Love can work miracles: create peace, start a war, change the course of history. On the eve of Valentine's Day, we decided to remember several famous couples whose love left a deep imprint on world history.

Mark Antony and Cleopatra

Novel Mark Antony And Cleopatra lasted 10 years. Initially, the Roman military leader wanted to accuse the queen of Egypt of complicity in the murder of Julius Caesar and demanded that she come to him for an answer. Cleopatra, in turn, appeared to Mark Antony in the guise of Aphrodite: the stern of her ship was gilded, the rowers had sparkling silver oars in their hands, and a trail of incense trailed behind the ship. The Roman was struck by the queen's beauty. Some historians are trying to find a political motive in this union. Mark Antony needed the help of the Egyptian army in his campaigns, and Cleopatra pursued her own interests. But be that as it may, the lovers had 3 children. And when the conspirators informed Mark Antony about the alleged death of the Egyptian queen, he committed suicide out of despair. Cleopatra, after some time, followed him. Although this love story had a tragic ending, it inspired many artists to create beautiful works and films dedicated to Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

John Adams and Abigail Smith

Second President of the United States of America John Adams and his wife Abigail Smith were second cousins. Naturally, they knew each other, but John Adams paid attention to the girl only when she turned 17 years old. The future president was struck not only by Abigail’s sweet appearance, but also by her extraordinary erudition. On the way to political Olympus Abigail very often helped her husband, who, in turn, wrote her endless declarations of love in letters. More than 1000 messages have survived to this day. The president's wife influenced the formation of that society no less than her husband. They lived in happy marriage about half a century.

Maria Sklodowska and Pierre Curie

“Union of love and science” - this is how one can characterize the relationship Maria Sklodowska And Pierre Curie. The future spouses met at the Sorbonne (it was there that Maria studied, since women were not allowed into other universities). The couple was raising their daughter together, as well as scientific discoveries. In 1903 they shared Nobel Prize in physics. After the tragic murder of her husband, Marie Skłodowska-Curie took his place at the Sorbonne and became the first female professor at the university. In 1911 she received a second Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter

Love story Richard Loving and dark-skinned Mildred Jeter full of sadness and indignation. They fell in love as teenagers. They had the misfortune of growing up in Virginia, which banned interracial marriage. In 1958, the star-crossed lovers married out of state in Washington, but when they returned home they were immediately taken into custody and sentenced to 1 year in prison and a 25-year ban from the state. At the trial, Richard Loving only said in his defense that he simply loved his wife, no matter what. This trial subsequently greatly contributed to equality between people with different colors leather in America.
In biographies of domestic famous personalities can also be found amazing stories love. So do
whom he called his "muse".

Love is a great feeling that can work miracles: change the world and people, heal heart wounds and inflict new ones, shake society and give peace. Beautiful and unimaginable interesting stories about love can be found not only in film novels and books, but also real life, especially if you pay attention to celebrities. We have selected the most mind-blowing love stories that were talked about on every corner.

This love story is not a scandal, but simply the collapse of all seemingly iron-clad English traditions. The thing is that the chosen one of the representative of the monarchy, Edward, who became the first and only king in the entire long history England, she became an ordinary, not even very attractive, divorced (twice!) American woman. It was because of her that he abdicated the throne.

Their romance began when Mrs. Wallis lived in London with her new husband, successful and wealthy businessman Ernest Simpson. Their first fateful meeting took place in 1930 at a dinner party. At first sight, the woman fell into the heart of the Prince of Wales, and everyone then wondered why, because she was not a beauty. Although it is worth noting her charm and magical charm.

The couple began to have their affair in front of everyone, not even embarrassed by their position (Wallis is behind her husband, and Edward is a representative of the monarchy). They attended social events together, dined in restaurants, and walked the streets. The royal family thought that this was a frivolous, non-long-term hobby for the prince, which would soon fizzle out. But how wrong they were! As soon as Edward took the throne after the death of King George V, the American woman filed for divorce. The couple decided to get married, but then the royal family intervened, which set a condition for Edward: either the throne or a flighty woman from another country.

The result was the king's most famous speech, in which he abdicated the throne because of love. The couple lived for a very long time. They did everything together: wrote memoirs, traveled, gave interviews. True, they did not have children. Happiness ended in 1972, when Edward died of cancer.

In whose relationship passion was seething, it was between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Their romance of the century lasted a long time, experienced ups and downs.

