1003: Turhan Hatice Sultan From Victim to One of the Most Powerful Women in the Islamic World Born: c.1627, Present-day Ukraine or Possibly Russia Died: 4 August 1683, Present-day Edirne, Turkey Turhan was kidnapped at the age of twelve, and taken from her homeland to Constantinople, where she was given to the Sultan of the…
Category: Criminals
994) Yaoya Oshichi
994: Yaoya Oshichi Japanese Folk Tale on the Importance of Taking a Hint Born: c.1667, Tokyo, Japan Died: c.1682, Tokyo, Japan Oshichi was burned at the stake for trying to commit arson and not understanding a way to get out of being punished for her crime. Yes, this is a real story. Oshichi’s father was…
926) Imelda Marcos
926: Imelda Marcos Former First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986 Born: 2 July 1929, Manila, Philippines Imelda is most famous for her thousands of pairs of shoes and her overall extravagant lifestyle. When Imelda was eight, her mother died from pneumonia. Her father’s legal practice went bankrupt soon after, and the family…
919) Claudette Colvin
“My head was just too full of black history, you know, the oppression that we went through.” 919: Claudette Colvin Refused to Give Up Her Bus Seat Nine Months Before Rosa Parks Born: 5 September 1939, Montgomery, Alabama, United States of America Claudette’s act of bravery occurred on the Montgomery bus lines too no less!…
891) Iva Toguri D’Aquino
891: Iva Toguri D’Aquino Before You Judge, You Should Know the Whole Story Born: 4 July 1916, Los Angeles, California, United States of America Died: 26 September 2006, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America Also Known As: Tokyo Rose Original Name: Ikuko Toguri Iva was arrested and charged with treason against the United States for…
866) Laura Bullion
866: Laura Bullion Wild West Outlaw Born: 1876, Mertzon, Texas, United States of America (Or Knickerbocker, Texas, sources differ) Died: 2 December 1961, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America Laura had a German mother and a Native American father. Her father was a bank robber, so its not much of a surprise Laura turned to…
819) Charlotte Badger
819: Charlotte Badger The First European/Australian Female Pirate Born: c.1778, England (Present-day United Kingdom) Died After: 1816 Charlotte was also one of the first two white female settlers in New Zealand. Charlotte was banished to Australia after a petty theft conviction in her native Britain. She stole a silk handkerchief and a few guineas. Since…
817) Catalina de Erauso
817: Catalina de Erauso The Lieutenant Nun Born: c.1585-1592, San Sebastian, Basque, Spain Last Known Sighting: c.1650, Veracruz or Cuitlaxtla, New Spain (Present-day Veracruz, Mexico) Also Known As: La Monja Alferez or Antonio de Erauso Before she was born, Catalina’s father was wounded in battle. He made a vow, that if he were to survive…
806) Freydís Eiríksdóttir
“Let me but have a weapon, I think I could fight better than any of you.” 806: Freydís Eiríksdóttir Don’t Mess With Freydís Born: c.970AD Possibly Present-day Greenland Died: After 1104 AD Freydís was the sister of Leif Erikson and daughter of Erik the Red. The only primary sources for her life are two of…
791) Nitocris
791: Nitocris Last Pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty Unknown Birth Date, Ancient Egypt Died: c.2181 BC, Ancient Egypt Also Spelled: Nitiqret or Nicaule Her reign ended the period of Egyptian history known as the Old Kingdom. Nitocris is mentioned in Herodotus’s Histories. However, some scholars believe her story is nothing more than that, a story….