George I of Greece

George I's reign began with a curious European compromise. After Greece's first king was deposed, the Great Powers scoured the minor royal houses of Europe for a suitable Protestant candidate who wouldn't upset the continental balance. They settled on the 17-year-old Prince William of Denmark, who was crowned King of the Hellenes in 1863. His youth and foreignness were initial handicaps, but George shrewdly adopted his new country as his own. He learned Greek, married a Russian grand duchess to strengthen ties with an Orthodox power, and focused on the pragmatic work of nation-building. His long rule, the longest in modern Greek history until that point, provided a rare period of stability. He oversaw the expansion of Greek territory, the adoption of a democratic constitution, and the successful hosting of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. While he struggled with frequent political upheavals and was forced to accept a constitutional role, his personal tact and dedication to civic progress earned him gradual acceptance. His assassination by a deranged socialist in Thessaloniki in 1913 abruptly ended an era, just as the Balkan Wars were redrawing the map he had helped to expand.