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This is an article about a former prime minister of Iceland. For the current leader of the Icelandic Independence Party, see Bjarni Benediktsson, Jr.

Bjarni Benediktsson
Prime Minister of Iceland
In office November 14, 1963 – July 10, 1970
President	Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
Preceded by	Ólafur Thors
Succeeded by	Jóhann Hafstein
Born	April 30, 1908(1908-04-30)
Died	July 10, 1970 (aged 62)
Political party	Independence Party

Bjarni Benediktsson (April 30, 1908 – July 10, 1970) was Prime Minister of Iceland from 14 November 1963 to 10 July 1970. His father, Benedikt Sveinsson (1877–1954), was a leader in the independence movement in Iceland and a member of Althingi from 1908 to 1931.

Bjarni studied constitutional law and became professor at the University of Iceland at the age of only 24. He was elected to the city council in Reykjavík in 1934 as a member of the Independence Party and from 1940 to 1947 was mayor of the city.

In 1947 he became Foreign Minister and served in various posts in cabinets until 1956. His tenure included the establishment of Iceland as a founding member of NATO in 1949. In 1956, when the left-wing parties formed a coalition government, Bjarni, out of office, became editor of Morgunblaðið, a leading conservative newspaper.

In 1959, when the Independence Party formed a coalition government with the Social Democrats, Bjarni became Minister of Justice. Two years later he was elected chairman of the Independence Party and in 1963 he took over from Ólafur Thors as Prime Minister. He served in this position until his death, which was caused by a fire at a government summer house at Þingvellir; his wife and grandson also perished in the blaze.

Bjarni was the father of Björn Bjarnason and the father-in-law of Vilmundur Gylfason.

External links

• CV from Althingi (Icelandic)

Prime Ministers of Iceland Home rule (1904–1918) Hannes Hafstein • Björn Jónsson • Kristján Jónsson • Hannes Hafstein • Sigurður Eggerz • Einar Arnórsson • Jón Magnússon Kingdom of Iceland (1918–1944) Jón Magnússon • Sigurður Eggerz • Jón Magnússon • Magnús Guðmundsson*  • Jón Þorláksson • Tryggvi Þórhallsson • Ásgeir Ásgeirsson • Hermann Jónasson • Ólafur Thors • Björn Þórðarson Republic of Iceland (1944–present) Ólafur Thors • Stefán J. Stefánsson • Ólafur Thors • Steingrímur Steinþórsson • Ólafur Thors • Hermann Jónasson • Emil Jónsson • Ólafur Thors • Bjarni Benediktsson • Jóhann Hafstein • Ólafur Jóhannesson • Geir Hallgrímsson • Ólafur Jóhannesson • Benedikt S. Gröndal • Gunnar Thoroddsen • Steingrímur Hermannsson • Þorsteinn Pálsson • Steingrímur Hermannsson • Davíð Oddsson • Halldór Ásgrímsson • Geir Haarde • Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir * Denotes acting.