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History, or at least the version we’re often taught, tends to be sanitized, overlooking details deemed irrelevant—or even harmful—to the idealized vision people have in their minds. We’ve already explored ten such historical scandals, but as we all know, history has no shortage of questionable actions. Here are 10 more little-known and scandalous facts about some of the most famous figures in history.
10. Abraham Lincoln
Fact: He was not a supporter of the First Amendment.
To be fair, the way this fact is worded might be a bit misleading, but Abraham Lincoln did dedicate a significant portion of his time during the American Civil War to punishing those with anti-Union views. His reasoning was clear: he saw the preservation of the Union as the ultimate goal—even more important than safeguarding the rights of its citizens.
During the conflict, he was famously quoted as saying: “Must I shoot a simple soldier boy who deserts, while I must not touch a hair of a wily agitator who induces him to desert?” Additionally, Lincoln suspended habeas corpus, an action that the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice deemed unconstitutional. Despite this ruling, Lincoln pressed on with his decisions for the remainder of the war.
9. Isaac Newton
Fact: He practiced alchemy.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest scientific minds to ever exist, Newton made groundbreaking contributions such as calculus, the laws of motion, and laying the foundations of modern physics. However, there was one highly discredited field he fully embraced: alchemy.
Firmly convinced that he could create the Philosopher’s Stone—the legendary object believed to turn metals into gold and grant eternal life—Newton dedicated much of his later years to this unfruitful pursuit. He was also very secretive about his work, documenting all his experiments and findings in code—some of which remain untranslated to this day.
8. Aristotle
Fact: He held misogynistic views.
Often regarded as the greatest philosopher in history, Aristotle shaped the course of Western thought for nearly 2,000 years. However, like many of his contemporaries, he held deeply misogynistic views, even going as far as to claim that “a woman is perhaps an inferior being” and that a female was “as it were, a deformity.” A significant portion of his beliefs were influenced by the animal kingdom and flawed biological theories that were widely accepted at the time.
While Aristotle did acknowledge that women needed to be a part of society and that their happiness was vital for the proper functioning of a community, it doesn’t erase his sexist views, which went on to influence Western thought for centuries. Though it’s likely these ideas would have emerged eventually, it certainly didn’t help that the most influential thinker of the era was promoting them.
7. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Fact: He had a long-term affair.
The only president to serve more than two terms and a symbol of hope during the Great Depression, FDR was undeniably a great leader—though not without his flaws. Like many men in power, he was prone to indulging in things that weren't his to claim—in other words, he cheated on his wife, Eleanor. In 1918, long before his presidency, FDR's deceit was exposed when Eleanor found a collection of love letters. These letters were exchanged between him and a woman named Lucy Mercer, whom FDR had hired as his wife’s secretary in 1916.
FDR promised never to see Mercer again (and even vowed to sleep in a separate bed from then on), and he managed to convince Eleanor to remain by his side. However, it wasn’t long before he resumed the affair with Mercer, which continued until his death in 1945. Mercer was actually by his side when he passed, a detail kept secret from the public for years. Eleanor had already discovered their ongoing affair and was notably absent at the time of his death.
6. Peter The Great
Fact: He had the head of his wife’s lover preserved in a jar.
Peter the Great ruled as the emperor of Russia for over four decades, starting in the late 1600s. He is best known for spearheading a cultural and economic transformation in Russia that aligned it more closely with Western civilization. He also had a notorious reputation as a philanderer, even going as far as groping his wife’s ladies-in-waiting in her presence. However, Peter was deeply offended when his wife sought out her own romantic affairs.
Catherine I, Peter’s wife, began a relationship with William Mons, her chamberlain, who was also the brother of Peter's first mistress. Upon discovering the affair, Peter accused Mons of fabricated bribery charges and had him executed. After the hanging, Peter had the man’s head severed, preserved in a jar, and placed in Catherine’s room as a grim reminder of her unfaithfulness.
5. Jawaharlal Nehru
Fact: He was involved in an affair with the wife of a British viceroy.
