Born in Haret Hreik on September 30, 1933, to Naim and Marie Aoun.
Married to Nadia Chami since November 30, 1968, they have three daughters: Mireille, Claudine and Chantal.
Academic Background:
• He studied at the ‘Sacré-Cœur School’ (Frères) in Gemmayze till 1955
• He joined the Military Academy in October 1955 and graduated as Second Lieutenant in the Artillery Corps September 30, 1958
Training Sessions overseas:
• 1958 – 1959: Session on artillery application at Châlons–sur-Marne, France
• 1966: Advanced artillery session at the USA Army Artillery and Missile School, USA
• 1978 – 1980: Staff Session at the High War Institute, Paris - France
• 1983: Session on maneuvers at Fort Benning, USA
Decorations, Commendations and Felicitations:
- National Decorations:
• Medal of War, five times
• Medal for battle wounds
• Lebanese Order of Merit, Extraordinary Grade
• Lebanese Order of Merit, Grand Cordon
• Lebanese Order of Merit, 1st grade
• Lebanese Order of Merit, 2nd grade
• Lebanese Order of Merit, silver
• National Order of the Cedar, Grand Collar
• National Order of the Cedar, Grand Cordon
• National Order of the Cedar, Officer
• National Order of the Cedar, Knight
• Commemorative Medal of December 31, 1961
• Commendation of the commander-in-chief of the Army six times
• Felicitation of the commander-in-chief three times
- Foreign Decorations:
• Commander of the Legion of Honor, France, January 29, 1986
Military transfers and posts:
• Since his graduation from the Military Academy in 1958, he undertook many tasks and assumed numerous responsibilities in all Lebanese regions, till he became Chief of Staff of the Lebanese military Forces in charge of maintaining security in Beirut on August 14, 1982.
• On January 18, 1983 he was appointed Commander of the 8th Infantry Brigade.
• On June 23, 1984, he was appointed Commander-in-chief of the Army.
Political Assignments and responsibilities:
22/09/1988 He was appointed President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of National Defense and Information, by virtue of decrees 5387 and 5388, while keeping his military rank
04/10/1988 He was assigned ad interim with the duties of the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, National Education and fine Arts, and Interior, in the absence of the original minister
13/10/1990 He moved to the embassy of France in Beirut, after the Syrian invasion, upon the request of Ambassador René Ala, in view of negotiating a cease-fire. He remained there till August 27, 1991
28/08/1991 He left Lebanon for France
07/05/2005 He returned to Beirut after the withdrawal of the Syrian forces from Lebanon
12/06/2005 He was elected Member of Parliament for the Kesserwan-Jbeil constituency, and headed the “Change and Reform Bloc” at the Lebanese Parliament
18/09/2005 He was elected President of the “Free Patriotic Movement” party
07/06/2009 He was reelected Member of Parliament for the Kesserwan district
On October 31, 2016, he was elected President of the Republic of Lebanon. He is the thirteenth President after Independence.
Main Speeches and Lectures:
11/06/1994 Address at the Lebanese National Conference, Paris
05/12/1995 Letter to the Synod for Lebanon
20/05/1996 Letter to the European Parliament, Strasbourg
12/03/1998 Lecture entitled “Lebanon: past, present and future”, ESSEC Institute, Paris
22/05/2000 Lecture at the French Parliament about the Lebanese situation
12/10/2000 Lecture entitled "Dialogue: Road to Salvation, Imperial College, London
23/02/2001 Lecture entitled "Ten years of peace without peace", Lyon – France
24/01/2002 Lecture entitled "Dialogue or confrontation between civilizations?", Versailles – France
07/03/2002 Lecture entitled "Stability in Lebanon and Peace in the Middle-east", ESSEC Institute, Paris
07/03/2003 Lecture at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, Washington
05/06/2003 Lecture entitled "World War 3, a war on terrorism”, ‘Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences-Po)’, Paris
18/09/2003 Testimony at the US Congress in favor of the 'Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act'
21/11/2004 Official letter to the Lebanese parties and personalities and to the Syrian State to take part in a dialogue aimed at reaching an agreement about the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon, which would be an honorable exit for all
07/04/2005 Lecture at the ‘Maison de la Recherche Paris Sorbonne’, Paris
22/11/2005 Lecture entitled "the New Lebanon, from liberation to reform, National Press Club, Washington
05/11/2008 Presentation of his defense strategy conception to the table of dialogue held at the Presidential Palace
10/10/2010 Letter to the Synod for the Levant
Publications:
"A certain vision of Lebanon", in French and Arabic, 2007