His renown extended past the confines of the Arab region to resound in international forums. His life and career were never just a succession of days, but rather a living record in which personal moments intertwined with major historical transformations.
If every person has a month that leaves its deepest imprint on their lives, for Heikal that month was February – associated with the most significant milestones and turning points in his personal and professional life. They included moments of direct confrontation with authority, and reshaping his relationship with decision-making centres.
Heikal was aware of the significance of February in his life. He often spoke to me of how this month seemed to bookend his career. He joined The Egyptian Gazette on 8 February 1942 and left Al-Ahram on 3 February 1974. That latter date marked a turning point for Al-Ahram as well. By then, people rarely spoke of the famous newspaper without mentioning Heikal. At the time, no one could have predicted that these chronological coincidences would not stop there. His death in 2016 was also fated to fall on 17 February.
In fact, February was as much a month of destiny for Heikal’s personal life as it was for his professional one. Those close to him knew how deeply he loved his lifelong companion Hedayat Taymour and how much he cherished his bond with her, but they may not know that their marital life also began in February. After their wedding on 27 January 1955, they travelled south to spend the month of February in Aswan. But February had another trick up its sleeve: after barely a week in Aswan, president Gamal Abdel- Nasser phoned him in his room at the Old Cataract Hotel, and he had to return to Cairo the following day.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 19 February, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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