Our Most Interesting Facts About Famous Leaders

Napoleon Wasn’t That Short

You’ve probably heard the phrase “Napoleon complex,” which refers to the idea that small creatures often act as if they’re much bigger than they really are in an attempt to overcompensate for their lack of stature. Of course, it’s also a reference to Napoleon Bonaparte, the early 19th-century French emperor who wreaked havoc on the European continent for nearly two decades. Yet French sources say Napoleon probably stood at about 5 feet, 5 inches. While that might seem somewhat short by today’s standards, it was only an inch shorter than the average height of a Frenchman at the time. It’s possible he even stood an inch or two taller than this estimate.

So why does history remember Napoleon as such a tiny tyrant? Turns out, it’s actually British propaganda. In 1803, British political cartoonist James Gillray — arguably the most influential caricaturist of his time — introduced the character “Little Boney,” which portrayed Bonaparte as both diminutive and juvenile. In Gillray’s cartoons, Napoleon was often seen throwing tantrums while stomping around in oversized boots, military garb, and bicorne hats. The image stuck, and the sight of a raging, pint-sized Napoleon echoed through history. Before his death in 1821, the twice-exiled Napoleon even admitted that Gillray “did more than all the armies of Europe to bring me down.”

Queen Elizabeth Had a Longtime Body Double

Leaders have historically used body doubles to thwart would-be assassins, but Queen Elizabeth II’s double served a different — and significantly less bloody — purpose. A big part of being the queen of the United Kingdom was simply showing up. Whether opening a hospital or hosting a foreign dignitary, the queen was always busy. A majority of her events required rehearsals, and that’s where Ella Slack came in. Although she doesn’t look like her majesty, Slack is about the same height and build, so if an event needed to test camera angles or see if the sun would be in the queen’s eyes, Slack was the person for the task.

Slack got the job while working for the BBC’s events department in the 1980s. She stood in for the queen more than 50 times, including riding in the royal carriage and attending rehearsals for the opening of Parliament. However, Slack didn’t get to enjoy all the comforts of royalty. As a strict rule, she was never allowed to sit on the throne in the House of Lords and instead just “lurked” above it. Slack was never paid for her stand-in efforts, but considered her role “a pleasure and an honor.”

Marie Antoinette Never Said, “Let Them Eat Cake”

Marie Antoinette’s most famous line has echoed for more than 200 years, reportedly adding fuel to the fire of France’s revolution. The only problem is that the French queen’s supposed declaration is a myth — historians don’t think Marie Antoinette ever said, “Let them eat cake,” after being told her subjects had no bread. Researchers point to two main plot holes in the quote’s supposed backstory, the first being its phrasing in English. In fact, the French queen is supposed to have said, “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche,” or “Let them eat brioche,” a reference to a decadent bread made with eggs and butter.

The second problem is that the outline of the tale predates Marie Antoinette’s reign. At least one similar story cropped up around the 16th century in Germany, wherein a noblewoman suggested the poorest citizens in her kingdom eat sweetened bread. However, the first person to print the line about brioche was likely Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a French philosopher who mentioned the story around 1767 in his book Confessions, attributing the comment to a “great princess.” Rousseau’s text was published when Marie Antoinette was still a child in Austria, though it’s possible the story inspired French revolutionaries decades later, and was repeated with the addition of Marie Antoinette’s name as propaganda against the French monarchy. Yet there is no historical evidence that proves the queen ever uttered the phrase.