Their love story can be easily used as the basis of the plot and a beautiful and exciting film can be made. It would have everything: passionate kisses, quarrels and separations, fights and reconciliation, divorce and wedding (even twice). Not only did they star in films together that brought fame and awards, but they also destroyed numbers together while they fought furiously.

Their meeting took place on the set of the film “Cleopatra” in 1962. He was successfully married to actress Wallace Sybil, and she was also not free, she was married to the singer. The passion that flared up on the set overwhelmed Richard and Elizabeth so much that they continued to kiss even after the romantic scene was filmed. They behaved depravedly, without being embarrassed by anyone, they made love wherever they had to. The paparazzi were constantly hunting for them. Even the Vatican officially recognized this relationship as sinful, but the couple continued to meet. They eventually divorced their spouses and got married. Later they separated, but they were constantly drawn to each other.

Yes, the romances of the Golden Age of Hollywood do not compare to modern adultery. But there is a couple whose love has passed many tests and is one of the most beautiful.

To the novel by Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones for a long time They were skeptical, saying “he’ll play and quit.” But that was not the case!

The successful actor, who managed to win several Oscars, simply fell in love at first sight with the young aspiring but already famous actress at the premiere of her film “The Mask of Zorro.” Michael, who had been married for 23 years at that time, simply could not allow Katherine to remain in the role of his mistress. He sought her as best he could, a little old-fashioned, but selflessly. Five months later, the actress’s fortress fell, and the lovers set off on a trip around the world.

Love is the most extraordinary feeling in the world. Throughout human history, it has inspired poets, writers and singers, and sometimes love has even served as a reason for crimes and wars between entire countries. Our selection today includes ten of the most famous couples whose love story led to tragic consequences. Some of them are reliably existing historical characters, others we know about mostly from legends and myths.

10 PHOTOS

According to legend, Paris was a Trojan prince, and Helen was the wife of Menelaus, the ruler of Sparta. Not finding mutual understanding with her husband, to whom she was forcibly married, Elena fled from Sparta along with the handsome Paris. However, in the midst of preparations for the wedding, Menelaus arrived with his troops at the walls of Troy, and a war began in which many Trojans died, including Paris. Elena had to return back to Sparta.

According to Greek myology, Orpheus was a talented singer, and Eurydice was his wife, who was once bitten by a snake and died. After this, Orpheus, unable to live without his beloved, descended into the mythical kingdom of Hades. He so charmed the inhabitants of the Underworld that Hades agreed to let Eurydice go, but on the condition that Orpheus should not look back until they left the realm of the dead. But Orpheus could not stand it and turned around to see if Eurydice was following him, and she was taken back - to the kingdom of Hades.

The love story between the Roman general Mark Antony and Egyptian queen Cleopatra is widely known for its dramatic ending. Both lovers committed suicide after their troops were defeated in battle against Caesar's army.

Characters of a medieval legend who fall in love with each other, despite the fact that Tristan's uncle, Mark, is supposed to marry Isolde. Nevertheless, Isolde was married to Mark, and Tristan was married to the daughter of the King of Britain, Isolde Belorukaya. The story ended with Tristan being wounded by a poisoned weapon, and Isolde, who did not have time to say goodbye to him, soon died of grief. In the ranking of free audiobooks “Romance Novels,” the novel Tristan and Isolde is one of the most popular.

According to legend, Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur, was madly in love with Lancelot, one of the knights of the Round Table. When Arthur learned of this, the bitter rivalry between him and Lancelot destroyed the unity of the knights. In the end, Arthur was killed, and Guinevere went to a monastery out of grief.

The most famous love story, written by the famous Shakespeare, tells the story of the relationship between young lovers from two warring Italian families. How the story ended is probably known to everyone - Romeo poisoned himself, thinking that Juliet had died, and she, finding him dead, killed herself with a dagger.

Shah Jahan and his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal were happy together for a long time until Mumtaz Mahal died giving birth to their 14th child. Devastated by grief, Shah Jahan could not come to his senses for a long time, but found some consolation in the construction of a luxurious mausoleum in memory of his wife. This mausoleum still stands today and is known as the Taj Mahal.

The relationship between Napoleon and his wife Josephine, according to eyewitness accounts, was very stormy, and eventually led to divorce. However, when Napoleon died, last words The emperor was addressed specifically to Josephine, his first wife. The love between the young king and the widow, who is 12 years older than him, caused outrage and protest both from the public and from Alexander’s mother. However, he did not listen to anyone’s advice and insisted on getting married. It all ended with the royal couple being killed by a group of military officers dissatisfied with their rule.

