Ólafur Thors

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is a family name, but this person is referred to by the given name Ólafur.

Ólafur Thors
12th Prime Minister of Iceland
In office 1 January 1962 – 14 November 1963
President	Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
Preceded by	Bjarni Benediktsson
Succeeded by	Bjarni Benediktsson
In office 20 November 1959 – 8 September 1961
President	Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
Preceded by	Emil Jónsson
Succeeded by	Bjarni Benediktsson
In office 11 September 1953 – 24 July 1956
President	Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
Preceded by	Steingrímur Steinþórsson
Succeeded by	Hermann Jónasson
In office 6 December 1949 – 14 March 1950
President	Sveinn Björnsson
Preceded by	Stefán Stefánsson
Succeeded by	Steingrímur Steinþórsson
In office 21 October 1944 – 4 February 1947
President	Sveinn Björnsson
Preceded by	Björn Þórðarson
Succeeded by	Stefán Stefánsson
In office 16 May 1942 – 16 December 1942
Monarch	Kristján X
Preceded by	Hermann Jónasson
Succeeded by	Björn Þórðarson
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office 21 October 1944 – 4 February 1947
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Vilhjálmur Þór
Succeeded by	Bjarni Benediktsson
In office 16 May 1942 – 16 December 1942
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Stefán Stefánsson
Succeeded by	Vilhjálmur Þór
Personal details
Born	(1892-01-19)19 January 1892 Borgarnes, Iceland
Died	31 December 1964(1964-12-31) (aged 72) Reykjavík, Iceland
Political party	Independence Party
Spouse	Ingibjörg Indriðadóttir
Children	4
Parent(s)	Thor Philip Axel Jensen Margrét Þorbjörg Kristjánsdóttir
Alma mater	University of Copenhagen

Ólafur Tryggvason Thors (19 January 1892 – 31 December 1964) was an Icelandic politician of the Independence Party, who served six times as prime minister of Iceland.

Career

The son of Margrét Þorbjörg Kristjánsdóttir and Thor Philip Axel Jensen, Ólafur Thors was a member of parliament from 1926 until the day of his death in 1964. His first ministerial post was as a substitute justice minister from 14 November 1932 to 23 December 1932. In his political career he served as Minister of Industrial Affairs from 1939 to 1942, foreign minister in his own governments in 1942 and 1944–1947, social minister in his own government from 1949 to 1950, fisheries and industrial minister from 1950 to 1953, and fisheries minister in his own government from 1953 to 1956. He served as prime minister in 1942, again from 1944-1947, then again from 1949-1950, again from 1953-1956 and lastly from 1959 to 1963. Although he did take a three month hiatus from office in 1961 during a sick leave where Bjarni Benediktsson served as acting prime minister. Bjarni attended the UN General Assembly in 1947 and 1948. Ólafur Thors led the Independence Party from 1934 to 1961. His fifth government with the Social Democrats sat under two other prime ministers from the Independence Party until 1971.

External links

• Biography on Britannica Online Encyclopedia