AKA Nebkheperura Tutankhamun
Born: 1341 BC
Died: 1323 BC
Location of death: Egypt
Cause of death: Infection
Remains: Mummified, Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt
Race or Ethnicity: Middle Eastern
Sexual orientation: Straight
Nationality: Ancient Egypt
Executive summary: Boy King of Egypt
There is little definitive information about Tutankhamun's life, and not even a definitive English-language name -- it is often spelled Tutankhamen, or Tut-Ankh-Amen. Historians generally agree that he was the twelfth ruler of the 18th Egyptian Dynasty, who assumed the throne when he was eight or nine years old. Before puberty he was married to his half-sister (or, possibly, niece) Ankhesenamen, daughter of Queen Nefertiti. He reigned until his death in his late teens. Some studies of his remains suggest that he was killed by a blow to the head, but more recent analysis indicates that he died from an infection after breaking his leg. He and Ankhesenamen may have had at least two children -- two mummified infants were found in Tutankhamun's tomb, but it is uncertain whether he was their father.
As Pharaoh, his most noteworthy accomplishment was reinstating the worship of Amun, an Egyptian ram-headed sky god among many other gods, as the official state religion, after his father and predecessor, Akhenaton had named Aton as Egypt's official god. It is unclear whether Tutankhamun deserves credit even for this, as his chief advisor seems to have made most of the governmental decisions during his tenure.
Though he was of little importance as a ruler, "King Tut" became the most famous of the Pharaohs thirty-two centuries after his death, when his mummified body and treasure stuffed tomb were discovered by archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922. The lavish accessories that filled his tomb have toured the world. Almost two million people visited the Tut exhibit in England in 1972, more than eight million saw Tut's treasures on a 1976-77 tour of America, and millions more worldwide saw the artifacts in their 2007-08 exhibition at some of the world's most prestigious museums.
Father: Akhenaton ("Amenhotep IV", Pharaoh)
Brother: Smenkhkare (Pharaoh)
Wife: Ankhesenamen (probably the daughter of Pharaoh Akhenaton, and thus Tut's half-sister)
Risk Factors: Malaria, Club Foot
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