This Day in History November 26, 1922

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By Exclusive to The Times [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

I believe I have heard about King Tut most of my life  In fact, I don't think I even realized he was real when I heard about him as a child.  King Tutankhamen had a short reign that was truly unremarkable, for the most part (1332-1323 B.C.).  Egyptologist and archaeologist Howard Carter spent decades looking for the lost tomb of this ruler.  He finally discovered a passageway from the nearby tomb of Ramses VI.  And it was on this date in 1922 that he and his sponsor entered this once lost tomb.  

What was found in this tomb was unbelievable.  It has been preserved for well over 3300 years, and people were suddenly scrambling to get permits to dig at the site. It took ten years to document and clear out this tomb.  Carter began working on a six-volume work, but he died before he could complete it.  The popular myth of a curse--early death to those who entered the tomb--was refuted by actual evidence to the contrary.  

For more information:
http://www.kingtutone.com/tutankhamun/information/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutankhamun
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1920s/a/kingtut.htm
http://famousdaily.com/history/archaeologist-enter-king-tuts-tomb.html