Here Are The Zodiac Signs For 16 Historical Figures - And What They Reveal About Their Personalities

One of history's greatest artists and inventors, Leonardo da Vinci, was a Taurus. Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452 (nowadays April 15th would mean he was an Aries, but because of planetary rotation over the years the correlating calendar dates slowly change for each sign) during the Italian Renaissance, and he exemplified the idea of a Renaissance man. Leonardo was involved in anatomy, science, technology, and art, from his famous Mona Lisa to The Last Supper. And maybe Leonardo's greatness and aesthetic prowess wasn't so surprising. Taurus are known for their love of beauty and sensuality; really, on the most basic level, they just want to surround themselves with nice things. Taurus are also known for their slow and steady approach to life that often develops into a progressive body of work, not unlike the one Leonardo left behind him - okay, not every Taurus is that groundbreaking, but you get the idea.

Abraham Lincoln probably didn't sing "Age of Aquarius," since it was written a century after his death, but like the song, Lincoln defined his era. Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, making him an Aquarius. He led the nation through the Civil War, the gravest threat to the union, and he emancipated the slaves before he was assassinated in 1865. And he's the only president in the Wrestling Hall of Fame. Like his sign, Lincoln was definitely freedom loving, though it took him some time to realize that slavery had to be ended. And he was certainly loyal - he waged a war to enforce loyalty on the Confederate rebels. More so than anything, Aquarius is thought of a free thinker and often ahead of their time; although Lincoln was certainly not the first person to believe slavery should come to an end, he is perhaps the most memorable and, for lack of a better word, effective one - Lincoln and his sign are a perfect match in their natural attempts to leave the world a better place than they found it.

Napoleon Bonaparte was born on an island outpost of France on August 15, 1769, making him a Leo. He eventually rose through the ranks of the military to become the ruler of one of the largest empires in European history. Of course, it all came crashing down after Waterloo, but that's neither here nor there. Was Napoleon's meteoric rise and fall due to his astrological sign? After all, Leos are considered the royal leaders of the zodiac - with the sun as their ruler it would make sense they expect others to orbit around them. It doesn't hurt that they are bold and courageous, as well as ambitious and confident. But Leos can also be possessive and dominating. No wonder Napoleon tried to conquer Europe.

Sorry, Taurus, Hitler is also one of you - Aries nearly got him but the sun moved into Taurus just hours before Hitler's birth. History's most famous genocidal maniac was born on April 20, 1889. Adolf Hitler led Nazi Germany during World War II, triggering the global war through his aggressive actions. He masterminded the mass murder of 6 million Jews and the deaths of millions more. Should we blame Hitler's zodiac sign? While Taurus might have given us someone as inspiring as da Vinci, Hitler paints the sign in a pretty bleak light. At their worst Taurus can be an extremely conservative sign, not willing to be open-minded or to look beyond their own point of views, which can all too easily sway into somewhat archaic thinking if their astrological charts aren't properly balanced. That stubborn persistence and unflinching idealism were important building blocks in the character of Adolf Hitler, characteristics without which he might never have come to power.

Henry VIII has a lot of claims to fame: He led England's break from the Catholic Church. He married six times. He sent two of his wives to the chopping block. There's a lot to unpack there. Henry was born on June 28, 1491, making him a Cancer. Perhaps most notably, after famously pursuing Anne Boleyn for years, finally convincing an entire country to let him divorce his first wife so that he could marry Anne, he eventually turned on her, accusing her of treason and incest. Was Henry's astrological sign to blame? Cancer is a sign known for love of home and family. Maybe Henry loved family a little too much, since he was relentless in his drive for a male heir. And he certainly didn't avoid conflict, like other Cancers. In Henry's case, his moon (which rules a person's emotional nature) was in Aries, giving him a quick temper that was prone to making rash decisions based on perceived emotional slights. Henry's erratic yet mopey nature makes a bit more sense when viewed through that lens.

America's most famous civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr., was born on January 15, 1929, making him a Capricorn. MLK played a central role in ending legal segregation in the United States and pressuring the government to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He also received a Nobel Peace Prize before he was assassinated in April of 1968. Like other Capricorns, Martin Luther King Jr. was disciplined, patient, and cautious. In contrast to Malcolm X, who advocated for more radical means to achieve racial justice, MLK counseled in favor of a more cautious road to equality. His stubborn commitment helped white Americans recognize the injustices of Jim Crow and helped the nation take a step toward equality.

The general who won the American Revolution and became the first president of the United States, George Washington, was born on February 22, 1732, making him a Pisces. He combined military prowess with restrained leadership, beginning the tradition of stepping down as president after two terms. Like other Pisces, Washington was certainly selfless and idealistic - he needed those qualities to win a revolution and then lead a country. And it's unlikely that a man born under a different sign (Leo, perhaps) would walk away from power as George Washington did when he retired in 1797. He easily could have been a king, but chose a different path - perhaps because of the zodiac; after all, Pisces is associated with the archetype of Jesus Christ and the desire to do good for others without seeking benefits for oneself.

Queen Elizabeth I of England was born on September 7, 1533, and maybe it's no surprise that the Virgin Queen was a Virgo. Elizabeth was Europe's most powerful ruler at a time when women rarely held power at all, and she had to fight for every inch of her throne. Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but the symbol of Virgo is the virgin, an image forever tied to Elizabeth, and like other Virgos, Elizabeth played up her feminine grace and her sense of duty. Virgos are also known for having high standards for just about anything, and it is certainly not a coincidence that English culture thrived and the country itself entered a Golden Age under the guidance of a Virgo - it need the discreet yet knowing touch of a Virgo to make it happen.

