1. Charles Helou was a Lebanese politician who served as the 4th president of Lebanon from 1964 to 1970.
12 Facts About Charles Helou
1. 2.
Charles Helou graduated with honours from St Joseph's University in Beirut in 1929, and went on to complete a law degree in 1934.
3.
Charles Helou worked in his early years as a journalist at the French language newspaper L'Eclair du Nord.
4.
Charles Helou was at one time the political editor of Le Jour, a French daily newspaper owned by his close friend Michel Chiha.
5.
Charles Helou later served in the Cabinet as minister of justice and health and as minister of education.
6.
Charles Helou founded and launched the Institute for Palestine Studies in 1963.
7.
The most pressing issue that was first to cause problems for Charles Helou was the Israeli diversion of the Jordan River.
8.
The impressive economic growth that characterized Charles Helou's presidency translated into a cultural and lifestyle belle epoque in Lebanon was due to the efforts launched by the former President Chehab.
9.
Charles Helou managed to keep Lebanon from entanglement, apart from a brief air strike, but found it impossible to put the lid on the tensions that had been raised.
10.
In 1970, Charles Helou endorsed Elias Sarkis as his chosen successor, but the latter lost the election in the National Assembly by one vote to Suleiman Frangieh.
11.
Unlike other former presidents, who remained politically active after retirement, Charles Helou faded from the scene.
12.
Charles Helou was involved in a philanthropic venture, founding a number of restaurants to provide free hot meals to elderly people.