Famous monikers

Did you know these 10 famous nicknames?

Image: Waldemar

While there’s not a lot of mystery as to why someone named Phillip may be known as Phil, the same cannot be said for a number of downright weird nicknames. Outlandish or extravagant nicknames can be great conversation starters, and they can often be a better description of someone’s nature than their given name. In that regard, the 10 individuals in this article received truly unique and incredible nicknames that helped them cement their legacy. So, without further ado, here’s our pick of 10 of the best nicknames in history!

Image: Nelson Ndongala

Who says that a nickname needs to be complicated? In fact, an argument could be made that the simpler the nickname, the better it communicates its point across. Case in point: Muhammad Ali will forever be remembered as "the Greatest", regardless of the highly unlikely case of a better boxer coming along in the future. This nickname truly describes Ali to perfection, and it is a great homage to this amazing athlete’s legacy.

Image: Judy Beth Morris

William Frederick Cody was definitely a jack of all trades: Not only did he serve his country during the American Civil War (earning a Medal of Honor in 1872), but he was also an excellent hunter and showman. In that sense, can you think of a flashier and more extravagant nickname for a showman than Buffalo Bill? According to historians, Cody received this nickname after the Civil War, thanks to his hunting prowess.

Image: Kelli Dougal

President Abraham Lincoln was surely the recipient of very high-praising nicknames, including the famous "Honest Abe" moniker, but perhaps the one that speaks to his legacy the most is the one he received after the American Civil War, when he became known as "The Great Emancipator". This nickname naturally comes from the fact that our 16th President issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

Image: Drew Beamer

The world of rock and roll is filled with many famous and flashy nicknames: For instance, Chuck Berry is known as "The Father of Rock' N’ Roll", while Billy Joel is known as "The Piano Man". However, every music fan knows that there is and will ever be only one King of Rock' N’ Roll, and that title goes to Elvis Presley. This nickname is truly synonymous with Elvis, to the point that most music lovers instantly think about Presley whenever they hear the phrase "the King."

Image: Taha

This is one of the oldest nicknames in this list, which is ironic since readers began calling William Shakespeare "The Bard" almost 200 years after his death. Often considered England’s national poet, Shakespeare became known as "The Bard" or "the Bard of Avon" sometime in the 1800s, at the time when his popularity started spreading across the world, cementing him as one of the greatest authors in history.

Image: Library of Congress

There’s definitely no one more deserving of the title "Father of His Country" than George Washington: His contributions to the independence and consolidation of the United States are literally too many to count. While you would think that this title was given to Washington posthumously, this nickname first appeared in print in 1778, with this publication immortalizing an already extremely popular nickname.

Image: Free Nomad

For many, Arnold Scharzenegger is the ultimate action movie star: From "Conan the Barbarian" to "Commando", Arnold has given life to many iconic and adrenaline-filled movies. However, there’s one movie that has given us what’s probably Arnold’s most memorable role, and that’s his incredible performance as the Terminator, a ruthless and fearsome robot sent back to the past. In fact, when Schwarzenegger became the 38th governor of California in 2003, he quickly became known by the nickname "The Governator".

Image: pure julia

The concept of "Blonde Bombshell" is almost as old as cinema itself: It’s a trope that involves a blonde "femme-fatale", who effortlessly steals the heart of both characters and audience. While this concept predates iconic American actress Marilyn Monroe, the truth is that no other actress in history has ever embodied this concept better than Monroe. In that sense, it seems only logical that Marilyn became known as "The Blonde Bombshell".

Image: SK49, CC BY 3.0

As we mentioned before, the world of rock and roll has produced some rather colorful and unique nicknames. However, few are as unique as the one Jim Morrison, the legendary singer of the rock band "The Doors", gave himself. Morrison displayed a fascination with lizards from an early age and, in a 1970s poem titled "Celebration of the Lizard", he wrote "I am the Lizard King". Thus, Morrison is still known by fans for his "Lizard King" title.

Image: Kristina Gadeikyte

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill became known as "the British Bulldog". You would think that this is not a particularly flattering nickname, but it is a testament to Churchill’s tenacity and gruff demeanor. Interestingly, Churchill did have a fondness for dogs, but not exactly for bulldogs, since he was the proud owner of a Poodle called "Rufus":

ALL MYTHS HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE, RIGHT?

