King Idris I of Libya

Idris I became King of the newly independent United Kingdom of Libya, ending Italian colonial rule. He led the country as a constitutional monarch, with a federal system uniting Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and Fezzan.

Major oil reserves were discovered in Libya, transforming the country's economy. Idris's government negotiated favorable terms with Western oil companies, generating substantial revenue that funded infrastructure and social programs.

Libya under Idris provided diplomatic and financial support to Arab states during the Six-Day War against Israel. However, Idris's cautious stance and refusal to commit troops angered Arab nationalists and military officers, contributing to the 1969 coup.

Muammar Gaddafi and a group of military officers overthrew King Idris I in a bloodless coup while he was undergoing medical treatment in Turkey. Idris was deposed and went into exile in Egypt, where he died in 1983.