Facts fill our lives, they are everywhere! The more facts are revealed to us, the more educated and erudite we become. And this is also a fact! This article contains several interesting and surprising moments in the lives of famous people that not many people know about.
Actor Woody Harrelson's father was a hitman
Famous people often have famous parents, but not all of them became famous for their good deeds. Hollywood actor Woody Harrelson's father was notorious criminal Charles W. Harrelson, who was sentenced to two life sentences for the murder of federal judge Jonathan Wood.
Subsequently, his son often visited Charles in prison, and, according to him, he was a well-read and educated man. Woody even tried to challenge the court's decision, but he failed.
Interesting fact: Charles Harrelson for some reason claimed that he was involved in the assassination of Kennedy, but later retracted his words. Conspiracy theorists still believe Charles Harrelson was one of the suspicious tramps found near the murder scene, but this is nothing more than speculation.
Duchess Margaret of Maultasch was not “the ugliest woman in the world”
According to popular belief, the 14th-century Countess of Tyrol and Duchess of Bavaria, Margarete Maultasch, is considered “the ugliest woman in history.” The “proof” of this statement is often the portrait that you now see in front of you, and Margarita’s very nickname. It is only one letter different from the German word Maultasche - “dumpling”, or literally “mouth-wallet”.
However, some researchers believe that the word “maultash” did not denote the duchess’s ugly appearance, but came from the name of her castle in South Tyrol. As for the portrait, it was painted by the Flemish painter Quentin Masseys in the 16th century and is a caricature.
If we look at other images of Margarita, including the lifetime one on her personal seal, we will see, although not a written beauty, but quite an attractive woman with a good figure.
So where did the myth of the “ugliest woman in history” come from? The fact is that Margarita dared to take an impudence unheard of at that time: she kicked out her disgusted husband, whom she was married to at the age of 11, and became the wife of her loved one.
Margarita Maultash simply did not let her first husband Johann Heinrich (he is on the left) go home to the castle when he returned from hunting. Apparently, the husband did not enjoy much love not only from his wife, but also from the citizens of Tyrol, since they all refused him shelter.
The disgruntled Johann found support from the Patriarch of Aquileia, as a result of which Margarita and her new husband Ludwig of Bavaria (he is on the right in the picture) were excommunicated from the church for a long time, and ridiculous rumors began to circulate about the duchess.
Marie Antoinette ordered a village to be built for herself, in which she could lead the life of a “commoner”
The brilliant atmosphere of Versailles and the need to observe court etiquette had a depressing effect on the queen, so as an outlet she ordered a tiny village to be built for herself not far from the Petit Trianon palace with a mill, a farm, a dovecote, a pond and a cottage, which was much more comfortable than the palace chambers. All this reminded Marie Antoinette of her childhood, which passed in the gardens of the Vienna palace, where she played with her relatives, governesses and dogs.
In her personal village, the queen dressed up as an ordinary shepherdess or milkmaid and walked with her children and closest friends, and it seems that it was there that she was truly happy. After the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette's village was abandoned, but has now been restored and is open to the public.
Abraham Lincoln gave a speech so impressive that no journalist could record it.
On May 29, 1856, in Bloomington, Illinois, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech that is traditionally considered lost, since all the reporters present at this event were literally hypnotized by the words of the future president (Lincoln became him in 1861) and simply forgot to write it down at least one word. We have no doubt at all about the oratorical talent of “Uncle Abe,” but, you must admit, it still sounds implausible.
There is another version, according to which the text was deliberately lost, since Lincoln’s speech was filled with a passionate condemnation of slavery, the abolition of which, alas, not everyone was in favor of at that time. Nevertheless, the “lost speech” made a huge impression on the audience, and in honor of this event a memorial plaque was subsequently erected, which still exists today.
