King Abdullah I, was born in 1882 as the son of Hussein ibn Ali who was the ruler of the Hejaz. King Abdullah I played an active role during the First World War and took partmilitary operations against the Ottoman Empire. He became the front man in the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottomans that later resulted in the formation of Transjordan on April 21, 1921. Under his rule, King Abdullah I developed Jordan's institutional foundations, including a centralized governmental system. He promulgated Jordan's constitution in 1928 and held the first parliamentary elections in 1929, all of which helped Jordan gain its independence on March 22, 1946 as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. King Abdullah is renowned for his progressive efforts in blending traditional and modern elements and being one the first Arab leaders to adopt a system of constitutional monarchy
King Abdullah’s Jordanian Arab Legion joined the Arab forces during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and contributed a great deal in defending East Jerusalem and parts of Palestine and supporting the Palestinian cause. After the war, Arab states and Israel signed a series of armistice agreements and Jordan gained control of the West Bank two years later.
King Abdullah I:
King Abdullah I, had six children. On July 20, 1951, he was assassinated by a lone gunman at the stairs of Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem where he often attended Friday prayers. The second bullet missed his grandson, Hussein bin Talal, who was with him at the time. King Abdullah was succeeded by his son, Talal, whose brief reign introduced a newly liberalized constitution in 1952 that expanded the responsibilities of the government and Parliament. Due to health reasons, a Regency Council was appointed until his eldest son, Hussein, could legally assume royal powers at the age of eighteen.
(http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo).
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