The bond between a father and his children is something experienced globally. As these dads show us, the saying "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" holds some truth worldwide, even when it comes to becoming the leader of a nation.
1
U.S.: The Bushes
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images
The Bush family will go down as one of the foremost American political clans in recent history. With speculation around a presidential candidacy for younger son Jeb Bush, the family legacy might only grow in years to come.
Caption: Former U.S. President George H. W. Bush shakes hands with his son, former U.S. President George W. Bush, during a dedication ceremony at the George W. Bush Library and Museum on the grounds of Southern Methodist University on April 25, 2013. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
Caption: Former U.S. President George H. W. Bush shakes hands with his son, former U.S. President George W. Bush, during a dedication ceremony at the George W. Bush Library and Museum on the grounds of Southern Methodist University on April 25, 2013. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
2
North Korea: The Kims
AP Photo/David Guttenfelder
With yet another generation of the Kim family now in power, the North Korean political apparatus has maintained its grip on power. While current Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un may represent a continuation of the brutal dictatorship, his distinct hairstyle represents a break from his familial predecessors.
Caption: North Koreans bow beneath portraits of the late leaders Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013.
Caption: North Koreans bow beneath portraits of the late leaders Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013.
3
Chile: The Freis
AFP PHOTO/ Rodrigo ARANGUA
Although both father and son Frei served as presidents on opposite ends of the decades-long Augusto Pinochet dictatorship, they will be remembered as pro-democracy advocates in a country that has struggled to sustain the electoral tradition in the past. As a New York Times article describes, for some Chileans, "the name Frei evokes the kind of sentiment that Kennedy and Roosevelt arouse among Democrats in the United States."
Caption: Chilean former President and presidential candidate for the ruling coalition, Eduardo Frei is seen during a visit at the cemetery to pay homage to his father former President Eduardo Frei Montalva in Santiago on December 8, 2009.
Caption: Chilean former President and presidential candidate for the ruling coalition, Eduardo Frei is seen during a visit at the cemetery to pay homage to his father former President Eduardo Frei Montalva in Santiago on December 8, 2009.
Advertisement
4
India: The Gandhis
DOUGLAS E. CURRAN/AFP/Getty Images
When the Congress Party lost the Indian election last month, it meant the end of a four generation-long line of Nehru-Gandhi family members ruling the massive country.
Caption: This photo, taken on October 31, 1989 shows Sonia Gandhi (2nd right) with her husband, then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (far right), daughter Priyanka (2nd left) and son Rahul (far left) during the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Rajiv's mother Indira.
Caption: This photo, taken on October 31, 1989 shows Sonia Gandhi (2nd right) with her husband, then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (far right), daughter Priyanka (2nd left) and son Rahul (far left) during the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Rajiv's mother Indira.
5
South Korea: The Parks
AP
Much of South Korean prime minister Park's public persona is built on her association with her father's rule, the Associated Press wrote in December 2012.
Caption: In this 1977 file photo, then South Korean President Park Chung-hee, right, and his daughter, Park Geun-hye, cast ballots in Seoul, South Korea.
Caption: In this 1977 file photo, then South Korean President Park Chung-hee, right, and his daughter, Park Geun-hye, cast ballots in Seoul, South Korea.
6
Syria: The Assads
ANWAR AMRO/AFP/Getty Images
Unfortunately for hundreds of thousands of Syrians, the saying "Like father, like son" holds true in Syria, where both father Hafez and son Bashar have achieved a mastery of ruthless leadership.
Caption: Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah Sheikh Naim Qassem delivers a speech 16 November 2003 in front of a giant painting of late Syrian president Hafez al-Assad (right) and his son, current president Bashar, during a speech in Beirut.
Caption: Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah Sheikh Naim Qassem delivers a speech 16 November 2003 in front of a giant painting of late Syrian president Hafez al-Assad (right) and his son, current president Bashar, during a speech in Beirut.
Advertisement
7
Jordan: The Hashemites
AP Photo/Mohammad Hannon
The Hashemites,the long-time rulers of Jordan, say their ancestry goes back to none other than the Prophet Mohammed. In modern day, the tradition of passing on leadership from father to son has continued, as King Abdullah II became head of state in 1999 after the death of his father.
Caption: Photos of Jordan's late King Hussein, left, and Jordan's King Abdullah II, right, are seen as a Jordanian border policeman shuts the gate to Syria near Mafraq city at the Jordanian- Syrian border, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012.
Caption: Photos of Jordan's late King Hussein, left, and Jordan's King Abdullah II, right, are seen as a Jordanian border policeman shuts the gate to Syria near Mafraq city at the Jordanian- Syrian border, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012.
8
Bangladesh: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman And Sheikh Hasina
AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh
Sheikh Hasina's reelection in January 2014 was accompanied by violent protests from the opposition. A turbulent political scene is nothing new to the family: Sheikh Hasina's father led the country's independence movement from Pakistan in 1971, a campaign that ultimately ended in the assassinations of many members of the family.
Caption: A Bangladeshi armed policeman stands guard in front of a mural of Bangladesh's prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her father and founder of the nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014.
Caption: A Bangladeshi armed policeman stands guard in front of a mural of Bangladesh's prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her father and founder of the nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014.