King Birendra 2001 Deaths
King Birendra
(Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva)Age: 55
King of Nepal who was shot to death by his son, Crown Prince Dipendra, in a massacre that nearly wiped out the entire royal family. His wife, Queen Aiswarya; their daughter, Princess Shruti; and another son, Prince Nirajan, were also killed. Dipendra died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Birendra, believed to be the reincarnation of Vishnu, acceded to the throne in 1972. In 1990, a pro-democracy movement led to the first free election in three decades and a new role for Birendra as constitutional monarch.
Died: Katmandu, Nepal, June 1, 2001T. Geoffrey Bibby | A - F | Charles Black, Jr. |