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Famous People

In this section, we shed light on some of the most famous and infamous people known throughout history, from powerful pharaohs, to emperors and empresses, acclaimed military leaders, or just regular civilians who’ve been thrown into the spotlight for great crimes or for heroic actions, leaving an indelible mark on the world.

Snow White a Disney story based on real historical events.
11 April, 2019 - 23:02 Sarah P Young

The Truth Behind 5 Disney Movies That Are Based On Real Histories

Many of us grew up watching Disney movies and their tales of fairy princesses and evil queens are undeniably a part of the modern zeitgeist . Some of the movies are original to Disney, but at their...
Ragnar Lothbrok
7 April, 2019 - 22:12 Theodoros Karasavvas

Ragnar Lothbrok: A Real Viking Hero Whose Life Became Lost to Legend

Ragnar Lothbrok was a fearless Viking hero who ransacked England and France and fathered the Great Heathen Army. However the historicity of the man with “hairy breeches” is subject to debate. Where...
Anne Greene was condemned to death by hanging.
5 April, 2019 - 18:51 dhwty

Anne Greene, The Accused Baby Killer Who Refused to Die

Anne Greene was a woman who lived in England during the 17th century. She is notable for having survived her own execution . This was hailed as an act of God and Anne was pardoned. After her failed...
An artist's depiction Sunni Ali Ber, African warrior king of the Songhai empire.
3 April, 2019 - 14:02 Sarah P Young

Ten of Africa’s Most Powerful Kings, Queens, Warriors and Legends

Africa is a region with a long and glorious history, with hundreds of distinct cultures and traditions. From the Egyptians to the Zulus each culture has produced some of the greatest warriors and...
A Tale of Two Brigids: a Celtic Goddess and a Christian Saint
30 March, 2019 - 01:01 Natalia Klimczak

A Tale of Two Brigids: A Celtic Goddess and a Christian Saint

St Brigid is one of the patron saints of Ireland. But the virgin nun has roots that go back to the days when the land’s pagan deities received prayers instead. It seems the Celtic goddess Brigid...
Emperor Caligula
29 March, 2019 - 00:41 mrreese

The Madness of Caligula: Rome’s Cruelest Emperor?

Caligula was Rome’s most tyrannical emperor. His reign from 37-41 AD is filled with murder and debauchery, to levels even his infamous nephew Nero could not reach. The great-great grandson of Julius...
The Israeli Druze are a religious minority in Israel who live in the north of the country.
24 March, 2019 - 17:47 Chadi B Ghaith

Who are the Druze and How Might the Shroud of Turin Relate Them to Jesus Christ?

The Druze are a secretive surviving Gnostic community in the Middle East today who publicly claim homogeneity with Islam due to a historical fear of persecution. In truth, they have nothing in common...
Ivar the Boneless
24 March, 2019 - 11:28 Riley Winters

Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider

One would expect "boneless" to describe a man without a lick of bravery. Or perhaps a man without a shred of compassion in a heart of ice. Yet in the case of the infamous Ivar the Boneless, son of...
Left - Alfred the Great, painting in the Bodleian Gallery. Right - Alfred the Great at the Battle of Ashdown.
23 March, 2019 - 23:57 dhwty

Why was Alfred the Great One of Only Two Kings Named ‘Great’ in English History?

Alfred the Great was the first king of the Anglo-Saxons and one of only two English rulers to have been given the epithet ‘the Great’. He may have earned this title in part by defending his kingdom...
Sayyida al-Hurra, Sovereign Lady who turned pirate.
21 March, 2019 - 17:57 dhwty

Sayyida al-Hurra: Noble ‘Sovereign Lady’ Who Terrorized the Mediterranean As A Pirate

Sayyida al-Hurra was a notorious female pirate who lived between the 15 th and 16 th centuries. She was active in the western part of Mediterranean , and frequently targeted the ships of Portuguese...
The Tremulous Hand of Worcester was a medieval scribe in the 13th Century.
20 March, 2019 - 13:01 Sarah P Young

The Tremulous Hand of Worcester: Unfurling the Medical Mystery of a Medieval Scribe

Handwriting is one of those things most people don’t really give a second thought to today – we live in a world where we are surrounded by text and the vast majority of the time it is printed rather...
African queen
17 March, 2019 - 17:54 dhwty

Dido of Carthage, Mediterranean Princess Turned African Queen

Dido, known also as Elissa in some sources, is a legendary queen who is credited with the founding of Carthage. The legend of Queen Dido is found in Greek and Roman sources, the best-known of which...
Representative image of a cloaked druid in a forest.
16 March, 2019 - 17:41 Jack Wilkin

Stories of the Druids Abound, But What is the Hard Archaeological Evidence?

