Egypt's Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi is the Head of the Higher Military Council that took control of Egypt after Hosni Mubarak resigned his post as president on Friday..

Here are some facts about Tantawi:

•    He was born on October 31, 1935 and joined the Armed Forces in 1956.
•    Tantawi holds the rank of Field Marshal and has served in the government of Egypt as Minister of Defense and Military Production since 1991, and as General      Commander for the Armed Forces since 1995.
•    Tantawi has served in 3 wars against Israel, starting with the 1956 Suez Crisis and both the 1967 and 1973 Middle East wars.
•    He was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, in addition to his post as Defense Minister, after Mubarak sacked his cabinet in a failed attempt to calm mass protests on Jan. 29.
•    His military background and seniority had led to speculation he could be a possible runner for Presidency, though some analysts said he had limited support among the armed forces' rank and file.