Arabic Fārūq al-Awwal
born Feb. 11, 1920, Cairo, Egypt
died March 18, 1965, Rome, Italy
King of Egypt (1936–52).
Son of King Fuʾād I (1868–1936), he was educated in Egypt and England and ascended the throne in 1936. Farouk's administration was hampered by internal rivalries. His alienation of the military, especially after its loss to Israel (1948), led to his own downfall. In 1952 a coup led by Gamal Abdel Nasser forced him to abdicate. He was succeeded by his infant son, Fuʾād II, but in 1953 Egypt became a republic.