Ariel Sharon, originally named Ariel Scheinerman, was born on February 26, 1928, in Kfar Malal. He joined the Haganah at the age of 14 in 1942 and served as a platoon commander during the 1948 War of Independence, where he was seriously wounded in the Battle of Latrun. After recovering, he continued his military career, rising through the ranks of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). In 1953, he founded and led Unit 101, a special commando unit tasked with retaliatory operations against Palestinian fedayeen. He commanded the Paratroopers Brigade 202 during the 1956 Suez War and played a key role in the 1967 Six-Day War as commander of an armored division, leading a successful infiltration into the Sinai Peninsula. He also commanded an armored division during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, leading a critical counterattack across the Suez Canal. Sharon retired from the IDF in 1973 and entered politics, becoming a member of the Likud party. He was first elected to the Knesset in 1974 and held various cabinet positions, including Minister of Agriculture (1977–1981), Minister of Defense (1981–1983), and Minister of Housing & Construction (1990–1992). As Minister of Defense, he oversaw Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, which led to the expulsion of the PLO from Beirut; however, he was later found indirectly responsible for the Sabra and Shatila massacres and resigned in 1983. He served as head of the Likud party from 1999 and was elected Prime Minister of Israel in 2001, serving until 2006. His premiership was marked by the construction of the West Bank barrier and a controversial decision to unilaterally withdraw Israeli citizens and military forces from the Gaza Strip in 2005, a move that led him to leave the Likud party and form the centrist Kadima party. In January 2006, he suffered a massive stroke that left him in a coma, ending his political career. He passed away on January 11, 2014, in Ramat Gan, Israel.