It's fitting that Albert Einstein, one of the most brilliant scientists in history, was born on Pi day, March 14, 1879. Einstein may have been famously bad at math, despite the jury still being out on that one, but he absolutely did win the Nobel Prize for his work in physics, including the theory of relativity. And Einstein may have been able to think up some amazing experiments because he was a Pisces - the sign is known for creativity and for thinking outside of the box as they move through life as gently as possible; like other Pisces, Einstein had a problem with conflict. In 1939, Einstein wrote to FDR warning him of the possibility of an atomic super weapon, recommending that the US try to create a nuclear bomb before the Nazis. In spite of that, Einstein considered himself a pacifist, a trait linked to fishes of the zodiac.

The most famous writer in the history of the English language, William Shakespeare, was born on April 23, 1564, making him a Taurus. The immortal bard penned famous plays like Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth, earning him a place on every high school English reading list. During his two decade career as a playwright, Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and countless sonnets that explored human nature, love, and conflict. Like his sign and Leonardo da Vinci before him, Shakespeare was a hard working person, and he was certainly ambitious. Taurus can get an unfair rap for being lazy, but it's hard to see how Shakespeare could have been lazy, since his career was so productive - granted writing isn't exactly on par with being a day laborer, but it still doesn't quite balance out... unless the rumors are true that someone else wrote Shakespeare's plays.

Queen Victoria, the powerful British monarch who gave her name to an entire era in the 10th century, was a Gemini. When Victoria was born on May 24, 1819, she was fifth in line to the throne; no doubt she followed an unlikely path to power. But in 1837, she became queen, and she went on to rule for 63 years, the longest reign by a British monarch at the time. Like many a Gemini, Queen Victoria was known for her quick wit and her enthusiasm - though in Victoria's case, it was an enthusiasm for expanding the British Empire as well as her waistline. But Geminis are known for assimilating all sorts of things that are new and fresh in order to satiate their need for information and excitement, so Victoria may have been trying to find a way to express herself as her kingdom evolved into an Empire and developed many more facets than it ever had under her predecessors's rules.

Barack Obama was America's 44th president, and the first Black man to be elected to the highest office in the land. He was born on August 4, 1961, making him a Leo. Obama rocketed to the national stage after a positive, energetic speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, and four years later he was elected president with the slogan "Hope and Change." In many ways, Obama fits with the characteristics of a Leo. He is optimistic and energetic, and he definitely doesn't shy away from the limelight. But while Leos can suffer from impatience and arrogance, Obama was a meticulous and detail-oriented president who spent much of his first term trying to build coalitions across the aisle - it probably doesn't hurt that he has a strong Aquarius influence in his chart, giving him a more egalitarian nature.

History's most famous star-gazer, Galileo Galilei, was a Pisces - fitting, since Pisces is the dreamer of the zodiac, spending their time with their feet off the ground and their head in the clouds. Galileo was the first to turn a telescope on the stars and prove that the earth wasn't at the center of the universe. And he paid a high price for his science when the Catholic Church sentenced him to house arrest for disobedience. And it's no surprise that Galileo was a Pisces; he knew his work was too important to ignore and turn his back on, and he was willing to sacrifice his freedom if it meant imparting wisdom to the world at large. Pisces is generally neither stubborn nor confrontational, which was a major problem for the scientist, who refused to back down in his clash with the Catholic Church - that's probably a result of his strong Aries moon, giving him an extra bit of candor and courage not unlike Henry VIII.

America's greatest horror and mystery writer, Edgar Allan Poe, was a Capricorn. Poe was born on January 19, 1809, and he would go on to become famous for his works like "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart." But his death was even more mysterious than his writings. Was Poe's brilliance due to his astrological sign? Poe was a Capricorn, known for being persistent, meticulous, and slightly cold. And they can also be pessimistic and moody, which could both explain Poe's brilliant writings and his mysterious death, which may have been related to his alcoholism or even election fraud. It doesn't hurt that his rising sign (what you consciously express to the world) was in Scorpio, giving his self-expression a decidedly moody coloring.

One of history's most famous scientists, Marie Curie, was a Scorpio - not to mention the only person to win two Nobel Prizes in different fields. Curie was born on November 7, 1867, and went on to have an impressive career in physics and chemistry. The famous scientist discovered radioactivity and she also researched X-rays. Curie even died for her research - her death in 1934 was due to exposure to radiation. Like other Scorpios, Marie was intense, passionate, and strong. During an era when most women did not work, let alone attend college, Marie not only established an entirely new field of science but won two Nobel Prizes. She embodied the Scorpio qualities of being intelligent, motivated, and committed. Then again, she embodied these characteristics so well that she also hated to quit, which eventually led to her death.

Joseph Stalin modernized Russia, helped defeat the Nazis, and waged a reign of terror against his own people. He was born on December 18, 1878, making him a Sagittarius. As a communist dictator, he set the Soviet Union on a path that clashed with the world's other great superpower, the United States, in the years after World War II. Stalin's astrological sign, Sagittarius, is known for being philosophic to a relentless degree, which may explain Stalin's ruthless commitment to proving the communist philosophy worked. And they often have seemingly opposite qualities, such as fanatical yet not religious, or tactless yet serious. These qualities certainly capture Stalin's place in history.