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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.

'Esther and Mordechai writing letters to the Jews’ (1675) by Aert de Gelder.
29 August, 2016 - 03:53 Natalia Klimczak

The Remarkable Story of Esther: A Brave Queen and Champion for the Jews

The story of Esther is one of the most important for the Jewish faith, and it is also one of the most inspirational in the entire Bible. She was an independent woman in the court of a Persian king...
A stone statue of Hatshepsut and Egyptian soldiers from Hatshepsut's expedition to the Land of Punt as depicted from her temple at Deir el-Bahri.
18 August, 2016 - 21:42 Natalia Klimczak

Out for War or A Shopping Trip? Why Hatshepsut Traveled to the Kingdom of Punt

The walls of the great temple in Karnak depicted the story of an expedition of impressive ships to the mysterious land known as Punt. The fleet of Queen Hatshepsut traveled there for unknown reasons...
Main: Battle of a French ship of the line and two galleys of the Barbary/Ottoman corsairs. Inset: An Ottoman pirate.
9 August, 2016 - 14:49 dhwty

Aruj Barbarossa: Most Notorious Pirate of the Barbary Corsairs

Aruj Barbarossa, known also in Turkish as Oruc Reis, is one of the most notorious pirates in history. He lived between the 15th and 16th centuries, and was one of the most well-known Barbary corsairs...
Guido of Arezzo.
9 August, 2016 - 03:40 dhwty

Musical Monk: Guido of Arezzo and His Impact on the History of Music

Guido of Arezzo was a monk who lived during the Middle Ages, and may be considered as one of the most influential figures in the history of modern music. During the Middle Ages, the monastery was one...
Detail of a mural depicting a Moche priestess. Reconstruction of a Moche priestess.
7 August, 2016 - 00:46 Riley Winters

Performance and Power: Moche Priestesses Uncovered

Despite being an agricultural society of ceremonial performance, bold works of art, and innovative irrigation processes, the Moche (100-800AD) are best remembered as one of many Pre-Columbian...
The Boy's King Arthur: Sir Thomas Malory's History of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, Edited for Boys by Sidney Lanier (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1922).
6 August, 2016 - 14:34 Carly Silver

Meet Magnus Maximus, the Roman Usurper-Turned-Welsh Hero Who Inspired King Arthur

Fourteen hundred years before Britain voted to leave the European Union, it tried (and failed) to Brexit the Roman Empire. Under the leadership of Spanish-born soldier Magnus Maximus, a chunk of the...
Neurologists speculate that Joan of Arc heard voices because she suffered from epilepsy
3 August, 2016 - 21:50 Mark Miller

Neurologists speculate that Joan of Arc heard voices because she suffered from epilepsy

All through the years people have cast doubt on Joan of Arc’s morals, sanity or neurological health because she said she saw visions and heard voices of angels and saints. In the 15 th century, the...
Portrait of Andreas Vesalius flanked by his drawings of the skeletal and muscular systems
1 August, 2016 - 14:52 Natalia Klimczak

Through Flesh and Bones: The Remarkable Story of Andreas Vesalius

A man who is born into a family of physicians tends to have a great opportunity to become a specialist of the human body. This is what happened for Andreas Vesalius, an individual who is remembered...
Engraved plaque near the explorer’s tomb in Kochi, India and portrait of Vasco da Gama.
30 July, 2016 - 03:45 Natalia Klimczak

A Traveler Even After Death? The Two Tombs of Vasco da Gama

Vasco da Gama was a traveler and adventurer in the 15th century. However, his story did not end with his death. In fact, the afterlife of the explorer became an additional page in the history of the...
Gabriel Fahrenheit and the thermometer he invented
20 July, 2016 - 03:51 Natalia Klimczak

Poor Merchant to Scientific Fame: The Forgotten Tale of Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit

The Fahrenheit temperature scale is especially popular in the USA but it is also found in the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, Belize, and the Western Pacific. Thus, it may surprise some people to know...
Detail of portrait depicting Ana de Mendoza
18 July, 2016 - 21:43 Natalia Klimczak

A Rebel in an Eyepatch and Gown - Ana de Mendoza, the Princess of Eboli

When one comes across her portraits, the first thing that is assumed is that the woman depicted within had to be a pirate. However, Ana de Mendoza was actually noblewoman and a rebel in a gown. It...
The "Disk of Enheduanna" at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia.
17 July, 2016 - 03:47 Natalia Klimczak

