Alexandre Sabès Pétion (French pronunciation: ​[al%C9%9Bks%C9%91%CC%83d%CA%81 sabɛs pɛtjɔ̃]; April 2, 1770 – March 29, 1818) was the first President of the Republic of Haiti from 1806 until his death in 1818. He is one of Haiti's founding fathers, together with Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and his rival Henri Christophe.

Pétion was born "Anne Alexandre Sabès" in Port-au-Prince to Pascal Sabès, a wealthy French father and Ursula, a free mulatto woman,[3] which made him a quadroon (a quarter African ancestry).[4][5] Like other gens de couleur libres (free people of color) with wealthy fathers, Pétion was sent to France in 1788 to be educated and study at the Military Academy in Paris.

Legacy and honors Bust of Pétion near the Quinta de Bolívar in Bogotá

   The town of Pétionville near Port-au-Prince was founded and named in his honor.

   There's a square named after Pétion, with a bronze standing statue of him in the Champs de Mars area of Port-au-Prince.

   The Pétion-Bolivar square and avenue in Jacmel are both named after him and South American leader Simon Bolivar.

   The Haitian 500 gourdes currency bears his portrait.

   The early nineteenth century fortress, Fort Alexandre overseeing Port-au-Prince on one of its surrounding hills at Fermathe, was named after him.

   The Lycée Pétion, oldest in the capital, was founded by him in 1816, bears his name.

   The Rue Pétion (Pétion Street) in Port-au-Prince in the Champs-de-Mars area, not far from the Cathedral of Port-au-Prince that was destroyed during the 2010 earthquake.

   A bust of Pétion alongside one of Jean-Jacques Dessalines was inaugurated at Quito Ecuador in 2015 at the Haiti Plaza.

from: Wikipedia