His Royal Highness Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, former King of Saudi Arabia, passed away peacefully at age 77 on November 9, 1953. He was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1876 and became the ruler of the First Saudi State in 1902. He lead a successful military campaign to unify the four kingdoms of the Arabian Peninsula in 1932, and was crowned King of Saudi Arabia in December of that same year. In his nearly 20 years as leader of Saudi Arabia, King Ibn Saud implemented significant political reforms, while electing to remain a faithful follower of Islam. He focused on modernizing the Kingdom, allowing the establishment of a telecommunications system, a police force, and the nation’s only female school. He was a beloved leader, respected throughout the middle-east for his dedication to the cause of unifying his people. He is preceded in death by his two wives and is survived by his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and people.