TheFoundingoftheRepublicofIcelandtookplacein

　　early1944,whentheAl�0�6ing,theIcelandicparliament,on

　　February25,1944decidedtoformallyseverthetiesbetweenIcelandandtheDanishmonarchy,in

　　accordancewiththestipulationsprovidedinthe1918Danish–IcelandicActofUnion,whichhad

　　grantedIcelandindependence,butmaintainedthetwocountriesina

　　union,withtheKingofDenmarkalsoasKingofIceland;inapersonalunion.

　　TheAl�0�6ingpasseda

　　lawtotheeffectthaton

　　May20–23,1944anationalreferendumshouldtakeplacetoconfirmorrejectthedecisionoftheparliament.Afteran

　　overwhelmingmajorityinfavourofrepublicanindependence

　　(99%)andanewconstitution(95%),theRepublicanCelebration

　　(L�0�5�0�8veldisháti�0�8in)washeldonJune17,1944in�0�7ingvellir,wheretheAl�0�6ingformally

　　severedthetiestotheDanishmonarchy,founded

　　theRepublicofIcelandandelectedits

　　firstPresident,SveinnBj�0�2rnsson.

　　NationalReferendumMay20–23,1944[edit]

　　Mainarticle:Icelandicconstitutional

　　referendum,1944

　　TheAl�0�6ingdeclared

　　onFebruary25,1944thattheDanish–IcelandicActofUnionfrom1918had

　　expired,andthatthisdeclarationshouldbeputtoanationalreferendum.A

　　nationalreferendumwasalsotobeheldontheconstitutionofthenewRepublic.Thesereferendums

　　weretobeheldinthedaysMay20–23,1944,andtheresultspresentedto

　　parliamentonJune16.[1]

　　Thereferendumbegan

　　atnoononMay20,andendedatmidnightonMay23,1944.ThenewspaperMorgunbla�0�8i�0�8,onMay25,1944,

　　reportedthatparticipationinthereferendumhadbeen98%.

　　Outofthe48100peoplewhovoted,

　　99.5%wereinfavorofseveringtieswiththeDanishmonarchy,and98.3%infavouroffoundingarepublic.

　　TheRepublican

　　Celebration[edit]

　　TheRepublican

　　Celebrationwasheldin�0�7ingvellironJune17,1944.At13:30,PrimeMinister

　　Bj�0�2rn�0�7ór�0�8arsonofficiallysetthecelebrationsgoing,afterwhichareligiousceremonywasheld.ThenewflagoftheRepublicofIcelandwasraised,and

　　themembersofparliamentrosefrom

　　theirseats,aschurchbellsrang.AlldeclaredunilaterallythatIcelandwouldhenceforthbe

　　arepublic.Themembersofparliamentthenvotedon

　　whoshouldbethefirst

　　PresidentoftheRepublic,andchoseSveinn

　　Bj�0�2rnsson,whohadbeenregentofIcelandandtheKing'splaceholder

　　duringthewaryears.

　　SveinnthusbecamethefirstpresidentofIceland,andtheonlyonenotelected

　　directlybythepeopleofIceland.