Liu Xiaobo was born in the Manchurian city of Changchun in 1955. During the Cultural Revolution, Liu was swept up in Mao’s youth reeducation campaigns and sent to live in the countryside.

When the Cultural Revolution ended after Mao’s death, Liu entered college where he studied literature. After earning a BA in his home province, Liu earned a PhD from Beijing Normal University in 1988, where he signed on as a lecturer.

Liu built a reputation as a harsh and abrasive critic of both the government and fellow intellectuals.

Liu Xiaobo