Vladimir Putin was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) on October 7, 1952. On December 31, 1999, Putin, then Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, became acting president. On March 26, 2000, he was elected president of the Russian Federation and was formally sworn in on May 7. In March 2004, Putin won the general election and was re-elected as president. On May 7, 2008, Putin officially stepped down and ended his eight-year presidency.
On May 7, 2000, Putin (left) accompanied former Russian President Yeltsin (right) out of the Kremlin after the inauguration ceremony. On the same day, Putin was sworn in as the Russian president. Xinhua News Agency/AFP
On March 26th, 2000, Putin was elected President of the Russian Federation and was formally sworn in on May 7th. In March 2004, Putin won the general election and was re-elected as president, and was sworn in in in May of the same year. In April 2008, Putin accepted the invitation of the United Russia Party and became the chairman of the United Russia Party after the end of his presidency.
On June 16th, 2001, Putin (right) and US President Bush met in Bourdaud Castle on the outskirts of Ljubljana, the Slovenian capital. This is the first meeting between Putin and Bush. Xinhua News Agency/AFP
On December 3, 2002, Putin, who was visiting China, gave a speech in Peking University. Xinhua news agency