Hussein bin Talal al-Hashimi (14 November 1935 – 7 February 1999) was King of Jordan from 1952 until his death in 1999. A member of the House of Hashim, he is regarded as a 40th-generation direct descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Hussein was born in Amman as the eldest child of Talal bin Abdullah and Zein al-Sharaf bint Jamil. Talal was at that time the heir to his own father, King Abdullah I. Hussein began his schooling in Amman, continuing his education abroad. After Talal became king in 1951, Hussein was named heir apparent. The Jordanian Parliament forced Talal to abdicate a year later due to his illness, and a regency council was appointed until Hussein came of age. He was enthroned at the age of 17 in 1953. Hussein was married four separate times and fathered eleven children.