Jordan Times
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
King Abdullah I's death anniversary marked
AMMAN (JT) — Jordan today marks the 53rd anniversary of the death of King Abdullah I (1882-1951), the founder of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
King Abdullah was martyred on July 20, 1951 at
the entrance to Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, as he was about to perform Friday
prayers.
The late King is remembered as one of the first Arab leaders to adopt a system
of constitutional monarchy during the early years of the country.
Under the Hashemite banner and his father Al Hussein Ben Ali's inspiration, King
Abdullah led the Arab forces in the 1916 Great Arab Revolt with his brothers
Ali, Faisal and Zeid against Ottoman forces.
By the end of the World War I, they had liberated Damascus, modern Jordan and
most of the Arabian Peninsula.
King Abdullah later assumed the Throne of Transjordan, where, in April 1921, he
established the first centralised government in the area.
Over the next 30 years, he focused on nation building, creating the foundation
for a number of national institutions that now govern the country.