Love stories of the last century. Great Novels of the 20th Century: The Best Love Stories
The romance between the famous producer began when the actress was 19 years old. But their acquaintance took place even earlier - Ponti noticed a young girl at a beauty contest three years earlier, adding: “You have a very interesting face.” Who would have thought that this would result in one of the most enduring celebrity marriages?
Their relationship, 22 years apart, at first resembled modern history Pygmalion: the eminent maestro tried with all his might to “blind” a young provincial girl into a secular lady - he forced her to study foreign languages, hired teachers in etiquette and art history. Of course, his efforts paid off in spades: and, as expected, he fell madly in love. Especially for the sake of Lauren (her pseudonym, by the way, is also the result of Ponti’s imagination), the producer divorced his wife, which in Italy at that time was considered absolutely not comme-il-faut. The couple lived together until the death of Carlo Ponti in 2007.
Vladimir Mayakovsky and Lilya Brik
One of the most controversial couples of the 20th century, and the most tragic. It all started back in 1915, when his beloved Elsa, Lily’s sister, introduced the poet to the Brik family. After reading his signature “Clouds in Pants,” Mayakovsky immediately fell before Lily’s spell. One of the most touching gifts presented by the poet to his beloved was a ring with Lily’s initials engraved: L.Y.B., which, when rotated in a circle, formed an endless “love.”
Osip with Lilya Brik and Mayakovsky
Mayakovsky and Lilya Brik
The couple also irrevocably fell in love with the poet, and accepted him into their family, and in the very literally. Everyone was gossiping about their trio, who lived in the same apartment. It’s hard to imagine that under Soviet morality this would have been acceptable. But, as they say, creative people have their own world, and in addition, the poet was among Stalin’s favorites. Lilya played important role in the works of Mayakovsky: inspired by unhappy love, he wrote perhaps the most masterpiece poems. Although the poet passed away early, their love remained to live after them, in his immortal creations. “Instead of Writing” is one of the most indestructible poetic monuments of the last century.
Adriano Celentano and Claudia Mori
53 years together - are there many couples in the world who can break the record of the most famous Italian couple? But when they met on the set of the film “A Very Strange Guy,” there was no chemistry between the actors. Yes, the actress was not at all impressed by the shocking Adriano, the idol of millions of girls around the world. However, the temperamental Italian decided not to give up and tried in every possible way to attract Mori’s attention. The actress thawed out only after a public declaration of love, which Celentano dedicated to her at his concert. After a short time, the lovers got engaged.
What is the secret of their happiness? married life? Italian cheerfulness, family values, the ability to forgive? Perhaps all at once. As Mori says: “I have never met anyone more interesting than Celentano in my life...” Now the couple lives near Milan, they have three children.
Iman and David Bowie
Could a romance between a rock star and a model turn into something more? Of course - this has been proven by example Iman and David Bowie. Both had not the most successful relationships behind them: Bowie divorced the scandalous party girl Angela Barnett, and Iman barely recovered from her second marriage to a basketball player who was addicted to drugs. But having met the model at a charity event, Bowie admitted that it was love at first sight. On their first date, the rock singer invited her... to drink tea, even though he himself had been drinking exclusively coffee all his life. And they say that stars are not shy.
The couple got engaged in Florence and lived together until David's death in 2016. Iman raises them common daughter, Lexi. In an interview, David Bowie noted: “You probably think that being a rock idol married to a supermodel is the best thing that can happen in life? In principle, that’s how it is.”
Maya Plisetskaya and Rodion Shchedrin
Prima Bolshoi Theater and the composer met while visiting Lily Brik. At that time, Maya was 29, he was 22. However, they began dating only three years after fateful meeting. How can you fall in love with a ballerina? Of course, seeing her on stage is exactly what happened with Shchedrin and Plisetskaya. Many were condescending towards the marriage of the creative couple, but as they say, he who laughs last laughs.
The lovers lived together for 57 years, until Plisetskaya’s death in 2015. The ballerina herself said that she did not believe in special secrets of family happiness: “Rodion and I simply coincided.” The couple had no children, it was conscious decision– the ballerina did not want to spoil her figure, and for the sake of love Shchedrin agreed.
Federico Fellini and Giulietta Masina
The couple, who lived together for fifty years and one day, first met on the set of Cicco and Pallina. The meeting turned out to be fatal: two weeks later the lovers got married. However, in order to maintain all decency, the wedding ceremony had to be postponed for six months. After marriage, the actress turned from Julia Anna to Juliet, at the whim of her husband.