Pope Francis Was Once a Bouncer at a Nightclub

However strange it may be to think of popes having day jobs outside the church, some of them did — including Pope Francis, who was once a bouncer at a nightclub. Long before he assumed the papacy in 2013 after his predecessor, Benedict XVI, became the first pope to resign in nearly six centuries, the future leader of the Catholic Church helped keep the peace at a bar in his hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It wasn’t his only odd job, as he also swept floors and worked in a chemical lab. These humble beginnings may help explain why the “people’s pope” is known for his humility and modesty, especially compared to his flashier predecessor.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birth Name Was Michael

When Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, his name wasn’t what we know it to be today. According to MLK’s original birth certificate, filed on April 12, 1934, his given name was Michael King Jr. His switch to a new name had to do with his father, who served as senior pastor at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. In 1934, King Sr. traveled to Germany, where he witnessed the budding rise of hate-fueled Nazism throughout the country. Germany was also where, in 1517, theologian and monk Martin Luther wrote his Ninety-Five Theses, which in turn inspired the Protestant Reformation. That movement held great significance to King Sr., who, upon returning to the states, chose the name “Martin Luther” for both himself and his son. MLK Jr. rose to prominence under this new name, though he didn’t officially amend his birth certificate until July 23, 1957, when the name “Michael” was crossed out and the words “Martin Luther Jr.” were printed next to it.

Cleopatra Wasn’t Egyptian

Although she ruled Egypt as pharaoh from 51 BCE to 30 BCE, Cleopatra wasn’t of Egyptian descent. She was instead Greek, specifically Macedonian. Cleopatra was the last of a line of rulers of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, a dynasty founded by her distant ancestor Ptolemy I Soter. While the kings of this dynasty often fashioned their names after its originator, Ptolemaic queens preferred names such as Arsinoë, Berenice, and of course, Cleopatra (hence the “VII”).

Although Cleopatra wasn’t ethnically Egyptian, she does hold the honorable distinction of being the only Ptolemaic ruler who could actually speak the Egyptian language — along with half a dozen or so other languages.

Charles III Is the Oldest Person to Ascend to the British Throne

Given that his mother and predecessor, Queen Elizabeth II, was the longest-reigning monarch in British history (ruling for over 70 years), it makes sense that Charles III holds the distinction of being both the longest-serving British heir-apparent and the oldest individual to assume the British throne. Having ascended to the role at 73 years, 9 months, and 23 days old, Charles is almost a decade older than the previous record-holder, King William IV, who was 64 years, 10 months, and 3 days old upon becoming the king of England in 1830. On the flip side, Henry VI holds the record of being the youngest individual to assume the British throne — he became king in 1422 at just 8 months and 25 days old.

U.S. Vice President Charles Dawes Wrote a Hit Pop Song

Not many Americans know the name Charles G. Dawes today, but they should. As one of only three U.S. Vice Presidents to receive the Nobel Peace Prize during their lifetimes (for his work to preserve peace in Europe), he’s reserved a place in the history books alongside Theodore Roosevelt and Al Gore. But perhaps even more notably, he’s also the only veep with a No. 1 hit pop song. Dawes was a self-trained pianist and flautist as well as a banker, and in 1911, 14 years before he became Calvin Coolidge’s Vice President, he wrote a short instrumental piece titled “Melody in A Major.” The song received some attention during Dawes’ lifetime, but it wasn’t until 1951 — the year he died — that American songwriter Carl Sigman put lyrics to Dawes’ creation and called it “It’s All in the Game.” Seven years later, Tommy Edwards became the first Black artist to reach No. 1 in the U.S. with his doo-wop-influenced rendition of Sigman’s song.

But that wasn’t the end of Dawes’ posthumous music stardom. The song soon transformed into a pop standard, and was covered by a variety of artists across several genres. There’s Nat King Cole’s big band affair (1957), Elton John’s upbeat cover (1970), Van Morrison’s sorrowful take (1979), Issac Hayes’ soulful remix (1980), and Merle Haggard’s country creation (1984), just to name a few. To this day (and for likely many days to come), Dawes remains the only chief executive — President or Vice President — to score a hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Alexander the Great Was Tutored by Aristotle

In 343 BCE, Philip II summoned Aristotle to be the tutor for his son Alexander. The great Greek philosopher taught the young prince for seven years, until Alexander’s ascension to the throne in 336 BCE. Aristotle then returned to Athens, but Alexander brought the great thinker’s works with him on his conquests, and the two remained in touch through letters. Today, historians believe that the relationship between Aristotle and Alexander — along with the latter’s successful conquests — helped spread Aristotelian ideas throughout the conquered regions.

