Find Famous People Fast!

Browse by Name:

King Hussein I

Political Leader

Said to be a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad, Hussein was the longtime ruler of the nation of Jordan. Schooled in Egypt and at the British Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, the 18-year-old Hussein took the throne in 1953 following the death of his grandfather, King Abdullah. After some difficult years early in his reign, Hussein became known as a moderating force in the Middle East, with strong ties to many Arab leaders and to western nations. In 1998-99, the king spent six months in the U.S. being treated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; he succumbed to the disease in February of 1999, leaving his eldest son Abdullah as his successor.

Extra credit: Hussein was a ham radio buff.

King Hussein also appears in our Who2 loop Almost Assassinated!

Four Good Links

Remembering King Hussein

PBS provides great background, interviews and audio files

Office of King Hussein

Handsome official site; fine bio and photos

The Royal Family of Jordan

Plenty of historical background from a big site on royalty

King Hussein Obituary

CNN recaps his life; good extra links, too

Vital Stats

Birth

14 November 1935

Birthplace

Amman, Jordan

Death

7 February 1999
(Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, age 63)

Best Known As

Stability-building Middle East ruler