After Mao took power in 1949, China went through many changes. In January 1958, Mao ordered the Great Leap Forward. The Great Leap Forward was an attempt to boost China’s agricultural and industrial output. The movement was a failure as the agricultural output actually decreased and millions of Chinese died. Since he lost some reputation due to the Great Leap Forward, Mao lost some power. In order to gain back his authority, Mao put in motion the Cultural Revolution in 1966. In his later years, Mao started to build connections with the United States. In 1972, President Nixon went to China and met Mao. Nixon’s visit to China was a key step in bettering the relationship with US. Mao Zedong died on September 18, 1976 due to Parkinson’s
