Hu Yaobang (胡耀邦) was a prominent Chinese politician and reformist who played a significant role in modern Chinese history. Born on November 20, 1915, in Liuyang, Hunan Province, China, he lived through a tumultuous period in China's history, from the fall of the Qing dynasty to the rise of the People's Republic of China. Hu was a lifelong communist and devoted his life to the socialist cause.