Kristján Eldjárn

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

Kristján Eldjárn

3rd President of Iceland
In office 1 August 1968 – 1 August 1980
Prime Minister	Bjarni Benediktsson Jóhann Hafstein Ólafur Jóhannesson Geir Hallgrímsson Ólafur Jóhannesson Benedikt Gröndal Gunnar Thoroddsen
Preceded by	Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
Succeeded by	Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
Personal details
Born	(1916-12-06)6 December 1916 Tjörn, Svarfaðardalur
Died	14 September 1982(1982-09-14) (aged 65) Reykjavík
Spouse(s)	Halldóra Eldjárn
Children	4
Alma mater	University of Copenhagen University of Iceland
Profession	teacher, Curator

Dr. Kristján Eldjárn (6 December 1916 – 14 September 1982) was the third President of Iceland, from 1968 to 1980.

His parents were Þórarinn Kr. Eldjárn, a teacher in Tjörn, and Sigrún Sigurhjartardóttir. He graduated in archaeology from the University of Copenhagen and taught at the University of Iceland. In 1957 he was awarded a doctorate for his research into pagan burials in Iceland. He was a teacher at the Akureyri Grammar School and the College of Navigation in Reykjavík, becoming a curator at the National Museum of Iceland in 1945 and its Director in 1947, a position he held until the 1968 presidential election.

In 1966–68 he hosted a series of educational TV programs on the (then new) Icelandic National Television (RÚV), in which he showed the audience some of the National Museum's artefacts and explained their historical context. These programs became quite popular, making him a well known and respected popular figure. This no doubt gave him the incentive needed to run in the 1968 presidential election as a politically non-affiliated candidate.

Starting as the underdog in the 1968 presidential election, running against ambassador Gunnar Thoroddsen who initially had a 70% lead in the opinion polls, Eldjárn won 65.6% of the vote on a 92.2% voter turnout. He was re-elected unopposed in 1972 and 1976. In 1980 he decided not to run for another term, wanting to devote his remaining years entirely to continuing his lifelong academic work.

His son Þórarinn Eldjárn is one of Iceland's most popular authors, specializing in short stories, but also writing poetry and an occasional novel. His daughter Sigrún Eldjárn is also an author and illustrator of several children's books.

Political offices
Preceded by Ásgeir Ásgeirsson	President of Iceland 1968–1980	Succeeded by Vigdís Finnbogadóttir

v t e Presidents of Iceland

1 Sveinn Björnsson (1944–1952) 2 Ásgeir Ásgeirsson (1952–1968) 3 Kristján Eldjárn (1968–1980) 4 Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (1980–1996) 5 Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (1996–present)

Authority control	WorldCat VIAF: 2537035 LCCN: n86813499 ISNI: 0000 0001 1946 0646 GND: 1012101827 SELIBR: 68657 SUDOC: 031871151 BNF: cb12300537p

Persondata
Name	Eldjarn, Kristjan
Alternative names
Short description	Icelandic politician
Date of birth	6 December 1916
Place of birth	Tjörn, Svarfaðardalur
Date of death	14 September 1982
Place of death	Reykjavík

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