Corneliu Zelea Codreanu was a Romanian politician and founder of the Iron Guard, a far-right paramilitary organization. Born on September 13, 1899, in Ploiești, Romania, he died on November 30, 1938. Codreanu's leadership of the Iron Guard, which was based on extreme nationalism, anti-Semitism, and anti-communism, played a significant role in Romanian politics during the interwar period. His assassination marked the end of the Iron Guard's influence, but its ideology had a lasting impact on Romanian society.