Jawaharlal Nehru is most renowned for being the inaugural Prime Minister of India, a key figure in the country’s political landscape, and a dedicated follower of Mahatma Gandhi. Nehru’s personal life was marked by the early death of his wife, leaving him a widower for the remainder of his life. Later, he developed a close and personal connection with Edwina Mountbatten, wife of the British Viceroy to India, Lord Louis Mountbatten. Although some, including their daughter Pamela Hicks, argue that their relationship remained platonic, Nehru and Edwina were widely believed to have shared a deeper bond.
Numerous love letters have surfaced, suggesting that their relationship was indeed not just emotional, but also physical. It was so widely known that Nehru and Edwina were romantically involved that even his political opponents used it to their advantage. One such slogan from his opposition party humorously read: 'If you break open Rama’s heart, you’ll find Sita written on it; break open Nehru’s heart, you’ll find Lady Mountbatten written on it.'
4. William S. Burroughs
Fact: He killed his common-law wife while intoxicated.
William S. Burroughs, one of the most groundbreaking and culturally significant American writers of the 20th century, was involved in a tragic incident that led to the death of his common-law wife, Joan Vollmer. The couple had been living together since 1944 and had a son in 1947, both heavily involved in drugs. In 1951, while in Mexico City, they played a drunken game of 'William Tell.' Vollmer placed a glass on her head, and Burroughs aimed a pistol at it. However, the shot missed the glass and struck Vollmer in the forehead, killing her.
Burroughs was detained for 13 days in jail before his brother bribed local officials for his release on bail. He eventually fled Mexico, returned to the U.S., and was tried in absentia for negligent homicide. He was sentenced to a suspended prison term, which he never served.
3. Voltaire
Fact: He was a committed anti-Semite.
Voltaire, one of the most brilliant and influential writers of the Enlightenment, is celebrated for his satirical works and sharp wit. While he championed freedom of speech and religion, sadly, this did not extend to Jews. Likely influenced by his Jesuit education, Voltaire developed a deep animosity toward established religion, including Christianity. He particularly despised the Old Testament, viewing it as nothing more than a collection of myths.
When discussing Jews, he remarked that they 'were as skilled in turning fables into history as they were in transforming secondhand clothing into new garments.' Yet, paradoxically, some modern historians view him as an inadvertent ally of the Jewish people, a figure who helped lead society away from the Christian zealotry that fueled much of the anti-Semitism of his era.
2. Thomas Jefferson
Fact: He was notoriously unreliable when it came to keeping promises.
The story of Thomas Jefferson and his slave mistress, Sally Hemings, is well-known, but less familiar is his relationship with Sally’s half-sister, Nancy Hemings. In order to settle a debt owed to his sister, Anna, Jefferson sold Nancy and her children to his new brother-in-law.
Later, when the brother-in-law attempted to sell Nancy and her children separately, Nancy pleaded with Jefferson to buy them back. Jefferson promised he would, but when the time came, he only bought Nancy and her daughter, deliberately leaving her son behind. Worse still, Jefferson never truly intended to honor his promise to Nancy, even hesitating to purchase her daughter. He wrote, 'I would not purchase the boy; as for the youngest child, if she insists on it, and my sister desires it, I would take it.'
This behavior wasn’t uncommon, as it was typical at the time for slave families to be split apart once children reached the age of 12. At that age, they were no longer considered children and were often separated from their parents. Despite Jefferson’s claims to morality, he was deeply entrenched in the harsh realities of slavery.
1. Caravaggio
Fact: He killed a pimp over a prostitute.
Caravaggio, an immensely popular Italian artist of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, was renowned for his incredible talent with a brush. However, his temper often got him into trouble with the law. The most notable instance of this was when he killed a pimp named Ranuccio Tomassoni over a dispute involving Fillide Melandroni, a prostitute both men desired. Initially believed to have been a fight sparked by a tennis match, new revelations have shown the true cause of the altercation that ended in Tomassoni's death.
The conflict had a sexual undertone, with Caravaggio attempting to castrate Tomassoni, planning to leave him alive. Unfortunately, Caravaggio’s lack of knowledge about human anatomy led to him accidentally severing Tomassoni’s femoral artery, causing his death. Even though the fight had been arranged beforehand, Caravaggio was charged with murder. He fled the scene, first to Malta, then to a small Italian town, where he remained until his death.
