Papadopoulos, George (Georgios Papadopoulos), 1919-99, Greek colonel and political leader. A career army officer, he was the strongman of the military junta that seized power in Greece in Apr., 1967. At first Papadopoulos took the post of minister to the premier, but following King Constantine II's abortive coup in Dec., 1967, he assumed the premiership and resigned his army commission. Ruling by decree, Papadopoulos imprisoned opponents and thwarted several attempts to overthrow him, including one by naval officers in May, 1973. He narrowly missed assassination in Aug., 1968. In June, 1973, Papadopoulos established a republic, assumed the presidency, and tried unsuccessfully to acquire democratic legitimacy for his new regime. He was overthrown in Nov., 1973, by a junta of military hard-liners, which itself collapsed in July, 1974. With the restoration of constitutional government, Papadopoulos was tried for treason and insurrection and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Papadopoulos (Greek: Παπαδόπουλος), sometimes transliterated as Papadopulos, is the most common Greek surname. It is used both in Greece, Cyprus and countries of the Greek diaspora as well, such as the USA, Australia and Germany. It means son of a priest. The female version of the name is Papadopoulou. Notable examples include:

Men

• Alekos Papadopoulos, Greek politician, Member of the Hellenic Parliament for Thesprotia with the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (since 1989), Deputy Minister of Finance (1993-1994), Minister of Finance (1994-1996), Minister of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralisation (1996-1999), Minister of Health and Welfare (2000-2002)
• Alexander (Papadopoulos) Payne (1961) American filmmaker of Greek descent.
• Avraam Papadopoulos (born 1984), Australian footballer
• Christos Papadopoulos (1950), Greek volleyball player
• Dimitrios Papadopoulos (1981), Greek footballer
• Georgios Papadopoulos (1919-1999), Greek dictator
• Giuseppe Papadopulo (1948), Italian football manager
• Gnossos Papadopoulos, fictional character in the Richard Fariña novel, Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me (1966)
• Kyriakos Papadopoulos (1992), Greek footballer
• Lakis Papadopoulos, Greek songwriter
• Lazaros Papadopoulos (1980), Greek professional basketball player
• Lefteris Papadopoulos (1935), Greek lyricist and journalist
• Michal Papadopoulos (1985), Greek footballer
• Spyros Papadopoulos, actor
• Tassos Papadopoulos (1934), Former President of Cyprus

Women

• Dimitra Papadopoulou, Greek actress and script writer
• Eleni Papadopulos-Eleopulos, Greek medical physicist
• Irena Papadopoulos, Greek Cypriot academic
• Stiliani Papadopoulou, Greek hammer thrower

See also

• Giuseppe Papadopulo (born 1948), Italian football manager