14 Facts About Ion Ghica

Ion Ghica was a full member of the Romanian Academy and its president many times.

Ion Ghica was the older brother and associate of Pantazi Ghica, a prolific writer and politician.

Ion Ghica was born in Bucharest, Wallachia, to the prominent Ghica boyar family, and was the nephew of both Grigore Alexandru Ghica and Ion Campineanu, a Carbonari-inspired radical.

Ion Ghica was educated in Bucharest and in Western Europe, studying engineering and mathematics in Mine School of Paris from 1837 to 1840.

Ion Ghica became a professor on geology and mineralogy and later professor on political economy at the Academia Mihaileana which was founded by the same Prince Sturdza in Iasi.

Ion Ghica joined the Wallachian revolutionary camp, and, in the name of the Provisional Government then established in Bucharest, went to Istanbul to approach the Ottoman Imperial government; he, Nicolae Balcescu, and General Gheorghe Magheru were instrumental in mediating negotiations between the Transylvanian Romanian leader Avram Iancu and the Hungarian Revolutionary government of Lajos Kossuth.

Later, despite being trusted by Prince Cuza, Ion Ghica took active part in the secret grouping that secured Cuza's overthrow.

Ion Ghica was the first prime minister under Prince of Romania Carol of Hohenzollern.

In 1866, Ion Ghica became the first chairman of the newly established Bank of Romania.

Ion Ghica is noted as one of the first major Liberal figures in the Kingdom of Romania, and one of the leaders of the incipient Liberal Party.

In 1881, Ion Ghica was appointed Romanian Minister in London, an office he retained until 1889; he died in Ghergani, Dambovita County.

Furthermore, Ion Ghica was a member of the Macedo-Romanian Cultural Society.

Beside his political distinction, Ion Ghica earned a literary reputation by writing his Letters, addressed to Vasile Alecsandri, his lifelong friend.

Ion Ghica was the author of Amintiri din pribegie, in 1848, and of Convorbiri Economice, dealing with major economic issues.