Queen Victoria's best friend was groom John Brown
Britain's Queen Victoria is a rare exception among monarchs (at least in earlier times) for the reason that she married for love and continued to adore her husband, Prince Albert, throughout her life. Do I need to explain that his early death was a severe blow for her?
And who knows how she would have survived this event if not for the support of the queen’s best friend. He was the Scottish groom John Brown, who, like his relatives, faithfully served the queen at Balmoral Castle. Walks and conversations with John helped Victoria recover from the loss, although she never lifted her mourning for Albert until the end of her life.
Of course, evil tongues immediately ridiculed the relationship, which, according to Queen Victoria herself, was a warm and loving friendship. Sargent caricatures like the one you see now appeared, and the Queen began to be called “Mrs. Brown” behind her back.
Be that as it may, Victoria was strongly attached to John Brown and valued him highly, because after his death she ordered the erection of a statue in his honor, which was done. It is believed that before her death, the queen bequeathed to bury her with a portrait of her beloved husband Albert in one hand and a portrait of her best friend John in the other.
The story of Victoria and John Brown was filmed in 1997, and 10 years later another film called “Victoria and Abdul” was released. It tells about the queen’s relationship with another “favorite,” whose name was Abdul Karim.
As would be expected, this friendship was also condemned, although it is known for certain that the queen signed her letters to the handsome young man as “your loving mother.”
Composer Arnold Schoenberg was so afraid of the number 13 that he called it “12a.” He died on July 13 at 13 minutes before midnight
The founder of the new Viennese school of composer Arnold Schoenberg (pictured with his wife Gertrude and daughter Nuria) had a rare phobia - fear of the number 13, or triskaidekaphobia. Schoenberg was born on the 13th and all his life he considered this number a bad omen.
As we have already mentioned, the composer renamed 13 to 12a, and the same fate befell his last opera, which Schoenberg called "Moses und Aron" instead of "Moses and Aaron" (only for so that the number of letters in the name does not amount to 13.
And yet, the last day of Arnold Schoenberg’s life was precisely the fatal date. On July 13, 1951, he lay in bed all day, feeling his death approaching. The wife tried to persuade the composer to “stop this nonsense” and get up, but he refused, and at 11:47 pm he actually died, having previously uttered the word “harmony.”
Winston Churchill loved animals, and one of his pets was a lion
The British Prime Minister was a great animal lover. At various times, Churchill had cats Nelson and Jock, a poodle Rufus, a bulldog Dodo, as well as cows, pigs, fish, butterflies, swans and other pets.
But perhaps the most unusual of the pets was a lion named Rota, who was presented to the prime minister as a gift as a kitten, and after some time he wisely assigned the growing king of animals to the London Zoo. Rota grew up and became the father of 4 lion cubs, and Churchill visited him at the zoo and fed him meat with his own hands.
Pablo Escobar was photographed in front of the White House in the USA
Drug lord Escobar was not always on the run. In 1981, he visited the United States quite legally and even took pictures with his son Juan Pablo in front of the White House in Washington. This photograph was taken by Pablo's wife Maria Victoria, and was first shown in the film "Sins of My Father", based on the book by Juan Pablo Escobar, who officially changed his name to Sebastian Marroquín and now lives in Argentina.
Steve Jobs rarely showered because he believed his diet suppressed body odors. He was wrong
Every person has their own quirks, and great people are no exception. According to the recollections of colleagues who worked with Steve Jobs at Atari, he believed that his plant-based diet prevented the appearance of sweat odor, and, accordingly, it was no longer necessary to take a shower every day. But Jobs was wrong. And so much so that the company quickly transferred him to the night shift, where there was no one especially to complain about the unpleasant smell.
Princess Diana stopped wearing Chanel after her divorce from Prince Charles for a very personal reason
As designer Jayson Brunsdon said, after her divorce from Charles, Lady Di refused to wear shoes and possibly other things from Chanel, because the logo of this brand reminded Diana of her unfaithful husband and rival Camilla Parker-Bowles (you see her in the photo next to Diana).
