Julius Caesar was awarded the title of dictator four times before becoming dictator for life. His first appointment came in 49 BC, after he crossed the Rubicon and took control of Rome during the civil war. He resigned after only 11 days, having used the office mainly to hold elections.
Caesar received further dictatorships after defeating Pompey and his remaining opponents. These later appointments lasted longer, sometimes for a year, and helped him reorganize the Roman state while rewarding his military dominance. By 46 BC, the Senate was appointing him dictator on an annual basis.
The commonly confused detail is that Caesar became dictator for life, or dictator perpetuo, in February 44 BC. That was a separate, final appointment rather than the fourth ordinary dictatorship. His repeated accumulation of extraordinary powers alarmed many senators, who feared that the Republic was being replaced by personal rule.
His lifetime dictatorship lasted only weeks. On 15 March 44 BC, the Ides of March, a group of senators assassinated him in the Theatre of Pompey. The murder failed to restore the Republic and instead triggered further civil wars.