Former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, who swept away a dictator with a "people power" revolt and then sustained democracy by fighting off seven coup attempts in six years, died Aug. 1, her son said. She was 76.

Corazon Aquino campaigns in Cebu, the Philippines, in 1986. AP PHOTO

The uprising she led in 1986 ended the repressive 20-year regime of Ferdinand Marcos and inspired non-violent protests across the globe, including those that ended Soviet rule in Eastern Europe.

But she struggled in office to meet high public expectations. Her land redistribution program fell short of ending economic domination by the landed elite, including her family. Her leadership, especially in social and economic reform, was often indecisive, leaving many of her closest allies disillusioned by the end of her term.

Still, the bespectacled, smiling woman in her trademark yellow dress remained beloved in the Philippines, where she was affectionately referred to as "Tita (Auntie) Cory."

Aquino was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer last year and confined to a Manila hospital for more than a month. Her son said the cancer had spread to other organs and she was too weak to continue her chemotherapy.

Aquino's unlikely rise began in 1983, when her husband, opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., was assassinated on the tarmac of Manila's international airport as he returned from exile in the United States to challenge Marcos, his longtime adversary.

Aquino became her husband's political stand-in, confidant, message carrier and spokeswoman on the way to driving Marcos out of office.