Gamal Abdel Nasser
Nasser is seen as one of the most important political figures in modern Arab history and politics. Under his leadership, Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal and other industries, and became important in stopping imperialism in the Arab World and Africa. He was also important in starting the Non-Aligned Movement. Nasser's version of pan-Arabism, which is often called "Nasserism", was very popular in the Arab world during the 1950s and 1960s. Even after the Israeli victory over the Arab armies in the Six-Day War damaged the way the public saw him, many Arabs still view Nasser as a symbol of Arab dignity and freedom.