AI Shows Us What Historical Figures Actually Looked Like

One of history’s greatest-ever military generals, Alexander the Great conquered the eastern Mediterranean, Egypt, the Middle East, and parts of Asia in a remarkably short period of time. Although King of Macedonia for merely 13 years, the youthful Alexander changed the course of history by ushering in significant cultural changes in the lands that formed his new empire. Alexander claimed his first military victory at the age of just 18 and never lost a battle in his 15 years of conquest.

Queen of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, and the great royal wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, Neferneferuaten Nefertiti is best known for her painted sandstone bust, which was rediscovered in 1913 and became a global icon of feminine beauty and power. Thanks to AI, we can truly see the extent of the queen’s extraordinary beauty — her perfect bone structure and feline features brought to life in this astonishing reimagination.

One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, Shaka Zulu — full name Shaka kaSenzangakhona — ruled the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. During his reign, the king reorganized the Zulu military and turned it into a formidable force, conquering huge swathes of land across what is modern-day South Africa. The word “shaka” means “power”, and Shaka Zulu certainly lived up to his name, both in appearance and actions.

Arguably the most famous of the Roman Emperors, Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman who led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars. An outstanding military operator, Casaser went on to defeat his political rival, Pompey in a civil war and took control of the Senate, where he oversaw the transformation of Rome from a republic to an empire. The emperor, however, would end up being assassinated in one of history’s most well-known acts of betrayal.

There’s something surreal about the AI recreation of one of the most famous artists of all time — is this a work of art the Italian sculptor would approve of? Sadly, we’ll never know. Born in Tuscany, the depiction of Adam’s creation that adorns the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling is probably the best-known of Michelangelo’s works today. However, the artist thought of himself first and foremost as a sculptor.

One of the world’s most recognizable monuments, The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York City’s New York Harbor. Gifted to the Big Apple by the people of France, the copper statue was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel — of Eiffel Tower fame. Incredibly, Lady Liberty is struck by lightning 600 times every year.

While not the most famous historical figure on this list, Akhenaten is certainly one of the most controversial. An Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the Eighteenth Dynasty of the New Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt, Akhenaten is best known for changing the traditional religion of Egypt from the worship of multiple gods to the worship of a single god named Aten. This reform to monotheism made the pharaoh incredibly unpopular with his detractors.

Probably the most famous short man in history, Napoleon Bonaparte is considered one of the greatest military generals in history. The French military commander and political leader — who would go on to be known by his regnal name, Napoleon I — rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars. While the term “Napoleon complex” took its name from the Galic commander, Napoleon’s actual height might not have been as short as once thought.

Inspired by the writings of the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius, Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man visualizes the artist/scientist’s ideal vision of body proportions, in what is one of history’s most iconic images ever drawn. In creating his work of art, Da Vinci sought to depict the connection of man to nature, with the man’s arms reaching the sides of a circle and square. The Vitruvian Man has an incredible physique and chiseled facial features.

Christina of Denmark was a Danish princess who was around in the 16th century, the younger surviving daughter of King Christian II of Denmark and Norway and Isabella of Austria. The princess would go on to become a duchess — of Milan — and then Duchess of Lorraine, both through two different marriages. Paintings of Christina aren’t particularly flattering, although this could be due to the different style and beauty standards of the day. 

Born in 1162, Genghis Khan was a warrior, leader, and founder of the Mongol empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death. Considered one of the greatest, and most feared military leaders of all time, Khan came to power by uniting many of the nomadic tribes of the Mongol steppe, thus being proclaimed the universal ruler of the Mongols. The great warrior is also famous for fathering hundreds of children.

Considered one of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs — male or female — Queen Hatshepsut brought great wealth and artistry to her land, responsible for one of Egypt’s most successful trading expeditions, bringing back gold, ebony, and incense from a place called Punt, likely modern-day Eritrea. Hatshepsut’s rule wasn’t just prosperous, it was also long, reigning over ancient Egypt for 20 years. Like most successful pharaohs, the queen assembled a large, powerful army.

