AP/Ron Edmonds
U.S. President George H. Bush gestures during a speech to the Reserve Officers Association in Washington, Wednesday evening, Jan. 23, 1991.
- Former President George H.W. Bush, who died at 94 last Friday, was a one-term president with a consequential legacy both abroad and in the US.
- As president from 1989 to 1993, Bush built a reputation as a gentle and charming leader with a penchant for wacky socks and endearing love letters.
- He also led controversial invasions in Central America and the Middle East that left lasting impacts on the regions and oversaw a growing AIDS epidemic and a crack down on drugs in the US.
Former President George H.W. Bush, who died at 94 last Friday, was a one-term president with a consequential legacy both abroad and in the US.
As president from 1989 to 1993, Bush built a reputation as a gentle and charming leader with a penchant for wacky socks and endearing love letters. A decorated Navy pilot, he played an outsized role in world affairs - leading a controversial invasion into Panama in 1989 and authorizing the Persian Gulf war in 1991. He also oversaw the heightening crisis of the AIDS epidemic and fought a War on Drugs and a steep increase in incarceration.