Norodom Sihanouk
House House of Norodom Father Norodom Suramarit Mother Sisowath Kossamak Born (1922-10-31)31 October 1922 Phnom Penh, Cambodia Died 15 October 2012(2012-10-15) (aged 89) Beijing, China Religion Theravada Buddhism Signature Norodom Sihanouk 1st Prime Minister of Cambodia In office 17 November 1961 – 13 February 1962 Preceded by Penn Nouth Succeeded by Nhiek Tioulong (acting) In office 10 July 1958 – 19 April 1960 Preceded by Sim Var Succeeded by Pho Proeung In office 9 April 1957 – 7 July 1957 Monarch Norodom Suramarit Preceded by Sam Yun Succeeded by Sim Var In office 15 September 1956 – 15 October 1956 Monarch Norodom Suramarit Preceded by Khim Tit Succeeded by Sam Yun In office 1 March 1956 – 24 March 1956 Monarch Norodom Suramarit Preceded by Oum Chheang Sun Succeeded by Khim Tit In office 3 October 1955 – 5 January 1956 Monarch Norodom Suramarit Preceded by Leng Ngeth Succeeded by Oum Chheang Sun In office 7 April 1954 – 18 April 1954 Preceded by Chan Nak Succeeded by Penn Nouth In office 16 June 1952 – 24 January 1953 Preceded by Huy Kanthoul Succeeded by Penn Nouth In office 28 April 1950 – 30 May 1950 Preceded by Yem Sambaur Succeeded by Sisowath Monipong In office 18 March 1945 – 13 August 1945 Preceded by Position established Succeeded by Son Ngoc Thanh Leader of the Sangkum Reastr Niyum In office 24 March 1955 – 18 March 1970 Preceded by Position established Succeeded by None (party dissolved) Head of State of Cambodia In office 14 June 1993 – 24 September 1993 Preceded by Chea Sim as Chairman of the Council of State Succeeded by Himself as King In office 20 June 1960 – 18 March 1970 Preceded by Chuop Hell (acting) Succeeded by Cheng Heng as President of the Khmer Republic President of the State Presidium of Democratic Kampuchea In office 17 April 1975 – 11 April 1976 Preceded by Sak Sutsakhan as Chairman of the Supreme Committee Succeeded by Khieu Samphan Personal details Political party FUNCINPEC (1981–1993) Other political affiliations Sangkum (1955–1970) Independent (1945–1955) Alma mater Armoured Cavalry Branch Training School Profession Politician, actor, author, film director Norodom Sihanouk (Khmer: នរ ត តម ស ហន ; 31 October 1922 – 15 October 2012) was the King of Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 to 2005. He was the effective ruler of Cambodia from 1953 to 1970. After his second abdication in 2004, he was known as "The King-Father of Cambodia" (Khmer: Preahmâhaviraksat), a position in which he retained many of his former responsibilities as constitutional monarch. The son of King Norodom Suramarit and Queen Sisowath Kossamak, Sihanouk held so many positions since 1941 that the Guinness Book of World Records identifies him as the politician who has served the world's greatest variety of political offices. These included two terms as king, two as sovereign prince, one as president, two as prime minister, as well as numerous positions as leader of various governments-in-exile. He served as puppet head of state for the Khmer Rouge government in 1975–1976. Most of these positions were only honorific, including the last position as constitutional king of Cambodia. Sihanouk's actual period of effective rule over Cambodia was from 9 November 1953, when Cambodia gained its independence from France, until 18 March 1970, when General Lon Nol and the National Assembly deposed him.