Nicolae Ceaușescu (Romanian pronunciation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_Romanian nikoˈla.e t͡ʃe̯a.uˈʃesku; 26 January 1918 – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian Stalinist politician. He was Secretary General of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader. He was also the country's head of state from 1967 to 1989.