King Tutankhamun, facts and information

King Tutankhamun is one of the most famous rulers who ever lived thanks to the 1922 discovery of the pharaoh’s tomb in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. The boy king’s golden-masked mummified mummy captured the imagination of millions. (How was Tut’s tomb discovered 100 years ago? Grit and luck. )

But how much do we know about Tut? While many details about his reign are lost in time, historians have spent decades trying to reconstruct the pharaoh’s life and legacy. Here’s what historians have learned and the biggest questions they still have to answer.

A young Tut ascends to the throne

Born during ancient Egypt’s 18th Dynasty–which stretched from 1550 B.C. to 1295 B.C.–Tut began his life under a different name: Tutankhaten. Egypt was experiencing great turmoil in the years prior to Tut’s accession to the throne. King Amenhotep IV is believed to have been Tut’s father. He had abandoned his culture’s many gods in favor of a sun god called Aten. In honor of the new deity, he changed his own name to Akhenaten and named his son Tutankhaten, meaning “living image of Aten.” (Learn about King Tut with your kids. )

But around 1336 B.C., King Akhenaten died after about 17 years on the throne–and nine-year-old Tut ascended to power. The kingdom’s old ways were restored by the boy king, who brought back many gods and opened new temples. (See the enduring power of King Tut as never before. )

Tut also changed his name to Tutankhamun, which meant the “living image of Amun,” the Egyptian god of the air. He also assumed the title of Nebkheperure as his throne name. This was in nod to the old sun god Re. He married Ankhesenamun, a girl of Queen Nefertiti and Akhenaten. Although the couple is not believed to have had any children, Tut’s tomb revealed two mummified fetuses that were likely their stillborn daughters.

Tut’s legacy

The rest of Tut’s short reign was fairly unremarkable. Tutankhamun, who ruled for nine years, was one of the lesser-known pharaohs his time. Scholars speculate that priests and royal advisers might have used the boy-king as a puppet in order to reclaim power. Some believe that Tut’s descendants erased his name from monuments and records due to his association with the hated Akhenaten.

But that did not mean that Tut’s tomb was destroyed. While many of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings had been looted over the centuries, Tut’s was left relatively intact. The discovery of its treasures sparked modern investigations into Tut’s past and revealed important information about the period of the pharaohs. (Learn about the mysteries of the Valley of the Kings. )

King Tut’s death

One of the puzzles that has most vexed historians and scientists alike is how Tut died.

Theories have abounded ever since British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered Tut’s tomb in 1922. Some suspect that he was murdered or died from malaria or another devastating disease. Others have hypothesized that Tut’s chest–which is missing ribs and a sternum–might have been crushed in an accident or fall from his chariot. Others argue that he died an invalid and point to evidence of a clubfoot, canes, and other aids that may have been used to walk. (Discover King Tut’s 5,000 treasures, by the numbers. )

One thing scholars do know is that Tut was young when he died–still a teenager by most accounts–and his death was unexpected. The final resting place for Tut was actually an unfinished tomb that was intended for another courtier. Evidence suggests that it was made in a hurry to accommodate the king’s body.

It is unclear if we will ever be able to fully understand the life and times of Tutankhamen the boy king. His memory continues to be a magnet for the world, even centuries later.