# Kristján Eldjárn

_Icelandic politician, 3rd President of Iceland (1916-1982)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/kristjan-eldjarn
Last updated: 2026-11-04

> Kristján Eldjárn was the third president of Iceland, serving from 1968 to 1980.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 6 December 1916 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q310396#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Tjörn í Svarfaðardal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q310396#P19))
- **Died:** 14 September 1982 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q310396#P570))
- **Place of death:** Cleveland ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q310396#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Iceland ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q310396#P27))
- **Occupation:** curator; anthropologist; politician; archaeologist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q310396#P106))
- **Political party:** independent politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q310396#P102))
- **Education:** University of Copenhagen; University of Iceland ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q310396#P69))
- **Spouse:** Halldóra Eldjárn ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q310396#P26))
- **Positions held:** President of Iceland (1 August 1968 – 31 July 1980) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q310396#P39))
- **Awards:** Royal Order of the Seraphim; Order of St. Olav; Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland; Knight of the Order of the Elephant; Knights of the Order of the Falcon; Grand Knights of the Order of the Falcon‎; Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Falcon ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q310396#P166))

## Questions

**When was Kristján Eldjárn born?**  
Kristján Eldjárn was born on 6 December 1916 in Tjörn í Svarfaðardal.

**What positions has Kristján Eldjárn held?**  
Positions held by Kristján Eldjárn include: President of Iceland (1968–1980).

**Where did Kristján Eldjárn study?**  
Kristján Eldjárn was educated at University of Copenhagen, University of Iceland.

## Related

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- [Ásgeir Ásgeirsson](https://diginpl.com/people/asgeir-asgeirsson)
- [Vigdís Finnbogadóttir](https://diginpl.com/people/vigdis-finnbogadottir)
- [Sveinn Björnsson](https://diginpl.com/people/sveinn-bjornsson)
- [Guðni Th. Jóhannesson](https://diginpl.com/people/guni-th-johannesson)
- [Halla Tómasdóttir](https://diginpl.com/people/halla-tomasdottir)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Kristján Eldjárn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristj%C3%A1n_Eldj%C3%A1rn) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q310396](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q310396) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Kristján Eldjárn (1982).jpg by Forseti.is (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kristj%C3%A1n_Eldj%C3%A1rn_(1982).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Kristján Eldjárn, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Kristján Eldjárn (1982).jpg — Forseti.is, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Kristján Eldjárn". DigiNepal. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/kristjan-eldjarn. Retrieved 7 November 2026.