History’s most influential figures are known for their legendary accomplishments, but many also had quirky hobbies that offer a fascinating glimpse into their private lives. When they weren’t leading nations or advancing science and culture, these iconic individuals pursued surprising pastimes that ranged from the intellectual to the absurd.
Famous Leaders’ Offbeat Pursuits
- Queen Elizabeth I of England was a dedicated needleworker who spent hours embroidering[3]. She even sewed a shirt for her favorite explorer Sir Francis Drake. The Virgin Queen also loved dancing and maintained a troupe of dancers to perform at court.
- Queen Victoria had a passion for sketching and painting[3]. She filled albums with drawings of events and people in her life, including elaborately detailed portraits of her children and pets. The Queen also scrapbooked memorabilia into her journals.
- George Washington bred hounds for fox hunting at Mount Vernon[4]. He gave them distinctive names like Sweetlips, Tipsy, Drunkard, and Taster.
- Thomas Jefferson was an avid gardener who experimented with over 300 varieties of peas alone[4]. His other hobbies included collecting fossils, studying languages, and playing the violin.
- Andrew Jackson enjoyed cockfighting and racing horses[4]. He kept running diaries of his racing prospects and their pedigrees.
- Emperor Nero of Rome relished acting and music. He performed on stage, wrote poetry, raced chariots, and played various instruments[3]. According to some accounts, Nero fiddled while Rome burned during the Great Fire of 64 AD.
Famous Thinkers’ Fascinations
- Benjamin Franklin was a chess enthusiast who wrote one of the first chess books published in America[4]. He called chess “the game of life” and often played until late at night.
- Mark Twain was obsessed with Joan of Arc. He spent over a decade researching her life and penned a 500-page biography[6]. Twain also invested in pioneering new inventions like the typewriter, telephone, and phonograph.
- Albert Einstein was an accomplished violinist who often turned to music to recharge his mind[4]. He believed playing the violin exercised the same imagination he used in physics. Einstein also enjoyed sailing.
- Charles Darwin was fascinated by earthworms. He spent 39 years studying their anatomy and behavior, conducting worm personality tests, and running earthworm census surveys[4]. Darwin wrote an entire book on the humble creatures.
Artists’ Amusements
- Salvador Dali collected ants. He would cut them in half to study their anatomy and watch them swarm over objects to gain painting ideas. Dali’s ants once escaped and overran a party he was hosting[1].
- Andy Warhol amassed a large collection of wigs. He wore wild wig styles to cultivate his eccentric public persona[5]. Warhol also enjoyed feeding coins into New York pay phones and listening to strangers’ conversations.
- Marilyn Monroe had a library of over 400 books on topics like art, psychology, philosophy, and poetry. She took literature classes at UCLA and befriended famous writers[1].
- John Lennon collected Beatles memorabilia. He scoured shops for anything related to the band and displayed it all in a private museum room in his home[5]. Lennon’s collection included rare records, posters, toys, and other merchandise.
- David Bowie studied mime with Marcel Marceau and performed as a mime early in his career[5]. He felt mime helped develop his expressive stage presence. Bowie occasionally incorporated mime into his concerts.
Athletes’ Avocations
- Muhammad Ali loved magic tricks. He learned tricks from professional magicians, made magic kit infomercials, and practiced illusions like making objects disappear[2]. Ali enjoyed wowing kids with his tricks.
- Michael Jordan developed a passion for golf and claims it’s his “therapy”[5]. He plays in celebrity tournaments and has his own private course. Jordan’s competitiveness extends to the links, where he’s known as a notorious trash talker.
- David Beckham became an avid fencer after starring in a movie sword fight. He trained with the British Olympic fencing coach and collects antique sabers[5]. Beckham also enjoys gardening and reading science fiction.
- Serena Williams is a certified nail technician. She completed a nail school program out of curiosity and for backup career options[2]. Williams gives pedicures to her tennis teammates.
- Tom Brady loves chess. He plays online chess to unwind after games and participates in fast chess tournaments[2]. Brady has also been seen analyzing chess positions on planes.
Whether it was needlepoint, collecting, or mime, history’s most exceptional people found joy in pursuits outside their main vocations. Their atypical hobbies provide insight into their creativity and humanity. Even the greatest icons had quirky sides and took time to feed their passions.
[2] https://www.businessinsider.com/hobbies-of-successful-people-2015-11
[4] https://headsup.scoutlife.org/7-famous-people-cool-hobbies/
[5] https://www.elle.com.au/celebrity/celebrities-with-surprising-hobbies-23780
[6] https://www.biography.com/news/mark-twain-joan-of-arc-book
