# Juscelino Kubitschek _President of Brazil from 1956 to 1961_ Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/juscelino-kubitschek Last updated: 2026-11-01 > Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuseˈlinu kubiˈtʃɛk(i) dʒi oliˈve(j)ɾɐ]; 12 September 1902 – 22 August 1976), also known by his initials JK, was a Brazilian politician who served as the 21st president of Brazil from 1956 to 1961. During his term, the country experienced a period of notable economic growth and political stability. However, there was a significant increase in external debt, inflation, and wealth inequality. Kubitschek is also well-known for the construction of Brasília. ## Quick facts - **Born:** 12 September 1902 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155824#P569)) - **Place of birth:** Diamantina ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155824#P19)) - **Died:** 22 August 1976 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155824#P570)) - **Place of death:** Resende ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155824#P20)) - **Citizenship:** Brazil ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155824#P27)) - **Occupation:** physician; politician; writer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155824#P106)) - **Political party:** Social Democratic Party (1945) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155824#P102)) - **Education:** Federal University of Minas Gerais ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155824#P69)) - **Spouse:** Sarah Kubitschek ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155824#P26)) - **Positions held:** Goiás senator (4 October 1961 – 8 June 1964); President of Brazil (31 January 1956 – 31 January 1961); mayor of Belo Horizonte (23 October 1940 – 30 October 1945); federal deputy of Minas Gerais; governor of Minas Gerais ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155824#P39)) - **Awards:** Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic‎; Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, 1st class; Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross; Order of Rio Branco; Order of Naval Merit; Order of Boyacá; Grand Cross of the Sash of the Three Orders; Grand Cross of the Military Order of the Tower and Sword; Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry; Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero; Order of the Aztec Eagle; Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic; Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry; Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155824#P166)) ## About Born in Diamantina, Kubitschek completed the humanities course at the Diamantina Seminary and moved to Belo Horizonte in 1920. In 1927, he graduated in medicine from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), and in 1930 he specialized in urology in Paris. Kubitschek briefly served as a federal deputy, before losing his seat during the 1937 Brazilian coup. In 1940, he was appointed mayor of Belo Horizonte, remaining in this position until October 1945. At the end of the same year, he was elected constituent deputy for the Social Democratic Party (PSD). In 1950, Kubitschek was elected governor of Minas Gerais. As governor, he created the Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais, and prioritized road building and industrialization. In October 1954, Kubitschek launched his candidacy for the 1955 presidential election, which was made official in February 1955. He presented a developmentalist speech and used "50 years in 5" as his campaign slogan. In an alliance formed by six parties, his running mate was João Goulart. On 3 October, he was elected president of Brazil with 35.6% of the votes. The opposition tried to annul the election on the grounds that Kubitschek had not obtained an absolute majority of votes. However, general Henrique Teixeira Lott triggered a military movement to ensure Kubitschek's inauguration. As president, Kubitschek was… ## Questions **When was Juscelino Kubitschek born?** Juscelino Kubitschek was born on 12 September 1902 in Diamantina. **What positions has Juscelino Kubitschek held?** Positions held by Juscelino Kubitschek include: Goiás senator (1961–1964); President of Brazil (1956–1961); mayor of Belo Horizonte (1940–1945); federal deputy of Minas Gerais; governor of Minas Gerais. **Where did Juscelino Kubitschek study?** Juscelino Kubitschek was educated at Federal University of Minas Gerais. ## Related - [Ronaldo Caiado](https://diginpl.com/people/ronaldo-caiado) - [João Goulart](https://diginpl.com/people/joao-goulart) - [Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva](https://diginpl.com/people/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva) - [Dilma Rousseff](https://diginpl.com/people/dilma-rousseff) - [João Figueiredo](https://diginpl.com/people/joao-figueiredo) - [Ranieri Mazzilli](https://diginpl.com/people/ranieri-mazzilli) - [Getúlio Vargas](https://diginpl.com/people/getulio-vargas) - [Fernando Pimentel](https://diginpl.com/people/fernando-pimentel) ## Sources - [Wikipedia (English): Juscelino Kubitschek](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juscelino_Kubitschek) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) - [Wikidata item Q155824](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155824) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) - [Image: Juscelino Kubitschek in 1956.jpg by Governo do Brasil (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Juscelino_Kubitschek_in_1956.jpg) ## Licence and attribution Text from the Wikipedia article Juscelino Kubitschek, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Juscelino Kubitschek in 1956.jpg — Governo do Brasil, Public domain. ## Cite this page "Juscelino Kubitschek". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/juscelino-kubitschek. Retrieved 6 November 2026.