This is a list of famous historical figures diagnosed with or strongly suspected as having had syphilis at some time. Many people who acquired syphilis were treated and recovered; some died from it.
Many famous historical figures, including Charles VIII of France, Christopher Columbus,[2] Hernán Cortés of Spain, Benito Mussolini, and Ivan the Terrible,[2] were often alleged to have had syphilis or other sexually transmitted infections. Sometimes these allegations were false and formed part of a political whispering campaign. In other instances, retrospective diagnoses of suspected cases have been made in modern times. Mental illness caused by late-stage syphilis was once a common form of dementia. This was known as the general paresis of the insane.
Name | Details |
---|---|
Cesare Borgia (1475–1507), Italian Cardinal | Strongly suspected of having syphilis |
Gerard de Lairesse (1641–1711), Dutch painter and art theorist | Congenital syphilis |
Edward Teach (1680–1718), West Indian pirate | Better known as Blackbeard. Died in battle against Robert Maynard[3] |
Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz (1721–1773), Prussian cavalry lieutenant general | Died from syphilis[4] |
Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848), Italian opera composer | Neurosyphilis[5] |
Charles Baudelaire (1821–1867), French poet[6] | |
Lola Montez (1821–1861), Irish dancer, courtesan, mistress of Ludwig I | Died from syphilis[7] |
Leland Stanford (1824-1893), American politician & robber baron | Retrospectively diagnosed or suspected to have died of syphilis.[8] |
Camilo Castelo Branco (1825–1890), Portuguese writer | Died by suicide on account of blindness caused by neurosyphilis. |
Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910), Russian writer | Suspected to have had syphilis[9] |
Alphonse Daudet (1840–1897), French novelist | |
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900), German philosopher | Cause of death disputed, but syphilis or mercury poisoning from syphilis treatment are leading theories. |
Bram Stoker (1847–1912), Irish author | Cause of death listed as "Locomotor ataxia 6 months", presumed to be a reference to syphilis.[10][11] |
Guy de Maupassant (1850–1893), French writer[12] | |
Tongzhi Emperor (1856–1875), Emperor of Qing Dynasty | Suspected to have had syphilis[citation needed] |
Mikhail Vrubel (1856–1910), Russian painter[13] | |
Frederick Delius (1862–1934), English music composer | Died from syphilis[14] |
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901), French painter[15] | |
Eugen Sandow (1867–1925), German bodybuilder | Suspected to have had syphilis[16][17] |
Vladimir Lenin (1870–1924), Soviet politician | Retrospectively diagnosed or suspected to have died of syphilis.[18] |
Karen Blixen (1885–1962), Danish writer[19] | |
Adolf Hitler (1889–1945), German dictator | Suspected to have had syphilis[20][2][21] |
Al Capone (1899–1947), American gangster | Died from syphilis[22] |
Lavrentiy Beria (1899–1953), Soviet politician & serial rapist | Admitted before his execution he had been treated for syphilis. |
Alger "Texas" Alexander (1900–1954), American blues singer | Died from syphilis[23] |
Howard Hughes (1905–1976), American aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, investor, philanthropist and pilot. | Diagnosed with neurosyphilis in 1932.[24] |
Idi Amin (1928–2003), Ugandan dictator[25] |
Leland's sudden demise, considered to be the result of untreated syphilis
At the time of his death in 1925, a cover story was released stating Sandow died prematurely at age 58 of a stroke shortly after pushing his car out of the mud. The actual cause of death was more likely due to complications from syphilis.
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... speculates that the strongman's death may have been the result of an aortic aneurysm brought about by syphilis.
An encounter with a Jewish prostitute in Vienna in 1908 may have given Hitler neuro-syphilis and provided the 'deadly logic and blueprint for the Holocaust' as well as giving him a reason to attempt to eliminate the mentally retarded, according to evidence presented at the Royal College of Psychiatrists.