Davíð Oddsson, Icelandic politician and the longest-serving prime minister of Iceland, died on March 1, 2026, at age 78.
He served as prime minister from 1991 to 2004, as foreign minister from 2004 to 2005, and as chairman of the Independence Party from 1991 to 2005. He was mayor of Reykjavík from 1982 to 1991 and chaired the board of governors of the Central Bank of Iceland from 2005 to 2009.
In September 2009, he was hired as editor of Morgunblaðið. He later ran for president of Iceland in 2016 and finished fourth with 13.7% of the vote.
Davíð Oddsson (pronounced [ˈtaːvið ˈɔtsɔn]; 17 January 1948 – 1 March 2026) was an Icelandic politician, and the longest-serving prime minister of Iceland, in office from 1991 to 2004. From 2004 to 2005 he served as foreign minister and as the chairman for the Independence Party from 1991 to 2005. Previously, he was Mayor of Reykjavík from 1982 to 1991, and chaired the board of governors of the Central Bank of Iceland from 2005 to 2009. The 2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis led to vocal demands for his resignation, both from members of the Icelandic public and from the new Icelandic Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, which resulted in his being replaced as head of the Central Bank in March 2009.