Pattie Boyd was the real-life “Layla,” who married George Harrison and became the romantic obsession of his close friend, Eric Clapton
In 1620s Rome, the best parties by far were thrown at the Villa Borghese
Nightingale floors: the Japanese flooring system used for alerting castle lords to nighttime attacks by ninja assassins
London’s Kew Gardens, one of the world’s preeminent botanical gardens, was the project of Princess Augusta, mother of George III
Shakespearean actor Sir Alec Guinness left the stage for the Royal Navy when he enlisted in WWII and was a key part of invasion of Sicily
For Shelley Duvall, “The Shining” was a personal horror story because of director Stanley Kubrick
More than 30 seamstresses were hired to create Grace Kelly’s wedding dress
Three giant Viking swords stand buried in a stone in Hafrsfjord, Norway, recalling a mythic struggle for unity
Treacle, crushed emeralds, bloodletting, bathing in urine: Wacko cures and medical procedures from the past
Not being Italian was no obstacle to James Caan, who portrayed Sonny in “The Godfather,” winning “Italian of the Year” – twice!
