Birth Locations – Page 72 – The Exasperated Historian

566) Harnaam Kaur

"Since my story came out some people recognise me – but when they don’t they are confused. The reactions I get are so funny. They look at my eyes … then my beard … and then my boobs.”

566: Harnaam Kaur

Guinness Book Record Holder for Youngest Female with a Full Beard

Born: 29 November 1990, Slough, United Kingdom

Harnaam first started growing facial hair at the age of twelve.

She was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome which causes a biologically female person to have much more testosterone than average—explaining her facial hair.

Harnaam is now a body positivity and anti-bullying activist after suffering abuse from peers for years over her appearance. She has spoken and traveled all over the world, and views herself as a pansexual activist bringing attention to cis women and trans men suffering from PCOS.

She has done a TED Talk as well, which I have linked in this article.

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2016/sep/13/lady-with-a-beard-if-youve-got-it-rock-it-guinness-world-records

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mgyj4n/model-harnaam-kaur-on-how-her-beard-is-a-blessing

https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/harnaam-kaur-world-pride-gender-stereotypes/

565) Anokhi

This image is from the BBC documentary episode Dowry Law. In this image, Anokhi has been in hospital for months after being burned by her in-laws. She died a week after this image was taken.

"They just said that they didn't like me."

565: Anokhi

Dowry Crime Victim

Born: unknown, India

Died: 2003, India

Also Spelled: Anoki

Anokhi suffered burns to eighty percent of her body after her sister-in-law and mother-in-law held her up, poured kerosene on her, and set her on fire after she gave birth to a girl and didn’t have a big enough dowry to offset the offense.

She spent four months in the hospital before finally succumbing to her injuries.

Anokhi’s family did not press charges because they knew nothing would come of it, and they didn’t want to put the family through any more pain for no reason.

The official cause of death for Anokhi, and so many others, was a “kitchen fire accident”. Her story is featured in the 2003 BBC documentary Dowry Law.

In 2003, it was estimated dowry deaths made up between 6,500 and 25,000 deaths in Delhi each year.

Sources:

Dowry Law episode by the BBC (2003); transcript of the episode linked below

https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=dowry-law

564) Kajal Singh, nee Sharma

"The family has been demanding a Toyota Qualis. I had spent about Rs 7 lakh in the marriage and was not in a position to give any more. She was repeatedly humiliated and harassed by [her husband] over dowry."

“They killed my daughter in a planned manner. How can she hang herself from a door’s handle which was just 3 feet above the floor level?”

Both quotes from Kajal's father

564: Kajal Singh nee Sharma

Dowry Crime Victim

Born: c.1979, India

Died: 9 June 2003, Delhi, India

Kajal’s case was shown in the Dowry Law program by the BBC. Unfortunately the copy of the program that was formerly on YouTube has been removed.

Her in-laws said Kajal committed suicide by hanging herself off the back of a doorknob, but her immediate family says they killed her in an attempt to move on to another girl for another dowry.

At the time of her death, Kajal was in her final year of schooling at the National Medical College, Kolkata, and her husband was unemployed despite getting a medical degree in Russia.

They had been married for less than six months. Her husband was the kind of loving man that wrote her a letter claiming he hated her for her shrewdness.

Kajal’s father alleged his daughter was not allowed to contact her birth family after the wedding except on monitored phone calls. She was not allowed to visit her family in person and was repeatedly harassed for more money, a car, and more expensive items. The next thing the Sharma family knew, Kajal was dead.

Kajal’s birth family immediately filed a complaint citing dowry crime. Her husband and both parents-in-law were arrested and charged with harassment for dowry, breach of trust, and dowry death. However, they were all released on a technicality soon after, and there have been no updates since 2003 on the case.

In 2003, it was estimated dowry deaths made up between 6,500 and 25,000 deaths in Delhi each year.

Sources:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/programmes/correspondent/transcripts/dowrylaw16-11-03.txt

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Newly-married-found-dead-in-Pusa-Road-flat/articleshow/16382.cms

https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/dowry-stink-in-medic-death/cid/816232

563) Zerelda Cole James Samuel

“Look on their work. My arm torn off, my little boy murdered, my son shot, and my husband strung up by the neck because he would not tell something he did not know. I am an old woman, and I have suffered enough to make me 100. I do know that I often pleaded with the boys not to kill anyone, but the people will believe anything.”