Like the Shchedrin-Plisetskaya couple, the marriage of the great Italian director and his wife was childless. The actress really wanted to have children, but, alas, after a miscarriage and the rapid death of her first child, she could no longer do so. “If a childless couple does not break up, this means that the connection is really strong,” the maestro once said, and he turned out to be right.
Despite this, their “children” became unique masterpieces cinema. One of them - " Sweet life“By the way, this is largely due to Mazina. It was she who forced her husband to pay attention to his former colleague professionally, Marcello Mastroianni, who later played the main role in it.
Nicholas II and Alexandra Fedorovna
Contrary to the plot of last year's acclaimed film "Matilda", the love story of the last Russian Tsar and his wife was completely different. Nikolai first saw his future wife in 1889, when he was 20. Three years later, he already wrote in his diary:
“I dream of someday marrying Alix G. I have loved her for a long time, but especially deeply and strongly since 1889, when she spent 6 weeks in St. Petersburg. All this time I didn’t believe my feeling, I didn’t believe that my cherished dream may come true"...
Moreover, the young king defended his feelings, because his parents predicted for him a completely different bride - Elena Louise Henrietta, daughter of the Count of Paris. As a result, fate decreed in favor of Nikolai, and the lovers got married. Their marriage produced five children. Until the very last days lives, sadly cut short in 1918, they sent each other tender letters with declarations of love.
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 unexpected sad ending:
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 is perhaps famous for being only husband Elizabeth Taylor, from whom she did not divorce. And this, indeed, was a feat.
After all, all 7 marriages 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 there for two years younger than my son Todd 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 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" Golden girl"Carole Lombard met her fate on film set 1932 film A Difficult Man. Her partner in the role was the famous Clark Gable.
But only in 1939, seven years later for long years after meeting, 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. Undoubtedly, Carol was the most great love in 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 that Hollywood couldn't write best scenario: In 1964, a rising actress (Tate) meets a promising young director (Polanski).
And although these two did not immediately find mutual language, Polanski tries it 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
Only one short month continued whirlwind romance Diana Spencer and her boyfriend, the son of Egyptian billionaire Dodi Fayed.
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 are in a terrible situation 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, when she was already old 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 were born common child(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, developed an identical disease.
Pierce Brosnan was next to his stepdaughter until the very end, holding her hand.
Chance meetings of future couples turned their lives upside down, some romantic relationships changed the destinies of other people, influenced art and even the history of the 20th century.
Feelings sometimes required significant sacrifices from lovers; perhaps the largest of them shocked Great Britain in the 30s of the 20th century.
Kingdom in exchange for love
An acquaintance that radically changed the lives of Prince Edward of Wales and the American Wallis Simpson occurred in 1931. They began dating 3 years later, and the high-born family initially accepted the prince’s new hobby condescendingly, hoping that he would soon lose interest in the married woman.
At the end of January 1936, King George V, father of the Prince of Wales, who became the new monarch, died Edward VIII, and the scandalous relationship became impossible to continue without threat to reputation. He understood this, but the couple was not allowed even a morganatic marriage, so on December 10, 1936, the man abdicated the throne. Modest wedding ceremony passed on June 3, 1937, and The Times magazine awarded Wallis the title “Person of the Year,” because her love turned out to be more important for Edward than power and changed the fate of the United Kingdom.
In the USSR, around the same time, there was beautiful story love, which has become the standard of tender, respectful feelings of two creative people.
Director and muse
In 1933, by order from above, Grigory Alexandrov (pseudonym of Alexander Mormonenko) was to film the first Soviet musical comedy with Leonid Utesov in the leading male role, and he had to painfully search for a partner worthy of him. There are several versions of how the director met Lyubov Orlova, who later brilliantly played the housekeeper Anyuta: from the romantic version in which Alexandrov saw his future wife in the musical theater at the Moscow Art Theater, to a pragmatic meeting arranged by the actress’s friend. In January 1934, Alexandrov and Orlova got married, all 41 years of marriage family life addressed each other as “you,” and after the death of his beloved, the man made a documentary film in memory of her.
