Jalal Talabani - Fast Facts

Here's a look at the life of the sixth Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

Personal: Birth date: November 12, 1933

Birth place: Kelkan, Iraq

Marriage: Hero Ibrahim Ahmed

Children: Two sons, Qubad and Bafel

Education: Baghdad University, law degree, 1959

Religion: Sunni Muslim

Timeline: 1947 - At age 14, joins the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP).

1951 - Member of the KDP's Central Committee.

June 1975 - Leaves the KDP to found the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), an organization striving to promote the autonomy and independence of the Kurdish people from the rest of Iraq.

1975 - present - Secretary General of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

1976 - Is involved in armed resistance against the government of Saddam Hussein.

1998 - Talabani and rival Kurdish Democratic Party leader Massoud Barzani sign a peace agreement that provides for their joint governing of their respective areas of Kurdistan.

November 1-30, 2003 - President of Iraq's Governing Council. This position rotates monthly and nine of the twenty-five ICG members take turns filling the spot.

January 30, 2005 - One of approximately 7,700 candidates in Iraq's first free elections in over 50 years.

April 6, 2005 - Is elected president of Iraq by the new transitional national assembly, and is sworn in the next day.

April 22, 2006 - Wins a second term as president as part of an interim Iraqi government.

November 27-29, 2006 - Meets with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and announces that a security agreement between Iraq and Iran has been reached.

February 25 - March 14, 2007 - Falls ill and is flown from Iraq to Jordan for treatment, reportedly suffering from severe exhaustion.

May 20 - June 2, 2007 - Travels to the United States for unspecified medical treatments.

March 7-8, 2008 - Visits Turkey, his first visit as head of state.

November 2010 - Is re-elected president by the new Iraqi parliament.

December 1, 2011 - Marking the end of the U.S. military presence in Iraq, Talabani confers upon coalition officials, including Vice President Joe Biden, the "shield of commitment" medal.

January 19, 2012 - Has spinal surgery in Germany.

December 17, 2012 - Is rushed to a Baghdad hospital, for an unspecified medical emergency, possibly a stroke and is later taken to Germany for treatment.