TODAY IN HISTORY

|Egyptian Monarchy Toppled By Coup|

The leaders of the Revolution, Mohammed Naguib (left) and Gamal Abdel Nasser (right) in a Cadillac

On this day in 1952, the Free Officers, a nationalistic military group led by Mohammed Naguib and Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser, engineered a coup that overthrew King Farouk I of Egypt, ending the monarchy and bringing the leaders of the coup to power. This event came to be known as the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. 

Following a brief experiment with civilian rule, the Free Officers abrogated the monarchy as well as the 1923 constitution and declared Egypt a republic on 18 June 1953.