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David Ben-Gurion (16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary national founder of the State of Israel and the first prime minister of the country. Born David Grün, he adopted the surname Ben-Gurion in 1909, and later rose to become the preeminent leader of the Jewish community in British-ruled Mandatory Palestine from 1935 until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, which he led until 1963 with a short break between 1954 and 1955. This photograph of Ben-Gurion was taken in 1960 and is part of Israel's National Photo Collection.Photograph credit: Fritz Cohen