Which Icelandic president was the country’s first, serving from 1944 to 1952?

Sveinn Björnsson was Iceland’s first president, serving from 1944 to 1952.

Iceland became a republic on 17 June 1944, ending its union with the Danish monarchy during the Second World War. On that date, the Alþingi elected Björnsson as the new republic’s first head of state. The date also marked the 133rd anniversary of the birth of Jón Sigurðsson, a leading figure in Iceland’s independence movement.

Before becoming president, Björnsson had been a diplomat and politician. He served as Iceland’s minister to Denmark and later as regent while Iceland’s constitutional relationship with Denmark was being transformed. His presidency therefore covered the republic’s formative first years.

Björnsson died in 1952 while still in office. He was succeeded by Ásgeir Ásgeirsson, who became Iceland’s second president. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, sometimes remembered because she was the world’s first democratically elected female president, held the office much later, from 1980.