LONDON, April 8: Pope John Paul’s funeral on Friday drew four kings, five queens, at least 70 presidents and prime ministers, and more than 14 leaders of other religions.
Here are some details of funerals of major figures in the last 40 years:
Nov 1963 - Assassinated US President John F. Kennedy was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The 220 foreign dignitaries who gathered included 19 heads of state and government and members of royal families, and represented 92 countries. It was the largest gathering of world statesmen at a funeral for any US president to die in office.
Jan 1965 - Britain’s wartime prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill, was buried in only the fourth state funeral in Britain. Representatives of 110 nations were at the service.
May 1980 - The funeral of Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito was one of the biggest gatherings of world leaders. Official mourners came from 123 countries: four kings, 32 presidents and other heads of state and 22 prime ministers.
Nov 1982 - Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev was buried in a state funeral in Moscow’s Red Square. Seventy-seven nations sent representatives to the ceremony.
Feb 1999 - King Hussein of Jordan was laid to rest, and dignitaries from 75 countries joined in the last rites.
Nov 2004 - Presidents and dignitaries from more than 50 countries attended the funeral of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Egypt, his second home.
