Ásgeir Ásgeirsson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
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Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
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| 2nd President of Iceland | |
| In office 1 August 1952 – 1 August 1968 |
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| Prime Minister | Hermann Jónasson Emil Jónsson Ólafur Thors Bjarni Benediktsson Ólafur Thors Bjarni Benediktsson |
| Preceded by | Sveinn Björnsson |
| Succeeded by | Kristján Eldjárn |
| 6th Prime Minister of Iceland | |
| In office 3 June 1932 – 28 July 1934 |
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| Monarch | Kristján X |
| Preceded by | Tryggvi Þórhallsson |
| Succeeded by | Hermann Jónasson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 May 1894 Kóranesi á Mýrum, Iceland |
| Died | 15 September 1972 (aged 78) Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Political party | Progressive Party Social Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Dóra Þórhallsdóttir |
Ásgeir Ásgeirsson (Icelandic: [ˈausceir̥ ˈausceir̥sɔn]) was an important leader in Iceland. He was the second President of Iceland, serving from 1952 to 1968. This means he was the head of the country for 16 years! He was also involved with a group called the Icelandic Order of Freemasons.
Early Life and School
Ásgeir Ásgeirsson was born on May 13, 1894. He went to the University of Iceland in Reykjavík. He studied to become a theologian and finished his studies with high marks in 1915. However, he was thought to be too young to become a minister at that time.
In 1917, Ásgeir married Dóra Þórhallsdóttir. Dóra's father, Þórhallur Bjarnarson, was the Bishop of Iceland. Her brother, Tryggvi Þórhallsson, later became the Prime Minister of Iceland.
Political Career
Ásgeir started his political journey at a young age.
- In 1923, when he was 29, he was elected to the Althing. The Althing is Iceland's parliament, like a big meeting place where laws are made. He was part of the Progressive Party.
- In 1930, he was the speaker at a special event. This event celebrated the Althing's 1,000th birthday!
- He became the Minister of Finance of Iceland in 1931. This job meant he was in charge of the country's money.
- Then, in 1932, he became the Prime Minister of Iceland. The Prime Minister is the head of the government.
Ásgeir left the Progressive Party in 1934. For a while, he ran for election without being part of a specific party. Later, he joined the Social Democratic Party. He stayed in the Althing until he was elected president in 1952. From 1938 until he became president, he also worked as a director for a bank called Útvegsbanki Íslands.
President of Iceland
Ásgeir became the second President of Iceland in 1952. The election happened earlier than planned because the first president, Sveinn Björnsson, had passed away. It was a very close election.
Ásgeir ran against Bjarni Jónsson, a minister from the Reykjavík Cathedral. Many important political parties supported Bjarni. But Ásgeir still won with 46.7% of the votes, while Bjarni got 44.1%. Another candidate, Gísli Sveinsson, received 6.0%.
As president, Ásgeir traveled to other countries.
- He was the first Icelandic president to make an official visit to Denmark.
- He also visited Norway, Canada, the United States and Israel.
Ásgeir was re-elected three more times without anyone running against him. This happened in 1956, 1960, and 1964. Shortly after his fourth term began, his wife, Dóra, sadly passed away from a serious illness.
In 1968, Ásgeir decided not to run for president again. Many people thought his son-in-law, Gunnar Thoroddsen, would become the next president. However, Gunnar lost the election to Kristján Eldjárn.
Awards
In 1955, Ásgeir received a special award from Germany. It was called the Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. This award recognized his important work and contributions.
See also
In Spanish: Ásgeir Ásgeirsson para niños