563: Zerelda Cole James Samuel

Jesse and Frank James’s Mother

Born: 29 January 1825, Woodford County, Kentucky, United States of America

Died: 10 February 1911, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America

According to her obituary, Zerelda’s father was a Revolutionary War Soldier (but Find a Grave lists him as being born in 1804). She was married three times and had eight children.

Zerelda famously lost an arm when the Pinkerton Detective Agency bombed her house in the hopes of killing Jesse (who wasn’t even home at the time). The failed raid also led to the death of another of her children, and the public largely turned to supporting the James family. Apparently not everyone was cool with law enforcement overstepping their bounds and killing innocent civilians (Zerelda’s son was eight at the time of his death and reportedly suffered from mental illness), who would have thought, right?

Zerelda was an ardent supporter of the Confederate cause during the War Between the States and in later life charged visitors a quarter to come inside her house (the one that had been bombed) and to visit her son's grave; giving her a comfortable income to live off of.

After Jesse was murdered, his body was originally buried on Zerelda’s property, allowing her to guard the grave and stop any would be tomb robbers from dropping in.

Badges Earned:

Find a Grave Marked

Located In My Personal Library:

After the Fact: The Surprising Fates of American History's Heroes, Villains, and Supporting Characters by Owen Hurd

Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War by TJ Stiles

Shot All to Hell: Jesse James, the Northfield Raid, and the Wild West's Greatest Escape by Mark Lee Gardner

Sources:

https://www.geni.com/people/Zerelda-James/6000000008593863400

https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/historicmissourians/name/s/samuel/

https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/who-was-jesse-james-mom

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6231/zerelda-elizabeth-samuel

562) Carnie Wilson

562: Carnie Wilson

Singer and Television Host

Born: 29 April 1968, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, United States of America

Carnie is best known for being a part of the pop group Wilson Phillips. She also had her own talk show, Carnie! For a time. Carnie also appeared on The Celebrity Apprentice and was a host on The Newlywed Game, which earned her an Emmy nomination. She even won an episode of Chopped, appearing on the cooking show three times. I personally loved her on the short-lived show Gone Country, in which Celebrities were taught how to sing and act like country stars.

Carnie was one of the first celebrities to be open about her gastric bypass surgery and battle against obesity. She is married with two children.

Carnie’s parents are former members of the Beach Boys and the Honeys (both musical groups).

Sources:

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/carnie-wilson-mn0000182357/biography

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0933139/bio

https://www.nbc.com/the-celebrity-apprentice/credits/credit/season-8/carnie-wilson

561) Ola Ray

"Everyone thinks I made millions. But I don't care... I wouldn't change a thing."

561: Ola Ray

Model and Actress

Born: 26 August 1960, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America

Ola is most known for portraying Michael Jackson’s girlfriend in the iconic Thriller music video.

She sued Michael Jackson in May 2009, only weeks before his death for royalties she was never paid for the music video. The director of the video filed a similar lawsuit, with himself and the producer alleging they were owed somewhere in the ballpark of $2 Million. Both suits were settled by the Michael Jackson Trust out of court.

Ola was Playboy’s Playmate of the Month in June 1980. She is one of nine siblings and spent some of her youth growing up in Japan after her stepfather was stationed there. Her work in the media business started in Japan, with Ola and some of her siblings forming a music group called The Puppets. After the music video for Thriller was released, Ola became a super star, but she never made it to the same heights of fame again.

In 1995, she gave birth to her daughter, Iam. Ola has also worked in small acting roles over the years.

Sources:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0712954/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

https://blackdoctor.org/506400/ola-ray-thriller/

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1481596/thriller-actress-ola-ray-paid-75000-in-royalties-dispute-report

560) Khoudia Diop

“If you’re lucky enough to be different, don’t ever change.”

560: Khoudia Diop

Fashion Model and Actress

Born: 31 December 1996, Senegal

Khoudia has been noted for her beautifully dark complexion that makes her standout from the rest of the modeling world.

She was teased as a child for her dark appearance, but she embraced her skin by nicknaming herself the “Melanin Goddess.”

Khoudia has spoken on being pressured into using skin bleaching products by the fashion industry but she refused to do so.

