Do you have any historical figures who fascinate you?

[WilburIsSomePig]

Just watched a programme about Mary Queen of Scots. Well she had a real shady taste in men and made some rubbish decisions but my god the woman really did have a shite time of it. I have always been a bit obsessed with her so are there any historical figures that really capture your thoughts?

Lucius Aelius Sejanus
The pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read
Alexander the Great
Marcus Aurelius
Another pirate, Jean LaFitte

And (horribly) people like Elizabeth Bathory, Gilles de Rais and Vlad the Impaler.

Loads!

I'm a serious Richard III fan and have been for years. My books about him appear to have started breeding...

All the Plantagenets

The Welsh Princes who fought the Plantagenets

Mary Queen of Scots

Boudicca,

Dick Turpin

King Arthur (even though he probably wasn't real)

Lady Jane Grey

Ever since learning about her at school and watching the film about her with a young Helena Bonham-Carter I've just been fascinated by her.

I find Eleanor of Aquitaine just fascinating. I very read a few books about her. Such an amazing, roller coaster life.

Henry viii you couldn't imagine a character like him, I also was very interested in lady Jane grey after I read a book about her from the library when my dad let me use his ticket (in the good old days when children couldn't use the adult library). The plantaginants, Oliver Cromwell, Michael Collins, Martin Luther king, ghandi and Charles 1 and bonny prince charlie

Yes Henry VIII is always fascinating and Amelia Earhart is another one I love reading about. There are loads of people!

Josephine de Beauharnais
Gustavus Adolphus
Peter the Great
Hereward the Wake

Winston Churchill . An amazing leader and writer and speech giver. But also supported eugenics? ! Was he a Victorian to have these views or what? To win a world war with depression... Amazing artist too.

Peter the Great
Gustavus Afolphus
Otto Von Bismarck
Elsie Inglis
Elizabeth and Mary tudor
Millicent Fawcett
There are many more but my brain is mush.

Margaret Beaufort. Fascinated by her unswerving conviction that her son should be king. The beginning of the line of the Tudors.

I also love reading about Anne Bonny and Mary Read my username, also known as Calico Jack was the Captain of the ship they sailed on. I have always thought Mary Read's life would make a great film.
I had never heard of them until I worked in a racing stables and two of the horses were called Jack Rackham and Mary Read and I googled the names.

Mary queen of Scots and Anne Boleyn.

Anne Boleyn.

Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I and Jackie Kennedy......well, all the Kennedys, actually.

Napoleon Bonaparte. Not just a political/military genius but also such a clever, complex man with a lot to his personality.

Alan Turing.
I can't describe the amount I admire him and his mind.

I'm more fascinated by historical events rather than people

Lady Jane Grey had interesting political & religious beliefs, didn't she?

I saw the thread title and immediately thought Mary queen of scots. I was really fascinated as a teenager, had a few books about her.

YY Cavemum - Lady Jane Grey. I mean, come on, that poor poor girl.

(and yes, it doesn't harm that I used to be all swoony about Carey Elwes in the film about her)

Also quite intrigued by Oscar Wilde.
Spanky - I'm finally reading the Boris Johnson book on Churchill the PILs gave me for Xmas and finding it easy and informative. He certainly was perplexing!

The Romanovs
Edith Nesbit
Edward II

Anything to do with laundry in Tudor/Elizabethan times. I cannot understand why I am so fascinated with the laundry rooms in Tudor houses/castles. It feels like home.

The Buddha

Jesus

Einstein

Da Vinci

Ghandhi

Van Gogh

Shakespeare

Wordsworth

Whistler

Monet

Mozart

Bach

Thelonious Monk

Michael Collins and Eamon de Valera - I am a history teacher and am a lottle bit obsessed by the Irish War of Independence and the Civil War.