~ Famous Historical Couples ~

[MysteRy]

Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir met in 1929 when they were philosophy students. They shared an open relationship for much of their adult lives, acting as lovers and editors for each other's greatest works. These included Sartre's existentialist novels and plays and de Beauvoir's feminist treatises, most notably "The Second Sex." As Sartre described the relationship, "What we have is an essential love; but it is a good idea for us also to experience contingent love affairs." In her later years, de Beauvoir commented that her relationship with Sartre was her "greatest achievement."

[MysteRy]

As far as power couples go, perhaps no duo had greater command over the public than Argentinian President Juan Peron and First Lady Eva Peron. Their signature wave was a welcome sight to the descomisados, or "shirtless ones," working-class Argentinians to whom the Peron administration promised higher wages and better housing. Beloved by the public, the first lady was dubbed and memorialized as "Evita."

[MysteRy]

In a rare moment of repose, Adolf Hitler naps while his long-time mistress, Eva Braun, looks on. Hitler and Braun married the day before committing suicide together, just prior to the collapse of the Third Reich.

[MysteRy]

The German Prince Consort Albert and Queen Victoria gave birth to nine children and the concept of Victorianism, a term that biographer Gillian Gill says connotes ideals of "faith, thrift, discipline ... marital fidelity, parental control [and] social cohesion." The couple drastically altered public ideas about British royalty by cleaning up the scandalous image of the court and replacing it with a homespun one of a couple very much in love, nurturing a large and closely knit family.

[MysteRy]

Despite the romantic accounts of Pocahontas saving John Smith's life (which historians believe are probably not true), the real love of her life was the English colonist John Rolfe. Their marriage in 1614 forged a diplomatic peace between the foreign settlers and the indigenous people of the Virginia colony. This historical painting shows Pocahontas' baptism, after which she became known as Rebecca. Though Pocahontas died just three years after marrying Rolfe, during their union, they had a son and worked in tandem to garner interest and financial support for the American colonies.

[MysteRy]

Franklin Delano and Eleanor Roosevelt resided in the White House during some of the most financially tumultuous years in U.S. history. Though Eleanor was his distant cousin, Roosevelt was determined to make her his wife. When she discovered that Roosevelt was having an affair with her social secretary, Lucy Mercer, Eleanor proposed divorce. Roosevelt declined, and though the two remained together, the National Park Service's biography of the couple suggests that this event caused an awakening in Eleanor's personal life, inspiring her to become more involved in politics and to seek more meaningful friendships.

[MysteRy]

Johnny and June Carter Cash met in 1961 when she began touring with him. Carter Cash came from a family of country singers, and she dabbled in singing, songwriting and acting. The couple married in 1968 after Cash proposed to her onstage at a concert in London, Ontario. Their marriage of 31 years was a collaboration of love and talent, and between them, they earned several Grammy Awards. Carter Cash notably helped her husband overcome an addiction to amphetamines, and when she passed away in 2003, Cash died just four months later.

[MysteRy]

Rock star David Bowie and Somalian supermodel Iman were married in 1992, and despite the constant glare of the paparazzi's flashbulbs, the couple has enjoyed a lasting marriage. While Iman is known as a pioneer among black models in the fashion industry and recognized for designing the first line of cosmetics for women of color, Bowie is renowned for his rock 'n' roll legacy, which includes contributions to the glitter rock genre as well as a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award and countless hit singles.