Juan Carlos I of Spain was born on 5 January 1938 in Rome. King of Spain from 1975 to 2014, Juan Carlos was born in Rome, where his family lived in exile, and was the grandson of Alfonso XIII. General Franco chose him as his eventual successor in 1969, and he became king after Franco's death in 1975. Contrary to expectations, he led Spain's transition to democracy, legalizing political parties and supporting the 1978 constitution. His public standing rose further in February 1981, when he went on television to condemn an attempted military coup. His reputation declined after a 2012 elephant-hunting trip and scandals about his finances, and he abdicated in 2014 in favour of his son, Felipe VI. He later moved to Abu Dhabi.
Before and after
- 1938Establishment of Garamba National Park
- 1938Origins of EuroBasket Women
- 1938Establishment of Mount Olympus
- 19381938 becomes the warmest year on record
- 5 January 1938Birth of Juan Carlos I of Spain
- 5 January 1938Birth of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
- 10 January 1938Birth of Donald Knuth
- 25 January 1938Birth of Vladimir Vysotsky
- 30 January 1938Birth of Islam Karimov
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The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.