Former US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan dies at age 100

Greenspan presided over economic turbulence, including crises and booms, during his 18-year tenure as Fed chairman.Former United States Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has died at the age of 100 due to complications from Parkinson’s disease.“To me, he was my husband, who shaped my life from our very first date in 1984,” his wife of 29 years, NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell, said on Monday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4South Africa’s immigration crackdown divides Johannesburg’s inner citylist 2 of 4Shipping stalls in Strait of Hormuz after Iran declares key waterway shutlist 3 of 4Explosion at Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG facility kills at least 13list 4 of 4Why Coca-Cola and the US taxman are at war over a $20bn tax billend of list“He had ‘irrational exuberance’ for baseball, the Washington Commanders, tennis, golf, and music, especially jazz. He will be remembered for his brilliance and his kindness. Being his life partner was the joy of my life.”In his more than 18 years at the helm of the Fed, Greenspan presided over a sustained era of American growth and prosperity, yet one that ended with devastating consequences in 2008, two years after he had left the central bank.Originally appointed by US President Ronald Reagan in 1987, Greenspan was immediately tested after the stock market suffered the single worst one-day loss in US history, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average slumping more than 22 percent, which happened only two months into his tenure.Greenspan won high praise for helping restore calm and stability. He assured Wall Street that the Fed would supply as much money to the financial system as was needed to restore calm. Stocks recovered, and the US economy emerged unscathed by the market crash.Greenspan was so respected during his many years as head of the world’s most influential central bank that by the time he stepped down in 2006, he had presided over a surge in stock prices and a 10-year economic boom that began in March 1991 after an economic recession.He also led the economy through the 1997–1998 Asian and Russian financial contagion, the collapse of the dot-com stocks bubble in 2000, and the turbulent economic aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks.