Constantine II of Greece
The last king of Greece, his reign was defined by a fatal clash with a military junta that ended a centuries-old monarchy.
1940–2023 (age 83)·King of Greece from 1964 to 1973·Birthday: June 2·The Silent Generation
Biography
Constantine II ascended the throne in 1964 as a young, Olympic-medalist sailor, embodying a hope for modern vitality in the Greek monarchy. His reign, however, was almost immediately engulfed in political turmoil. A bitter conflict with Prime Minister George Papandreou escalated into a constitutional crisis, and his subsequent involvement in a failed counter-coup in 1967 forced him into exile after the colonels' junta seized power. From Rome and later London, he became a king without a kingdom, watching as a 1973 referendum abolished the crown. Though he returned to Greece as a private citizen in 2013, his life remained a poignant symbol of the nation's turbulent transition from monarchy to republic, a chapter permanently closed with his passing.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Constantine was born in 1940, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Constantine Was Born
The biggest hits of 1940
#1 Movie
Fantasia
Best Picture
Rebecca
Constantine's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1940Born
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1945Started school
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1953Became a teenager
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1956Could drive
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1958Could vote
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Turned 21
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1970Turned 30
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 40
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 50
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 60
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 70
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 80
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2023Died at 83
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
Key Achievements
- Won an Olympic gold medal in sailing (Dragon class) at the 1960 Rome Summer Games.
- Became King of the Hellenes in 1964 following the death of his father, King Paul.
- His clash with Prime Minister George Papandreou triggered a major political crisis that destabilized the Greek government in 1965.
- After decades in exile, he was allowed to return to Greece in 2013, where he lived as a private citizen.
Did You Know?
He was a first cousin of King Charles III of the United Kingdom.
Constantine was the last reigning Orthodox Christian monarch.
He was a skilled sportsman who also played football for the Greek club AEK Athens.
His godmother was Queen Elizabeth II.
“I have always tried to serve my country with all my strength. I wish it every good fortune.”