The letters on the CC logo - the initials of Coco Chanel - turned into "Camilla & Charles" for Diana. It is unknown whether she subsequently changed her mind, but Brunsdon assures that Lady Di had nothing against the brand itself, she simply could not see those unfortunate letters CC.
Russia is a great country whose lands are full of various famous and great people. They became great for a reason, but thanks to their actions, and not by any other, namely those that put the country above others. What kind of people exactly?
Peter I
This king is a great reformer who helped Russia move to a new level. Years of the king's reign: 1672 to 1725. The future reformer was born in Moscow, in the Romanov dynasty. From a very early age, Peter learns to read and write.
The next stage of life raises the question of succession to the throne, but since the young king was not yet able to lead the country, sister Sophia took over this right. Peter begins to move away from the throne, and moves with his mother to the village, where the boy begins to get involved in military affairs. Here it is, the beginning of the formation of a great reformer. For fun, he begins to create game shelves, teaching discipline and military affairs to other young people. The most interesting thing is that these regiments will later become the main army of Russia.
Peter continues to develop himself while Sophia rules the country. The Tsar is interested in European culture, military affairs, shipbuilding and other important skills. As soon as the sister leaves the throne, control of the country passes into the hands of Peter I. The Tsar begins active military operations outside of Russia, “opening” routes to the seas. And in order to have power at sea, it creates a powerful navy. Also under him, a new capital, Petersburg, was built, which was the northern capital. What reforms were carried out under him? Firstly, there was a change in the people, moving to the European way. The streets, people, behavior and culture were changed to European. Further reforms will be carried out in education, the army, and the economy. Many establishments have opened.
Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov
The great scientist of Russia was born into a poor family in a village. From birth he was interested in science, literature, and the study of languages. The thirst to learn was so strong that Mikhail went on foot to the capital in order to enter a prestigious educational institution. Considering that any academy did not accept people from ordinary families, it was worth coming up with something. And the young, smart guy decided to tell everyone that he came from the nobility.
Thus, the guy enters the academy and begins to study. After graduating from the academy in Moscow, he goes to study in St. Petersburg, and then to Europe. Having adopted for himself much of the knowledge of other countries, he returned to Russia and became a physics teacher at the academy in St. Petersburg, and then switched to teaching chemistry.
As for his work in chemistry, he conducted experiments and experiments not only at the university, but also in his home laboratory. Due to his numerous and diverse views on the world, he learned many sciences. For some period he taught physics, and then chemistry. He also understood other exact, natural and human sciences.
He conducts various experiments in laboratories, discovering new substances and elements. His works are known not only in Russia, but also abroad. He is responsible for such discoveries as porcelain, glass and other useful discoveries. He also produced textbooks on chemistry and metallurgy, which allowed other people thirsty for knowledge to learn. Many Moscow universities are named after him. Various awards named after Lomonosov were also created, which showed the quality of knowledge among people. Lomonosov is an example of how from an ordinary guy to become a great man.
And this is only the smallest grain of great people that the Russian soil preserves. Each of them became famous here or there, which played a big role in people.
2, 3, 4, 5 grade
- Report message Migratory birds
There are many species of birds on the planet, which are similar in some ways and different in others. Some birds are accustomed to warm temperatures, some can overwinter in place if temperatures permit.
- Caspian Sea - report message (grades 4, 8. Geography. The world around us)
The Caspian Sea-lake is the largest enclosed body of water in the world. It can be called both a lake and a sea. Due to its isolation and lack of access to the ocean, it can be considered a lake, but due to its properties, namely, size, it can be considered a sea
- The life and work of Jules Verne
On February 8, 1828, the famous writer Jules Verne was born in France in the city of Nantes, near the Loire River. His parents were: his father was a lawyer, and his mother was from a famous family.
