Björn Þórðarson

Björn Þórðarson (* February 6, 1879, † October 25, 1963 ) was an Icelandic politician and Prime Minister of Iceland.

Biography

After school he graduated at the same time studying law at the University of Copenhagen as the later Prime Minister Einar Arnórsson and the first president of Iceland Sveinn Björnsson, the graduating this 1906. In 1926 it took his doctorate in law at the University of Iceland with a dissertation entitled " Refsivist á Íslandi 1761-1925 ".

On 16 December 1942 he was without a party successor Ólafur Thors, Prime Minister of Iceland and formed until October 21, 1944, the only government that had no parliamentary support. In his cabinet he took over at the same time the health and Church Ministry ( Heilbrigðis -og Kirkjumálaráðherra ) was next starting on 19 April 1943, Minister of Social Affairs ( Félagsmálaráðherra ) and finally also since September 21, 1944 Department of Justice and Minister of Education ( Dómsmála -og Menntamálaráðherra ). During his tenure fell on 17 June 1944, the Declaration of independence from Denmark and the proclamation of the Republic of Iceland. On the same day it was signed as the first act of the newly founded Republic of the Law on the National Flag of president and Björnsson. His government was popularly referred to as Coca Cola government, as two of his ministers during the occupation by the United States Army have been working as a franchisee of U.S. companies later: Foreign and Industry Minister Vilhjálmur Þór of the Progressive Party in the ESSO and Finance Björn Ólafsson founded Vífilfell, the distributor of Coca Cola in Iceland.

After the end of his term, he retired from political life.

Source

• Rulers.org