Monday, Jordanians commemorated the 87th anniversary of the birth of His late Majesty King Hussein bin Talal. He is known as the father of modern Jordan for his insightful vision, wisdom, and dedication to the people.

King Hussein was born on Nov. 14, 1935 in Amman to Prince Talal bin Abdullah and Princess Zein Al-Sharaf bint Jamil. He had two brothers, Prince Muhammad and Prince El-Hassan, and one sister, Princess Basma.

His Majesty attended Victoria College in Egypt and Harrow School in England upon completing his elementary school education in Amman. Additionally, he received a military education at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England.

King Hussein had many humanitarian achievements, including raising literacy rates from 33 percent in 1960 to 85.5 percent in 1996. According to UNICEF, between 1981 and 1991, Jordan had achieved the fastest annual rate of decline in infant deaths globally, from 70 deaths per 1,000 births in 1981 to 37 per 1,000 in 1991, a drop of 47 percent.

At the time of his passing, Feb. 7, 1999, King Hussein was the longest-serving executive head of state worldwide.

Of great significance to Muslims around the world, King Hussein was also the 4th generation direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed.