A Year of Blogging: November 4, 2011

November 4 was 'King Tut' Day. Once again I found myself wishing for an alternate to write about. While I like history, I've never really gotten into Egyptian history. So I had to do a little research. King Tut's real name was Tutankhamun (alternatively spelled Tutankhamen). He became King in 1333 B.C. He was nine or ten years old when he ascended to the throne. Nine or ten? When I was nine or ten, I was still playing the 'Purple Glove Bandit' game with my friends on the playground. I had sleepovers on the weekend. I was allowed to ride my bike to the end of the road. I can't imagine ruling a country. Granted, it was a long time ago and things were very different, but still... King Tut died at the age of 19. It's not known what actually caused his death, although tests done in recent years have shown that he had broken his leg before his death and the leg had become infected. There were also traces of malaria in his system. It is also thought he could have had numerous birth defects, as his parents were actually siblings. The cause of his death is likely a mystery that will never be solved, even with our advances in medicine and testing. His tomb was discovered on November 4, 1923, which explains why November 4 is King Tut Day. Take time to learn more about this child king, or if there's an exhibit near you, go see it. Of course, you could also try your hand at archeology and see what you can dig up!