- City of Paris - message report
Paris is the capital of France. Founded already in the 3rd century BC! Its dimensions are 105.4 km2. The number of inhabitants is 2,196,936 people, and the population density is 21,283 people/km2.
Mercury is one of the nine planets in the solar system. It is located closest to our star, and has the smallest size among the four planets to the asteroid belt.
Incredible facts
The lives of celebrities seem like the ultimate dream to us, and their love stories seem like an incredibly beautiful fairy tale.
However, even for the beautiful and famous, not everything is so smooth and cloudless.
Sometimes even the most beautiful love stories suddenly end and find a tragic ending.
Here are 10 celebrity love stories with unexpectedly sad endings:
The most tragic love stories
1. Simon Utley and Petra Nemkova
In a split second, a dream holiday turned into a nightmare for 25-year-old model Petra Nemkova and her 33-year-old lover, photographer Simon Utley.
At the end of 2004, the lovers went to one of the popular resorts in Thailand. The holiday promised to be fabulous.
When a deadly tsunami hit the island, thousands of human destinies were broken in an instant.
Petra saved herself from certain death by clinging to the branches of a palm tree. The model remained in the tree for eight agonizing hours before rescuers finally rescued her.
The girl suffered a fractured pelvis and many other injuries, but she survived, and her lover died...
Simon's body was found 6 months later near the place where the loving couple spent their vacation.
In memory of her deceased fiancé, Petra founded a foundation called The Happy Hearts Fund. This organization was engaged in helping victims of disasters in Haiti and the Philippines cope with the tragedies that befell them.
Michael Todd perhaps became famous for being the only husband of Elizabeth Taylor, whom she did not divorce. And this, indeed, was a feat.
After all, all 7 marriages of the famous actress ended in divorce. Marriage to Michael was the third for the Cleopatra star (she was married a total of eight times) and the third for Todd, a famous Hollywood producer.
Taylor was two years younger than Todd's son from his first marriage. However, the 23-year age difference did not stop the lovers. The relationship between Elizabeth and Michael was always in the spotlight and was surrounded by a lot of gossip and gossip.
6 months after the wedding, a daughter, Lisa, was born into the family.
Despite the negative attention from the tabloids, the couple seemed truly in love and sincere.
Many said that Elizabeth was never happier than when she was with Todd.
Their fairytale was cut short when, less than a year after their wedding in 1958, Todd's private plane, the Lucky Liz, crashed. The plane's engine failed and it exploded upon impact with the ground.
At the end of her life, Elizabeth called Michael “the love of her life,” along with her 5th (and 6th) husband, Richard Burton, and, of course, jewelry.
Celebrity tragedies
3. Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love
Yes, their relationship was tumultuous, and yes, the couple was notorious for both using illegal drugs.
In April 1994, the whole world was shocked by the news of the death of Kurt Cobain. The famous musician was found dead in his home. He died from a gunshot wound to the head. The police confirmed the fact of suicide.
Kurt and Courtney met at a nightclub in 1990. They secretly married on a beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1992.
6 months after the wedding, daughter Frances Bian was born.
There are many versions regarding Kurt's death. Some claim it was murder. Others are convinced that Cobain committed suicide. But for what exact reason, no one knows.
At the time of his death, Kurt was only 27 years old. He was in his prime and at the zenith of his fame...
4. Carole Lombard and Clark Gable
Hollywood's "Golden Girl" Carole Lombard met her fate on the set of the 1932 film "A Difficult Man." Her partner in the role was the famous Clark Gable.
But it was only in 1939, seven long years after they met, that the couple connected. Clark and Carol's life seemed like a fairy-tale idyll.
They were madly in love, constantly surprising each other with unusual actions.
For example, after one of their quarrels, as a sign of reconciliation, Lombard sent her husband a pair of doves.
Unfortunately, just two years after their wedding, Carol died in a plane crash. She was flying to shoot an anti-fascist film. Her plane crashed, crashing into a mountain while climbing.
