Bhumibol Adulyadej is the King of Thailand. He is also known as Rama IX, as he is the ninth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty. Having reigned since 9 June 1946, he is the world's longest-serving current head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history, serving for 68 years, 119 days. King Bhumibol is respected and revered by most Thais. The King is legally considered "inviolable", and l�se majest�, that is, offence against the dignity of the monarch, may be punished. In 1957, the overthrow of the government was justified with allegations of l�se majest�. Although Bhumibol invited public criticism in a 2005 speech, politicians and individuals are still being arrested over claims of l�se majest�. Forbes estimated Bhumibol's fortune?including property and investments managed by the Crown Property Bureau, a unique body that is neither private nor government-owned?to be US$30 billion in 2010, and he was the leader of the magazine's list of "The World's Richest Royals" from 2008 to 2013. In May 2014, Bhumibol's wealth was once again listed as US$30 billion. [More at Wikipedia]

December 5th, 1927 in Mount Auburn Hospital  /  Died:   Oct 13th, 2016