King Abdullah II, 1999 News

37, became the fourth ruler of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in February, succeeding his father, King Hussein, who died after losing an 8-month battle with cancer. Abdullah, the former commander of the Jordanian Special Forces, was surprised—as was the world—when King Hussein, only days before his death, declared Abdullah crown prince. King Hussein's younger brother, Prince Hassan, had been crown prince since 1965.