Photo: Warren K. Leffler / U.S. News & World Report, Public domain — Source
Indian politician who served as Prime Minister of India for a total of fifteen years across two terms (1966-1977 and 1980-1984), making her the country's first and to date only female prime minister. Daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, she was a formidable leader who oversaw India's nuclear weapons program, the Green Revolution, and the decisive 1971 war with Pakistan that created Bangladesh. Her declaration of a state of Emergency (1975-1977) suspended civil liberties and remains deeply controversial. She was assassinated by her own bodyguards in 1984 following her order to storm the Golden Temple in Amritsar.