Druid comes from the Old Irish word druí meaning sorcerer. And that is how most people today think of the druids, as mysterious wizards enveloped in the world of magic and ritual. But there is much...
Queen Scotia was the daughter of an Egyptian Pharaoh and died in the battle of Sliabh Mish between the Celtic Milesians and the Tuatha Dé Danann.
15 March, 2019 - 12:53 Sarah P Young

Quest for the Grave of Scotia, the Pharaoh’s Daughter Who Founded Scotland and Ireland

A short distance from the bustling Irish town of Tralee in County Kerry there is an otherworldly looking glen which is known as Scotia’s Grave. According to Irish folklore, the glen was the location...
Ur-Shulgi. King Shulgi is credited with the completion of the Great ziggurat of Ur.
11 March, 2019 - 14:00 Carly Silver

The Mighty Deeds of King Shulgi of Ur, Master of Mesopotamian Monarchs

In the early second millennium BC, the city-states of Mesopotamia thrived in the so-called “Ur III period.” Assuming political frameworks previously abandoned in times of chaos, the rulers of the...
Tsali, Cherokee folk hero
10 March, 2019 - 14:11 dhwty

The Sacrifice of Tsali, The Cherokee Folk Hero Who Gave His Life For His People

Tsali was a Cherokee folk hero who sacrificed his life for his people. They were in hiding from the US government who had ordered the removal of the Cherokee from their native lands. Tsali, known...
Portrait of Adolf Frederick of Sweden
9 March, 2019 - 14:01 dhwty

Adolf Frederick: The Swedish King Who Ate Himself to Death

Adolf Frederick was a Swedish king who lived during the 18 th century. Although Adolf Frederick ruled Sweden for almost 20 years, it was unremarkable and nothing of great note took place during his...
Sarah Churchill by Charles Jervas
8 March, 2019 - 13:59 ancient-origins

Powerful Female Figures of Britain: The Real Life Women of ‘The Favourite’

Amy Froide / The Conversation One of the challengers at this year’s Oscars was “ The Favourite ,” a film set in the early 18th-century court of British monarch Queen Anne . Focusing on the political...
The Celts had many female warriors
5 March, 2019 - 23:05 Sarah P Young

Eight Surprising Things You Should Know About the Celts

The Celts were a distinct ethnic group made up of tribes spread across Europe. They shared similar languages, traditions, religions , and cultural practices and were known for their fierceness in...
Juana Ines de la Cruz Painting by Mauricio García Vega.
4 March, 2019 - 01:46 dhwty

Juana Ines de la Cruz – 17th Century Philosopher, Composer, and Poet Who Spoke For Women’s Rights

Juana Ines de la Cruz was a 17 th century nun from colonial Mexico . She was regarded during her lifetime as a prodigy, and was a renowned scholar, poet , and playwright . Juana Ines’ works brought...
Pocahontas
2 March, 2019 - 23:36 mrreese

The True Story of Pocahontas as NOT told by Disney

Pocahontas is remembered as the Native American Powhatan princess who saved the life of Englishman John Smith, married John Rolfe and fostered peace between English settlers and Native Americans. In...
Modern representation of Sargon of Akkad.
2 March, 2019 - 01:46 dhwty

Sargon of Akkad: Familiar and Legendary Tales of a Famous Mesopotamian King

In 2334 BC, King Sargon of Akkad founded one of the world’s greatest empires. From humble roots, he created a Golden Age in Mesopotamia. Heroic epics tell tales of a strong leader. Sargon the Great...
Hypatia
1 March, 2019 - 01:59 Riley Winters

Living in a Man's World: The Untimely & Brutal Death of Hypatia

Hypatia was a philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer who lived in a man’s world in 4th century Alexandria. Times were turbulent and the brutal and sudden end to Hypatia’s life shows just how...
A Medieval knight holding a glass of wine (diter / Adobe Stock)
28 February, 2019 - 14:01 dhwty

Strange Deaths in History: The Duke who Died in a Barrel of Wine

George Plantagenet, 1 st Duke of Clarence, was a 15 th century English nobleman who was executed by allegedly being drowned in a vat of Malmsey wine. He was a member of the House of York and played...

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