Russian Czar Peter the Great Established a Tax on Beards

A few years into his reign, Russian Czar Peter I (aka “Peter the Great”) decided to study abroad. Worried that Russia was lagging behind in key technological areas, especially when it came to shipbuilding, Peter traveled incognito from 1697 to 1698 to various European countries, including Prussia, Holland, and England, in an effort to modernize his own nation. Afterward, with his newly learned shipbuilding know-how, he created Russia’s first navy.

But it wasn’t just maritime skills Peter learned on his “Grand Embassy.” He also picked up a few fashion and grooming ideas — including a particular interest in the freshly shaven chins of most Western European men. Determined to integrate Russia into the increasingly powerful club of European countries, Peter established (around 1705) a tax that fiscally punished anyone sporting a beard. The tax was progressive, with the well-to-do shelling out more for their facial adornments than the peasantry; nobility and merchants could pay as much as 100 rubles a year, while peasants might pay one kopek (1/100 of a ruble). Yet the tax was almost universally reviled — and even helped spark a few riots. The biggest opponent of the tax was the Russian Orthodox Church, which regarded clean-shaven faces as sinful. Despite this stiff opposition, Peter I stuck with the tax and was known to even shave off the beards of his guests at parties, much to the horror displayed on their now-clean-shaven faces.

Eleanor Roosevelt Wrote a Newspaper Column for Nearly 30 Years

Starting at the very end of 1935 and continuing until her death in 1962, Eleanor Roosevelt kept a regular, nationally syndicated newspaper column called “My Day.” Eventually, it appeared in 90 different U.S. newspapers, detailing both her actions of the day and causes she supported — including ones that perhaps diverged a little from FDR’s views. After her husband’s death, she spoke even more freely about her viewpoints, and chose to keep advocating through her writing instead of running for office herself. Some newspapers dropped her column after she advocated for the election of Adlai Stevenson II in his run against Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, leading United Features Syndicate to instruct her to limit her support for candidates, which she did not do. For the majority of the run, Eleanor published six columns a week; only after her health began to decline in the last couple of years of her life did she cut that down to three.

George Washington Lost More Battles Than He Won

General George Washington embodies the phrase “losing the battle but winning the war,” because during the American Revolution, he lost more battles than he won. Despite some experience in the British army, Washington had little experience fielding a large fighting force, and the Continental Army was filled with soldiers who were far from professional fighters. However, Washington’s resilience, determination, and long-term strategy eventually won the day. According to Washington’s aide Alexander Hamilton, the plan was simple: “Our hopes are not placed in any particular city, or spot of ground, but in preserving a good army … to take advantage of favorable opportunities, and waste and defeat the enemy by piecemeal.” Washington, also aided by competent generals such as Nathanael Greene and assisted by the French navy, decisively ended British ambitions in the colonies at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.

Queen Elizabeth Celebrated Two Birthdays

While the queen’s actual birthday fell on April 21, she also had a second “official” birthday in the summer. It was marked with a ceremony called Trooping the Colour, a practice that has existed for over 260 years to ensure that British sovereigns whose birthdays fall during colder months also have a ceremony that happens during nicer weather. More than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians participated in the military parade, which usually happened in June. (The “colors” in the ceremony’s name refers to the hues of the flags used by regiments in the British army; “trooping” refers to officers marching up and down, waving the flags.) The public turned out in droves to take part, and members of the royal family also joined the procession on horseback or in carriages.

Louis XIX Had the Shortest Reign in History

King Louis XIX of France holds an unfortunate Guinness World Record: shortest reign of a monarch in history. He reigned over France for a mere 20 minutes in 1830 following the abdication of his father, Charles X, before he himself stepped down as part of the July Revolution. (Legitimists — supporters of the Bourbon dynasty — didn’t accept this, however, and considered him the rightful king for the rest of his life.)

