Project: Albania/People

Notable Albanians

Flag of Albania

1 Current Head of State and Head of Government
2 The Albanian Monarchy
3 Albanian Notables
4 Top Unconnected Albanian Branches

Current Head of State and Head of Government

Notable	Born	Title	In Office	Photo	Status
Bajram Begaj	1967	President	2022		Not Connected
Edi Ramaj	1964	Prime Minister	2013		Not Connected

The Albanian Monarchy

While the medieval Angevin Kingdom of Albania was indeed a monarchy, it did not encompass the full extent of what is now recognized as the modern state of Albania. This kingdom was short-lived, with its reign ending in 1282 due to opposition from Albanian nobles. The Middle Ages saw a succession of self-proclaimed rulers in Albania during the 14th and 15th centuries. These included Andrea II Muzaka, who held the title of Despot of Albania; Karl Thopia, known as the Prince of Albania; and Skanderbeg, who was revered as the Lord of Albania.

Albania has experienced two distinct periods of monarchy in its modern history. The first instance occurred following the Albanian Declaration of Independence in 1912. However, a king was not appointed until 1914, and his reign was abruptly ended the same year due to the onset of World War I and the subsequent occupation of Albania.

The second instance of monarchy began in 1928 when Ahmet Zogu, then president of the republic, declared himself King Zog I. His reign was cut short in 1939 when Mussolini’s Italy invaded Albania, forcing him to abdicate and flee into exile. In contemporary times, there are still hereditary claimants to the title of King of the Albanians, although Albania itself is no longer a monarchy.

Notable	Born	Died	Title	Reign	Photo	Status
King Zog I of Albania	1895	1961	First and only King of Modern Albania	1922-1939		Connected

Note: Although King Zog I is connected to the Global Family Tree, there is still a great deal of work to be done on the profiles of other Royal Family members.

Albanian Notables

Notable	Born	Died	Claim to Fame	Status
Ali Pashë Tepelenë	1740	1822	Ruler of the Ottoman Empire's European territories	Not Connected
Evangelos Zappas	1800	1965	Philanthropist who help establish and fund the modern Olympic Games	Not Connected
Ismail Kamal	1844	1919	Fist Prime Minister of Albania	Not Connected
Kolë Idromeno	1860	1939	Albanian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, photographer, cinematographer, composer and engineer	Not Connected
Gjerj Fishta	1871	1940	One of the most influential Albanian writers of the 20th century	Not Connected
Aleksandër Stavre Drenova	1872	1947	Poet who wrote the Albanian National Anthem	Not Connected
Urani Rumbo	1895	1936	Teacher, playwright, and feminist leader	Not Connected
Enver Hoxha	1908	1985	Communist Party leader for 41 years	Not Connected
Ramiz Alia	1925	2011	2nd and final leader of communist Albania	Not Connected
Panajot Pano	1939	2010	Legendary footballer	Not Connected