These are the stories behind some of history's most prominent families that appeared to have had it all. Yet, generations of tragedy and misfortune suggest otherwise. What variables combined to lead to the doom of these cursed bloodlines?
In 20th-century America, no other family held a higher status than the Kennedys. Over time, a series of tragic and bizarre events forced a darker story into the history of "America's royal family." A story known as the Kennedy curse.
On the French Riviera, Monaco is known for its vast luxury and elegance. For almost 700 years, the Grimaldi royal family has maintained Monaco's idyllic aura, but their dreadful luck in the love department has fueled a legend of a curse.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the ancient Romanov dynasty was in danger. Suddenly, a mysterious figure named Grigori Rasputin appeared who rose to great prominence in the Imperial Court, yet to some, he was known as The Mad Monk.
To this day, the Lee family is revered in popular culture. As a martial arts innovator, Bruce Lee captivated audiences around the globe. However, the legends of Bruce and his son Brandon intersect in a way some attribute to a family curse.
For centuries, the Habsburgs were the most powerful family in Europe, but since its origin, the family could not escape a fatal destiny. Were their tribulations connected to a curse? Was Europe doomed by the tragic fate of a cursed family?
The story of how ancient Persia morphed into the Iran of today is very much the story of one family: the Pahlavis. Their reign would prove short-lived for a dynasty and would be the most tumultuous in the nation's complicated history.
Members of the Bhutto family in Pakistan and the Nehru-Gandhi family in India became visionary political leaders after their countries gained independence. However, the founders and descendants of these dynasties faced brutal opposition.
J. Paul Getty was renowned for his billionaire status, frugality, and loveless family life. The son of an oil man, J. Paul Getty's life was governed by desire, greed, and addiction, attributes that would affect his family for generations.
The location of King Tut's tomb was one of the most famous archaeological discoveries in modern history. When Howard Carter and George Herbert unearthed the ancient Pharaoh's tomb intact, did they unwittingly set loose something else?
One of the richest and most famous men in the world, Aristotle Onassis built a global shipping empire. His love affairs, however, would transform his life into a series of misfortunes, a whirlpool of tragedy that would threaten his empire.
