Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, philosopher, sociologist, politician and statesman, the first president of the Czechoslovak Republic, was born on March 7th, 1850 in Hodonin (Moravia). He studied at Vienna University, where he was later engaged as a senior lecturer. In 1882 he moved to Prague as a professor of sociology at hte Czech University. Soon after World War I broke out, he left for abroad in order ro gain the support of the allied powers for the idea of an independent Czechoslovak state. From 1917, he participated in creation of Czechoslovak legions in Russia, France and Italy. In February 1918, he left Russia for America via Japan. In September 1918, he became the chairman of the interim Czechoslovak government and in Waschington on October 18, he published the Declaration of the Indepedence of the Czechoslovak Nation. After the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic, he was elected its first president on November 14, 1918. He was re-elected in 1920, 1927 and 1934, and held the function as the head of the Republic until 1935 when he resigned because of declining health. T. G. Masaryk died on September 14, 1937.
