A Brief History On May 16, 1770, the 14 year old Marie Antoinette, future Queen of France, married 15 year old Louis, the future King Louis XVI of France. Although the marriage and the reign were failures, Marie is remembered today as one of the most famous queens in history, but (unjustly perhaps) not in a good way. Here we list 10 famous queens that come to mind when one thinks of the word queen. Digging Deeper 10. Queen Latifah, present day. Rapper and actress, frequently seen on television shows, producer of records and television and even a comedienne, although…
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A Brief History On May 16, 1770, the 14 year old Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna of the House Habsburg-Lorraine married Louis-Auguste, Dauphin (heir to the throne) of France, House of Bourbon. During her short (23 years) life to follow, Queen Marie Antoinette, as she became when Louis became King Louis XVI of France, came to symbolize the callous indifference to the plight of peasants. Digging Deeper At first fairly popular, the royal couple became objects of envy and scorn as financial problems hit France and the monarchs spent money like it really was theirs. Marie became known derisively as L’Autrichienne,…
A Brief History On May 16, 1975, Junko Tabei of Japan became the first woman to successfully scale Mt. Everest. Tabei had founded the “Ladies Climbing Club: Japan” in 1969, a time of empowerment for women during the “Women’s Liberation” movement. Here we list 10 “firsts” for women, accomplishments that may seem commonplace today, but ones that were groundbreaking at the time. Feel free to mention your favorite “firsts” by women. Note: These “firsts” are some that we find interesting, and the order does not imply an order of importance. Digging Deeper 10. First to Climb Mt. Everest, Junko…
A Brief History On May 16, 218, Elagabalus was proclaimed the true emperor of Rome by his mother and grandmother. After plots, intrigues, and some battles, Elagabulus captured and executed the previous emperor, Macrinus, and had the throne to himself at age 14. Digging Deeper If you think, “hey, a 14 year old emperor of Rome, what could go wrong?” then you would be thinking along the right track. After initially making peace with the Senate by granting amnesty for those who opposed him, and promising to obey the laws of Rome, Elagabalus went right off on his own, cracked…