Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Monday, July 14, 2025
    961
    Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok
    • Breaking News
    • Guides
    • Food & Drink
    • Listicles
    • Join the Team
    • Whatsapp
      • 961
      • 961 News
    Advertise with Us Get the App
    961
    Home»Magazine»Lifestyle»People
    The961
    5 Mins Read

    20+ World Leaders Who Resigned For Less Serious Things Than The Beirut Port Blast

    By Souad LazkaniFebruary 21, 2021Updated:September 28, 2021
    Facebook WhatsApp Copy Link

    Throughout history, there have been world leaders who resigned for reasons far less serious than the tragic Beirut Port explosion, be it due to revolutions, or over allegations of corruption, or of old age.

    Here are a few notable ones:

    #1 King Edward VIII

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by @arcangelonocera

    In 1936, King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom and the Dominions abdicated to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson, despite lots of disapproval. In other words, he stepped down for the love of a woman.

    #2 Winston Churchill 

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Alberto Cecereu (@acecereu)

    In 1955, Churchill, who led Britain through WWII, resigned as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom because of his declining health. He was 80 years old. For reference, Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun is 86.

    #3 Charles de Gaulle

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Charles de Gaulle (@charles_de_gaulle_france)

    In 1969, Charles de Gaulle resigned as the President of France after losing a constitutional referendum.

    #4 Spiro Agnew

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by FH aka HistorySisco (@historysisco)

    In 1973, Spiro Agnew resigned as the Vice President of the United States as a result of a financial scandal and corruption allegations. He was convicted on charges of bribery, tax evasion, and money laundering.

    #5 Richard Nixon

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Ronald Potter (@canadacolonel)

    In 1974, facing impeachment after the Watergate scandal, he resigned as the President of the United States.

    #6 Kakuei Tanaka

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Meigenbot / めいげんぼっと (@meigenbot_official)

    In 1974, he resigned as the Prime Minister of Japan over allegations of corruption.

    #7 Golda Meir

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Religion Unplugged (@religionunplugged)

    In 1947, she resigned as Prime Minister amid growing unpopularity and criticism that she led the Israeli army into a war it was not prepared for. Note, in Lebanon, the Interior Minister believes that women cannot be prime ministers.

    #8 Yitzhak Rabin

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Antroyce Lee (@antroyce_snsd)

    Rabin, who became Prime Minister of the Israeli government after Meir, resigned in the wake of a financial scandal in 1977.

    #9 Margaret Thatcher

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Margaret Thatcher (@baroness_margaret_thatcher)

    Thatcher, nicknamed the Iron Lady, surprised everyone when she resigned as the British Prime Minister in 1990 after failing to win the majority in the Conservative Party’s annual vote for the selection of a leader.

    Note, in Lebanon, the Interior Minister believes that women cannot be prime ministers.

    #10 Zhan Videnov 

    DarikNews

    He resigned as Prime Minister of Bulgaria in 1997 amidst the country’s most severe economic crisis and protests.

    #11 Sali Berisha

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Sali Berisha (@saliberisha_official)

    In 1997, he resigned as the President of Albania after the collapse of the government’s economic pyramid schemes leading to the Albanian Civil War. 

    #12 Eduard Shevardnadze

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by გიორგი მაქაცარია (@giomaqa)

    In 2003, he resigned as the President of Georgia as a result of the peaceful Rose Revolution.

    #13 Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada 

    El Diario

    The President of Bolivia resigned on October 17, 2003, amid massive protests against the government’s economic policy.

    #14 Omar Karami

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Rachad Ghandour (@rachadghandour)

    Karami resigned twice as the Prime Minister of Lebanon. Once in 1992 due to economic collapse leading to riots, and another time in 2005 after failing to form a new government.

    #15 Horst Köhler

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Dennis Williamson (@williamson_foto)

    He resigned as President of Germany in 2020 following criticism over his controversial statements on overseas military deployment.

    #16 Zine El Abidine Ben Ali

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by نجيب بلحسنNejib Belhassen (@nejibbelhassen)

    He resigned as President of Tunisia in 2011 due to the Tunisian Revolution.

    #17 Hosni Mubarak

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Yousuf Karsh (@yousuf_karsh_official)

    He resigned as the President of Egypt in 2011 due to the Egyptian Revolution.

    #18 Naoto Kan

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by YouKey Richards (@djskyfall69)

    Resigned as the Prime Minister of Japan in 2011 in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

    #20 Christian Wulff

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by christianwulffofficial (@christianwulffofficial)

    Resigned as President of Germany in 2012 while facing possible prosecution for allegations of corruption.

    #21 Pál Schmitt 

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Teddy Payne Historian (@historywithted)

    Resigned as President of Hungary in 2012 amid accusations of academic misconduct in which he was accused of having plagiarized his 1992 doctoral thesis.

    #22 Pope Benedict XVI

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Ecclesia Catholica Romana (@summus_pontifex)

    He resigned as the Pope and Sovereign of the Vatican City State in 2013,  citing a “lack of strength of mind and body” due to his advanced age. He was 85.

    Egypt France Germany Israel Japan Lebanon Michel Aoun Pope Francis The Vatican United Kingdom
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email

    For You

    caracalla one thousand and one nights

    Caracalla Just Added More Dates For “One Thousand and One Nights” & You Def Don’t Want To Miss It!

    Low-Cost Lebanese Airline 961

    We Might Finally Be Getting A Low-Cost Lebanese Airline – Here’s What We Know

    lebanon jounieh cyprus by ferry 961

    You’ll Soon Be Able To Travel Between Lebanon & Cyprus By Ferry

    lebanese beer brands almaza beirut beer 961

    Lebanese Beer Brands Are Publicly Throwing Shade, And It’s Getting Frothy

    lufthansa beirut 961

    You Can Now Fly To Beirut Again On Lufthansa & Swiss Airlines

    saint levant aub outdoors 2025 961

    Saint Levant Is Officially Headlining AUB Outdoors 2025!

    shark tank Lebanon

    Shark Tank Is Officially Coming To Lebanon – Here’s How You Can Get A Chance To Pitch Your Idea

    lebanon jounieh cyprus by ferry 961

    You’ll Soon Be Able To Travel Between Lebanon & Cyprus By Ferry

    June 8, 2025

    20 Celebrities You Probably Didn’t Know Had Lebanese Roots

    April 22, 2019

    Lebanon’s Shawarma Is Going Viral in The Philippines

    April 21, 2019
    Lebanese boutiques

    25 Boutiques In Lebanon To Find Your Dream Evening Dress This Wedding Season

    June 9, 2024

    20 Typical Lebanese Slang Expressions

    April 21, 2020
    caracalla one thousand and one nights

    Caracalla Just Added More Dates For “One Thousand and One Nights” & You Def Don’t Want To Miss It!

    July 5, 2025
    whish pay lebanon 961

    You Can Now Use Whish Pay At Shopify Stores

    June 13, 2025
    lebanese beer brands almaza beirut beer 961

    Lebanese Beer Brands Are Publicly Throwing Shade, And It’s Getting Frothy

    June 7, 2025

    How Mia Khalifa Became One Of The Most Outspoken Advocates For Lebanon

    August 13, 2020
    961 Logo
    Facebook WhatsApp TikTok Instagram

    Popular Topics

    • Guides
    • Eat & Drink
    • Listicles
    • Lebanon News
    • Diaspora
    • Explained

    961

    • About
    • WhatsApp Channel
    • News WhatsApp Channel
    • Corrections Policy
    • Ownership & Funding

    Services

    • Advertise
    • Careers
    • App Waitlist
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletter
    961™ | All Rights Reserved ©2025
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.