About Zahi Hawass
Zahi Abass Hawass (Arabic: زاهي عباس حواس; born May 28, 1947) is an Egyptian archaeologist, Egyptologist, and former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, a position he held twice. He has worked at archaeological sites in the Nile Delta, the Western Desert and the Upper Nile Valley. == Early life == Hawass was born in a small village near Damietta, Egypt. Although he originally dreamed of becoming an attorney, he ended up becoming an Egyptologist. Hawass was involved in excavations early on, he recalled that in 1960, he was part of a group working with Sheikh Ali Abdel-Rasoul in the Tomb of Seti I in the Valley of the Kings, when they found a tunnel in the tomb. Hawass also recalled that, as a young archaeologist excavating at Kom Abu Billo, he had to help transport several artifacts from the Greco-Roman site. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Greek and Roman Archaeology from Alexandria University in 1967. In 1979, Hawass earned a diploma in Egyptology from Cairo University. He then worked at the Great Pyramids as an inspector—a combination of administrator and archaeologist. When he was 33 years old, Hawass was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to attend the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia to study Egyptology, earning a Master of Arts degree in the subject and also one in Syro-Palestinian Archaeology in 1983, and his PhD in Egyptology in 1987 from the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate Group in the Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World (AAMW), concentrating on "The Funerary Establishments of Khufu, Khafra and Menkaura During the Old Kingdom." == Career == === Archaeology and early government career === Hawass was Associate Director of Excavation at Hermopolis in 1968 and Tarrana 1970–74.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.