Famous Historical Faces and What They Would Look Like Today Using CGI

Few historical figures have the honor of having William Shakespeare write a play about their lives, but that’s just how famous this former Roman dictator is. 

Poor Elizabeth. Her mother was the ill-fated Anne Boleyn who lost her head at the hands of her father, Henry VIII.  

Legendary warrior Alexander the Great never lost a battle. At 30, he’d conquered the vast Persian empire and ruled the world from Greece to India. 

Roman empress Agrippina the Younger’s beauty was matched only by her violence and ruthlessness. She was mother to Nero and helped him gain power at all costs. 

Any fan of historical fiction knows exactly who Jane Austen was. Her novels expertly critiqued and chronicled the British upper class in the 18th century. 

You’ve already heard about the fate of the unfortunate Anne Boleyn. Accused by the king of treason and adultery, she was found guilty and beheaded. 

Mary reigned over Scotland until an uprising drove her from her throne. Her next move was to attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I and usurp her seat.  

Elisabeth was born into the royal Bavarian House of Wittelsbach and became the Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary when she married Emperor Franz Joseph I. 

Catherine’s life is often defined by her role as the first wife of Henry VII’s six marriages, that is, until he created a whole new church just to divorce her. 

When you think of French royalty, you imagine luxury, finery, and excess. Though Louis XV wasn’t the celebrity his grandfather was, he was still the King of France. 

Yet another of Henry VIII’s many wives, Catherine Parr was the only one who managed to outlive him – barely. She died about a year after he did. 

Perhaps the most famous French royal, Marie Antoinette was known for her love of the finer things in life and her lavish spending habits (while her subjects starved).

The daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna saw her father’s rule violently overthrown and her family perish at the hands of the Bolsheviks. 

Augustus is probably the third most famous Caesar, behind Julius (his great-uncle) and, of course, salad. He reigned from 27 BC to 14 AD. 

Queen Nefertiti of Egypt was known for her legendary beauty as well as being the wife of the Pharoah Akhenaten. Her name means “The beautiful woman has come.”

Queen Isabella was half of the couple who financed Columbus’s monumental voyage to find a route to India.  She and her husband Ferdinand ruled Spain.

Good Ol’ honest Abe is a lot of folks’ favorite president. Whether it was his abolition of slavery or simply his inspriring speeches, his legacy has lived far beyond him. 

Ah, Signorina Mona Lisa. Hers may be the most famous female face of all time, with her contemplative eyes and knowing half-smile.  

A proposition of marriage from a king sounds pretty tempting…unless that king is Henry VII. Chistina instead married Francis, Duke of Bar, who had never beheaded any of his exes.

Jeanne Bécu, who was called Comtesse du Barry when she became the mistress to Louis XV, was known to have beautiful golden hair and blue eyes.

Eleanor of Toledo, a Spanish noblewoman, is credited with being the first “first lady.” She was a businesswoman and even ruled in her husband’s place at times. 

Katherine Howard was the fifth of Henry VIII’s doomed wives, and the second he had beheaded. She was only 16 when we married him and 18 when she met her demise.

History does not remember Caligula’s reign as emperor of Rome fondly. He was known to be sadistic and cruel, and used his power to increase his own wealth and status. 

We’ve all heard stories about how Napoleon was extremely sensitive about his height. In reality, he was about average height for nobility at the time. 

Grace Kelly was the embodiment of elegance and beauty. The actress even managed to win the heart of royalty, becoming the Princess of Monaco. 

Sandro Botticelli’s vibrant depiction of the birth of the goddess Venus embodies all the romance and beauty that the deity herself is known for. 

Albert was the cousin and Prince Consort to the often “unamused” Queen Victoria of England. He was her husband, her friend, and her confidant, as well as father to their nine children. 

Our would wouldn’t be the same today if Ghenghis Khan hadn’t ruled the Mongol empire. Some say he’s a direct ancestor of .5% of the world’s males.

Since the images we have of Cleopatra were created after her death, it’s hard to know what she would look like today. 

Inventor, scientist, and founding father – Benjamin Franklin was truly a formidable figure in early American history.  

As far as Henry VIII’s wives go, Jane Seymour didn’t exactly draw the shortest straw. She was the only one to give birth to a male heir, but sadly, didn’t survive the delivery. 

If you hadn’t heard of Henry VIII and his six wives, you certainly know about them now. We know he was an impulsive man who got what he wanted, regardless of the consequences. 

Unlike his son, who was famous for having 6 wives and mistreating them all, King Henry VII is remembered for building a successful and stable economy. 

Anne Cleves had the…um, honor of being Henry VIII’s fourth wife, but never actually became queen consort, as their marriage was annulled after 6 months. 

We don’t have many photorealistic images of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun, but we do know he was very young when he took the throne. 

Iconic silver screen beauty Liz Taylor was known for her acting skills and striking beauty. She is one of the few born with violet eyes!

Here’s looking at Ingrid Bergman! The stunning swede was cast in Casablanca beside Humphrey Bogart, and they made film history as Rick and Ilsa. 

Not everybody knows who Wallis Simpson was, but without her, the world would be very different. King Edward VIII loved her so much, he abdicated his throne to marry her. 

Mary I was known by many names: Mary Tudor, Queen of England, and “Bloody Mary.” She earned that nickname by having hundreds of her religious opponents burned at the stake.

Elizabeth Woodville wasn’t born to an especially powerful family, but she brought her entire family up with her when she married King Edward IV. 

Meritamun was an Egyptian royal, also called the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Ramesses II, and was one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful women.

Robert the Bruce was a Scottish king who was famous for leading the first Scottish War of Independence against England. 

Bach was one of the world’s greatest composers, but he lived in a time before photographs and video, so all we have are various paintings of his likeness. 

Giovanni Battista Sidotti was so dedicated to spreading the Catholic faith in Japan that he snuck across the border illegally and disguised himself as a samurai. 

In 2006, a group of anthropologists discovered the richly decorated mummy of an ancient Peruvian highborn woman. They called her the Lady of Cao.

An integral figure in the French Revolution, Robespierre spoke out fiercely for the rights of the common man. 

We know the bard’s words quite well, but the face behind his famous plays is a bit more of a mystery. He’s almost always shown with a very particular goatee.

Whether you call him the first president, the father of our country, or the legendary military general, it’s clear that Washington had a lot to do with the building of America.

Ava is a nickname for Achavanich, which was the name given to the remains of a young woman found in Caithness, Scotland. She lived over 3,700 years ago.