The Curse of Pharaoh Tutankhamun

It's 1922 in Thebes, Egypt, and the esteemed archaeologist, Howard Carter, alongside his financial backer, Lord Carnarvon, holds a flickering match up to the darkness. They're underneath the Egyptian sand, at the mouth of the tomb of the Boy Pharaoh Tutankhamen. Hot air, trapped for 1000s of years, escapes the ancient doorway.

“...As my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues, and gold - everywhere the glint of gold. For the moment - an eternity it must have seemed to the others standing by - I was struck dumb with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the suspense any longer, inquired anxiously, 'Can you see anything?' it was all I could do to get out the words, 'Yes, wonderful things.”
― Howard Carter

After years and years of searching, the pair had found the final resting place of the famous child king, uncovering the most well-preserved tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings.

Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon became instant celebrities, but all was not well for long...

As legend has it, there is an ancient curse associated with the mummys and tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs. Disturbing these embalmed remains has been said to bring bad luck, illness and death.

Shortly after unearthing King Tut's tomb, Carnarvon was found dead. A mosquito bite on his face had become infected, leading to deadly blood poisoning.

And he would not be the only death, illness or unlucky occurrence associated with this expedition. Carnarvon's half-brother also died from blood poisoning, Sir Archibald Douglas-Reid died from a mysterious illness, and George Jay Gould died from a fever following his visit to Egypt, among many others. Objects from the tomb were given as gifts to Carter's friend Sir Bruce Ingram, whose house burned down not long after. After being rebuilt, the house then flooded.

The result of a deadly ancient curse, or a circumstantial coincidence? That's for you to decide...