American robbers who organized a gang responsible for several armed robberies and murders. Despite their criminal activities, according to eyewitnesses, Bonnie and Clyde loved each other deeply and were inseparable. Gangster's over love story very sadly - the police shot at their car from an ambush, as a result of which both died on the spot.

Everyone dreams of the kind of love for which you can move mountains or give up really important things if circumstances require it. Unfortunately, many people search for such feelings for years, but never find them and, not wanting to waste time on trifles, prefer to live alone all their lives. However, we found several real stories, which confirm that true love exists.

Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner

For America, Frank Sinatra became a true legend and symbol of the era of show business and the golden era of Hollywood. And while all the beauties of that time tried to win his heart, including Marilyn Monroe and Lana Turner, only one woman truly drove him crazy. He was so lost in this love that he went on a drinking binge, lost his voice and at times behaved inappropriately. The actress who drove the great performer crazy was named Ava Gardner, and she had a magical effect on men. They were immediately ready to do anything if only this beauty would pay attention to them.

Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner

Before meeting Sinatra, Ava had already been married twice and had a crazy affair with multimillionaire Howard Hughes. Howard threw planes, diamonds, and luxurious clothes at the feet of the wayward beauty, but she only accepted the gifts with cold politeness, keeping her admirer at a distance. By the way, Frank himself, who also had a wife and three children, did not consider having a family an obstacle to love affairs. The fatal meeting took place in 1950 at the premiere of the film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” After that evening, Sinatra was not himself, he suffered, was tormented and went crazy with love and jealousy. He couldn't shower the object of his passion expensive gifts, so he relied only on his charm, which, alas, did not always work. As a result, Sinatra wrote his greatest hits and eventually won the favor of the actress. Two southern temperaments came together, and feelings resulted in energy true love and a passion that was impossible to resist.

At first, the lovers met secretly, because Sinatra was still not free. Then Ava flew to Spain, where she began an affair with a bullfighter, and Frank, who found out about this, almost died of grief. The actress took pity on him, promising to return, but then fell into the arms of Richard Greene. The performer was pumped up with sleeping pills, and only a miracle saved him. Ava finally gave in and agreed to marry him. The ceremony took place in Philadelphia, and the couple enjoyed quiet family happiness for a couple of years. But then they begin to torment each other with jealousy and in 1957, after a stormy showdown, they file for divorce. Frank claimed that after Ava he had many women, but none could give him the feelings that he experienced with his muse.

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This is perhaps the most famous misalliance in history, when for the sake of his beloved woman the English monarch Edward VIII voluntarily abdicated the throne. Envious people vied with each other to discuss the fact that the King of England suddenly became infatuated with a twice-divorced American woman. This was not only strange, but also unreasonable, in the opinion of many Englishmen. Residents of Britain were sure that a kind of end of the world had come and the collapse of moral and ethical standards and foundations of secular society.

Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII of England

The 36-year-old monarch met Mrs Wallis Simpson at a dinner party in early November 1930. At the same time, as historians recall, the prince fell in love with a married lady at first sight, although she was far from beautiful and did not have any outstanding talents. However, you cannot command your heart, and soon the prince won her favor. The lovers were not embarrassed by Wallis’s status, public censure, or boycott royal family, who hoped that the monarch would soon play enough and find himself a worthy passion. But that was not the case!

In January 1936, when he died English king George V, Edward ascended the throne, and Wallis immediately decided to formally divorce her legal spouse. At the same time, neither parliament nor members of the royal family even wanted to hear about this divorced American suddenly becoming the wife of a monarch. Therefore, poor Edward had to make a choice between the English throne and his feelings. It was obvious to many that he would choose the title and crown. But, alas, Edward decided to leave everything for the sake of his beloved woman.

On December 10, 1936, Edward VIII publicly abdicated the throne, making his famous speech, and then devoted himself entirely to family life. The couple lived a very happy life and traveled a lot until the monarch died of cancer in 1972.

Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier

And although in this union there was no great love, however, the story of the Hollywood actress and the Prince of Monaco has truly become a legend.

Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier

One of Alfred Hitchcock's most beloved actresses, Grace had a Nordic appearance and a reserved manner that gave the impression that she was not hollywood celebrity, and the most a real princess. However, despite the outward coldness, the star was very amorous and passionate and could easily have a light affair right on the spot. film set with the operator or accept beautiful courtship from the Iranian Shah. In Hollywood they believed that Miss High Society, as the actress was called angelic appearance, deserves to be the wife of only a real prince. In the end, this happened, and soon Grace was married to Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

It is worth noting that the acquaintance that took place in 1955 changed the lives of not only young people, but also the entire state. The prince had been looking for a worthy wife for a long time, so marrying a famous Hollywood beauty with a good reputation helped attract investment and arouse the interest of tourists in the bankrupt Monaco. Rainier figured that a wedding to an Oscar-winning Hollywood actress would be a successful PR move, and the luxurious ceremony, held in 1956, revived interest in Monaco and turned the region into one of the most prestigious on the planet. The country fell in love with its new princess, and Grace gave the state not only long-awaited heirs, but also new economic opportunities.

Rainier's wife basked in attention, changed outfits from couturiers, posed for glossy publications and visited other countries on official visits. However, while millions of people dreamed of being in the same fairy tale, Grace suffered from the difficult character of her husband, and social duties were real hard labor for her. Soon the actress had health problems, she began to gain weight, and her grown children began to run away from home, abandon social responsibilities and have affairs with bodyguards.

In 1982, Kelly lost control of her car and got into a car accident. The injuries she received turned out to be incompatible with life, so almost the next day, by the prince’s decision, the life support machine supporting his wife’s condition was turned off.

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The novel of the great opera diva and the richest man of the mid-twentieth century was called nothing less than a story of passionate love, burning everything in its path, and humiliation. Despite the gossip and public censure, these two even felt happy. At times, but still.

Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis

All representatives of the rich families of that time dreamed of getting the Greek shipowner Aristotle Onassis to a social reception. The billionaire did not refuse invitations, spending evenings surrounded by the most beautiful girls from high society, but, alas, using these fools only to achieve their goals. He managed to turn every acquaintance he had (even with a lady) into a business, but that was until 1959, when he accidentally fell in love for real. His world turned upside down the moment he was introduced to the young opera singer Maria Callas, whose talent was applauded by the whole world.

Maria (real name Cecilia Sophia Anna Maria Kalogeropoulos) was born into a family of Greek immigrants in the United States and quite early married a wealthy Italian industrialist Giovanni Battisto Meneghini. He was a great connoisseur of art, and when he first saw the talented girl, he simply did not want to let her go. And so he put all his affairs aside, becoming a devoted manager and generous producer of his beloved.

But Onassis first noticed Maria Callas at a ball in Venice, and then went to her concert to make sure that this was not just another passing hobby, and later invited the singer and her husband to his legendary yacht “Christina” - main symbol unprecedented luxury of that time. By the way, at the moment when Greek tycoon enjoyed the company of the unfree but desired Maria on his yacht; he was also tied by marriage, but at that time he was not particularly worried about it. Love turned the heads of Mary and Aristotle, and they began an affair in front of the amazed public, spending all their nights on the deck, dancing and looking at the starry sky. Upon returning, the lovers immediately began to live together, but soon the billionaire turned from an ardent lover into a real tyrant, constantly insulting Maria in front of his friends, openly cheating and raising his hand against the once beloved woman. Callas, blinded by love, endured, which further provoked her tyrant. As a result, she gave up her career, lost her voice and became isolated. Alas, the Greek tycoon not only did not take pity on his chosen one, but also truly betrayed the one whom he had recently admired. In October 1968, Aristotle Onassis married the widow of US President Jacqueline Kennedy, and Maria, who learned about this from the newspapers, locked herself in her apartment and turned into a real recluse.

Love story- this is an event or story of a love event from the life of lovers, which introduces us to the spiritual passions that flared up in the hearts loving friend people's friend.

Happiness, which is somewhere very close

I was walking along the pavement. She held high-heeled shoes in her hands because the heels were falling into the dimples. What sunshine it was! I smiled at him because it shone straight into my heart. There was a bright premonition of something. When it began to worsen, the bridge ended. And here - mysticism! The bridge ended and it started to rain. Moreover, very unexpectedly and sharply. After all, there wasn’t even a cloud in the sky!

Interesting…. Where did the rain come from? I didn’t take an umbrella or a raincoat. I really didn’t want to get wet to the threads, since the dress I was wearing was very expensive. And as soon as I thought about it, it became clear to me that luck exists! A red car (very nice) stopped next to me. The guy who was driving opened the window and invited me to quickly dive into the interior of his car. I would good weather– I would have thought, I would have shown off, I would have been afraid, of course... And since the rain got heavier, I didn’t even think for a long time. Literally flew into the seat (near the driver's). I was dripping like I had just stepped out of the shower. I said hello, shivering from the cold. The boy threw a jacket over my shoulders. It became easier, but I felt the temperature rising. I was silent because I didn’t want to talk. The only thing I was looking forward to was warming up and changing clothes. Alexey (my savior) seemed to guess my thoughts!