She was only 33 years old. Although Gable later married, those who knew him closely argued that the actor never recovered from the death of his wife. Without a doubt, Carol was the greatest love of his life.
To forget himself, Clark Gable went to the front as a simple private, despite the fact that his relatives and friends were against it.
At Clark's request, after his death he was buried next to Lombard in 1961.
5. Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski
At first glance, it seems Hollywood couldn't have written a better script: In 1964, a rising actress (Tate) meets a promising young director (Polanski).
And although the two didn’t immediately hit it off, Polanski tries her out in his film (“The Fearless Vampire Killers”).
They fell in love while in Italy, and on their return to London she moved into the director's house.
Four years later, Sharon and Roman were married and expecting a child.
Their love story could be called a fairy tale with a happy ending... However, a fateful combination of circumstances cut short this wonderful fairy tale.
Just two weeks before giving birth, Tate was brutally murdered by the criminal group known as the Charles Manson family. After being tied up at gunpoint, she was stabbed 16 times.
Sharon was only 26 years old...
6. Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed
The whirlwind romance between Diana Spencer and her boyfriend, the son of Egyptian billionaire Dodi Fayed, lasted just one short month.
In August 1997, the world was shocked by the news that the beloved princess and her new lover had died in a car accident while on vacation in Paris.
The lovers got into a terrible car accident. Dodi died instantly, but Diana was taken to the hospital with many injuries, where she died a few hours later.
Some sources report that the princess was pregnant at the time of her death, but this fact has not been officially confirmed.
Their fleeting romance remained a beautiful, but unfinished story of great love.
7. John and Jacqueline Kennedy
It was love at first sight. John Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier met at a mutual friend's party.
A year later in 1953, the couple married. Eight years later, Kennedy became President of the United States of America, and Jackie became the third young First Lady in history. She was only 31 years old.
The tragedy occurred 2 years after Kennedy was elected head of state. During a trip to Texas, he was shot several times in the head and neck in an open convertible.
And although Jackie married again a few years after the tragic death of her first husband, she could not forget him until her death.
Nobody could compare with him.
She admitted this in one of her interviews, being already an elderly woman. She called the years spent in the White House the best of her life.
Tragedies of famous people
8. Pierce Brosnan and Cassandra Harris
When James Bond falls in love with someone, he marries and wants to spend the rest of his life with that girl.
In 1980, Pierce Brosnan met Cassandra Harris. They had a child together (Cassandra had two children from her first marriage).
After several years of cloudless happiness, the woman was diagnosed with cancer. Brosnan remained with his wife until the end, supporting her in everything.
He went through all the circles of hell with his beloved: several operations, an extensive course of chemotherapy. Treatment turned out to be ineffective. The disease won, and in 1991, at the age of 43, Cassandra died.
Brosnan shared that he continued to talk with his lover even after her death. But the tragedies associated with diseases did not end there.
A few years later, Cassandra’s daughter from her first marriage, Charlotte, was diagnosed with an identical disease.
Pierce Brosnan was next to his stepdaughter until the very end, holding her hand.
Interesting stories from life famous of people .
the site believes that each of us can become a famous person, the main thing is to always believe in yourself and move forward. We have collected stories and facts from the lives of famous people around the world.
The Roman Emperor Julius Caesar always wore a laurel wreath on his head to hide his progressive baldness.
The great khan of the Mongol Empire, Genghis Khan, died while having sex.
And the author of the stories about Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle, was an ophthalmologist by profession.
The creator of Mickey Mouse, the famous Walt Disney, was afraid of mice all his life.
The famous Dutch post-impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh sold only one of his works during his lifetime - Red Vineyard at Arles.
And the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began composing music at the age of 3. Over 35 years, Mozart created over 600 works. But after his death, his widow did not even have money for a separate place in the cemetery.
