King Hussein of Jordan

Hussein became King of Jordan at age 17 after his father King Talal was declared unfit to rule due to mental illness. He was formally crowned on May 2, 1953, beginning a reign that would last until 1999.

King Hussein survived several assassination attempts, including a 1960 plot by Syrian intelligence to poison his nose drops. He also survived attacks by the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups, maintaining his rule through periods of regional instability.

King Hussein ordered the Jordanian military to suppress Palestinian factions led by the PLO after they attempted to overthrow his monarchy. The conflict resulted in thousands of casualties and the expulsion of the PLO from Jordan to Lebanon.

King Hussein announced Jordan's administrative and legal disengagement from the West Bank, severing ties with the territory that Jordan had controlled since 1948. This move allowed the PLO to claim sole representation of Palestinians.

King Hussein signed a peace treaty with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin at the Arava border crossing. The treaty normalized relations between Jordan and Israel, ending a 46-year state of war and establishing diplomatic ties.