Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (AP photo)

• Born to a middle-class family in Valladolid in the Castile region on Aug. 4, 1960. His father was a lawyer and his mother was from a prominent family of doctors.
  
  
• Zapatero said he realized he had politics in his blood when, at age 16, he heard the will of his socialist grandfather, an army colonel executed by a fascist firing squad in the Spanish Civil War. The will said: "I die innocent and I forgive."
  
  
• Attended his first Socialist political rally in 1977 when Spain was about to hold its first democratic elections following the death of the dictator Francisco Franco.
  
  
• Joined the Socialist party in 1978.
  
  
• Studied law at the university in Leon from 1978 to 1982 and taught there from 1982 to 1986, specializing in constitutional law.
  
  
• Headed the Socialist youth organization in 1982 in his home province of Leon.
  
  
• In 1986, he became the youngest member of parliament in Spain when he won a seat representing the province.
• In 1988, elected to head the regional chapter of the Socialist party in Leon.
  
  
• Married singing teacher Sonsoles in 1990. Has two daughters.
  
  
• Appointed to the Federal Executive Committee of the party's governing body in 1997.
  
  
• In 2000, elected as secretary general of the PSOE. He replaced his longtime idol Felipe Gonzalez, Spain's prime minister for nearly 14 years, as Socialist leader. He has a portrait of Gonzalez in his office.
  
  
• Likes to jog and go trout fishing; doesn't drink alcohol.

Zapatero's politics

When the 39-year-old politician became the Socialist party's leader in 2000, he was derided in the Spanish media with the nickname "Bambi" — noting his idealism and wide-eyed innocence. The media have been kinder in recent times, calling him the "calm socialist." Zapatero has responded by saying he is a principled man who will bring government back to the people. When he took over the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (which had ruled from 1982 to 1996), it was plagued by corruption scandals. The party had lost power to Jose Aznar's Popular Party in 1996. Felipe Gonzalez resigned from the Socialist party as a result. Among Zapatero's political moves:

• He sought to bring more youthful members to the Socialist party after becoming its leader in 2000, moving it more to the centre. His movement became known as the "Nueva Via" (New Way).
  
  
• Zapatero has pushed for more affordable housing, an expansion in education and more money for the railway and roads.
  
  
• He criticized the government's handling of the November 2002 Prestige oil spill off the country's northern coast, accusing authorities of playing down the seriousness of the spill and bungling the cleanup.
  
  
• Zapatero portrayed out-going Prime Minister Aznar as an autocrat.
  
  
• He blasted the government for supporting the U.S.-led war on Iraq by saying that he abides by certain principles such as "thou shalt not kill."
  
  
• His campaign logo — "Z.P.: Zapatero Presidente" — highlighted the leader rather than the party, unusual for Spanish politics.
  
  
• He has pledged to take a more sympathetic approach to immigration and to understand the needs of the Basque region.
  
  
• He has vowed to make amends to France and Germany after the previous government decided to side with the U.S. on the war in Iraq.
  
  
• "My most immediate priority will be to fight terrorism," declared Zapatero after his win.
  
  
• Zapatero said he will form a Socialist government and not a coalition with other parties