Adolfo Suarez | Spanish premier, 81

Adolfo Suarez, 81, the prime minister who led Spain from dictatorship to democracy and became its first elected premier after the death of Francisco Franco, died Sunday at a hospital in Madrid.

Mr. Suarez, who served under Franco as a regional governor and director of state television, was chosen by his friend King Juan Carlos I in 1976 to lead the country back to democracy. A lawyer by training, he pushed through sweeping reforms. - Bloomberg News