Born in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte on September 11, 1917 to Mariano Marcos and Josefa Edralin.
He was the 10th president of the Philippines and held office from 1996 to 1986. He
established the authorian regime in the Philippines that came under criticism for
corruption and for its suppression of democratic proccesses. Besides being president, he also
became the first prime minister in Philippine history.

Marcos studied law at the University of the Philippines and while still a student he was tried
for the assasination in 1933 of Assymblyman Julio Nalundasan, a political opponent of his
father. He was found guilty in November 1939 but argued his case on appeal to the
Philippine Supreme Court and won acquittal a year later. After graduation, he took the bar
examinations and became its topnatcher.

During World War II Marcos served as an officer with Philippine armed forces.
CAptured by the Japanese, he survived the Death March from Bataan to central Luzon and
then escaped. Marcos' subsequent claims of being an important leader of the Filipino
guerilla resistance movement were a central factor in his later political success, but the U.S.
government archives revealed that he actually played little no part in anti-Japanese
activities during the war.

Fron 1946 to 1947 Marcos was a technical assistant to President Manuel Roxas. He became
a member of the House of Representetives (1949-59) and of the Senate (1963-65). Marcos
Romualdez in 1954 who successfully helped him later in his campaigned for the presidency.
In 1965 Marcos broke off from the Liberal Party after failing to get his party's nomination
for president. He then ran as the Nationalista Party;s candidate for president against
Diosdado Macapagal who was the chosen candidate for the Liberal Party.