King Hussein (Jordan) Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

King Hussein of Jordan, born in 1935, ascended the throne in 1952 after his father, King Abdullah I was assassinated and his older brother, the crown prince, who became King Talal, proved mentally incompetent after a brief reign. King Hussein ruled Jordan for nearly half a century, until his death from lymphoma in 1999. There were controversial aspects to Hussein's rule - participation in the Six Day War against Israel (1967), violent suppression of the Palestinian Liberation Organization on Jordanian soil (1970) and neutrality in the first Gulf War against Iraq (1991), but his reign proved a great blessing to most Jordanians. An island of stability in a troubled region, Jordan enjoyed peace and steady economic progress. A loyal friend of the U.S., King Hussein established formal diplomatic relations with Israel in 1994, after years of informal contacts. He was a helpful intermediary in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, especially the Wye River accords of 1998. Shortly before his death, King Hussein disinherited his brother, allowing his oldest son to ascend the throne as Abdullah II.