45 years ago Josip Broz Tito died: The day when Yugoslavia stopped

On that May 4th, at 6:50 PM, the television program was interrupted, and Miodrag Zivkovic read the saddest news after which everything changed: "Comrade Tito has died."

At the moment when the news was published, there was a huge game played between football clubs Hajduk and Crvena zvezda, but it was interrupted after Miodrag Zivkovic's announcement.

Tito was at the helm of Yugoslavia for 35 years, led the country out of the Soviet bloc, and was one of the leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement. He was an honorary member of all academies in Yugoslavia and many abroad. He was awarded the Order of the People's Hero (three times), the Order of the Hero of Socialist Labor, the Order of Lenin (USSR), and many other domestic and foreign decorations.

He received the Nehru Award (India) in 1973 for international understanding. Tito's speeches, articles, and other political and theoretical works were published in several editions in the SFRY and abroad.

About 700,000 people at Tito's funeral

He fell ill at the age of 88, but despite this he performed his duties and participated in the Non-Aligned Summit in Havana in 1979. In January 1980, his left leg was amputated, and he died four months later.

His funeral, which was held in Belgrade on May 8, was attended by representatives of more than 120 countries, kings, princes, and about 700,000 people.

Admirers of the character and works of Josip Broz Tito traditionally visit his grave in the House of Flowers in Dedinje in Belgrade from the early morning hours on this day, and most visitors come from the countries that emerged after the breakup of Yugoslavia.

His death changed a lot in the Balkans, but also in the world. Ten years later, Yugoslavia collapsed, followed by bloody wars.

Josip Broz Tito was born in Kumrovac in May 1892. His birthday is still celebrated on May 25 as "Youth Day".