Skúli Magnússon (12 December 1711 – 9 November 1794) was an
Icelandic civil servant. He is often referred to as the ''father of
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...
.'' due to
King Frederik V of Denmark donating the estate of Reykjavík to Magnússon's
Innréttingar corporation, which is largely seen as a turning point in the modern development of Iceland.
Early life
Magnússon was born on 12 December, 1711 in Nord-Þingeyjarsýsla to Magnús Einarsson, a priest in
Húsavík
Húsavík () is a town in Norðurþing municipality on the northeast coast of Iceland on the shores of Skjálfandi bay with 2,485 inhabitants. The most famous landmark of the town is the wooden church Húsavíkurkirkja, built in 1907. Húsav� ...
, and Oddný Jónsdóttir.
References
{{Reflist
1711 births
Icelandic independence activists
1794 deaths
Politicians from Reykjavík