You Won’t Believe These 10 Myths Originated In Real People

Image: Fine Photographics

While most myths are based on fiction, some are based on real-life individuals. Greek, Egyptian, and medieval figures that once were thought to be inventions have turned out to be real people thanks to archaeological findings. So, scroll down and learn more about 10 larger-than-life characters that actually existed.

Image: Juliet Furst

Paris, the handsome Trojan prince from The Iliad who abducted Helen, was in fact a real person. The city of Troy was located on the west coast of Anatolia (modern Turkey), and it might have been known as Wilusa, during the Bronze Age.

A surviving treaty from this period was signed between a man named Alaksandu (which sounds very similar to Prince Paris's second name, Alexander) probably from Wilusa/Troy, and Muwatalli II of the Hittites. Also, other historical documents hint that Alaksandu lived in and ruled Troy/Wilusa.

Image: Nathan Cima

Since we are talking about Troy, Paris wasn't the only Trojan who might've been real; his father, King Priam, might have been a legitimate Trojan ruler. In the Late Bronze Age, the Hittites ran into some trouble with an individual named Piyaramadu, who was a rebel who took over Troy/Wilusa.

Image: Babak Habibi

The phrase "rich as Croesus" is used to describe a semi-legendary monarch who was extremely wealthy. But Croesus was a real sixth-century BC ruler of Lydia (in Anatolia), who was both rich and martial, conquering many Greek towns that were located in what is now Turkey.

Image: Carlos Felipe Ramírez Mesa

The Roman general Cincinnatus was a military man who only reluctantly assumed power when the Romans faced a dangerous rival group called the Aequi. They called Cincinnatus to defend them who, at the time, was busy working on his tiny farm outside the city.

After defeating the enemy in just one day, Cincinnatus remained in power long enough to ensure Rome was safe. As soon as the crisis ended, he went home and started farming again. The humility and courageous character of this general inspired George Washington.

Image: Victoria Strukovskaya

According to an ancient legend, the Assyrian queen Semiramis was the daughter of a goddess. She invented the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and became a prominent ruler in her own right.

This might seem a bit far-fetched but "Semiramis" was the Greek name for a real ancient Assyrian queen, Sammu-ramat, who lived in the 9th BC. This queen was the wife of King Shamshi-Adad V and the mother of King Adad-Nirari III, but also maintained a lot of power in her own right.

Image: Julia Kadel

Imhotep was a real-life person, who served as the Egyptian pharaoh Djoser’s architect, healer, and minister. He served as the pharaoh’s right hand and even helped design his famous step pyramid. His popularity was such that, eventually, he was deified and worshiped as a real god.

Image: Giancarlo Corti

Maybe he was not the legendary king who ripped a sword out of a stone or had a powerful magician at his side, but Arthur was a genuine historical figure leading the Roman-British against the invading Anglo-Saxons during the late 5th and early 6th centuries.

His involvement at the Battle of Badon, in particular, is supportable but also exemplifies the problematic nature of the historical narrative, recording he slew 960 men in battle, quite an impossible number.

Image: Ani Adigyozalyan

The incredible story of "Beauty and the Beast" might have been based on a real person, Petrus Gonsalvus, a young boy from the 16th century. Petrus suffered a severe case of hypertrichosis, a condition that causes a person to grow hair all over their body, often referred to as "werewolf syndrome."

Gonsalvus was 10 years old when he was sent to the King of France to operate as a court jester. Eventually, King Henry's wife, Catherine de Medici, found Gonsalvus a wife. Though it took some getting used to, the beauty fell in love with the "beast." They remained married for 40 years and had seven kids together, four of which also had hypertrichosis.

Image: Christian Chomiak

According to Greek mythology, the Amazons were a race of legendary female warriors. This was disputed until modern archaeological discoveries gave new life to the claims. Believed to be descendants of Ares, the God of War, and Harmonia, the Goddess of Harmony, these women supposedly dedicated their lives to the perfection of martial prowess.

Recent archaeological findings have uncovered numerous burial sites of female Sarmatian warriors. With as many as twenty percent of all warrior tombs in the ancient territory containing women, this discovery has provided new impetus to believe in the Amazons as real historical individuals.

Image: Igam Ogam

One of the most supernatural characters in our list is based on a real-life individual. Count Dracula, the literary villain created by Bram Stoker was, at least partially, based on Vlad III, also known as Vlad Dracula, a Romanian prince who employed some gruesome tactics to defend his territory of Wallachia, a region south of Transylvania.

During his lifetime, Vlad was known for his enjoyment of torture and killing, reportedly impaling tens of thousands of enemies on stakes and then feasting among his victims.