Alice Roosevelt was one supremely naughty girl—especially for the daughter of a President. One of the most beautiful women and most raucous socialites of her time, Alice lit up newspapers around the world with her antics, driving her father Theodore Roosevelt wild. Only, it wasn’t all harmless fun. Behind the doors of her stately homes, Alice hid dark secrets that only saw the full light of day after her end.
Seductive. Cunning. Dangerous. Isabeau of Bavaria was a powerful queen in an age of obedient women, and she allowed no man—not even her own unhinged husband—to control her. From her tragedies to her courtly schemes, there was often little difference between Isabeau’s life and an episode of Game of Thrones. A really bloody one.
All the money in the world doesn’t guarantee a happy home life. Just ask John Paul Getty III. An absent father and a cold-hearted—but extremely rich—grandfather both left Getty to his own devices. And when the mafia cruelly chained him up in a cave, his family wasn’t there to help him.
Louis XIV was King of France for a whopping 72 years. As his sobriquet, “The Sun King,” suggests, Louis came to symbolize the big, bright, magnetic pomp of the French monarchy at its peak. Behind the big parties and big hairpieces, however, Louis XIV was accompanied by a dark history of intrigue, scandal, decadence, colonial violence, conflict, fashion, and more scandal. Get your high-heels ready for these decadently fun facts about Louis XIV, the Sun King of France.
Born on the eve of Europe’s first wave of Revolutions, Queen Victoria knew that her daughter Princess Louise was bound to be special. And special she was. Princess Louise was a precocious child who matured into a controversial, mysterious revolutionary. Grab a cup of tea and prepare to learn about the scandalous woman that the British royals have tried to hide.
Frederick, Prince of Wales was in line for the throne of England...until it all went wrong in the most catastrophic way. `
Although far from the rugged chaos of the American Frontier happening throughout the 1800s, the East Coast’s business world was just as brutal as the Old West. One of the most prominent players in this game was Cornelius Vanderbilt, also known as “The Commodore.” His shrewd and ruthless business practices turned him into someone respected, feared, and sometimes hated—even by his family.
Henry VIII, Genghis Khan, Marie Antoinette, Alexander the Great. There are plenty of names that have gone down in history, for great and terrible reasons. However, what about the people whose names aren't in every history book? After all, they can't cover everyone, but that doesn't mean these lesser-known men and women don't have some exciting stories to tell. Read on for facts about the remarkable historical figures that no one has heard of.
Charles X of France lived in the lap of luxury and privilege once he ascended to the throne following the Bourbon Restoration—but his ultra-royalist policies clashed with the new liberal views of the French people post-Revolution. It all came to a head with a harrowing escape—and a humiliating exile.
Lizzie Borden was the upper-class Sunday school teacher who became the prime suspect in the brutal axe attack on her father and stepmother. Ultimately, a jury acquitted her of all the charges—but questions around her involvement still linger. Money, madness, and manipulation swirl around this macabre mystery.
Many historic rulers have demonstrated the drastic measures they have resorted to in order to protect what they hold dear. However, few have garnered such an infamously cruel and bloodthirsty reputation as Vlad Țepeș, also known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad III.
One of the biggest celebrities of the 20th century, Harry Houdini wowed audiences with his daredevil escapes and mystifying illusions. However, he had a fraught relationship with the nature of failure, and sadly, it drove him straight to an end so agonizing—it's unforgettable.
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