Student novels pSometimes they are strong, especially if one of the partners becomes famous, but there are happy exceptions.
echo of love
In Moscow in the 50s, there was a meeting between Alla Kireeva, a student at the Literary Institute, and the talented young man Robert Rozhdestvensky, who had transferred to the capital’s university from the philological department of Karelian University. Your beloved, who has become only wife and permanent muse, he dedicated many poems, and, perhaps, he was able to express the entire depth of feelings with the words “we coincided with you.” Deafening popularity fell on the poet, who became one of the most beloved “sixties” people, but he did not pay attention to great amount fans, because his wife and 2 daughters were waiting for him at home.
Over the course of the 41 years allotted to them by fate, they went through the everyday chaos of the first years life together, test of glory, serious illness Rozhdestvensky, the couple’s incredibly harmonious relationship is immortalized in his poems.
In theater circles beautiful novels- not uncommon, but not all couples can boast that they managed to save their relationship.
Creative Union
Meeting the already famous actor Sergei Yursky and a student theater institute Natalia Tenyakova took place in 1965 on the television play “The Big Cat's Tale,” in which they played detective Sidney Hall and his bride Alice, respectively. The romance did not happen - they were not free, but after a few years new meeting on the BDT stage became the beginning of their story happy love. The modest wedding took place 5 years after they met, and the romantic and creative union of the actors turned out to be surprisingly strong - they live together and play on the same stage. The actors’ collaboration in the film “Love and Doves,” where Yursky and Tenyakova portrayed married couple elderly (in fact, they were 49 and 40 years old at the time).
Narcotic Russian-French love
Vysotsky had a rare skill - he could conquer any woman. The answer to this phenomenon lay in his unrestrained character; he was like a splash of champagne, showering his chosen one with a wave of charm and leading her away with him. Marina Vladi turned out to be a tough nut to crack and at first she resisted and was surprised by his self-confidence with which he said that he would definitely win her hand.
Having seen a lot in her 30 years, the actress for the first time did not know what to do, how to react to this to a strange person. She went back to Paris and felt a nagging feeling of melancholy. Where is it from? The answer came with a phone call from Russia. Hearing the familiar velvety voice, Marina realized that she was missing. She was in love.
When bright brutality meets expressive femininity, there can only be one result - love. Although their love was more like a battlefield. For Vladi and Vysotsky, every day they lived together was a holiday; they saw each other so rarely. Endless visa requests and huge distances tormented both of them, but also saved their marriage. It would be difficult for two bright personalities to get along together.
And Marina and Vladimir also fought with... Vysotsky himself, his addictions, that side of his personality that drew him to the edge of the abyss. They fought with higher authorities for the right to have the opportunity to see each other as often as possible. However, now that Vladi is left alone, she no longer remembers the difficulties, she remembers only about love.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono
The love of the famous Beatle and the Japanese artist
Her ill-wishers called her a demon in female form, and him - an uncomplaining victim. Beatles fans blamed her for the breakup of the famous Fab Four. The Beatles themselves didn’t like her either. Except, of course, Lennon. About meeting Yoko, he said: “It was like I had won a big prize.” And on the evening they met, she wrote in her diary: “It seems that I have found someone I can love.” Yoko always knew exactly what she wanted.
And so Lennon began to receive postcards with the inscriptions “Breathe”, “Dance”, “Look at the fire until dawn”. Yoko called him and talked with him for hours about art. She was lying in wait at the house. She wanted to conquer him. And she succeeded. After some time, John discovered that he was not indifferent to her. After some time, John discovered that he did not want to live without her for a day. “The child of the ocean is calling me,” he sang in one of the songs. (Yoko means “child of the ocean” in Japanese).
By the age of 27, John Lennon had crazy popularity, a million-dollar fortune, a 100-bedroom house, luxury cars, a wife and son. He had everything, and he was bored. Yoko was also bored and looking for something new. They immediately divorced previous spouses and got married. Their Honeymoon took place in Amsterdam, causing a stir with their “bedside interview”. The reporters gathered outside their hotel room at the Hilton expected that the scandalous couple would want to give interviews while having sex, but Yoko and John, in white pajamas, sat on the bed in a flower-decorated room and talked about peace - it was their protest against the Vietnam War.
The album “Two Virgins” was also shocking. On the cover, Yoko and John were photographed naked, and there was no music in the album at all - only moans, creaks and other sounds. They took part in demonstrations, made films, and John recorded songs. However, critics wrote: “The songs have become weaker.” Former fans said: "Yoko John is no good." John became depressed again. Yoko suggested that they separate for a while. She knew John needed time. He must decide for himself who he is and where he is.
