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In an unprecedented seven-decade political career, Shimon Peres has filled nearly every position in Israeli public life.

Here's a look at some of his career highlights:

— Shimon Perski is born on Aug. 2, 1923 in Vishneva, then part of Poland. He moves to pre-state Palestine in 1934 with his immediate family and later enters politics where he becomes a protégé of Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion.

— In 1952, at age 29, he becomes the youngest person ever to serve as director-general of Israel's Defense Ministry. There he is credited with arming Israel's military almost from scratch and creating what is widely believed to be a nuclear arsenal.

— In 1959, Peres is first elected to the Knesset, Israel's parliament, serving almost uninterrupted until 2007. He is appointed deputy defense minister.

— In 1969, he is appointed minister of immigrant absorption, the first in a long line of Cabinet position to follow.

— In 1977, he suffers defeat while running for prime minister, losing to Menachem Begin, whose Likud party rises to power for the first time.

— In 1984, he finally becomes prime minister after tying with Likud's Yitzhak Shamir and agreeing to share the job in a rotation. As prime minister, he disentangles Israeli troops from Lebanon and rescues the economy from triple-digit inflation.

— In 1992, he becomes foreign minister in the Labor party-led government, serving under his longtime rival Yitzhak Rabin. Together they work to forge the first peace accord with the Palestinians and a peace accord with Jordan. In 1994, they share the Nobel Peace Prize with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

— In 1995, after Rabin is assassinated by a Jewish ultranationalist opposed to Israel's peace moves, Peres became acting prime minister. Just six months later he is defeated by Benjamin Netanyahu in elections.

— In 2007, he is elected president, a largely ceremonial role but one that earns him the kind of national admiration that eluded him throughout his lengthy career.

— In 2014, Peres completes his presidential term, remaining active at his peace center until suffering a debilitating stroke on Sept. 13.