claim: Gamal Abdel Nasser's funeral drew five million mourners.
evidence: Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein -LRB- جمال عبد الناصر حسين , -LSB- ɡæˈmæːl ʕæbdenˈnɑːsˤeɾ ħeˈseːn -RSB- ; 15 January 1918 -- 28 September 1970 -RRB- was the second President of Egypt , serving from 1956 until his death .. Egypt. United Arab Republic. second. List of Presidents of Egypt. President of Egypt. President of Egypt. Nasser led the 1952 overthrow of the monarchy and introduced far-reaching land reforms the following year .. 1952 overthrow of the monarchy. Egyptian revolution of 1952. Following a 1954 attempt on his life by a Muslim Brotherhood member , he cracked down on the organization , put President Muhammad Naguib under house arrest , and assumed executive office , officially becoming president in June 1956 .. Muhammad Naguib. Muhammad Naguib. Muslim Brotherhood. Muslim Brotherhood. house arrest. house arrest. in June 1956. Egyptian referendum, 1956. Nasser 's popularity in Egypt and the Arab world skyrocketed after his nationalization of the Suez Canal and his political victory in the subsequent Suez Crisis .. Egypt. United Arab Republic. Suez Canal. Suez Canal. Suez Crisis. Suez Crisis. Calls for pan-Arab unity under his leadership increased , culminating with the formation of the United Arab Republic with Syria -LRB- 1958 -- 1961 -RRB- .. pan-Arab unity. pan-Arabism. United Arab Republic. United Arab Republic. Syria. Syria. In 1962 , Nasser began a series of major socialist measures and modernization reforms in Egypt .. Egypt. United Arab Republic. socialist. socialism. Despite setbacks to his pan-Arabist cause , by 1963 Nasser 's supporters gained power in several Arab countries , but he became embroiled in the North Yemen Civil War .. North Yemen Civil War. North Yemen Civil War. He began his second presidential term in March 1965 after his political opponents were banned from running .. second. List of Presidents of Egypt. Following Egypt 's defeat by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War , Nasser resigned , but he returned to office after popular demonstrations called for his reinstatement .. Egypt. United Arab Republic. Six-Day War. Six-Day War. reinstatement. reinstatement. By 1968 , Nasser had appointed himself prime minister , launched the War of Attrition to regain lost territory , began a process of depoliticizing the military , and issued a set of political liberalization reforms .. War of Attrition. War of Attrition. After the conclusion of the 1970 Arab League summit , Nasser suffered a heart attack and died .. 1970 Arab League summit. 1970 Arab League summit. His funeral in Cairo drew five million mourners and an outpouring of grief across the Arab world .. Cairo. Cairo. Nasser remains an iconic figure in the Arab world , particularly for his strides towards social justice and Arab unity , modernization policies , and anti-imperialist efforts .. social justice. social justice. anti-imperialist. Anti-imperialism. His presidency also encouraged and coincided with an Egyptian cultural boom , and launched large industrial projects , including the Aswan Dam and Helwan City .. Egyptian. Egyptians. His presidency. Nasser era. Aswan Dam. Aswan Dam. Helwan City. Helwan. Nasser 's detractors criticize his authoritarianism , corruption , incompetence , and human rights violations , his propagandistic manipulation of the populace , and his dominance of military over civil institutions , establishing a pattern of military and dictatorial rule in Egypt .. Egypt. United Arab Republic. propagandistic. propaganda