Faisal II
The boy-king who never got to rule, his murder in a palace courtyard violently severed Iraq's monarchy from its future.
1935–1958 (age 23)·King of Iraq from 1939 to 1958·Birthday: May 2·The Silent Generation
Biography
Faisal II became King of Iraq at the age of three, following the sudden death of his father. His early reign was a regency, a period where the real power was wielded by his uncle and a series of pro-British politicians. Educated in Baghdad and at Harrow in England alongside his cousin, King Hussein of Jordan, he was groomed for a modern, constitutional monarchy. He officially assumed power in 1953, but his authority remained constrained by a powerful political establishment and rising Arab nationalist sentiment. His reign coincided with the peak of the Cold War, and Iraq's alignment with the West through the Baghdad Pact made the monarchy a target. In July 1958, army officers stormed the royal palace in Baghdad. Faisal, along with several family members, was executed in the courtyard, an abrupt and brutal end that ushered in decades of republicanism and instability.
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.
Faisal was born in 1935, 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 Faisal Was Born
The biggest hits of 1935
#1 Movie
Mutiny on the Bounty
Best Picture
Mutiny on the Bounty
Faisal's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1935Born
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1940Started school
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
1948Became a teenager
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Could drive
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1953Could vote
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
1956Turned 21
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
1958Died at 23
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
Key Achievements
- Formally ascended to the throne in 1953, attempting to steer Iraq as a constitutional monarch.
- Oversaw Iraq's entry into the Baghdad Pact, a Cold War alliance with Western powers.
- Maintained the Hashemite dynasty's rule for nearly two decades under a regency and his own brief reign.
Did You Know?
He and his cousin, King Hussein of Jordan, were close friends and attended Harrow School together.
His grandfather was Faisal I, the first King of Iraq and a leader of the Arab Revolt in World War I.
At the time of his death, he was engaged to be married.
The revolution that killed him was led by General Abdul Karim Qasim, who became Iraq's first republican leader.
“I was born to rule, but I have never truly held the reins.”
