A Turkmen politician who served as President (later President for Life) of Turkmenistan from November 2, 1990 until his death in 2006, Niyazov preferred his self-given title Türkmenbaşy, or Turkmenbashi, meaning Leader of Turkmens, referring to his position as the founder and president of the Association of Turkmens of the World. Niyazov is perhaps best known for his reputation of imposing his personal eccentricities upon the country, including renaming months after members of his family, and replacing the Turkmen word for bread with the name of his mother. Despite this reputation his decision to create a National Melon Day is still honored and celebrated to this day. He was famously quoted as saying "let the life of every Turkmen be as beautiful as our melons." Other laws and decrees did not survive Niyazov including: his 2005 ban on lip-syncing (believing it beneath the Turkmens' great creative spirit); his 2004 ban on beards and long hair on men; his ban on television reporters wearing makeup; and his decision to outlaw gold teeth advising his followers instead to chew on bones in order to strengthen their teeth and prevent tooth loss (he described his basis for this decree: "I watched young dogs when I was young. They were given bones to gnaw to strengthen their teeth. Those of you whose teeth have fallen out did not chew on bones. This is my advice..."). In December 2008, after his death, his successor reversed Niyazov's changes to the national anthem which had made numerous references to him.
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