A Man of Peace in Turbulent Times

King Hussein of Jordan, born Nov. 14, 1935, was an integral part of the history of the Middle East for five decades. He died Sunday after returning to Jordan from Minnesota, where he had undergone a failed bone marrow transplant for lymphatic cancer.

July 20, 1951

A young Prince Hussein witnesses assassination of his grandfather, King Adbullah, by a Palestinian nationalist angered by Jordan’s annexation of the West Bank.

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Aug. 11, 1952

Because of health reasons, King Talal relinquishes throne to his son, Prince Hussein, who assumes constitutional powers May 2, 1953.

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1957

King Hussein survives coup attempt led by Arab army officers.

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June 5-10, 1967

Hussein loses the West Bank and East Jerusalem to Israel in Six-Day War.

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“Black September” 1970

Army troops loyal to the King quash a revolt by Palestinian guerrillas, who had become almost a state-within-a-state in Jordan and demanded Hussein’s ouster.

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1974

Summit decides that Hussein can no longer speak for the Palestinians; names the Palestinian Liberation Organization headed by Yasser Arafat as their sole, legitimate representative.

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1988

Soon after the start of the intifada, the Palestinian uprising against Israel. Hussein renounces rights to the West Bank but retains role as guardian of Jerusalem’s Muslim holy war.

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1990-91

Remains neutral in Persian Gulf War because of country’s economic ties to its oil-rich neighbor, Iraq; is accused of being pro-Baghdad but denounces Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

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1998

King has second battle with cancer, first was surgery on cancerous kidney in 1992; in summer of 1998 begins chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of thelymph nodes.

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1999

In a quick trip home from the United States, where he is receiving cancer treatment, King Hussein changes line of succession: He names eldest son, Abdullah, 37, crown prince to replace brother Hassan, 51, who held the post for 34 years.

Source: Associated Press