today’s birthday: Pope Leo X (1475)

Pope Leo X (1475)

Leo X, born into the important Florentine Medici family, rose to the papacy in 1513. He was a patron of the arts and a generous almsgiver, but he was also strongly criticized for his lavish lifestyle. He was not greatly interested in the advancement of the Church, and when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg, Leo X’s subsequent excommunication of Luther did little to stem the tide of the Reformation. What massive animal did he keep as a pet? More… Discuss

THIS DAY IN THE YESTERYEAR: IMELDA MARCOS PARTS WITH HER SHOES (1986)

Imelda Marcos Parts with Her Shoes (1986)

When Philippine political leader Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda were driven into exile following the assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino, they left behind evidence of a lavish lifestyle that pointed to possible corruption and embezzlement. The former first lady’s shoe collection, which numbered in the thousands, became a symbol of the Marcos’s excesses. Despite her alleged misdeeds, Imelda returned to home after Ferdinand’s death and ran for president with what result? More… Discuss