Mao Zedong lived until 1976.
Mao Zedong or Mao Tse-tung ( [ ˈmaʊ_dzəˈdʊŋ , _ zə - , _ - dɒŋ ] December 26 , 1893September 9 , 1976 ) , also known as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese communist revolutionary and founding father of the People 's Republic of China , which he governed as the Chairman of the Communist Party of China from its establishment in 1949 , until his death in 1976 . On 1 October 1949 , Mao proclaimed the foundation of the People 's Republic of China ( PRC ) , a one-party state controlled by the CPC . In 1972 , Mao welcomed American President Richard Nixon in Beijing , signalling a policy of opening China , which was furthered under the rule of Deng Xiaoping ( 1978 -- 1992 ) . Mao suffered a series of heart attacks in 1976 , and died in September , aged 82 . He was succeeded as Paramount leader by Hua Guofeng ( 1976 -- 1978 ) , who was quickly sidelined and replaced by Deng .