More parties, new friends and girlfriends. And new songs. Lennon's compositions were again at the top of the charts. However, was he happy? John is mad with longing for Yoko. He missed her catastrophically, painfully. A year and a half later they met. And they never parted again.
On October 8, 1975, John's 35th birthday, Yoko gave birth to his son. Lennon found peace: “I’m freer than ever and ready for new creativity.” They lived in unison - until that fatal shot by a crazy fan in December 1980. “Why doesn’t anyone believe that we just love each other?” Lennon laughed. “We just loved each other,” Yoko says the same thing now in rare interviews. “The rest is pop history.”
Henry Ford and Clara Jane Bryant
The story of the great inventor and his great wife
In the late 1990s, a young mechanic worked for an electric company in Detroit for $11 a week. He worked 10 hours a day, and when he came home, he often worked half the night in his barn, trying to invent new type engine. His father thought that the guy was wasting his time, the neighbors called him crazy, no one believed that anything worthwhile would come of these activities. Nobody but his wife. She helped him work at night, holding a kerosene lamp over his head for several hours. Her hands turned blue, her teeth were chattering from the cold, she caught a cold every now and then, but... She believed so much in her husband!
Years later, a noise was heard from the barn. The neighbors saw a madman and his wife riding along the road without a horse, in the same cart. The eccentric's name was Henry Ford. By the age of fifty, Ford had become a multimillionaire, and his car was one of the national symbols America. When, while recording an interview with Henry Ford, a certain journalist asked who Ford would like to be in another life, the genius answered simply: “Anyone.” If only my wife was next to me.”
Alexander Pushkin and Natalya Goncharova
Deadly love poet
One of the first beauties of Moscow met Alexander Pushkin at a ball. The poet was so struck by the beauty and spirituality of the sixteen-year-old girl that he literally “fell ill with love” and soon asked for her hand. He was refused, because Pushkin was twice as old as Natalya - he was 30. He tried his luck a year later and this time received consent.
During the six years that the couple lived together, Natalya Nikolaevna gave birth to her husband four children. But the young woman missed social entertainment and the success that she enjoyed as a young and free girl. They say that at every opportunity she flirted with men, considering it a completely innocent activity. Pushkin even received a remark about his wife’s behavior from Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich.
The French officer Dantes courted Natalya deliberately in public, so that everyone (and especially Pushkin) could see his undisguised passion and lust. There was nothing vicious between them and it seemed to her that everything that was happening was completely innocent. The last straw was a libel in which a jealous husband was awarded a “cuckold diploma.” Natalya was indeed naive, believing that the hot descendant of an Ethiopian could survive such humiliation.
Pushkin challenged Dantes to a duel, where he was mortally wounded. And yet he did not blame his wife and before his death he told her: “You are not to blame for anything!” And Natalya Goncharova did everything as the dying Pushkin told her: he asked her to leave the city, mourn for two years, and after... after marry decent person. The poet loved his wife so much that even on his deathbed, he could not help but think about her happiness.
Cleopatra and Caesar
Bloody love between pharaoh and emperor
Men went crazy about her, for a night spent in her arms, they were ready to give their lives and did it voluntarily. The great Roman commanders: Caesar and Mark Antony also paid with their lives. Cleopatra was not a beauty, but she had incredible charm and charisma, she was seductive, cunning and very smart. This first female politician in history received an excellent education, studied mathematics, philosophy, literature, skillfully played the musical instruments and knew 8 languages.
She made Caesar fall in love with her by cunning: dressed in the most beautiful outfits, she ordered the servants to wrap her in a carpet and bring her as a gift to Caesar. Knowing the intricacies of all existing at that time love pleasures Ancient world, Cleopatra, amazed the spoiled emperor with her ingenuity and subtle sense of humor. Her movements and voice literally bewitched Caesar. Julius, that same night he became her lover. Thus, Cleopatra paid off the huge national debt, received the Egyptian throne and the love of the great commander. But the Romans could not forgive him love relationship with an Egyptian woman, and as a result of an insidious plot, Caesar was killed.
Cleopatra was able to fall in love with another commander who fought for the “Roman throne” - Mark Antony. It was an insane passion that swept away everything in its path, but even here the lovers faced failure. Rome went to war against Alexandria, Antony and Cleopatra lost. The Roman commander thought that his beloved had died, and, unable to survive it, threw himself on his sword. And Cleopatra, in order to avoid captivity and shame, ordered that a poisonous snake be brought to her.
Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine
The love story of a great commander and a beautiful Creole woman
They met when Napoleon was still poor, homely and unknown to anyone, and Josephine already had the status of a widow, often changed lovers, and besides, she was 6 years older than her future husband. But it was as if an unknown force attracted them to each other. After spending the evening with a beautiful Creole, Bonaparte was fascinated by her for the rest of his life. They became lovers and then spouses, changing their ages on paper.
On his wedding day in March 1796, Bonaparte gave his beloved a sapphire ring. Inside the ring was engraved: “This is destiny.” And soon fate made Josephine an empress and Bonaparte an emperor. The great commander confidently conquered the whole world, winning one victory after another, and from each campaign he sent his beloved wife tender and passionate letters, full of revelations and confessions.
But time passed, Napoleon dreamed of heirs, and Josephine could not get pregnant. In addition, rumors about the infidelity of the temperamental Creole, who remained alone for a long time, were confirmed. And then Bonaparte decides to enter into a new marriage with Princess Marie Louise of Austria in order to preserve the dynasty and extend his family. In 1809, Josephine and Napoleon divorced. Josephine retains the title of empress at Bonaparte's insistence. He also receives the Elysee Palace, Navarre Castle, Malmaison, three million a year, coats of arms, escort, security and all the attributes of a reigning person.
But even after the divorce, the emperor continues to write tender letters to Josephine, full of love and warmth. New marriage, the appearance of the long-awaited son does not bring Bonaparte happiness. After the defeat at Waterloo, the emperor goes into exile on the island of St. Helena. Josephine is refused his accompaniment, and a couple of months after Napoleon's abdication of power, she dies. And in 1821 he died and great commander of all times and peoples, Napoleon Bonaparte with the name of his beloved Josephine on his lips.
Edith Piaf and Marcel Cerdan
The Parisian sparrow and the Moroccan bombardier
This love story began in Paris. Edith Piaf was introduced to the “Moroccan scorer”, and Marcel Cerdan was introduced to the “great Edith Piaf”. A few days later, Marcel called the singer and asked for a meeting. The next morning they realized that they were in love. Next to a tall and muscular athlete " Parisian sparrow» Edith Piaf (piaf - sparrow from French), only 147 cm tall, looked like a little girl. At night they often went for walks around New York. Both loved to ride roller coasters. This extraordinary couple was recognized on the streets, watching in amazement as they gobbled up ice cream and screamed on the rides like mere mortals.
Love affair French singer and the French boxing champion did not go unnoticed. Journalists wanted to incite huge scandal, but the boxer was the first to hold a press conference: “Do you want to know if I love Piaf? Yes I love! Yes, she is my mistress, only because I am married. And I can’t get a divorce!” he blurted out. In the morning, not a single newspaper wrote a single line about Edith and Marcel, and by lunchtime Edith Piaf was brought a huge basket of flowers from journalists. Included in the flowers was a card: “From gentlemen to the woman they love more than anything in the world.”
On October 28, 1949, Cerdan dropped everything and flew to New York, receiving a telegram from his beloved: “I miss you.” His plane crashed near the Azores. In the morning, Edith was awakened not by the long-awaited kiss of Marcel, but by terrible news. That evening, Edith Piaf was carried onto the stage of the Versailles Hall in her arms - she could not walk. Stopping the audience's applause, she said quietly: “You don't have to clap for me today. Today I sing for Marcel Cerdan. Only for him alone."
Editor's Note: All stories are partially based on legends and do not claim to be historically accurate.
1. Cleopatra and Mark Antony
This is, without a doubt, the most famous love story, repeatedly portrayed in plays and films. Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, was a very charismatic woman with a charming voice (contemporaries say nothing about her beauty). She constantly fought for the right to be considered the ruler of her country with her own relatives, and in order to finally establish herself as the queen of Egypt, she was forced to look for a patron, and found him in the person of 52-year-old Gaius Julius Caesar. 21-year-old Cleopatra was able to conquer the great conqueror and became Caesar's mistress. He was already married, but this did not stop him from taking Cleopatra with him to Rome, along with their common son Caesarion. The Romans were quite worried about the fact that Caesarion could become the heir of the great Caesar. But it didn’t come to that - Caesar, as we all know, was stabbed to death at the next meeting of the Senate.
