Filipino dissident who opposed the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and became a folk hero after his death. The Manila International Airport was later renamed Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his honor and the anniversary of his death is a national holiday in the Philippines.
His family political connections allowed him to see the beginnings of what he called a 'garrison' state, government by a military junta.
After martial law was declared in the Philippines, and he was imprisoned on trumped-up charges, he announced a hunger strike in protest.
His father was a general in the revolutionary army of Emilio Aguinaldo, and his father was a member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines.
After the overthrow of Ferdinand Marcos, his death date became a national holiday.
