Ernesto "Che" Guevara lived between 1928 and 1967. He was born in Argentina and became a doctor. However, his political opinions led him to become one of history’s best-known freedom fighters. His role in the Cuban revolution made him, and the image of his face, famous forever. He was captured and executed in Bolivia after starting an unsuccessful revolution.

 

As a young medical student, Guevara went on a motorbike tour of Latin America. The extreme poverty he witnessed transformed him. He became a fierce opponent of capitalism, which he said created great inequality. He went to Guatemala and helped draw up many social reforms, until the Guatemalan government was overthrown. Following this, Guevara decided to fight against social injustice everywhere.

 

He went to Mexico, where he met another revolutionary Fidel Castro. He joined with Castro and became a military leader in a guerilla force that invaded Cuba. Guevara’s tactics played a key role in the successful overthrow of the US-backed Cuban dictator Batista. Guevara became president of Cuba’s national bank. He also wrote a comprehensive manual on guerilla warfare, which is still studied today.

 

Che Guevara remains one of the icons of the 20th Century. An Alberto Korda photograph of him entitled ‘Guerilla Hero’ was named as "the most famous photograph in the world". Even though he hated commercialism, his image has appeared on every kind of product imaginable.  Today, his profile is still largely associated with revolution and fighting for the rights of the poor.