George I (1845-1913) was king of Greece from 1863 to 1913. During George’s reign, Greece expanded its territories. It received the Ionian Islands from Britain in 1864 and acquired the Thessaly region and other territory from the Ottoman Empire in 1881. George supported a movement to revive the Olympic Games, which had been abolished in A.D. 393. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896.
George was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Dec. 24, 1845. His father became King Christian IX of Denmark. George’s full given name was Christian William Ferdinand Adolphus George. In Denmark, he was known as Prince William. The Greek Parliament elected George king in 1863 after King Otto of Greece had been overthrown in 1862. George was assassinated on March 18, 1913. George’s oldest son, Constantine I, succeeded him as king.
