November 22

Howard Carter, noted Egyptologist and hack archaeologist (who always seemed to have his hand out when in the company of aristocrats), discovered and opened the tomb of Tutankhamen, the Boy King on the 22nd in 1922. For reasons known only to Carter, he would wait until the 26th to enter the tomb. It is well known that King Tut put a curse on his tomb that promised certain death for all those who dared to disturb his resting place. It couldn’t have been much of a curse however, because Carter would not die until March 2, 1939 at the age of 65. So much for the swift and sure death, that Tut had gone on and on about.

Carter opened Tut’s tomb with Lord Carnovan, who had provided funding for Carter’s search. In addition to being ridiculously wealthy, George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, was also ridiculously patient. Carnovan had begun funding Carter’s expeditions in 1907.