Allende died a Fighter! September 11, 2009

Salvador Allende (1908 – 1973) was the first democratically elected Marxist socialist to become president of a state in the Americas. After running unsuccessful in three previous elections, a physician Allende won the election in 1970. In early September 1973, Allende decided to resolve the constitutional crisis with a plebiscite on 11 September. On that fateful day, the Chilean military staged a US-backed coup against Allende, ending democracy in Chile.