Theoretical physicist Albert Einstein did not speak a word until he was 3 years old, but by the age of 12 he understood Euclidean geometry.
The German poet, statesman, thinker and naturalist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once tasted Franconian wine from Bavaria, and was so impressed that from then on he demanded that 900 Franconian liters be sent to him per year.
Many of Remarque’s characters, like himself, prefer Norman apple brandy to Calvados.
Macedonian king from the Argead dynasty, commander Alexander the Great? knew 30,000 soldiers of his army by sight.
On May 24, 2000, the Clay Mathematics Institute (Cambridge, USA) offers a million dollars for solving each of the seven mathematical “millennium problems”, including the Poincaré conjecture, formulated in 1904. On November 1, 2002, Russian mathematician Grigory Perelman publishes on the website of the mathematical archive the first of three articles, based on the results of which he will be recognized as a scientist who has overcome one of the most difficult problems of topology. In March 2010, the Clay Institute awarded Perelman a million-dollar prize. On July 1, 2010, Perelman refused the prize, just as he had previously rejected the “mathematical Nobel” - the Fields Medal. The refusal is explained on ethical grounds: Perelman believes that he owes his success to the mathematician Hamilton, on whose work he relied.
Literary success came to I. Goncharov only at the age of 40.
And the English physicist, mathematician, mechanic and astronomer Isaac Newton wrote the preface to his works when he was 72 years old.
The Ser-Russian empress from 1762 to 1796, Catherine the Great (Catherine II), loved beer. It was for her that the British brewed especially strong beer - so that it would not spoil on the road. This type of beer is called “Russian stout”. It is not pasteurized, but matures in barrels for 2 months, after which it is aged in bottles for a whole year.
The German historian Theodor Mommsen once rummaged through all his pockets to find glasses. The little girl sitting next to him handed them to him. “Thank you, baby,” Mommsen said, “What’s your name?” “Anna Mommsen, dad,” the girl answered.
T pack Shakur is an American rapper, film actor and public figure.
He was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most successful hip-hop artist, having sold a total of more than 75 million copies of his albums.
The late Tupac Shakur is the first member of the hip-hop world to be honored with a monument. The seven-foot bronze statue of the hero of black America was unveiled on September 13, 2005 at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
One day, young Thomas Edison returned home from school and gave his mother a letter from his teacher.
The mother read the letter out loud to her son, with tears in her eyes: “Your son is a genius. This and the school is too small, and there are no teachers here who can teach him anything. Please teach it yourself.”
Many years after his mother's death (Edison by that time was already one of the greatest inventors of the century), he was once looking through old family archives and came across this letter.
He opened it and read:
“Your son is mentally retarded. We can no longer teach him at school with everyone else. Therefore, we recommend that you teach it yourself at home.”
Edison cried for several hours. Then he wrote in his diary: “Thomas Alva Edison was a mentally retarded child.
Thanks to his heroic mother, he became one of the greatest geniuses of his age.”
The sculptor Lina Po, completely deprived of sight, created more than a hundred wonderful works by touch.
The influential 16th-century statesman and philosopher Francis Bacon died because he stuffed a gutted chicken with snow (it occurred to him that snow could be used instead of salt to preserve meat, and he tried to test his theory). As a result of the experiment, the chicken did not freeze, but Bacon himself froze.
King Solomon had about 700 wives in Israel, as well as hundreds of mistresses.
Justin Timberlake is afraid of spiders.
In 1972, a young Indian wrote to John Lennon that he had a dream to travel around the world, but had no money, and asked him to send the necessary amount. Lennon replied: “Meditate and you can see the whole world in your mind.” In 1995, an Indian man, having sold Lennon's letter at auction, set off on a trip around the world.
Einstein adored Charlie Chaplin's films and had great sympathy for both him and his touching characters. One day he sent Chaplin a telegram:
“Your film “Gold Rush” is understood by everyone in the world, and I am sure that you will become a great person. Einstein.”
