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21 Historical Figures Who Were Super Attractive in their Prime

Trista November 28, 2018 27 min

21. Joseph Stalin

Few images of historical leaders are as iconic as the grey-haired and mustachioed Joseph Stalin, in full military regalia, on a field of red with the hammer and sickle of the USSR behind him. Images of Stalin during his rule were often doctored to hide evidence of the numerous smallpox scars that marred his face. He similarly employed photo doctoring to remove allies who later became political enemies and those who were murdered by his dictatorship.

Joseph Stalin is, of course, most famous for the drastic and often deadly reforms he instituted in the USSR. The most famous of these is the Great Purge, which Stalin implemented to destroy “enemies of the working class.” In reality, he purged many of his political opponents within the communist party and solidified a dictatorship that would last for over thirty years until his death. He is also famous for the implementation of the gulag, a system of political prisons and labor camps which caused the end of the thousands.

What would likely shock many is what an attractive, modern-looking young man Stalin was. With his gently styled, swept-back hair, close-trimmed beard, and stylish pea coat and scarf, the young Stalin would have been right at home in a hipster coffee shop in Brooklyn or on the pages of a Dior ad. If you want a surprise, Google how similar the young Stalin looks to former One Direction star Zayn Malik.

Where did we find this stuff? Here are our sources:

“Famous People From History You Had No Idea Were Hot” Mike Rothschild, Ranker. n.d.

“AC/DC: The Tesla-Edison Feud.” Maggie Ryan Sandford, Mental Floss. July 2012.

“Mahatma Gandhi.” Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. November 2018.

“John Millington Synge.” Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. October 2018.

“Richard Francis Burton.” Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. November 2018.

“Alma Mahler.” Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. September 2018.

“Tenzing Norgay.” Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. October 2018.

“Charlotte Brontë.” Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. November 2018.

“Harry Houdini.” Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. October 2018.

“Hunter S. Thompson.” Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. November 2018.

“Rupert Brooke.” Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. November 2018.