Jānis Čakste
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Jānis Čakste (born September 14, 1859 in Lielsesava, Latvia, died March 14, 1927 in Riga, Latvia) was a Latvian politician and the first president of Latvia.
He studied law in Moscow University, graduating in 1886 and became a lawyer and political activist in Latvia. In 1906, he was elected to Duma, the parliament of the Russian Empire where he promoted the idea of autonomy for Latvia.
In 1918, he became the president of Latvia's People's Council (Tautas Padome), a temporary government that proclaimed the independence of Latvia. Čakste was elected as a president for Latvia in 1922, reelected for a second term in 1925 and died while still president in 1927. He was a member of Latvian academic union "Austrums".
He was married twice and had four children.
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| Heads of State of Latvia |  |
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|---|---|---|
| First Republic of Latvia Čakste | Zemgals | Kviesis | K. Ulmanis | Kalniņš (exile) | Rancāns (exile) Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic Kirhenšteins | Ozoliņš | Kalnbērziņš | Rubenis | Strautmanis | Vagris | Gorbunovs Second Republic of Latvia G. Ulmanis | Vīķe-Freiberga |
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