Some consider Louis XIX’s record to be a shared one, however. Luís Filipe, Prince Royal of Portugal, was fatally wounded in the same attack that killed his father, King Carlos I, on February 1, 1908, but survived 20 minutes longer. The 20-year-old was technically king for those few minutes, but never formally declared ruler, and his younger brother Manuel II became the last king of Portugal on that fateful day instead. His reign wasn’t especially long, either: Portugal became a republic as a result of the October 5, 1910, revolution and Manuel spent the remainder of his life exiled in England.

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson Died on the Same Day

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, bitter political rivals and, at times, close friends, died on the very same day — July 4, 1826, 50 years after signing the Declaration of Independence. The two were the last surviving of the original revolutionaries who helped forge a new nation after breaking with the British Empire. During their presidencies, the men diverged on policy and became leaders of opposing political parties, but at the urging of another founding father, Benjamin Rush, around 1812, Adams and Jefferson began a correspondence that lasted the rest of their lives. On his deathbed at the age of 90, Adams’ last words were reportedly “Jefferson still lives,” but he was mistaken — Jefferson had died five hours earlier in Monticello, Virginia.

Pedro Lascuráin Was President of Mexico for Only 45 Minutes

Mexico’s 38th president, Pedro Lascuráin, set an unfortunate record by being in office for a mere 45 minutes on February 19, 1913, following a coup that overthrew his predecessor, Francisco I. Madero. As foreign secretary, Lascuráin was third in the line of succession following the vice president and attorney general; because both of those men had likewise been ousted, Lascuráin was appointed president for just enough time to make General Victoriano Huerta — the architect of the coup — interior secretary. After that, he immediately resigned so that Huerta could replace him. This odd maneuvering was Huerta’s idea, as he believed it would make his rise to power look more legitimate in the eyes of Mexican citizens.

“Sideburns” Come From Union General Ambrose Burnside

Sideburns have been found on the faces of several famous figures, from Alexander the Great to Charles Darwin, but it wasn’t until the U.S. Civil War (1861–1865) that the term “sideburns” came into being, thanks to a particularly hirsute Union general. Ambrose Burnside wasn’t much of a general: At the Battle of Antietam, his ineffective command meant his soldiers struggled to take a stone bridge (now called Burnside Bridge) and turned what could’ve been a Union victory into a draw. At Fredericksburg, things went from bad to worse, as Burnside led several failed assaults against Robert E. Lee’s forces. But what Burnside might’ve lacked in military acumen, he made up for with his luxurious facial hair, which connected his side-whiskers to his mustache (his chin remained clean-shaven). After the war, many men copied the general’s look, and these facial facsimiles were called “burnsides.” Over the years, the term eventually flipped into its modern spelling.

Abraham Lincoln Was the Only President to Receive a Patent

Abraham Lincoln had a lifelong fascination with machinery and often tinkered with mechanical devices and tools. He also spent much time traveling and working on the river boats that sailed along the Mississippi River and other waterways, which were prone to breaching onto shores in shallow waters. In 1848, while Lincoln was serving his sole term as a U.S. congressman, a boat he was traveling home to Illinois on got stuck on a sandbar — forcing the captain to empty the barrels of cargo on board so he could use them to buoy and lift the ship back on the water.

The incident sparked a new idea in Lincoln, who spent the congressional break working on a design for inflatable bellows that could be attached to a ship’s hull to lift it over sandbars or other impediments. He had a scale model created and submitted the idea to the U.S. Patent Office. In May 1849, he received U.S. Patent No. 6469, although his flotation system was never put to practical use.

Charles III Is the First British Monarch to Hold a University Degree

While King Charles was born into a life of luxury with every resource at his fingertips, he decided to forgo the traditional at-home tutoring for royals and seek out higher education. In 1970, Charles received a bachelor’s degree from Trinity College at Cambridge University, becoming the first heir to the British crown to earn a degree of higher education. At school, Charles studied anthropology, archaeology, and history, an impressive range of topics to balance alongside his royal duties as Prince of Wales — a role he officially took on at an investiture ceremony in 1969 at age 20.

