Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi, commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi (also transliterated Mouammar Kadafi, Algathafi, al-Kadhafi, Al Qadafi, Gueddafi, Gheddafi, El-Gueddafi), born on June 7, 1942 in Sirt (Libya), is a Libyan military officer who seized power in a military coup in 1969.
Since February 2011, he has been fighting a rebel movement protesting against his government. As of August 2011, he has lost control of most of eastern Libya, as well as large parts of the west and of Tripoli, the Libyan capital.