Mark Anthony, or Marcus Antonius in his native Latin, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a republic into the autocratic Roman Empire. An accomplished military leader, Antony was a Roman general under Julius Caesar and later triumvir who ruled Rome’s eastern provinces. In spite of his successful political career, Mark Anthony is probably best known for his relationship with Cleopatra, queen of Egypt.

Tutankhamun — often referred to as King Tut — was the antepenultimate pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt, and is arguably the most famous posthumous figure in history. Unlike many of the names on this list, King Tut is best known for how his body was found, rather than what he achieved while living. Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered entirely complete, containing treasures that helped the egyptologists to better understand the process of mummification.

Cleopatra VII, known more commonly as Cleopatra, was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler. While on the throne, Cleopatra actively influenced Roman politics at a crucial period and was especially known for her relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, making her one of the most interesting and famous historical figures of all time. 

Arguably as infamous as he is famous, Louis XV was king of France from 1715 to 1774 and is best known for contributing to the decline of royal authority that led to the French Revolution. Louis attempted King attempted progressive fiscal reforms that included the taxation of the nobility but his foreign policy failures weakened France. Numerous lost wars forced Louis to part ways with numerous territories, including lucrative overseas colonies.

When Edward VI died in 1553, there were arguments about who would succeed him. Unusually, both claimants to the throne were women, and 9 days later the radical longstanding question around whether a woman could rule the country by herself was answered. Known to be stubborn but courageous, Mary I, or Mary Tudor as she is commonly known, attempted to restore the catholic faith, her reputation becoming defined by her religious persecutions.

One of the most feared rulers in British history, King Henry VIII is famous for his brutal treatment of his six wives and for his efforts to have his first marriage annulled, which led to a disagreement with the catholic church and his subsequent separating the Church of England from papal authority. Infamously, Henry sent two of his wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, to their deaths on the executioner’s block at the Tower of London.

South America’s beloved son, Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios became the most powerful leader in Latin America and gained the nickname “El Libertador” for helping numerous nations become independent from Spain. Inspired by the American Revolutionary War, Bolívar’s constitutional aims were to design strong links to unify the newly independent nations in Latin America. Today, July 24 is celebrated as Simon Bolivar Day throughout Latin America.

One of British history’s most controversial women, Wallis Simpson was an American socialite who had been married twice when she met Edward, Duke of Windsor, and their intention to marry caused a constitutional crisis that led to Edward’s abdication. After Edward abdicated the throne, he and the future Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, married. They traveled widely, living mostly in Paris, and frequently hosted or attended lavish parties and lived a very glamorous life until Edward’s death in 1972.

A titan of American history, Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, a drafter and signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, and the first United States Postmaster General. Furthermore, Franklin was one of the leading intellectuals of his time and a world-class scientist and inventor, inventing the lightning rod, the Franklin Stove, and bifocals, to name just a few.

Augustus — also known as Octavian — was the first emperor of ancient Rome, who came to power after the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE. Considered one of the greatest leaders in human history, Emperor Augustus is best known for initiating the Pax Romana, a largely peaceful period of two centuries in which Rome imposed order on a world that had long been marred in conflict.

Queen Nzinga Ana de Sousa Mbande, the monarch of the Mbundu people, was a resilient leader who fought against the Portuguese colonizers and their expanding slave trade in Central Africa. Although initially accommodating to the Portuguese — Queen Nzinga even converted to Christianity — in 1627, after forming alliances with former rival states, the queen led her army against the Portuguese, initiating a thirty-year war against them that would continue to inspire the region, resulting in Angolan independence in 1975.

Has there ever been a writer more famous than William Shakespeare? Probably not. Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist, dreaming up the blockbuster play of his day, including Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet to name a few. These plays continue to be hugely popular to this day, being reenacted and reimagined all across the world on stage, screen, and elsewhere.

One of the most admired composers in the history of the Western European music tradition, Ludwig van Beethoven was a German musician whose works rank amongst the most performed of the classical music repertoire. Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, completed in 1804, changed the musical world and is perhaps his defining work. Still, the German maestro composed numerous symphonies that have become household pieces of music and appeared in movies and television shows.

