November 2015

Led the National League for Democracy (NLD) to a majority win in Myanmar's first openly contested election in 25 years.

She is not permitted to become President under the country's current constitution as her children are foreign nationals.  She is however largely considered as Myanmar's de facto leader.

Spent a total of 15 years living under house arrest between 1989 and 2010 due to her work towards bringing democracy to a military ruled country. She became a symbol of peaceful resistance across the world.  During her imprisonment, she was not allowed to see her husband or her children.

After living in Japan, Bhutan and the UK where she raised her family, she returned to Rangoon in 1988 to look after her ill mother.  Amidst major political unrest at the time she said "I could not as my father's daughter remain indifferent to all that was going on," and moved into the leadership working against the then-dictator, General Ne Win, through non-violent campaigns.

1991

Was awarded the Noble Peace Prize.  The committee chairman called her "an outstanding example of the power of the powerless".  Due to living under house arrest, she was unable to deliver her acceptance speech until 2012.

Her name is derived from  "Aung San" for father, "Kyi" for mother, "Suu" for grandmother and also the day of the week of her birth.