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/khoudia-diop-model-social-media/index.html

https://www.boredpanda.com/dark-skin-model-melanin-goddess-khoudia-diop/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9172032/bio

559) Alveda King

"Faith in God, and the commitment to fulfill His will for our lives -- not faith in government bureaucracy - is the key to positive action. Have faith in God!"

559: Alveda King

Politician, Activist, Author, News Correspondent, and More

Born: 22 January 1951, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America

Alveda is also a former state representative for Georgia (Democrat Party).

She has appeared on Fox News and is a former senior fellow at the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution.

Alveda holds a Master of Arts degree in business.

She is Martin Luther King Jr’s niece and as of 2018 serves on the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission (appointed by President Trump).

Alveda had two abortions in her younger years. She now believes abortion is a form of racial discrimination in the United States and sees the prolife fight as a continuation of the civil rights struggle. She is also a born again Christian Evangelist and has founded her own faith ministries.

Sources:

https://www.priestsforlife.org/staff/alveda-king-biography.aspx

https://www.alvedaking.com/alveda-king

https://nationalcenter.org/project21/staff/alveda-king/

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/king-alveda-1951/

558) Zerelda Mimms James

“I am not in good circumstances and a little money would greatly assist me.”

558: Zerelda Mimms James

Jesse James’s Wife and First Cousin

Born: 21 July 1845, Logan, Kentucky, United States of America

Died: 13 November 1900, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America

Also Known As: Zee Mimms James

Zee was named for Jesse’s mother of the same name (Zerelda Cole Samuel) and was one of twelve children.

Jesse and Zee were engaged for nine years (while the James-Younger Gang completed most of their nefarious activities) before finally getting married in 1874. They would have four children in total, including twin boys that were either stillborn or died within hours of birth.

Zee tried to convince Jesse to settle down and quit his life of crime and he agreed after one last job. It was while planning for that job that Jesse was murdered. Zee and their two surviving children were in the house when the shooting occurred and tried to save his life.

Zee would suffer from terrible depression the rest of her life and Jesse left his family with next to no valuables (nearly all of which were sold at auction to pay his creditors). Their son went to work at age eleven to help support the family and Zee would spend the rest of her life clad in black mourning clothes. She refused numerous offers to do interviews or grant the rights for books and other mediums written about her famous husband, preserving their family's privacy until the end.

Badges Earned:

Find a Grave Marked

Located In My Personal Library:

Shot All to Hell: Jesse James, the Northfield Raid, and the Wild West's Greatest Escape by Mark Lee Gardner

Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War by TJ Stiles

Sources:

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-zeejames/

https://www.geni.com/people/Zerelda-James/6000000008593938233

https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/historicmissourians/name/j/jamesz/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11610921/zerelda-amanda-james

557) Lily Rose Lee

“I want to be that voice for the voiceless who can’t speak for themselves.”

557: Lily Rose Lee

Kidnap Victim

Born: 23 April 1981, Naples, Florida, United States of America

Previously Known As: Michelle Knight

Lily has said before she was kidnapped, she was gang raped as a teenager. She gave birth to a baby boy, but her son was later taken away and put in foster care. Her homelife was terrible to say the least, and she ran away when she was a young teenager before eventually returning to school.

When Lily first disappeared in 2002, her family reported her missing. However, despite her mother continuing to search for her, Lily was removed from the FBI database of Missing Persons the following year due to other family members thinking she had probably just run away on her own.

Lily remained in her captor’s house for eleven years alongside two other women. They were freed in 2013 after Amanda (one of the other girls) escaped and was able to find help. During her eleven years in captivity Lily was impregnated five times and miscarried each child due to being beaten by her captor. When she was treated upon her release, Lily learned she could no longer have children.

Their captor was sentenced in August of 2013 to life in prison plus 1,000 years for 937 counts of crimes which included rape and kidnapping. Unfortunately, the garbage human killed himself in prison a month later.

Lily is now an author. She married two years after being freed from captivity. She also now runs a foundation called “Lily’s Ray of Hope” that helps trauma victims around the country.

Sources:

https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/michelle-knight

https://people.com/crime/michelle-knight-2020-interview-ariel-castro/

https://abcnews.go.com/US/michelle-knights-triumph-11-year-captor-ariel-castro/story?id=67857015