Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old college graduate, supported himself by selling fruits and vegetables on the streets of Tunisia.

FORBES: Change During Tough Economic Times Can Kill

His fate parallels the iconic death of Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor who set himself on fire in December 2010.

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The tragic death of Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi, by self-immolation, brought about a grassroots political movement among Tunisians that effectively overthrew the country's authoritarian ruler, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.

CNN: Africa's rocky road to democracy

Widespread discontent at economic hardship, decades of autocratic rule and corruption erupted into mass demonstrations in December 2010 after a young, unemployed man, Mohamed Bouazizi, set fire to himself after officials stopped him selling vegetables on the streets of Sidi Bouzid.

BBC: Arab uprising: Country by country - Tunisia

When Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in December 2010, in an act that ignited youth driven revolution across Tunisia and throughout the Arab world, he was rallying against a system that was not only corrupt and repressive but which offered little prospect of decent jobs for young people like himself.

BBC: Tunisia��s unemployed revolutionaries head to Europe