Oscar II. King of Sweden and Norway, grandson of Bernadotte. Born in 1829. He succeeded his brother, Charles XV, in 1872, and reigned 27 years until his death in 1907. King Oscar distinguished himself in literature by translating Goethe's "Torquato Tasso" into Swedish, and by a volume of minor poems under his nom de plume "Oscar Frederick." The separation of Norway into a distinct kingdom occurred in 1905 and, although he opposed the disunion, his good judgment and patience contributed greatly to the peaceful dissolution which took place.

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