On this day 17th of June 1944 Iceland declared independence from Denmark. This followed on from a 4 day referendum resulting in 97% of the electorate voting in favour of independence and 95% wishing that to be a republic.

A Toast to Iceland

By Jónas Hallgrímsson

Our land of lakes forever fair
below blue mountain summits,
of swans, of salmon leaping where
the silver water plummets,
of glaciers swelling broad and bare
above earth’s fiery sinews —
the Lord pour out his largess there
as long as earth continues!

Íslands minni

Þið þekkið fold með blíðri brá,
og bláum tindi fjalla,
og svanahljómi, silungsá,
og sælu blómi valla,
og bröttum fossi, björtum sjá
og breiðum jökulskalla —
drjúpi’ hana blessun drottins á
um daga heimsins alla.