Bjarni Benediktsson (born 1908) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bjarni Benediktsson
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 13th Prime Minister of Iceland | |
| In office 14 November 1963 – 10 July 1970 |
|
| President | Ásgeir Ásgeirsson Kristján Eldjárn |
| Preceded by | Ólafur Thors |
| Succeeded by | Jóhann Hafstein |
| Acting 8 September 1961 – 31 December 1961 |
|
| President | Ásgeir Ásgeirsson |
| Preceded by | Ólafur Thors |
| Succeeded by | Ólafur Thors |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 4 February 1947 – 11 September 1953 |
|
| Prime Minister | Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson Ólafur Thors Steingrímur Steinþórsson |
| Preceded by | Ólafur Thors |
| Succeeded by | Kristinn Guðmundsson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 April 1908 Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Died | 10 July 1970 (aged 62) Þingvellir, Iceland |
| Political party | Independence |
| Alma mater | University of Iceland |
Bjarni Benediktsson (born April 30, 1908 – died July 10, 1970) was an important Icelandic politician. He was a member of the Independence Party. He served as the Prime Minister of Iceland from 1963 until 1970.
His father, Benedikt Sveinsson, was a leader in Iceland's fight for independence. He was also a member of the Althing (Iceland's parliament) for many years.
Early Life and Education
Bjarni Benediktsson was born in Reykjavík, Iceland. He studied law, focusing on how governments work. He was very smart and became a professor at the University of Iceland when he was just 24 years old.
Becoming a Political Leader
In 1934, Bjarni was elected to the city council in Reykjavík. He was part of the Independence Party. From 1940 to 1947, he served as the mayor of Reykjavík. This was a big job, like being the leader of the city.
In 1947, Bjarni became the Foreign Minister. He held different government jobs until 1956. He played a key role in Iceland joining NATO in 1949. NATO is a group of countries that work together for defense. This decision was made even though some people in Iceland were against it.
Bjarni also helped arrange for the United States Air Force to use Keflavík Airport. This airport near Reykjavík was very important during the Cold War. The Cold War was a time of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union.
In 1956, a different group of political parties formed the government. Bjarni was not in office then. He became the editor of Morgunblaðið, which was a major newspaper in Iceland.
Leading Iceland
In 1959, the Independence Party formed a new government with the Social Democrats. Bjarni became the Minister of Justice. He also served as the Speaker of the Althing that same year.
Two years later, in 1961, he was chosen as the chairman of the Independence Party. In 1963, he took over from Ólafur Thors and became the Prime Minister of Iceland. He stayed in this important role until he passed away.
Bjarni Benediktsson died in a fire at a government summer house in Þingvellir. His wife and grandson also died in the fire.
Bjarni had two children, Björn Bjarnason and Valgerður Bjarnadóttir. His great-nephew, also named Bjarni Benediktsson, later became Prime Minister in 2017.
See also
In Spanish: Bjarni Benediktsson (1908) para niños