George Washington is often called the “Father of His Country”, having served not only as the first president of the United States but also as the commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Once the American War of Independence had been one, Washington presided over the convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution. Aside from George Washington’s military and political achievements, It was his moral character that set him apart from other men.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, more commonly known by his nickname, Caracalla was a Roman emperor from 198 to 217. Not as famous as the likes of Caesar, Nero, or Augustus, Caracalla was, nonetheless, an important chapter in ancient Roman history. While his principal achievements were positive and progressive — the building of colossal baths in Rome and his edict of 212, which gave Roman citizenship to all free inhabitants of the empire — Caracalla was extremely bloodthirsty.

One of the most famous women in history, Mona Lisa — real name Lisa del Giocondo — is of course the subject of the Italian artist, Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic portrait that proudly hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, da Vinci completed his work in 1503, and has since become the most visited and the most written about work of all time.

A famous subject of iconic paintings and sketches, Isabella Brant was the first wife of the Flemish painter and diplomat, Peter Paul Rubens, who created several portraits of her. The most famous of these works is a portrait drawn in black and red chalk with white heightening on brown wash paper, noted historically for its “immediacy and attractiveness”. Although the couple had three children, Isabella sadly died aged just 34 of the plague.

A powerful figure, Zeus was the god of the sky in ancient Greek mythology. As the chief Greek deity, Zeus was considered the ruler, protector, and father of all gods and humans, and this fatherly role is typically depicted as Zeus being an older man with a full beard. As the king sitting atop the golden throne on Mount Olympus, Zeus was revered by all, including mortal kings who would boast that they were descendants of the deity.

The last of the rulers known as the Five Good Emperors, and the last emperor of the Pax Romana — an age of relative peace, calmness and stability — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus ruled the Roman Empire for almost 20 years. A stoic, philosophical man, Marcus Aurelius’ greatest accomplishment was his ability to hold the Empire together through its first true pandemic, as well as the Parthian War, and the Germanic Wars.

Born in the south of the Netherlands, Vincent Willem van Gogh was a post-Impressionist painter whose work — notable for its beauty, emotion, and color — highly influenced 20th-century art. As often the case for artists, van Gogh was not particularly well-known during his lifetime, but posthumously, has become one of the most famous painters in the history of Western Art, loved for his expressive and emotive use of brilliant color.

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, commonly known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman. Celebrated as one of the greatest visual artists of all time, the Baroque painter left behind a great legacy, distinguished by its true-to-life beauty. The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, and The Night Watch are some great examples of the Dutchman’s work.

Even though his father was Zeus, ruler of all the Greek gods on Mount Olympus and all the mortals on earth, Hercules was actually born a mortal. That being said, like many mythic heroes, the Greek god of strength and heroes had a complicated family tree. Without a doubt one of the greatest mythological Greek heroes, Hercules was famous not only for his incredible strength but also for his courage and intelligence.

A spokesman for democracy, Thomas Jefferson was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third President of the United States. A true icon of his nation, Jefferson also found time to be a diplomat, lawyer, architect, and philosopher. However, while the former President clearly deserves a substantial footnote in the history of the United States, his ownership of hundreds of slaves somewhat contradicts his founding of a country based on principles of freedom and egalitarianism.

Pocahontas, whose real name was Matoaka (and later known as Rebecca Rolfe), was a Native American woman who is famous for helping English colonists in North America, and for her role as an ambassador between the Powhatan Chiefdom and the Jamestown colony. During this time, the daughter of an important chief reportedly saved the life of Captain John Smith, an English soldier, explorer, and colonial governor.

|Born on Christmas Day at Woolsthorpe Manor in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, a hamlet in the English county of Lincolnshire, Sir Isaac Newton was a physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author. Best known for formulating the theory of Gravity, legend has it that Newton had his lightbulb moment when he saw a falling apple while thinking about the forces of nature. It is estimated that Newton had an IQ score would between 190 and 200, depending on the measures used.

Born in Portugal in the 15th century, Vasco da Gama was the first person to sail from Europe to India by rounding Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. The 1st Count of Vidigueira landed and traded in locales along the coast of southern Africa during his voyage, and da Gama’s milestone marked the beginning of a sea-based phase of global multiculturalism. The explorer would eventually succumb to malaria three months after his arrival in India.