Leonid Brezhnev (1907-1982) passed away in Moscow on November 10th, 1982. Brezhnev headed the Soviet Union for 18 years, from 1964 to 1982, taking office shortly after the death of Nikita Khrushchev. He was the sixth and longest-serving General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and the third individual to hold the position following Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin. He is remembered for his part in advancing the cause of nuclear disarmament and for modernising the Soviet economy through considerable changes to industrialisation, investment and trade policies. He is also known for his role in the Cold War and the Communist Party's increasingly authoritarian nature, a period known as the 'era of stagnation'. Brezhnev was named a Hero of Soviet Union, and was awarded seven Orders of Lenin. He died at the age of 75 from a heart attack. He is survived by his children and grandchildren.