Not Blessed With Looks: The Most Unattractive Historical Figures

Philip IV of Spain (8 April 1605 – 17 September 1665), also called the Planet King, was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip IV was a complex and contradictory figure. He was intelligent and well-educated, but he was also indecisive and easily manipulated. He was a devout Catholic, but he was also a patron of the arts and sciences. He was a successful military commander early in his reign, but he later suffered a series of defeats.

Grigori Rasputin was a Russian mystic and holy man who was highly influential in the court of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II. He was known for his ability to heal the Tsar's son, Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia. Rasputin was also known for his unconventional lifestyle, which included drinking, womanizing, and making political predictions.

Jean-Paul Sartre was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th-century French philosophy and Marxism. He was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism.

Emperor Leopold I (9 June 1640 – 5 May 1705) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. Leopold was a devout Catholic and a strong supporter of the Counter-Reformation. He fought several wars against the Ottoman Empire, which had been expanding into Europe since the 15th century. He also fought against France in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714).

Vlad the Impaler, also known as Vlad Dracula, was a 15th-century prince of Wallachia (present-day Romania). He was known for his cruelty and his use of impalement as a form of punishment. Vlad's cruelty earned him the nickname "the Impaler". He is also said to have been a vampire, but there is no evidence to support this claim.

Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac (March 6, 1619 – July 28, 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. He was a bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th century. Cyrano de Bergerac is a complex and contradictory figure. He was a brilliant writer and a skilled swordsman, but he was also arrogant and hot-headed. He was a man of great passions, but he was also capable of great self-sacrifice.

Charles II of Spain (November 6, 1661 – November 1, 1700), also known as the Bewitched, was the last Habsburg ruler of the Spanish Empire. He was born in Madrid, Spain, the only surviving son of Philip IV of Spain and Mariana of Austria. Charles II was a sickly child, and he suffered from a variety of physical and mental disabilities. He was also intellectually disabled, and he was unable to speak or walk until he was five years old.

Socrates (c. 470 – 399 BC) was a classical Greek philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, along with his fellow Athenian Plato and his student Aristotle. Socrates's thought has exerted a unique influence on almost every form of knowledge in the West and it continues to be a subject of contemporary philosophical discussion.

Alfred Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director and producer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. Known as the "Master of Suspense", he directed over 50 feature films in a career spanning six decades.

Queen Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called the Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the last of the five monarchs of the House of Tudor. Elizabeth was a popular ruler and is often seen as one of the greatest monarchs in English history. She was known for her intelligence, her wit, and her ability to rule with a strong hand. She was also a patron of the arts and sciences, and her reign saw a flowering of English culture.