Conversation so far:
what's the historical background of the king in the musical the King and I
Mongkut, King of Siam, was about 57 years old in 1861. He had lived half his life as a Buddhist monk, and was an able scholar.
when did King Mongkut, King of Siam become king
After his twenty-seven years of monastic life, King Mongkut voluntarily defrocked and ascended the throne in 1851, aged 47.
how did nangklao, or Rama III, die
Nangklao died on 2 April 1851 without having named a successor.
what did the king of siam, Mongkut, do
Mongkut, also known as King Rama IV, ultimately succeeded in keeping Siam an independent nation, partly by familiarizing his heirs and harem with Western ways.
what is King Mongkut's major accomplishment
In 1861, Mongkut wrote to his Singapore agent, Tan Kim Ching, asking him to find a British lady to be governess to the royal children.

Question: what is so historical about his life
Self-contained rewrite: what is so historical about King Mongkut's life