After graduating, Charles enlisted in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, a decision he made to follow in the footsteps of his father. While serving in the armed forces from 1971 until 1976, Charles also earned a Master of Arts degree from Cambridge in 1975.

Gandhi Never Said, “Be the Change You Wish to See in the World”

It’s a lovely saying, but it wasn’t Gandhi. He did say something similar: “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. … We need not wait to see what others do.” According to Quote Investigator, the more succinct version of the phrase didn’t start appearing until the mid-1970s — decades after Gandhi’s death.

Martin Luther King Jr. Was a Huge Fan of “Star Trek”

Martin Luther King Jr. was not only a huge fan of Star Trek but a pivotal figure in the career trajectory of one of the show’s most beloved actors. Star Trek was the only program King allowed his children to stay up late to watch, in large part because of the character Uhura, played by African American actress Nichelle Nichols. King viewed Nichols’ role as one of the few examples of equality on television — a belief that he expressed to Nichols upon meeting her at a fundraiser for the NAACP. After the show’s first season ended in 1967, Nichols had been leaning toward departing Star Trek for a role on Broadway. In the end, however, she was swayed by King’s passionate words about her power and influence as a role model for Black women, and decided to remain a member of the cast.

James Madison’s VP Elbridge Gerry Gave Us the Word “Gerrymandering”

Elbridge Gerry’s political chicanery as the governor of Massachusetts was so legendary, he gave his name to the practice of redistricting with political aims: gerrymandering.

The word was coined after Gerry’s party drew some absurd state Senate districts in order to elect more Democratic-Republicans, at the expense of their rival party, the Federalists. Redistricting with political aims wasn’t a new practice, but this was a particularly brazen example — one district resembled a salamander — and after Gerry signed off on the bill, critics dubbed it a “gerry-mander.”

Jackie Kennedy Coined the Term “Camelot” to Refer to the Kennedy Administration

Shortly after her husband’s funeral, Jackie Kennedy welcomed Life magazine reporter Theodore H. White to the family compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, in an effort to ensure JFK’s lasting legacy. During the interview, she coined a term that’s now synonymous with her husband’s administration: “Camelot,” a reference to both Arthurian legend and JFK’s favorite Broadway musical. In likening his presidency to the storied court, Jackie sought to establish her husband as an almost mythical figure. Quoting the musical, she stated, “Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief, shining moment that was known as Camelot.” She went on to add that while there would be other Presidents, there would “never be another Camelot again.” Editors at Life reportedly objected to the Camelot theme running throughout the interview, but Jackie was insistent on keeping it and even added her own edits to White’s notes.

Alexander the Great Never Lost a Battle

Although Alexander inherited a well-oiled war machine and was taught by arguably the greatest mind of his age, the young king more than earned his eventual fame. During 13 years of war, Alexander the Great never lost a battle, making him the most successful military commander in human history. In fact, Alexander was so impressive that some military academies still teach his tactics to this day. Alexander’s strength as a leader came from the unwavering loyalty of his army, as well as his ability to leverage terrain and take the advantage over his enemies. Even when facing superior numbers, Alexander’s strong, decisive, and unrelenting leadership always led his forces to victory.

A Cat Named Stubbs Was Honorary Mayor of a Town in Alaska

Most politicians are at least somewhat divisive. One notable exception: Stubbs, a cat who served as the honorary mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, for more than 18 scandal-free years. He first entered office around 1998, when the town (technically an unincorporated census-designated place) and its 900 residents chose him as their leader. (Rumors that Stubbs was officially elected as a write-in candidate are incorrect, but locals loved their feline “mayor” nonetheless.) Over the course of the next two decades, Stubbs became a popular tourist attraction and performed such mayoral duties as, in the words of Smithsonian Magazine, “wandering around the town, drinking catnip-laced water from margarita glasses, and of course, sleeping a lot.” Take note, human politicians.