zog i, king of the albanian (, ; 8 october 18959 april 1961), born ahmet muhtar zogolli, taking the surname zogu in 1922, was the leader of albania from 1922 to 1939. he first was prime minister of albania (1922–1924), then as president (1925–1928), and finally as the first and only king (1928–1939) of albanian ancestry.