King Hussein of Jordan, 1957 King Hussein bin Talal, 14 November 1935 – 7 February 1999) was King of Jordan from the abdication of his father, King Talal, in 1952, until his death. Hussein's rule extended through the Cold War and four decades of Arab–Israeli conflict.He recognized Israel in 1994, becoming the second Arab head of state to do so (after Anwar Sadat in 1978/1979). Hussein claimed to be a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his belonging to the ancient Hashemite family.