CEO of pharmaceutical company G.D. Searle & Company from 1977 to 1985, overseeing the development of the artificial sweetener aspartame.

3. Rumsfeld was known for his frequent use of “Rumsfeld’s Rules,” a collection of aphorisms and principles for effective leadership and management.

4. He authored a memoir titled “Known and Unknown,” which was published in 2011.

5. Rumsfeld was an avid squash player and participated in competitive squash well into his later years.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Donald Rumsfeld

1. “There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don’t know we don’t know.”

2. “If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.”

3. “You go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time.”

4. “It is easier to get into something than to get out of it.”

5. “Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Donald Rumsfeld’s highest net worth was estimated to be around $200 million.

Children

Donald Rumsfeld had three children with his wife, Joyce H. Pierson, whom he married in 1954. Their children’s names are Valerie J. Rumsfeld, Donald Nicholas Rumsfeld, and Marcy K. Rumsfeld.