Zhang Chunqiao was a prominent Chinese politician and a key figure during the Cultural Revolution, which lasted from 1966 to 1976. Born on February 1, 1917, he became a member of the Chinese Communist Party and was known for his role in promoting radical leftist policies. Zhang served as the first secretary of the Shanghai municipal committee and was influential in the political landscape of the time. After the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, Zhang was arrested and later tried for his involvement in the excesses of the Cultural Revolution. He was one of the "Gang of Four," a group that included Jiang Qing, Yao Wenyuan, and Zhang Chunqiao, which was blamed for the turmoil during that period. Zhang was sentenced to death, but his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment.