Olav V of Norway reigned as the King of Norway from September 1957 until his death in January 1991. He was born as Prince Alexander of Denmark and became the Crown Prince of Norway in 1905, when his father was elected the Norwegian King. Following the completion of his civil education, he underwent extensive military exercise and served as a general of the Norwegian Army, as well as an admiral of the Royal Norwegian Navy. For his contributions during World War II, he was named the Norwegian Chief of Defence and, apart from several honor and medals in Norway, also earned titles and decorations from other countries, such as the 'Legion of Merit' from the United States and the Médaille Militaire from France. He became the King of Norway following his father's death in 1957. At the time of his death, he was the world’s oldest reigning monarch at 87, and was the last surviving grandchild of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Alexandra of Denmark. Olav, who was adored by his people for his simplicity and humility, was named 'Norwegian of the Century' in a poll conducted by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation in 2005.