Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03

Khieu Samphan Biography and Timeline

Follow Khieu Samphan through 13 dated historical records for Kampuchea.

Khieu Samphan, historical timeline

A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.

13Distinct records
1 of 1Page
1956–1979Years on this page

1956

KCP

Member of CCP · Politics / Communist Party

Hou Yuon and Khieu Samphan help establish a new group, the Khmer Students Union,inside, the group was still run by the Cercle Marxiste

KSU

Member of CCP · Politics / Communist Party

The doctoral dissertations written by Hou Yuon and Khieu Samphan express basic themes that were later to become the cornerstones of the policy adopted by Democratic Kampuchea. Hou Yuon and Khieu Samphan help establish a new group, the Khmer Students Union,inside, the group was still run by the Cercle Marxiste

1959

KCP

Member of CCP · Politics / Communist Party

The major argument in Khieu Samphans 1959 thesis, Kampucheas Economy and Industrial Development, was that the country had to become self-reliant and end its economic dependency on the developed world. Khieu Samphan returned from Paris in 1959, taught as a member of the law faculty of the University of Phnom Penh, and started a left-wing, French-language publication, LObservateur

LObservateur

Member of CCP · Politics / Communist Party

Khieu Samphan returned from Paris in 1959, taught as a member of the law faculty of the University of Phnom Penh, and started a left-wing, French-language publication, LObservateur

1960

LObservateur

Member of CCP · Politics / Communist Party

The Government closes the paper, and Sihanouks police publicly humiliate Khieu by beating, undressing and photographing him in public

1976

Constitution of Kampuchea

Prime Minister of Kampuchea · Phnom Penh · Government / Government of Kampuchea

Anew constitution comes into effect in Democratic Kampuchea

Role range: 1976-1976

Appointed President

President of State Presidium of Democratic Kampuchea · Phnom Penh · Government / Khmer Rouge

CPK Central Committee appoints Khieu Samphan as President of the State Presidium

Role range: 1976-1979

Assembly Confirmation

President of State Presidium of Democratic Kampuchea · Phnom Penh · Government / Khmer Rouge

People's Representative Assembly confirms Khieu Samphan as head of state

Role range: 1976-1979

Government Announcement

President of State Presidium of Democratic Kampuchea · Phnom Penh · Government / Khmer Rouge

Democratic Kampuchea government announced with Khieu Samphan as head of state

Role range: 1976-1979

Office Begins

President of State Presidium of Democratic Kampuchea · Phnom Penh · Government / Khmer Rouge

Khieu Samphan begins office as President of the State Presidium

Role range: 1976-1979

State Presidium Formed

President of State Presidium of Democratic Kampuchea · Phnom Penh · Government / Khmer Rouge

State Presidium becomes the formal head of state institution

Role range: 1976-1979

Prime Minister of Kampuchea

Prime Minister of Kampuchea · Government / Government of Kampuchea

Appointed Prime Minister of Kampuchea

Role range: 1976-1976

1979

Presidency Ends

Former President of State Presidium · Phnom Penh · Government / Khmer Rouge

Khieu Samphan loses state authority as Phnom Penh falls to Vietnamese-backed forces

Role range: 1976-1979

Records, sources and methodology

These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.