| Who is it? | Historian & Biographer |
| Birth Day | December 15, 1945 |
| Birth Place | Wellington, New Zealander |
| Age | 75 YEARS OLD |
| Died On | 30 March 2004(2004-03-30) (aged 58)\nnear Maramarua, Waikato, New Zealand |
| Birth Sign | Capricorn |
| Occupation | Historian, biographer |
| Alma mater | Victoria University of Wellington, University of Waikato |
| Notable works | The Penguin History of New Zealand |
| Notable awards | Order of the British Empire (1988) Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement (2003) |
Michael King is a renowned Historian and Biographer hailing from New Zealand, whose net worth is projected to be around $800,000 by the year 2024. With a remarkable reputation as a cultural historian, he has dedicated his career to deepening our understanding of New Zealand's rich heritage. Through his meticulous research and captivating storytelling, King has shed light on various aspects of the country's history, earning him numerous accolades and a loyal following. As his net worth continues to grow, Michael King remains an influential figure, shaping our understanding of New Zealand's past.
King was winner of the 2003 Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement in Non-Fiction. Throughout his career he won the Feltex Television Writers' Award (1980), Winston Churchill Fellowship (1980), Fulbright Visiting Writers' Fellowship (1988), Order of the British Empire (1988), NZ Literary Fund Award (1987 and 1989), Wattie Book of the Year Award (1984 and 1990), NZ Book Award (non-fiction) (1978) and was Burns Fellow at the University of Otago (1998–99). His book The Penguin History of New Zealand was overwhelmingly the Readers' Choice at the 2004 Montana NZ Book Awards. The New Zealand Herald named him New Zealander of the Year for 2003.
King earned degrees in history at Victoria, (BA 1967) and the University of Waikato (MA 1968), and gained his PhD at Waikato (1978). In 1997 he received an honorary DLitt at Victoria. He was Visiting Professor of New Zealand Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and taught or held fellowships at six other universities.
King was born in Wellington to Eleanor and Commander Lewis King, one of four children. Educated at Sacred Heart College in Auckland and St. Patrick's College, Silverstream, he went on to study history at Victoria University of Wellington before working as a Journalist at the Waikato Times newspaper in Hamilton in 1968.
Although not Māori himself, King was well known for his knowledge of Māori culture and history. New Zealand Listener, one of New Zealand's most popular weekly magazines, dubbed King "the people's historian" for his efforts to write about and for the local populace. As a biographer, King published works on Te Puea Herangi, Whina Cooper, Frank Sargeson (1995) and Janet Frame (2000). As an Historian, King's works include Being Pākehā (1985), Moriori (1989), and The Penguin History of New Zealand (July 2003), the latter of which was, by February 2004, into its seventh edition. In all, King wrote, co-wrote and edited more than 30 books on a diverse range of New Zealand topics. He contributed to all five volumes of the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography.
King was winner of the 2003 Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement in Non-Fiction. Throughout his career he won the Feltex Television Writers' Award (1980), Winston Churchill Fellowship (1980), Fulbright Visiting Writers' Fellowship (1988), Order of the British Empire (1988), NZ Literary Fund Award (1987 and 1989), Wattie Book of the Year Award (1984 and 1990), NZ Book Award (non-fiction) (1978) and was Burns Fellow at the University of Otago (1998–99). His book The Penguin History of New Zealand was overwhelmingly the Readers' Choice at the 2004 Montana NZ Book Awards. The New Zealand Herald named him New Zealander of the Year for 2003.
