King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was the king of Nepal from 1972 until his death in 2001. He was born on December 28, 1945, in Kathmandu, Nepal, and was the eldest son of King Mahendra and Queen Indra.
King Birendra was educated in Nepal and the United Kingdom, where he attended Eton College and later the University of Tokyo. He became king in 1972 after the death of his father, King Mahendra.
During his reign, King Birendra promoted democracy and made several reforms to modernize Nepal. He also worked to preserve Nepal's cultural heritage and was a strong advocate for environmental conservation. In 1990, he introduced a new constitution that established a multiparty system of government and gave greater rights to the Nepali people.
In 2001, King Birendra and several members of the royal family were killed in a tragic shooting at the Narayanhiti Palace in Kathmandu. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear and controversial, and the event had a significant impact on Nepal's political and social landscape.