Cleopatra returned to Egypt, where she learned about the formation of the next ruler of Rome. She decided to seduce him, and to carry out her plan, she sailed to Tarsus (present-day Türkiye) on special ship. Anyway, Mark Antony fell in love with Cleopatra, and soon after they became lovers, Cleopatra bore Antony two twins.
The end of the relationship, as well as the lives of both lovers, was put by the confrontation between Mark Antony and Octavian, Caesar’s nephew (Antony, by the way, was married to Octavian’s sister, but left her for Cleopatra). Mark Antony returned to Rome, quarreled with Octavian, and a war began, which ended in the complete defeat of the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. After Octavian's troops entered Egypt, Cleopatra hid in the mausoleum, and Antony was told that she had committed suicide. Mark Antony, without hesitation, threw himself on the sword and died in the arms of his beloved. Cleopatra killed herself after she learned that she would be carried through the streets of Rome in a carriage, as a symbol of defeated Egypt.
2. Catherine the Great and Grigory Potemkin
In 1761, Catherine the Great was not yet Great, she was just the wife of the not particularly wise Tsar Peter III. After only a year of reign, he was deprived of power (not without the help of Catherine) and killed (maybe Catherine herself sent the killers, there is such an option). After this, a prominent military man, Grigory Potemkin, stands guard over the life and peace of the queen.
She was never indifferent to male beauty and strong character, and fell madly in love with Potemkin, showering him with money and honors. To the credit of the latter, Potemkin really began to serve his queen faithfully. Ekaterina, being very strong spirit a woman who loved Potemkin so much that she even wrote him tender love letters, which she almost never did. Potemkin and Catherine, according to some sources, even got married, although the fact of the wedding is doubtful among many historians. The wedding took place in 1774 in the Church of the Ascension, which has not survived to this day.
Catherine and Potemkin eventually became just comrades-in-arms, but Catherine until the end of her days had very warm feelings for her secret husband. After his death at the age of 52, she lost heart and was almost constantly depressed.
3. Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine
In the fall of 1795, Josephine, in her thirties, met with Napoleon, who had just turned 26 years old. To him she seemed like a very elegant and graceful lady, noble and even somewhat proud. Perhaps the success was also reinforced by the fact that Josephine managed to perfectly play the role of the supplicant.
In general, Napoleon and Josephine got engaged, and they did it at a time when no one could yet suspect Napoleon’s dizzying career. By the way, when he goes on long hikes, she plunges headlong into love adventures.
Despite everything, Napoleon idolizes his wife, and his joy is overshadowed by only one fact - Josephine cannot get pregnant. In the end, Napoleon breaks the bonds of marriage, although he does not stop loving his Josephine. She was the only person, to whom the prisoner of St. Helena turned in his dying delirium. He did not see any flaws in his “goddess”, and kept his love until his death.
4. Nicholas II and Alexandra Fedorovna
Young Nicholas II, the future Tsar of Russia, fell in love with German princess Alexandru as soon as he saw her. Despite all the strict moral laws of that time, which became even more stringent in relation to royalty, Nikolai and Alexandra began to often appear in public together.
The future tsar and Alexandra Feodorovna were engaged in 1893. Soon after this, Nicholas's father died, and, a couple of days later, Nicholas II became Tsar of all Russia. Their love continued until the idyll was disrupted by the uprising of workers and peasants, plus Grigory Rasputin appeared on the horizon.
Be that as it may, on July 16, 1918, all royal family was destroyed by the Bolsheviks. People died, but their love story remained.
5. Charles Lindbergh and Anna Spencer Morrow
Charles Lindbergh became famous in 1927 after he crossed the Atlantic Ocean. A year later, traveling around Latin America, he met his future wife, Anna Spencer Morrow, daughter of the US Ambassador to Mexico.
Their relationship attracted worldwide attention, and just one year later, Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow became husband and wife. Soon after, Charles and Anne began flying together, conquering the skies. They set the world speed record between Los Angeles and New York in 1930, with Anna already seven months pregnant.
Both were not only skilled pilots, but also wrote books, becoming the authors of as many as 13 books. Unfortunately, bright life both were overshadowed by the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh son in 1932. Despite everything, the Lindebergs are considered one of the most romantic couples who lived truly in perfect harmony, as they say.