Chaplin replied:
“I admire you even more. Nobody in the world understands your theory of relativity, but you still became a great man.
Chaplin."
Charles Dickens always slept with his head to the north. He thought it would improve his writing skills.
The house where Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence now sells hamburgers.
Marilyn Monroe's used bra sold at auction for $14,000.
During the reign of Elizabeth I, there was a tax on men's beards.
The national flag of Italy was designed by Napoleon Bonaparte.
Tesla had neither his own house nor apartment - only a laboratory and land. The great inventor usually spent the night right in the laboratory or in hotels in New York. Tesla never married. According to him, a solitary lifestyle helped the development of his scientific abilities.
The myth that Marilyn Monroe had six toes on her left foot arose from one photograph. Photographer Joseph Jagura photographed young Norma Jeane in 1946 at Zuma Beach. In one photo, due to the accumulation of sand that stuck to her foot, it appears that the actress has six toes.
The father of Russian aviation, Zhukovsky, once, after talking the whole evening with friends in his own living room, suddenly got up, looking for his hat, and began to hastily say goodbye, muttering: However, I stayed too long with you, it’s time to go home!
Briefly about famous people (part 1) updated: February 26, 2017 by: website
Usually great people differ from the average man in the street, not only in their famous achievements, but also in their character and habits. Among these habits there are many oddities that distinguished many famous personalities. This post contains a selection of oddities of famous people.
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov was one of the most famous Russian commanders. He did not lose a single battle, and all of them were won with the numerical superiority of the enemy. Suvorov was famous for his strange antics: he went to bed at six in the evening, and woke up at two in the morning, and, upon waking up, doused himself with cold water and loudly shouted “ku-ka-re-ku!” Despite all his ranks, he slept on hay. Preferring to wear old boots, he could easily go out to meet high officials in a sleeping cap and underwear. He also gave the signal for the attack to his loved ones “ku-ka-re-ku!”, and, they say, after he was promoted to field marshal, he began jumping over chairs and saying: “And I jumped over this one, and over that one.” That!"
Often famous people were very forgetful and absent-minded. For example, Diderot forgot days, months, years and the names of loved ones. Anatole France sometimes forgot to get a new sheet of paper or notebook and wrote on everything he could get his hands on: envelopes, business cards, wrappers, receipts. But scientists are usually the most absent-minded.
Newton once received guests and, wanting to treat them, went to his office to buy wine. The guests are waiting, but the owner does not return. It turned out that upon entering the workroom, Newton was thinking so deeply about his next work that he completely forgot about his friends. There is also a known case when Newton, having decided to boil an egg, took a watch, noticed the time and after a couple of minutes discovered that he was holding an egg in his hand and was boiling a watch. One day Newton had lunch, but did not notice it. And when he went to dine another time by mistake, he was very surprised that someone ate his food.
Einstein, having met his friend and, absorbed in thoughts, said: Come to me in the evening. I will also have Professor Stimson. His friend, puzzled, objected: But I am Stimson! Einstein replied: It doesn’t matter, come anyway! In addition, Einstein's wife had to repeat the same thing three times before the great physicist understood the meaning of her remarks.
The father of Russian aviation, Zhukovsky, once, after talking the whole evening with friends in his own living room, suddenly got up, looking for his hat, and began to hastily say goodbye, muttering: However, I stayed too long with you, it’s time to go home!
The German historian Theodor Mommsen once rummaged through all his pockets to find glasses. The little girl sitting next to him handed them to him. “Thank you, baby,” Mommsen said, “What’s your name?” “Anna Mommsen, dad,” the girl answered.
One day, Ampere, leaving his apartment, wrote in chalk on his door: Ampere will only be home in the evening. But he returned home in the afternoon. He read the inscription on his door and went back, because he forgot that he himself was Ampere. Another story that was told about Ampere was this. One day, while sitting in a carriage, he wrote the formula with chalk instead of a slate board on the coachman’s back. And I was very surprised when, upon arriving at the place and getting off the crew, I saw that the formula began to be removed along with the crew.
