Mata Hari, the Dutch Spy who was executed by firing squad was born today in 1876.

Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was born in the Netherlands, was a “mail order” bride, a mistress, an exotic dancer, and a very crafty spy.

By 1905, she began to win fame as an exotic dancer, and she adopted the stage name Mata Hari.  She was a contemporary of Isadora Duncan.  Promiscuous, flirtatious, and openly flaunting her body, she captivated her audiences and was an overnight success from the debut of her act.

She also posed for nude pictures…pretty racy back in the early 1900s.

On 13 February 1917, Mata Hari was arrested in her room at the Hote Plaza Athenee in Paris. She was put on trial, accused of spying for Germany and consequently causing the deaths of at least 50,000 soldiers. She was found guilty and was executed by firing squad on 15 October 1917, at the age of 41.

Some reported that her dying words were, “A harlot yes, a traitor, never!”

No one in her family claimed her body, it was used for science and her head was embalmed and put in a museum.  It disappeared around 1954 and has never been found.

Has anyone looked at NeverLand Ranch?

…born in 1965, she turns 45 today.

Famous for writing the wildly popular Harry Potter series, Dame Rowling, is most noted for her rags to riches story.  She went from living on welfare to the 12th wealthiest woman in Great Britain in five years.

Seriously, now if I can just get my book published!  JK, Oprah, are you reading this?

Oh, well, Happy Birthday!

Well, it wasn’t actually Detroit then.

In 1701, Antoine de le Mothe Cadillac founded Fort Pontchartrain du Detroit as a trading post.

After several changes of hands, Fort P became Detroit.

Thanks Detroit, for Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Motown, Diana Ross, Berry Gordy, Oscar Mayer, Sebastian Kresge (later K-mart), Roger Penske, James Scripps, Larry Page (founder of Google!), Thomas Dewey, Mitt Romney, Tim Allen, Jerry Bruckheimer, Ellen Burstyn, Francis Ford Coppola, Wally Cox (Mr. Peepers), Pam Dawber, Aretha Franklin, Charlton Heston, James Earl Jones, Casey Kasem, Eminem, Ed McMahon, Harry Morgan, Gilda Radner, Della Reese, Soupy Sales, Tom Selleck, Danny Thomas, Lily Tomlin, Robin Williams, Alice Cooper, Marvin Gaye, Madonna, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, Stevie Wonder, Ty Cobb, Gordie Howe, Mitch Albom, Sonny Bono, Jimmy Hoffa, and Charles Lindhberg.

Thanks Cadillac!

On this day in 1762, Catherine The Great became Empress of Russia in a bloodless coup d’etat.

Her husband, Tsar Peter III was murdered three days later.

I guess it didn’t stay bloodless.

Catherine was out of town, and unavailable for comment at the time of Peter’s death.