Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej is dead at 88 after his health waned over the past year.
King Bhumibol was born in the United States in 1927. His father died when he was just two years old. When his childless uncle abdicated in 1935, his nine-year-old brother took the throne.
But King Ananda was shot dead in his bed in 1946 and King Bhumibol ascended to the throne at the tender age of 18.
The date of his coronation is celebrated on May 5 each year and is a public holiday in Thailand.
Although he's rarely been seen in public, he has a large presence in Thailand. His portraits hang from the facades of government buildings, offices and schools, and crown the entrances to airports.
In his private life, he was known as a musician, painter, photographer and sailor.
The king is survived by his four children, but who will succeed him remains a mystery.
Anxiety over the King's health and eventual succession has presided for more than a decade of bitter political divide in Thailand. That divide has included two military coups and violent street demonstrations in recent years.
The monarch's only son, 64-year-old Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, will be his successor, the prime minister has said.
Prince Maha, known for his womanising ways and gambling debts, is deeply unpopular in Thailand.
The new king will be crowned after a 100-day mourning period.