He invited me to his place. I agreed because I forgot my keys at home and my parents went to the dacha for the whole day. Somehow I didn’t want to go to my girlfriends: they were like their boyfriends. And they will start laughing when they see what happened to my expensive outfit. I was not afraid of this unfamiliar Leshka - I liked him. I wanted us to at least be friends. We came to him. I stayed with him - Live! We fell in love with each other like teenagers! Can you imagine... As soon as we saw each other, we fell in love. As soon as I came to visit, we started living together. The most beautiful thing in this whole story was our triplets! Yes, we have such “unusual” children, our “luck”! And everything is just beginning...

A story about instant love and a quick proposal

We met in a regular cafe. Trivial, nothing extraordinary. Then everything was more interesting and much…. The “interest” began, it would seem..., with little things. He began to look after me beautifully. He took me to cinemas, restaurants, parks, and zoos. I once hinted that I adore attractions. He took me to a park where there were many attractions. He told me to choose what I wanted to ride. I chose something reminiscent of “Super 8” because I like it when there is a lot of extremeness. I persuaded him to join me. She persuaded me, but he did not agree immediately. He admitted that he was afraid, that he only rode these as a child, that’s all. And even then I cried a lot (from fear). And as an adult, I didn’t even skate because I had seen enough of all sorts of news that showed how people got stuck at heights, how they died on such unfortunate “swings.” But, for the sake of my beloved, he forgets for a moment about all his fears. But I didn’t even know that I wasn’t the only reason for his heroism!

Now I’ll tell you what the culmination actually was. When we found ourselves at the very, very top of the attraction... He put a ring on my finger, smiled, quickly shouted for me to marry him, and we rushed down. I don’t know how he managed to do all this in a hundredth of a second! But it was incredibly pleasant. My head was spinning. But it’s unclear why. Either because of a wonderful time, or because of a great offer. It was both very pleasant. I received all this pleasure in one day, in one moment! I can’t even believe this, to be completely honest. The next day we went to submit an application to the registry office. The wedding day was set. And I began to get used to the planned future, which would make me the happiest. Our wedding, by the way, is at the end of the year, in winter. I wanted it in winter, not summer, to avoid banality. After all, everyone rushes to the registry office in the summer! In the spring, as a last resort...

A beautiful story about Love from the life of lovers

I went to visit my relatives by train. I decided to take a ticket for a reserved seat so that the journey would not be so scary. And then, you never know... There are a lot of bad people. I reached the border successfully. They dropped me off at the border because something was wrong with my passport. I poured water on it and the font smeared on the name. They decided that the document was forged. There is no use arguing, of course. That’s why I didn’t waste time arguing. I had nowhere to go, but it was a shame. Because I started to really hate myself. Yeah... With my negligence... It's all her own fault! So I walked for a long, long time along the railway road. She walked, but didn’t know where. The main thing was that I walked, fatigue knocked me down. And I thought it would hit me... But I walked another fifty steps and heard a guitar. Now I was already answering the guitar call. It's good that my hearing is good. It's arrived! The guitarist wasn't that far away. I still had to go through the same amount of time. I love the guitar, so I no longer felt tired. The boy (with a guitar) was sitting on a large stone, not far from railway. I sat down next to him. He pretended not to notice me at all. I played along with him and just enjoyed the music flying from the guitar strings. He played excellently, but I was very surprised that he did not sing anything. I’m used to the fact that if they play such a musical instrument, they also sing something romantic.

When the stranger stopped playing amazingly, he looked at me, smiled, and asked where I came from here. I noticed the heavy bags that I could barely drag to the “random” stone.

Then he said that he was playing so that I would come. He beckoned to me with his guitar, as if he knew it was me who would come. In any case, he played and thought about his beloved. Then he put the guitar aside, put my bags on my back, picked me up in his arms, and carried me. I only found out where later. He took me to his country house, which was nearby. And he left the guitar on the stone. He said that he doesn’t need her anymore..... I’ve been with this wonderful man for almost eight years. We still remember our unusual acquaintance. I remember even more that guitar, left on the stone, which turned our love story into a magical one, like a fairy tale...

Continuation. . .