King Of Morocco Hassan Ii

Moroccan royalty; upon the death of his father, Mohamed V, he assumed the throne 2/26/1961 to grapple with the problems of Moroccan economy and politics. At the time, he joked with his friend, King Juan Carlos of Sapin, that most people did not expect his reign to last more than six months. He stayed 38 years. In 1971 he survived an army mutiny that left hundreds dead, and a year later Moroccan Air Force rebels fired on the airliner bringing him home. He played an important behind-the-scenes role in the Arab-Israeli peace negotiation in 1978 and also announced in October 1978 that Morocco had discovered new oil deposits. He adamantly denied charges of torture and other oppressive conditions during his reign, but few dispute his impact on the complex diplomacy in his part of the world. On 7/23/1999, Rabat, Morocco, the King died of heart failure after suffering from pulmonary problems since 1995. Hassan II was in power from early 1961. Moroccans crowded the streets in mourning. Along with other dignitaries, President Clinton and his family attended the king's funeral. One mourner said, "He gave us grandeur, made us into a modern civilization, respected in the world." Link to Wikipedia biography