CUZA or COUZA, ALEXANDER JOHN (Alexandru Joan) (1820-1873), first prince of Rumania, was born on March 20, 182o, at Galatz in Moldavia, of an ancient boiar or noble family. He was educated at Jassy, Pavia, Bologna, Athens and Paris. In 1845 he married Elena Rosetti. Cuza was expelled from Moldavia by Prince Sturdza for taking part in the Rumanian revolution of 1848 and took refuge in Vienna. On his return, in 185o, he was appointed president of tribunal and, later, prefect of Galatz. In 1857 he rejoined the army and within a few months rose to the rank of colonel. He became minister of war in 1858 and represented Galatz in the Assembly which was elected in the same year to nominate a prince for Moldavia. In default of a foreign prince, he was himself elected prince of Moldavia by the assembly at Jassy (Jan. 5-17, 1859), and prince of Walachia by the assembly at Bucharest (Jan. 24-Feb. 5) . He thus became ruler of the united principalities, with the title Prince Alexander John I.; but as the Convention of Paris (Aug. 19, 1858) had intended and provided for the continued separation of the two Principalities his authority was not recognized by his suzerain, the sultan of Turkey, until Dec. 11-23, 1861, when the union of the principalities under the name of Rumania was formally pro claimed. For a full account of Cuza's reign, see RUMANIA. The drastic and unconstitutional reforms which he imposed on all classes alienated his subjects, and the popular discontent culmi nated in revolution. At four o'clock on the morning of Feb. 23, 1866, a band of military conspirators broke into the palace and compelled the prince to sign his abdication and to leave the country. He died in Heidelberg on May 15, 1873.