Mamadou Dia was a Senegalese politician who became the first Prime Minister of Senegal. Born into a Muslim family, he attended a Qur'anic school and then received his training as a teacher from the reputed William Ponty School. He worked as a teacher and journalist before entering politics in the early 1940s. He was a part of the French Senate from 1948 to 1956, and the French National Assembly from 1956 to 1958. He served as the vice president and president of Senegal’s Government Council before being appointed as the prime minister in 1959. He was appointed the prime minister by the French National Assembly to serve alongside the newly elected President Léopold Sédar Senghor. As the prime minister of the state, he often became involved in controversies when his radical socialist views clashed with those of the more moderate president. He retained the post after Senegal gained independence but was later accused of plotting a conspiracy against the president. As a result, he was ousted by the president in a power struggle that Senghor denounced as an attempted constitutional coup. He was forced to resign and was subsequently sentenced to life in prison, but was absolved in 1974. Although he never returned to a position of power, he remained an iconic figure who contributed significantly in shaping Senegalese politics.