Key events in life of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej:
• Dec. 5, 1927: Born in Cambridge, Mass., grandson of King Chulalongkorn and son of Prince Mahidol, medical student at Harvard. Family returns to Thailand when Mahidol dies in 1929.
• March 2, 1935: Bhumibol's brother Ananda named king.
• June 9, 1946: Ananda dies in palace bedroom of never explained gunshot wound. Bhumibol named king.
• Oct. 4, 1948: Bhumibol hurt in car accident in Switzerland, losing right eye. Sirikit Kitiyakara, daughter of Thai diplomat, helps nurse him. They marry in 1950.
• May 5, 1950: Bhumibol's coronation held in Bangkok. He and Sirikit return to Switzerland, where king furthers education.
• Dec. 2, 1951: King returns to live permanently in Thailand.
• Sept. 16, 1957: Coup by Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat installs government that institutes bood relations with palace.
• October 1973: Student-led protests against military violently repressed, but junta leaders flee country and king backs moves to establish true representative democracy.
• Jan. 6, 2001: Thaksin Shinawatra, telecommunications mogul, elected prime minister, and his arrogance and virtual lock on parliamentary power perceived by elite as challenge to monarchy.
• April 26, 2006: Amid street protests against Thaksin, Bhumibol tells senior judges to explore legal solutions to "political mess" and they issue several rulings undermining Thaksin's power.
• Sept. 19, 2006: Military stages bloodless coup while Thaksin in New York, accusing him, among other things, of showing disrespect toward monarchy.
• Dec. 26, 2007: Thaksin's political allies regain power in election, and foes resume street demonstrations, charging Thaksin opposes monarchy.
• Dec. 4, 2008: After months of political turmoil that end with court unseating Thaksin's allies, Bhumibol fails to make annual birthday eve speech. King described as "a little sick."
