Lázaro Cárdenas del Río was a prominent Mexican revolutionary, army officer, and politician who served as the 51st president of Mexico from 1934 to 1940. Before his presidency, he held several significant leadership roles, including serving as a general in the Constitutional Army during the Mexican Revolution, Governor of Michoacán, President of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, and Secretary of National Defence.
His presidency marked the end of the Maximato period and was characterized by major structural changes to the Mexican state. Notable achievements during his tenure include the implementation of massive land reform programs, the nationalization of the country's oil industry, and the establishment of a welfare state.