“Words of Wisdom From World Famous Figures About Life”... Mao Zedong (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao Zedong, was a Chinese Communist Party revolutionary, founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC), and leader of the Chinese Communist Party. led as chairman. From the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 until his death in 1976. Ideologically Marx he is a Leninist, and his theories, military strategies, and political policies are collectively known as Maoism.