The Poetry of Gods by Enheduanna - The First Known Female Writer

It is not always easy to read the stories of real people from the artifacts they left behind. This is especially true if they lived 5,000 years ago. However, the story of a remarkable woman from that...
Cleopatra and Caesar (1866). Painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme.
14 July, 2016 - 03:46 Natalia Klimczak

The Wisdom of Cleopatra, the Intellectual Queen Who Could Outsmart Them All

Cleopatra VII is not only a famous person in history, she is also the icon of a rich and powerful culture. She was usually depicted as a lover of great men, but the truth was different. More...
Mask of Zorro Legend
9 July, 2016 - 14:46 Natalia Klimczak

Joaquin Murrieta - The Man Whose Life Provided Inspiration for Zorro

Zorro is one of the icons of 20th century culture. Although he is a fictional character, his story was based on biographies of at least three men: Juan Nepomuceno Cortina, Tiburcio Vasquez, and the...
A painting of Snowdonia in Wales by Mansel Lewis.
7 July, 2016 - 00:44 Natalia Klimczak

The Tragic Tale of Welsh Goddess Branwen and her Death by Broken Heart

Branwen is an ancient Goddess from Wales. She is also a major character of the famous book Mabinogi (Mabinogion). Although she is often related to folklore, there are some interesting pieces of...
Hatshepsut
2 July, 2016 - 14:58 Carly Silver

Did Hatshepsut, Number-One Female Pharaoh, Have a Secret Lover?

Perhaps the greatest female pharaoh other than Cleopatra VII, Hatshepsut (ruled 1473-1458 B.C.) was not the first woman to take power as sole monarch in the Two Lands. But Hatshepsut made a true name...
Omm Sety – A British Woman Whose Life Was Lined by Reincarnation and Connected to a Pharaoh
25 June, 2016 - 00:46 Natalia Klimczak

Omm Sety – A British Woman Whose Life Was Lined by Reincarnation and Connected to a Pharaoh

When Dorothy Eady arrived to Egypt for the first time, it was obvious to her that she had been there before. But her last visit near the Nile may have taken place thousands of years earlier. Dorothy...
Götz von Berlichingen.
23 June, 2016 - 21:48 dhwty

16th Century Prosthetic Iron Hand: The Story of Gotz von Berlichingen

Gotz von Berlichingen was a German mercenary knight who lived during the 16 th century. This knight was known also as Götz of the Iron Hand, due to the fact that after his right hand was severed...
Margaret of Valois, by Nicholas Hilliard, c. 1577.
23 June, 2016 - 03:45 Natalia Klimczak

Breaking the Rules and Sharing Scandals: The Shocking Story of Queen Marguerite

Margaret de Valois was a Queen of Navarre and France. She was also the main character of the famous novel Queen Margot by Alexander Dumas. This is a story of a woman who loved life and who broke many...
Changes in Guerrero
20 June, 2016 - 00:48 dhwty

Gonzalo Guerrero: Father of the First Mestizos and Army Captain of the Mayans

Gonzalo Guerrero (known also as Gonzalo Marinero, Gonzalo de Aroca, and Gonzalo de Aroza) was a Spanish soldier who hoped to become a conquistador in the New World. Instead, he was captured by the...
Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, en grand habit de cour, by Jean-Baptiste Gautier Dagoty, 1775.
19 June, 2016 - 03:44 Natalia Klimczak

Not All Fun and Cake: An Alternative Interpretation of the Life of Queen Marie Antoinette

History depicts her as an irresponsible woman whose life was a vanity fair. In fact, she was another historical example of a woman who couldn't live her life as she really wanted to. Marie Antoinette...
Mimar Sinan - A Genius Architect for the Ottoman Empire
9 June, 2016 - 03:47 Natalia Klimczak

Mimar Sinan - A Genius Architect for the Ottoman Empire

Mimar Sinan created at least 374 structures in his lifetime. Most of his projects were produced during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, but he also worked for Selim II and Murad III. Sinan was...
Château de Brissac and the Ghost of the Green Lady
8 June, 2016 - 03:47 dhwty

Château de Brissac and the Ghost of the Green Lady

Château de Brissac is a castle located in the commune of Brissac-Quincé, the department of Maine-et-Loire, France. The castle is recorded to have been built during the 11 th century, and has a long...
Mithridates VI of Pontus: The Poison King of Pontus and Aggravation to Rome
7 June, 2016 - 03:43 dhwty

Mithridates VI of Pontus: The Poison King of Pontus and Aggravation to Rome

Mithridates (spelled also as Mithradates) VI, whose full name is Mithridates VI Eupator Dionysius, was a famous king of Pontus, a Hellenistic kingdom in Asia Minor of Persian origin. Mithridates...

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