Galileo was no less absent-minded. He spent his wedding night reading a book. Finally noticing that it was already dawn, he went to the bedroom, but immediately came out and asked the servant: “Who is lying in my bed?” “Your wife, sir,” answered the servant. Galileo completely forgot that he got married.
Some great ones never married at all. Now this will not surprise anyone, but a hundred years ago it was considered a great oddity. Voltaire, Dante, Rousseau, Spinoza, Kant and Beethoven died as convinced bachelors, believing that a wife would only hinder them from creating, and that a servant would look after the house perfectly.
True, in Beethoven’s house the servants were powerless to maintain any semblance of order: sheets of symphonies and overtures were scattered throughout the office mixed with bottles and plates, and woe to anyone who tried to collect them, disturbing this disorder! And the owner himself at this time, despite any weather conditions, jogged around the streets of the city.
The famous satirist La Fontaine also loved to take a walk. At the same time, he loudly recited the lines and rhymes that came into his bright head, waving his arms and dancing. Fortunately for him, people then treated such individuals quite calmly, and no one called the orderlies.
The famous writer Leo Tolstoy was famous among his contemporaries not only for his works, but also for his quirks. As a count, he worked in the fields along with the men. At the same time, working in the field side by side with the peasants was not an extravagant hobby for him; he sincerely loved and respected hard physical work. Tolstoy, with pleasure and, what is important, with skill, sewed boots, which he then gave to relatives, mowed grass and plowed the land, surprising the local peasants who were watching him and upsetting his wife.
Over the years, Tolstoy became increasingly obsessed with spiritual quests, and he paid less and less attention to everyday life, striving for asceticism and “simplification” in almost everything. The Count engages in hard peasant labor, sleeps on the bare floor and walks barefoot until the coldest weather, thereby emphasizing his closeness to the people. This is exactly how Ilya Repin captured him in his painting, barefoot, wearing a belted peasant shirt and simple trousers.
Lev Nikolaevich maintained physical vigor and fortitude until his very last days. The reason for this is the count’s passionate love for sports and all kinds of physical exercises, which, in his opinion, were mandatory, especially for those involved in mental work. Tolstoy’s favorite discipline was walking; it is known that already at the quite respectable age of sixty years, he made three walks from Moscow to Yasnaya Polyana. In addition, the count was fond of speed skating, mastered cycling, horse riding, swimming, and began every morning with gymnastics.
Already at the advanced age of 82 years, the writer decided to go wandering, leaving his estate, leaving his wife and children. In a farewell letter to his Countess Sophia, Tolstoy writes: “I can no longer live in the conditions of luxury in which I lived, and I do what old people of my age usually do: they leave worldly life to live in solitude and silence for the last days. own life".
And among scientists, Nikola Tesla was known as one of the most eccentric people. Tesla had neither his own house nor apartment - only a laboratory and land. The great inventor usually spent the night right in the laboratory or in hotels in New York. Tesla never married. According to him, a solitary lifestyle helped the development of his scientific abilities.
He was terribly afraid of germs, constantly washed his hands, and in hotels he could demand up to a couple of dozen towels a day. By the way, in hotels he always checked whether the number of his apartment would be a multiple of three, and otherwise he flatly refused to check in. If a fly landed on the table during lunch, Tesla demanded that the waiters bring everything again. In modern psychiatry, there is a special term for this kind of oddity - “mysophobia”.
Tesla counted steps while walking, the volume of bowls of soup, cups of coffee and pieces of food. If he failed to do this, then the food did not give him pleasure, so he preferred to eat alone.
Having become the author of many inventions that changed the life of modern civilization, Nikola Tesla left behind even more rumors and guesses about incredible discoveries, which for some reason never reached their publication and application.
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